Cates Deck in North Vancouver

A dock-like plaza on the water next to Lonsdale Quay, Cates Deck is one of the outdoor spots in North Vancouver where you can consume alcohol in public.

You can take your own beer, wine or other beverage most days to this venue in the Shipyards District. In the summer, however, there’s a beer garden on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays (and you have to buy your drinks from them).

To learn about the North Shore’s other outdoor alcohol-friendly public spaces, see our article about North Vancouver Parks Where You Can Drink Alcohol (although not when special events are taking place) To learn more about the Cates Deck location, however, continue reading.

This article contains the following information about Cates Deck:

Deckchair Cinema Series | Rules for Alcohol | Beer Garden | Other Information

Alcohol-Friendly Cates Deck

If you’re looking for a nice waterfront view as you sip a beverage, then Cates Deck is a great place to visit. It’s in between Lonsdale Quay and the Polygon Gallery in North Vancouver. The actual deck is pretty simple. It’s a small to medium-sized wooden structure that sits over the water. It’s a fair size, although tiny compared to nearby Burrard Drydock Pier.

What makes Cates Deck more special than it seems is the fact that it’s one of the eight designated public spaces in the City of North Vancouver where you’re allowed to drink alcohol. There’s also a beer garden on the deck from Thursdays to Sundays in the summer.

Deckchair Cinema on Cates Deck in North Vancouver — Deckchair Cinema

2023 Deckchair Cinema Series

Cates Deck hosts Deckchair Cinema, a series of outdoor movie screenings run by the Polygon Gallery in the summer. Each screening takes place at sundown and is preceded by music and market vendors. Here is the schedule of movies running in 2023. They happen on Thursday beginning at dusk.

29th of June: Fantastic Planet
6th of July: Interstella 5555
13th of July: What We Do In The Shadows
20th of July: Whale Rider
27th of July: Big Trouble In Little China
3rd of August: Xanadu
10th of August: Lovers Rock
17th of August: Moonstruck
24th of August: No Bears
31st of August: Bullitt

To learn more about these films see our article about Deckchair Cinema.

Rules for Alcohol on Cates Deck

Up until 2020 it was illegal to drink alcohol in outdoor public spaces apart from bar and restaurant patios. The only exception was during special events with licenses to sell adult beverages.

Because of the pandemic making it much harder to socialize indoors, the City of North Vancouver wanted to encourage safe, outdoor socialization. As a result, it declared eight different parks and plazas as designated drink-friendly areas.

This new policy was very popular when it ran from June to October in 2020. Consequently, it was made permanent. Cates Deck is now one of the eight sites on this list which means that it’s legal to consume alcohol there from 11:00 am to dusk every day. Since North Vancouver’s experiment, a number of other Lower Mainland municipalities have adopted similar policies.

Except for when the summer beer garden is operating, you can take your own alcohol. When the beer garden is open, however, if you want a drink you have to purchase your beverages from the vendor.

The deck has a number of tables and chairs to sit at. On beer garden days there are a few extra, and some (but not all) of them have umbrellas overhead. On beer garden days there is also live music at set times. Aside from that, the deck is completely open, so not much place for shade.

Cates Deck in Lower Lonsdale — Cates Deck at the Shipyards

Cates Deck Beer Garden

During the summer the Cates Deck Beer Garden runs from Thursdays to Sundays. It operates between 4:00 pm and 10:00 pm on Thursdays and Fridays. On Saturdays and Sundays, meanwhile, it runs from 2:00 pm until 10:00 pm.

In 2021 the Cates Deck Beer Garden ran from July 1st until September 26th. On those days and during the above times, folk were only allowed to consume alcohol purchased at the beer garden. 2023 event dates and details are to be confirmed.

If you have other brews you prefer, then make sure to go earlier in the day or on Mondays to Wednesdays during the summer. Alternatively, you can go to a different public space where alcohol is permitted, including in nearby Shipbuilders’ Square in the Shipyards or at Waterfront Park.

On a typical beer garden day you can expect a small truck or trailer parked in the corner of the deck serving all the drinks. There are also usually speakers playing music and sometimes live music performances as well.

You have to pay for your drinks when the beer garden is open, but admission to the venue is still free. Again, when there isn’t a beer garden or other special event, you can take your own beverages and consumer them between 11:00 am and dusk.

Note: To drink alcohol legally in British Columbia you have to be at least 19 years old. If and when you drink, do so responsibly!

Cates Deck in Summer

Other Information

For similar beverage-friendly spots in the area click North Vancouver Parks Where You Can Drink Alcohol. For more information about the beer garden visit the Cates Deck Beer Garden webpage.

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