Willie’s Beach Bar and The Tipsy Pelican was forced to close on August 19th, due to a lawsuit from 2019.
Right now, it is an open claim that is before the court and the popular beach front bar is having trouble getting insurance.
According to a document, the bar is named in a $7.5 Million lawsuit over a 2019 Canada Day altercation between Kyle Hern and Cole Willemsen that happened outside the bar and left one with a permanent brain injury.
Both played for the Exeter Hawks junior C Hockey team, at different times.
The Hern family put the lawsuit against Willemsen, Willie’s Beach Bar, it’s owner and the bartender manager. There are 3 others related parties named as defendants.
Statements of claim and statements of defense contain allegations not proven in court.
The lawsuit says both men got into an altercation inside the bar, and then were escorted outside.
An employee tried to calm the men down but did not call the police. Hern was then brought back to Willie’s and served more alcohol despite being already heavily intoxicated.
He was then brought back outside and was left unattended, across the street from Willemsen; where Willemsen then attacked Hern, unprovoked.
Hern was knocked to the ground and was unconscious, says the lawsuit.
He wasn’t taken to the hospital until the next day and a blood clot formed. The clot caused a stroke that left Hern with limited mobility and language. He is now unable to take care of himself.
Willemsen was sentenced to eight month in jail in September of last year after pleading guilty.
The lawsuit says there was negligence from employees at Willie’s Beach Bar that caused or contributed to Hern’s injuries. It also claims that both men were over served and employees were not trained on when to stop serving over intoxicated customers.
The bar has filled a statement of defense that denies all the allegations.
A hearing date has not been scheduled.
Written by Kyla Close