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Campbell said the request doesn’t mean events will be taking place during those two additional hours.

“There’s no intention to program anything that late at all . . . that’s not the intention behind what we are asking,” he said. “It’s just giving us the flexibility that if do need to go until that point that we would be able.”

Business owners in the area, and at least one city politician, threw their support behind the proposal Wednesday.

“Anything to enhance the overall experience for the people attending the Junos, we should do it,” said Andrew Corbett, co-owner of The Bull and Barrel Urban Saloon on Talbot Street, one of 18 venues participating in this year’s Junofest before the awards show at Budweiser Gardens on March 17.

“It’s a very rare opportunity to host the Junos, and I think it’s a great opportunity for London to show everything it is capable of. So, if it means that we need to go until 12 o’clock or 1 a.m., it is a good time to do it.”

Coun. Mo Salih agreed, saying the magnitude of the Juno Awards deserve the city doing anything it can to make of the event a success.

“To me, it makes sense that we should absolutely be doing this, without a doubt,” he said.

“This is an opportunity to showcase ourselves to the whole nation and take advantage of the fact we are going to be on a national stage.

“The economic benefits, the dollars associated and the social and cultural pros all outweigh some of the concerns that could arise.”

The city approved a similar request in 2016 when London played host to the Country Music Week, Campbell said.

Back then, he said, none of the events actually ran until 1 a.m.

“We never actually exercised the full capacity of our extension,” he said. “We went a little past midnight a couple of nights and that was it.”

jjuha@postmedia.com

Twitter.com/JuhaatLFPress