Happy hour just got a whole lot longer in Alberta bars and pubs.

Call it happy day, in fact.

The restriction on offering reduced drink prices only to 8 p.m. has been lifted, allowing bars, pubs and restaurants to run drink specials any time during operating hours.

The Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission announced Friday it was lifting the curfew established in 2008.

“The AGLC strives to make sure our policies support progressive business environments, are in the public interest, and, ultimately, help us deliver on our promise to provide choices Albertans can trust,” said president and CEO Bill Robinson in a statement.

“We recognized the 8 p.m. limit on ‘happy hours’ was not meeting these objectives and, as a result, the limit was eliminated. The new policy responds to industry’s needs and is better aligned with our social responsibility mandate.”

Limits on minimum drink prices ($2.75 for a bottle or can of beer, cider or coolers or a bar shot, for example) and on the number of drinks a patron can order or possess after 1 a.m. will remain unchanged.

The effect of the curfew was such that an establishment that wanted to offer drink specials during an evening televised sports event had to run all-day drink specials in order to go past 8 p.m.

“This means the ‘happy hours’ policy was not effective in meeting the original intent and contributing to safer and more responsible drinking environments,” said the AGLC.

The Alberta Safer Bars Council, a policy advisory group which includes representatives from the liquor industry, owners and police, supports the change, according to the AGLC.

Happy hours can be an effective tool to bring in patrons on slow days or quiet times but some safety and law enforcement groups worry that they encourage people to drink more than they would otherwise.

All provinces in Canada allow for some sort of happy hour pricing.

British Columbia had been the holdout but changed its rules to allow mid-day drink specials in 2014, at the same time instituting minimum drink prices.

Ontario allows for drink specials but prohibits the term happy hour from use in promotions.