Here's where alcohol will be permitted in Vancouver parks this summer
Here's where alcohol will be permitted in Vancouver parks this summer
Those visiting Vancouver's parks will be permitted to consume alcohol in select green spaces again this year as the city's park board unanimously approved another pilot project Monday night.
Like last year's program, the 2022 plan permits drinking in 22 parks as early as June until October.
This time, however, the city is changing the signage in the parks by identifying where drinking is not permitted, rather than selecting small spaces where it is. That means some parks will have significantly larger alcohol-permitted areas.
Drinking will not be allowed within 20 metres of a playground or school area, or within five metres of a pool or water park. Places where consumption won't be permitted also include pools, parking lots, docks, sports fields, washrooms, pitch-and-putt courses and off-leash dog areas.
Vancouver Coun. Sarah Kirby-Yung said the permanent approval of drinking in parks "is taking a long time."
"I think this has been going on for most of the term of the Vancouver Park Board," she told CTV News Vancouver.
"In this time we almost could have built a community centre. If you think about the fact that this is taking a number of years and other cities seem to be moving forward with it pretty easily and much more quickly than Vancouver and I think it's time."
Commissioner Camil Dumont argued during Monday night's meeting that the park board has "to get this right."
"I think there's decades of prohibition of alcohol in parks and if it takes a few years to get it done properly in a way that's equitable and fair and hopefully focuses on harm reduction and least amount of negative impact possible then that's OK," he said.
The park board has been considering this issue since December 2018, when staff was first asked to conduct a feasibility study for a pilot. An initial proposal was brought forward in July of 2020, as people were being encouraged to gather outdoors and at a distance in order to prevent the spread of COVID 19. That proposal was rejected because it only designated 10 sites.
Staff was sent back to the drawing board to come up with another plan that included parks in each neighbourhood. The list of 22 parks was finalized last year.
As the 2022 program is just another pilot, the matter will need to go before the park board again with a full report before it's made permanent.
These are the updated alcohol-permitted areas for 2022:
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
WATCH LIVE | U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, allowing states to ban abortions
The U.S. Supreme Court has ended the nation's constitutional protections for abortion that had been in place nearly 50 years in a decision by its conservative majority to overturn Roe v. Wade. Friday's outcome is expected to lead to abortion bans in roughly half the states.

'Devastating setback': Trudeau, politicians react to overturning of Roe v. Wade
Canadian politicians are responding to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to end constitutional protections for abortion, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau calling the news 'horrific.'
‘A terrible setback’: Roe v. Wade abortion ruling raising alarms among Canadian advocates
Canadian advocates are cautioning against complacency regarding abortions protections in place in Canada, after the U.S. Supreme court voted to overturn Roe v. Wade on Friday.
Roe v. Wade: These U.S. states are likely to ban abortion
With the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to end constitutional protections for abortion, 26 states are likely to ban abortions; 13 of which are expected to enact bans against the medical procedure immediately.
Mummified baby woolly mammoth discovered in Yukon 'most complete' find in North America: officials
Miners working in a gold field in Yukon have uncovered what is being called the 'most complete' mummified woolly mammoth found to date in North America, officials announced on Friday.
'So scary': Flying shovel misses Mississauga driver by just centimetres
An Ontario driver is speaking out after a shovel struck her windshield while she was driving on the highway.
This is who's in and who's out of Doug Ford's cabinet
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has unveiled his cabinet for the 43rd Parliament and there are some big changes to the front bench.
Man loses USB flash drive with data on entire city's residents after night out
After going for drinks this week, an unnamed worker lost a USB flash drive containing the personal details of every resident of the Japanese city of Amagasaki, according to a statement from the city's government.
Breast cancer ‘tumour awakens’ as patient sleeps: study
A new study has found that breast cancer can metastasize more efficiently while people are sleeping, a finding researchers say could 'significantly change' the way cancer is diagnosed and treated.