Vancouver closer to making drinking alcohol in parks legal year-round – and beaches could be next
The Vancouver Park Board is taking steps to make drinking alcohol in public parks a legal activity all year long – and could soon allow booze at beaches as well.
A motion passed Monday during the recently formed board’s final meeting of 2022 calls for city staff to “initiate a process to make the Alcohol in Parks program permanent and year round.”
Twenty-two Vancouver parks were included in two pilot programs that ran from July to October 2021 and June to October 2022. The city’s goal was to better understand how people drank booze in parks, the impact on the community, and the required facilities.
Park board staff are still reviewing the most recent pilot, and are set to release a report on their findings in the coming weeks. According to the motion tabled by Commissioner Jaspreet Virdi, the 2022 pilot ran with no apparent problems or significant issues.
A survey on the success of the 2021 pilot found 86 per cent of people were supportive of the alcohol in parks program.
Now, there's interest in expanding a permanent program to include more parks across the city.
“A review of the City’s park inventory database indicates that there are approximately 70+ parks around the City with existing washroom facilities that may support the expansion of the alcohol in parks program, but which may require further review by staff in relation to site selection criteria,” the motion reads.
Bringing legal booze consumption to Vancouver’s beaches is also on the park board’s agenda, according to the motion, which directs staff to report back with a plan on the new pilot by early 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
‘We made them safer and more fun’: Here’s what’s new about e-scooters
Electric scooters (e-scooters) have been gaining popularity in the capital and this season comes with some changes and updates.
The kids from 'Mrs. Doubtfire' are all SUPER grown up now, and we're not OK
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Premier Legault reiterates that McGill pro-Palestinian camp must be dismantled
Quebec Premier François Legault reiterated that the pro-Palestinian encampment at McGill University must be dismantled while police remain 'on the lookout for new developments.'
Houston braces for flooding to worsen in wake of storms
High waters flooded neighborhoods around Houston on Saturday following heavy rains that have already resulted in crews rescuing hundreds of people from homes, rooftops and roads engulfed in murky water.
Canadian Auger-Aliassime reaches first Masters final in Madrid with another walkover
Montreal's Felix Auger-Aliassime has advanced to his first ATP Masters final, and he hasn't had to play all that much tennis to do it.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
The UN warns Sudan's warring parties that Darfur risks starvation and death if aid isn't allowed in
The United Nations food agency warned Sudan's warring parties Friday that there is a serious risk of widespread starvation and death in Darfur and elsewhere in Sudan if they don't allow humanitarian aid into the vast western region.
Two killed after collision with truck on Hwy. 417 near Limoges, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police say two people were killed after a car and a transport truck collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 417 near Limoges, Ont. on Tuesday afternoon.