Vancouver Park Board approves another summer of booze on beaches

The Vancouver Park Board has approved another pilot project allowing alcohol on seven beaches across the city.

Park board trustees voted 4-1 Monday night in favour of the project.

The beaches include:

• Jericho Beach
• Spanish Banks
• Kitsilano Beach
• Locarno Beach
• Second Beach in Stanley Park
• John Hendry
• New Brighton Beach

The park board has requested $930,000 from the city to increase police presence across all beaches, after a report found an increase in violent calls to beaches in the last five years.

At Kitsilano Beach, violent calls went from four in 2018, to 12 in 2023.

At English Bay, violent calls increased from six in 2018 to 28 in 2023. That beach did not allow alcohol last year, however.

The increase in violent calls is one of the reasons why park board commissioner, Tom Digby, voted against the motion.

"We had to approve nearly a million dollars in extra police and park board staff just to manage these beaches," Digby told CTV News.

The commissioner says he understands the enjoyment of gathering and having an alcoholic beverage, but wanted to see the pilot on pause until “things cool down” on the beaches for at least a year.

According to the staff report, park rangers say the main issues they faced last summer revolved around their inability to enforce unruly behaviour and to require valid ID.

“With respect to disorderly and abusive behaviour, particularly at English Bay and Sunset beaches, the (Vancouver Police Department) had to get involved to settle behavioural and lawbreaking issues,” wrote the staff report.

Insp. Marco Veronsi with the Vancouver Police Board spoke during the meeting and admitted the alcohol pilot did not have a proper policing plan.

"We were constantly playing catch up, and so by having to play catch up, we didn't have an established strategy in order to deal with things,” he said. “If you give us an established strategy you see how it goes given what we’re considering proper resourced, then we can tell you I fit’s going to be good long term or if it’s going to be bad long term.”

Park board commissioner Jas Virdi, who put the motion forward, told CTV News he knows many beach goers are going to have an alcoholic beverage regardless of legalization or not and by having the infrastructure in place, it makes it safer for everyone.

"VPD mentioned that they're more prepared this year and they have a game and I think that will be instrumental in this being more successful this year," Virdi said.

Concerns about garbage along beaches were also flagged in the staff report, particularly along Kitsilano Beach.

"The first sunny long weekend we have in June, it's just going to be a mess and it cost the city a million dollars, so I'm begging people, please be responsible,” said Digby.

Park board staff mentioned there would an increase of recycling bins this year.

The pilot project will begin June 1 and run until the end of September.