Those looking to have a drink in a public park in Toronto will have to wait until at least 2023 to do so.
Toronto city council members voted on Thursday in favour of a motion to delay lifting the drinking ban in outdoor public parks.
The move comes after Coun. Josh Matlow moved a motion that would have seen the launch of a pilot project to allow the consumption of alcoholic beverages – under 15 per cent alcohol – in the city’s public parks and beaches between 11 a.m. and 9 p.m. from late May until the end of October.
The motion specifies that drinking would only be allowed at parks and beaches that have washroom facilities.
In a previous interview with Global News, Matlow said he thinks it’s “ridiculous that in today’s day and age that Toronto — unlike most of the world — still restricts responsible adults from doing something like having a drink together while having a picnic.”
Outdoor drinking is allowed in European cities like Berlin and London.
However, the motion moved by Mayor John Tory will have the city’s general manager of parks, forestry and recreation, in consultation with the executive director of municipal licensing and standards, the city solicitor and the medical officer of health, report back in the second quarter of 2023 with “options” including necessary bylaw amendments that would allow alcohol to be consumed in the parks.
The motion said this would be based on the “results of community and stakeholder consultations, safety considerations, the Toronto Drug Strategy and lessons learned from other Canadian jurisdictions.”
The motion carried, with 17 votes in favour.
Only Matlow and Coun. Stephen Holyday voted against the motion.
Five councillors – Gary Crawford, Michael Ford, Cynthia Lai, Anthony Perruzza and Jayne Robinson – were absent from Thursday’s meeting.
–with files from Global News’ Isaac Callan
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