As Toronto takes the plunge as the first city in Ontario to explore permitting alcohol consumption in public parks, opinions from Londoners are more mixed on if it is a good idea.
On Wednesday, Toronto launched a pilot project that allows people 19 or older to drink alcohol in a select 27 public parks. The pilot project will run until Oct. 9.
While Toronto is the first city in Ontario to test-run the idea, they are far from the first in Canada. Out west, Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary have expanded their alcohol in public parks programs after running pilot projects last year.
But in London, where consumption of alcohol in parks is prohibited except for special events with beer gardens, residents and councillors who spoke with Global News are divided on the issue.
Acting mayor Shawn Lewis (Mayor Josh Morgan is away this week) told Global News that while he doesn’t believe a pilot project would bring any added cost to the city, there were still enough obstacles for him to lean no on the issue.
The main issues Lewis cited were adding work to what he considers an already overworked bylaw enforcement team and risking restaurants losing business.
“What are the costs going to be to local businesses that perhaps lose their patio business to people just taking their own beverages and heading into a park,” said Lewis.
“We don’t want to be taking away their business at a time when they are just starting to get back to something like normal before COVID.”
Ward 4 Coun. Susan Stevenson echoed the comments of Lewis, saying the impact of businesses and the increased burden on enforcement officers could outweigh the positives. Stevenson added that another concern for her is park safety.
“Is it going to make our parks more or less safe? Because that is a big concern right now,” Stevenson said.
The first-term councillor said she has heard from residents who wish to “clean up” parks, adding she is not sure permitting alcohol consumption would help with that.
Other councillors, such as Ward 7 Coun. Corrine Rahman said she has yet to hear from residents clamouring for an allowance in parks.
While councillors are more downbeat on the subject, residents that spoke with Global News said they are open to allowing alcohol in parks.
“I’m glad that Toronto and other cities are taking initiatives to allow alcohol in some parks,” said London resident Guilherme Dorini. “I get why it’s against the law currently, but I believe in parks in the summer there isn’t really any harm on drinking alcohol in public.”
Londoner Greg Marsh told Global News he would not have a problem with allowing alcohol consumption in parks so long as it did not get out of hand.
“I think it’s perfectly reasonable for someone to come to the park and have a beer with their lunch as long as they’re not bothering anybody,” Marsh said. “But as soon as you start bothering somebody, then yes, that should be a concern.
“If it’s a big party and everybody is getting drunk, then that would be a problem. But there should be a happy medium.”
According to Paul Yeoman, director of parks and forestry for the City of London, if a councillor were to put forward an amendment to the parks and recreation area bylaw, a public participation meeting and broader community consultation would be required to make any changes.
Still, if a councillor were to propose it, others around the horseshoe are ready to say no.
“We’ve just got so many bigger issues to tackle right now that this just really is not high on my radar and I don’t think it is high on our council’s radar,” Lewis said.