North Vancouver allows drinking alcohol in parks, other public spaces

The City of North Vancouver council has approved a bylaw to allow drinking alcohol in several public spaces and parks. Miranda Fatur reports.

NORTH VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — You can now have a cold beer on a hot summer day in City of North Vancouver parks.

Council passed a bylaw Monday to allow drinking alcohol in public places.

The mayor of North Vancouver said she believes the city is the first in B.C. to pass such as bylaw.

Linda Buchanan added people need to find more ways to connect while maintaining a safe distance from one another as the pandemic continues into the summer, adding parks have become an extension of backyards.

“This summer we need to find new ways to connect while distancing,” Buchanan tweeted on Monday. “This is just one way we’re working to make #NorthVan a city for people.”

She also reasoned that if you treat adults like adults, they’ll behave that way.

On Tuesday, the City of Vancouver is to consider a bylaw similar to the one North Vancouver passed.

Last month, Vancouver Coun. Christine Boyle proposed allowing people to drink alcohol in parks and beaches by the summer, but no decision has been made.

She planned to bring her proposal forward during a future council meeting, asking the elected park board to make the change.

“I would like to see us piloted now while we’re being told to get outside that that’s the safest place to avoid transmission of the coronavirus I think this is the time to test it out and keep learning as we go and tweaking the rules in there,” she said.

However, Coun. Pete Fry planned to bring forward a motion Tuesday that would allow the city to bypass the park board and pass a bylaw allowing the consumption of alcohol in public places, such as plazas or parkettes, the latter creating by city road closures.

“We see this as an opportunity to allow folks to pick up a sandwich and a beer from a local take-out restaurant option and have a little picnic,” Fry said.

“We also see the potential to expand this for restaurants that simply don’t have the patio space and may have people queuing up.”

In 2018, The Vancouver Park Board approved a concession strategy plan that included alcohol sales at English Bay and Kitsilano Beach concessions on a trial basis.

–with files from Kurtis Doering 

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