Alcohol consumption allowed in 27 Toronto parks, for a restricted time

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TORONTO — Beginning in the present day, Toronto residents are allowed to devour alcohol in some parks, as town kicks off a time-limited pilot venture.

The pilot venture runs till Oct. 9 and permits these 19 and older to drink alcohol at 27 chosen parks throughout Toronto, together with Queen’s Park, Corktown Widespread and Earlscourt Park, the place officers will formally launch the initiative later this morning.

The proposed program is partially primarily based on the experiences of different Canadian cities — akin to Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary — which have lately expanded related packages to permit consuming in some public parks.
Calgary permits folks to drink at some parks the place residents can e-book public picnic tables or use them on a first-come, first-serve foundation, whereas Edmonton voted to permit consuming in designated parks completely again in February.

Consuming whereas having a meal in a picnic space or some parks is allowed in Montreal and Quebec Metropolis, however banned in different elements of Quebec like Longueuil and Sherbrooke.

In Could, the province of Saskatchewan handed a invoice giving municipalities and park authorities the ability to permit or not enable liquor consumption for these of authorized consuming age, and Regina is about to debate the concept later this month.

Toronto says it’s the first municipality in Ontario to introduce an alcohol in parks pilot because the province allowed municipalities to designate public areas for consumption.

A metropolis survey on accountable alcohol use in parks earlier this yr discovered 44 per cent of residents help the concept, whereas 34 per cent expressed some extent of opposition and 21 per cent had been impartial on the problem.

Most considerations revolved round public intoxication, disruptive behaviour and litter or soiling of public areas.