‘This has gone on for a long time’: It’s now legal to drink in 27 Toronto parks until October

No additional bylaw enforcement measures to be put in place for the pilot program than runs until Oct. 9.
Thestar.com
Aug. 4, 2023
Alyshah Hasham

No one would be shocked -- shocked! -- to find that drinking has been going on in city parks this summer.

They may be more surprised to learn that as of Wednesday, there are now 27 public parks where it is actually legal to responsibly imbibe, until Oct. 9, as part of a test pilot program.

No champagne was poured or smashed against a big sign stating the rules of the pilot program to mark its kickoff, but it is a moment to celebrate nonetheless, said Coun. Shelley Carroll at a morning press conference Wednesday in Earlscourt Park in the Junction area.

“Maybe we are acknowledging that this has gone on for a long time and to guarantee enjoyment, we are wrapping some rules around it,” said Carroll, who has shepherded this pilot through council.

Some of those rules include not drinking in skate parks or near splash pads -- common sense measures, Carroll said.

Each participating park will have 24/7 accessible portable toilets and additional waste bins, city staff said.

The new distinction between dry and wet parks also does not mean there will be more ticketing in non-pilot parks. Instead, there will be an education-first approach, said Carleton Grant, executive director of municipal licensing and standards, noting that city bylaw officers have issued no tickets for drinking in a park this year so far.

“We do not ticket minors with bylaw offences. We will not be asking for ID. We will not be carrying breathalyzers,” Grant said. “What we are looking for is for people to act responsibly.”

In parks where drinking is not allowed, bylaw officers will continue to say, “‘Are you aware you are not permitted to do that? Please put it away,’” Grant said.

There will not be any additional bylaw officers added for the pilot, but there will be regular patrols of all parks, focusing on priority areas and where there are complaints, he added.

The 27 parks were selected in part because they are not near beaches (the water is a hazard) or schools (think of the children), and also because they have amenities like water fountains and transit access -- and most crucially are in the wards of councillors who agreed to participate.

As a result of the safety and public health criteria -- and councillor willingness -- is that swaths of the city outside central Toronto, including all of Etobicoke, are dry.

But Carroll maintained that there are enough different kinds of parks in the pilot to allow city staff to evaluate what works and what doesn’t. The city is also looking for public feedback through an online survey.

This pilot is the closest the city has come to legalizing drinking in parks, with a slew of failed attempts in its wake. Only four of 25 councillors opposed the final version and if it is successful it could be rolled out citywide next year -- though perhaps in the form of yet another pilot.

It may take longer still, if at all, for the rules to extend to water-adjacent parks or beaches.

These are the participating parks:
Campbell Avenue Playground and Park
Cedarvale Park
Christie Pits Park
Corktown Common
Dovercourt Park
Dufferin Grove Park
Earlscourt Park
East Toronto Athletic Field
Eglinton Park
Greenwood Park
Hillcrest Park
June Rowlands Park
Lee Lifeson Art Park
McCleary Park
Milliken Park
Monarch Park
Morningside Park
Neilson Park – Scarborough
Oriole Park
Queen’s Park
Riverdale Park East
Roundhouse Park
Skymark Park
Sir Winston Churchill Park
Trinity Bellwoods Park
Underpass Park
Withrow Park