Soon, 27 city parks involved in a pilot project will no longer allow alcohol consumption. But is it really last call?

Thestar.com
Oct. 10, 2023

It’s last call for the Toronto pilot project that since Aug. 2 has allowed alcohol consumption in 27 parks across the city. On Monday, Oct. 9, it will once again be illegal to drink alcohol in any public park, and violators could be ticketed and fined.

The city’s Parks, Forestry and Recreation staff is gathering information for a report on the pilot and will recommend how to proceed. The report, expected in early 2024, will include results from a survey, closing on Oct. 16, which already has more than 6,000 respondents.

“We’re hearing from councillors’ offices, and they’re receiving positive feedback,” said Eric Holmes, City of Toronto manager of communications, “but we have to get the survey results back and speak to all the principals involved, like businesses and residents -- and not just people who experienced it, but other park users.”

According to Holmes, the city’s bylaw enforcement officers received an “extremely low” number of complaints. Between Aug. 2 to Sept. 24, officers dealt with two complaints related to alcohol in the 27 pilot parks. In non-pilot parks, they responded to 28. There were no charges laid in the pilot parks, and one charge, for an open liquor container, in the others.

Councillor Paula Fletcher, who represents Toronto-Danforth, which had five parks in the pilot, said her office received no complaints. “People were already having a beer or glass of wine in the park,” she said. “They didn’t take this as an invitation to have a rave or a huge party.”

Now that the pilot project is about to end, could legal drinking in parks return permanently, or on a wider scale? All of the 27 parks were selected by their respective councillors, and most were large parks with many amenities.

In cities like Edmonton and Vancouver, park-drinking pilots have led to legalization, but it remains to be seen whether Toronto, with more than 1,500 parks and parkettes, will follow suit or even add other locations to future programs.

“Doing it ward by ward is silly and inequitable,” said Josh Matlow, councillor for Toronto-St. Paul’s, who had four parks in the pilot. “I will continue to support removing restrictions (to) responsible adults having a drink together in a park across the city.”

Councillor James Pasternak, who represents York Centre, was against the program from the start and says his position hasn’t changed. Among his concerns: other cities that allow alcohol in parks have required additional funds. Vancouver reported that it had to add $84,000 to its garbage collection due to increased service and additional bins.

“The easier we make alcohol available to minors or to people with substance abuse problems, we’ll have more problems in society,” said Pasternak, who also doubted that legalized drinking would be expanded to all Toronto parks. “That would be an enormous undertaking to try and regulate and enforce. When it comes back to council, I guess it’ll be a fulsome debate.”

That debate could happen soon. Fletcher has filed a motion to extend the pilot in the existing parks, if the councillors in those areas agree, while the city prepares its final report. That motion will be discussed on Oct. 11.

If there was an issue early on, it was with the four-by-six-foot signs announcing the Alcohol in Parks project, which prompted Fletcher and Councillor Alejandra Bravo to write to the head of the parks division, complaining that they were “too big and unsightly.” City staff removed a few of the signs and installed smaller ones in some locations.

To local artist Shari Kasman, the large signs were also a canvas.

“They were ridiculous,” said Kasman, “but so was the idea of a pilot for something that people have always done in parks.”

As some of her art involves what she calls “fixing” messages in public spaces, she decided to alter some signs, changing the phrase “Alcohol in Parks” to “All cool in Parks.” Once they were defaced, parks and recreation staff removed them.

“It’s funny how quickly the city can move when they want to,” Kasman said.