In two weeks, residents and visitors will be able to drink legally in 27 Toronto parks after councillors voted Wednesday in favour of a pilot program that will run until the fall.
Parks in the program include Christie Pits, Trinity Bellwoods and Queen’s Park, which will be designated for the “responsible personal consumption of alcohol” from August 2 to October 9.
In June, city staff recommended 20 parks for the pilot, with councillors adding two more in their wards earlier this month. On Wednesday, council voted to add Oriole Park, Hillcrest Park, Cedervale Park, June Rowlands Park and McCleary Park.
Some parks are noticeably absent from the pilot, including High Park, the city’s biggest and busiest.
Park visitors must follow provincial laws in the pilot project parks which include no underage drinking and no public intoxication. In all city parks, including pilot parks, a permit and licence is still required to sell or serve alcohol.
City staff identified possible parks in every ward and then met with interested councillors for their “local knowledge of park amenities and uses. All parks proposed for inclusion in the pilot program have been confirmed by the local councillor,” the staff report said.
To qualify, a park needed to have enough washrooms and drinking water access, be of medium size or larger, have no adjoining schools, not be situated on the waterfront, have public transit access and be accessible by first responders.
Coun. Shelley Carroll (Ward 17, Don Valley North) was behind the effort to begin the pilot program, based on experiences in other Canadian cities like Vancouver. On Wednesday, Carroll acknowledged that some people are nervous about this pilot, which is expected given personal beliefs about alcohol.
“This is a response to feedback. That’s all that is. People were asking, ‘Why can’t we take a bottle of wine (to the park)? We have no backyard’,” Carroll said.
During Wednesday’s council meeting, city staff said that signs would be placed in parks where the pilot is taking place with rules displayed, such as not consuming alcohol within two metres of playgrounds or splash pads.
Staff do not plan to put signs up at parks that are not a part of the program, but said they would consider it if parks not included in the pilot see drinking issues.
Excessive drinking in parks has not been an issue since 2020, when bars and restaurants were closed during the pandemic, staff told council on Wednesday.
Coun. Stephen Holyday (Ward 2, Etobicoke Centre) was concerned some people may not understand that not all parks are included in the pilot and may drink in ineligible parks.
Asked about a potential uptick of drinking in parks that are not part of the pilot, city licensing staff said they regularly monitor complaints and have a list of 35 “problematic” parks that are routinely visited for which they have operational plans. They said they would continue to do so during the pilot and take action, if necessary.
“It’s important to note that this pilot does not come with additional resources. There are 31 staff — bylaw enforcement officers that do 1,500 parks,” said licensing general manager Carleton Grant. “We cannot be everywhere, but we go to the highest priorities.”
The motion passed with 21 votes, with four councillors voting against the pilot — Holyday, Vincent Crisanti, Frances Nunziata, and James Pasternak.
Pasternak was opposed to the motion, and said during his time at city hall no one has come to him saying they’d like alcohol in parks.
“The liberalization of alcohol in our parks is a high-risk venture. It is more likely than not to lead to negative outcomes,” Pasternak said, adding the city does not have resources to spare when it comes to enforcement of alcohol use, and has trouble enforcing things like noise violations, littering and illegal fires.
City staff are expected to present the results of the pilot, including its impact on park visitors and surrounding communities, in early 2024.
In a separate decision, council also voted 18-6 on Wednesday to pursue a ban on two-stroke engine equipment like leaf blowers and lawn mowers. In a report to council, city staff said they had found no adverse impacts to climate or human health significant enough to recommend a ban, but acknowledged council could explore one as a “precautionary approach.” Staff said they receive about 50 noise complaints a year about the devices.
Coun. Dianne Saxe (Ward 11, University-Rosedale), who supported the ban, said the engines contribute to pollution, and if the city didn’t work to phase them out “we’re giving the signal to people that the climate crisis isn’t real.”
Holyday opposed the idea, and said banning the engines without solid evidence would amount to “antagonizing the public.” He argued the proposal was about “council flexing its muscles on the population in the city and telling them how they have to live their life.”
Council directed staff to consult with the public on transitioning to alternative technology, and to identify what resources would be required to institute and ban. A report is expected next year.
With files by Ben Spurr
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