A Beer on a Beach or Why Victoria Doesn’t Have Alcohol Consumption Areas in its Parks?
A couple of weeks ago I saw a popular post on one of the social networks about two people that had created their own French bistro along the Gorge Waterway. They had the full checkered table cloth with silverware for their dinner; and of course, a bottle of wine as well. It looked like an amazing way to be celebrating our city and the coming of spring. The sad thing was, though I don’t think that they were caught, they were indeed breaking the law. In general, BC (and most of Canada) has pretty archaic alcohol consumption laws and while I am not a believer in some sort of Dionysian free-for-all when it comes to alcohol, I do think that the more secretive and restrictive we are about anything makes it a source of problems in the future. I also think that the moderate consumption of alcohol in public is okay and quite enjoyable, such as a picnic lunch in a park with some wine, or having a beer on a beach with a friend.
Despite how it is right now in Victoria and surrounding communities, alcohol consumption in parks is not universally banned in BC. In fact, when you leave the Island, you will end up in numerous communities that allow public drinking in parks or on beaches. I have had the opportunity to enjoy this myself while visiting some of my family in Ladner last year and getting to imbibe with a beer while sitting in a park near their home. It was absolutely lovely, and not at all illegal. Delta has actually allowed drinking in numerous parks year-round now. In addition to Delta, there are parks and beaches that you can legally drink at within Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster, Kelowna and many other cities around the province. Yet, as far as I have been able to see, not a single municipality in the Capital Regional District allows drinking in parks or at beaches. I did see that a motion was brought forward in Saanich, but was defeated in 2020. And the question was at least asked by media of Victoria councillors in 2023, but was never brought forward for consideration. It makes you wonder what is different in Victoria versus the rest of the province.
Victoria has always been more conservative when it comes to alcohol consumption. Following the end of prohibition in BC, the first pub that opened to serve alcohol in Vancouver was the Lamplighter in Vancouver and that was in 1925. The first pub that opened to serve alcohol in Victoria was The Drake Hotel in 1954. Of course, there were some other pubs that had reopened in the surrounding area prior to that like Six Mile, but even out in the suburbs, there were not a lot of options. So I suppose based on the history, it makes sense why we are a little behind.
Allowing for designated alcohol consumption spaces in certain parks would create opportunities for locals to gather together. It could also create spaces for couples that would like to have a picnic with a bottle of wine, to do that legally. For those that live in apartments or other high-density living spaces, this gives them the same kind of backyard that others of us have, where they can maybe grill some food and have beer with friends. It could, if done in the right way and with the right partners, even create some revenue opportunities. Imagine if instead of Oak Bay police wandering along Willows pouring out beers, the Kiwanis Tea Room was selling them to be consumed in a designated area. In Vancouver, during the pilot program on beaches, there was actually a decrease in violent offenses on beaches.
I recognise that there are concerns with alcohol use, however looking through articles about the experiences in the lower mainland, there is little anecdotal evidence of significant increases in issues within the designated spaces and some, as I said, of actual decreases. The truth is, that like that couple on the Gorge, this is already happening, we are just keeping it illegal. I also fully understand that alcohol has its significant negative aspects, and I think British Columbians are adult enough to make that decision on there own, we seem to be already doing that without the government completely limiting where we can and can’t drink. I think that it also may give locals that little bit of permission to be outside in their community talking with friends in-person, enjoying a park and having some fun.
I would love to know what you think, I suppose I am just back from my trip to Sicily which may be colouring my vision a bit, so a different perspective would be great. Also if you have had the opportunity to visit any of the designated alcohol spaces in parks elsewhere in the province I would love to hear what you thought!
