The big number
87%
the satisfaction rate for public parks following the introduction of a program to allow alcohol consumption in some parks, according to a city of pc28survey.
pc28city hall has finished its long-awaited review of the second year of the city’s . After much analysis, here’s what they found: nothing.
Seriously, nothing. Nada. Bupkis. The report, set to be considered by city hall’s economic and community development committee Tuesday, might as well just read, “Nothing to report here. Everything’s fine.”
The program started as a test in 2023 with 27 parks where people were permitted to enjoy a beer or a glass of wine without fear of running afoul of the police or a bylaw officer. pc28council voted to expand it to 45 parks last year. Across those two years, the city found that service requests to 311 related to things like litter, loud music and bad behaviour in parks where booze is allowed actually declined. And the police reported “no notable differences” in calls for incidents in parks where booze was allowed.
In addition, a city survey revealed that 87 per cent of park visitors said they were satisfied with their park experience, even after the end of the park prohibition. Cheers to that.
These numbers stand in stark contrast to the warnings of some members of city council. During last year’s , some ward representatives acted as if this would bring about the end times.
Coun. Vince Crisanti (Etobicoke North) said, “All we’re doing is enabling, and that’s not a good thing,” fretting that permitting people to drink in parks might spark a new wave of alcohol addiction.
Coun. James Pasternak (York Centre) worried that the cops wouldn’t be able to police the problems that might arise, because parks are too big. “You can’t have police officers arriving at a park that’s sometimes 50 acres, 100 acres, and trying to find where the problem is,” he explained.
Coun. Stephen Holyday (Etobicoke Centre) tried to ban any parks with ponds from the list of alcohol-permitting parks, out of concern that tipsy people might stumble into the water.
None of those fears materialized. No known reports of park-induced alcohol addiction, or police getting lost in parks responding to trouble, or a wave of drunken park-goers falling into ponds.
This is not just me, a longtime advocate for allowing responsible alcohol consumption in parks, running an I-told-you-so victory lap — though, admittedly, I am enjoying that part of this too. But I think the more important thing is to highlight this as a successful example of city hall chilling out about something, easing a longstanding rule, and not suffering any significant negative consequences.
That should spark some consideration of other areas where rules could be eased — or eliminated entirely. Last week on social media, Coun. Josh Matlow (Toronto—St. Paul’s) — one of the earliest boosters of doing away with park prohibition — , reminding park-goers of the city’s bylaws against things like playing frisbee, riding bikes on hills and having picnics.
He later told online media outlet pc28Today that he’d be . It’s a good idea.
I was also glad to see a report, also on today’s agenda for the economic and community development committee, for the 10 outdoor ovens installed in city parks like Dufferin Grove, Christie Pits and Dentonia Park, intended to be used for group activities like making pizza or baking bread.
After disclosing that only four of the 10 ovens were used last year, and only 12 different groups or individuals actually managed to navigate the city’s — making 57 total bookings — the report recommends reducing the booking fee to zero dollars (though an insurance fee covering liability will still be required) and posting a QR code on each oven that will explain the booking process. It’s a good step toward making sure the city’s park amenities get more use.
There’s more that could be done, though, to continue to draw more people and more activity to our parks and public spaces — and improve the experience for the growing population of residents who don’t have a backyard to call their own.
For example, why not loosen the rules on vending to encourage licensed businesses to sell drinks and snacks in some parks? It could not only provide benefits to thirsty park-goers, but could also be designed to support Canadian businesses and Canadian products in these Trump-y times when they need the support.
This is the kind of talk that makes some city councillors and bureaucrats tense up. They’ll give you a long list of hypothetical reasons why easing up on rules will result in negative outcomes: lawlessness, human sacrifice, cats and dogs living together, mass hysteria. But this alcohol-in-parks experiment should stand as a counterweight to these kinds of concerns. There’s wisdom and value in chilling out. The alcohol in parks experiment offers strong proof.
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