Designating parks for legal drinking pilot to be left up to councillors
Legal drinking is set to debut in some Ottawa parks this summer, after a city committee unanimously approved a four-month pilot project Tuesday.
With some restrictions on timing and location, drinking will be allowed in parks chosen by the city councillor who represents the area. If it passes at council, the pilot project will run from July 1 to Oct. 31.
"As long as people properly dispose of their cans and are not acting in a way that is harmful to other people, I really don't care what they are consuming," Troster said at the committee meeting.
"We should be quite clear that this is a bylaw that is largely not being enforced unless there are other factors involved, whether it's harassment, public intoxication, music, yelling — and there are other bylaws and laws for those things."
Drinking in Ottawa public parks could be allowed this summer
The current bylaw prohibits anyone from possessing alcoholic drinks in parks, except at events with a proper permit.
Menard introduced a motion last year to launch a pilot program, citing other cities where alcohol consumption is allowed in designated parks, such as Toronto.
Ottawa's pilot project will limit the legal consumption of alcohol to between the hours of 11 a.m. and 9 p.m. It will also forbid drinking within five metres of playgrounds, parking lots, beaches and sports fields.
Bylaw not expecting uptick in complaints
Roger Chapman, the city's director of bylaw and regulatory services, said he isn't expecting to see a significant increase in bylaw complaints related to drinking in parks after the pilot comes into effect.
"It will be more of the responsible consumption of alcohol, where you have families or couples that are visiting parks and picnicking," he said.
But both Ottawa Public Health and the Ottawa Police Service voiced concerns with the proposed bylaw.
In a letter, Ottawa police Chief Eric Stubbs said "permitting alcohol consumption in public parks presents risks that could compromise public safety and strain our resources."
A letter from Ottawa Public Health (OPH) discussed the risks of underage drinking, and the link between alcohol consumption and several types of cancer.
At Tuesday's meeting, Trevor Arnason, interim medical officer of health at OPH, raised the possibility of broken bottles on beaches.
"Of course, with water, you have the potential for drownings if people are intoxicated," he added.
Rules on climbing trees dropped
The city made other changes to its parks bylaw, which was enacted in 2004.
Previous rules that have been stripped from the updated bylaw include a ban on kids climbing trees, and a prohibition on the use of canes on ice rinks, said Dan Chenier, the city's general manager of recreation, cultural and facility services.
"We've deliberately taken an approach to try to be more permissive," Chenier said.
The bylaw review goes to council for final approval on June 11.
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