Legal drinking in P.E.I. parks an idea that's unlikely to be uncorked anytime soon - Action News
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PEI

Legal drinking in P.E.I. parks an idea that's unlikely to be uncorked anytime soon

CBC's podcast Good Question, P.E.I. explores why cracking a cold one in the Island's public parks has been a tough change to swallow.

Permitted public-space drinking was piloted during the pandemic, but has since fizzled out

Sitting with a friend on the grass, a man drinks a beer at a public on the first day the City of Toronto permits drinking in 27 public parks as part of a pilot lasting until Oct. 9.
A man drinks a beer in Trinity Bellwoods Park, in Toronto, one of the municipalities in Canada where it is permitted. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press)

This story is from this week's episode of Good Question, P.E.I., anew CBC podcast. You can listen here.

Good Question, P.E.I. is available on CBC's Listen app, or wherever you get your podcasts.


Picture this: You're enjoying a sunny summer afternoon in one of P.E.I.'s many parks, sitting on a blanket with your friend.

It's hot;your mouth is dry.

You really want a cold beer or cooler.

Sorry, no can do at least, not legally.

Why exactly this is the case on the Island, as several other provinces open up topermitted drinking, is the subject of the latest episode of our local CBC podcast, Good Question, P.E.I.

Woman standing beside plant.
Heather Rossiter, director of corporate affairs and regulatory services for the P.E.I. Liquor Control Commission, says allowing booze in parks is more complicated than just passing new laws. (Nicola MacLeod/CBC)

Several other Canadian cities have already explored the idea of regulated drinking in public places, includingToronto, Vancouver, Regina and Montreal.

And during the COVID-19 pandemic, when restaurants were closed to indoor dining, delivering meals and yes, alcohol too to parks and other outdoor spaces seemed to manyIslanders like an acceptable idea.

Even the mayor of Charlottetown, and the minister responsible for the P.E.I. Liquor Control Commission,appearedopen to the idea at the time.

But four years later, there's still no wine allowed in our picnic baskets, nor beer in our backpacks.

Legalizing drinking in public parks is simply not a priority right now, officials say.

Lots of other provinces allow it. People are certainly asking for it. So, what's preventing us from enjoying a beer or a glass of wine at a picnic? We talk about the influence of prohibition, culture, and the pandemic, and how they flow into our current rules here.

A P.E.I. Liquor Control Commission spokesperson explained any such change couldn't happen overnight, nor is it as simple as just drafting legislation to let people drink in public spaces.

The agency's director of corporate affairs and regulatory services,Heather Rossiter, said it would also require consultations betweenlocal officials,the province, and the public.

She added there would also need to be a good reason for changing the current rules, such as a municipality requesting it.

Woman drinking in wine at park.
Some people may think having a glass of wine with a meal in a park is fine, while others may believe it would lead to more public drunkenness. (Shutterstock)

City of Charlottetown officials don't seem as keen on letting people to uncork their picnic wine in publicas they were four years ago. When asked last week about it, the city said it was only meant to be a temporary measure during the pandemic.

There are reasons public drinking is still tough for many people to swallow, explainedHeidi MacDonald, professor of history and politics at UNB Saint John.

That's especially the case amidst much recent attention to drinking and driving on the Island.

But the reasons also go back generations, MacDonald said, noting P.E.I.had "by far" the longest prohibition on alcohol compared to other provinces, lasting from 1900 to 1948.

Religion could also play a role in people's reservations about public drinking, echoing whyP.E.I. may also be slower than other provinces to have Sunday shopping.

Whatever the reason, she says it will probably be a while before beer pong replaces Frisbee as the park game of choice in P.E.I.

WATCH | Public park drinking no longer a priority for municipalities:

Public park drinking no longer a priority for municipalities

1 year ago
Duration 2:24
A pandemic push to allow drinking of alcohol in outdoor public places has lost momentum.

It's not the first time booze-law reforms have been difficult for the public to get behind. Before alcohol sales were allowed in gas station stores on the Island, MacDonald recalled, many people found such an idea concerning

A big worry back then, she said, was that makingalcohol more available wouldlead to more addiction and public intoxication.

Such concerns, which MacDonald calls "slippery slope fear," could equally be applied to drinking in public parks, she said.

"The people who would like alcohol in parks, they're thinking of a book club meeting, perhaps, or a glass of wine," she said. "They're not thinking of obvious drunkenness.

"So it's the gap between those who picture alcohol as causing drunkenness and those who picture alcohol as just part of a meal [or]relaxing afternoon."

In any case unless that gap narrows, or the ruleschangeP.E.I. picnickers will have to find another way to quench their thirst for now.


For more on drinking in public parks, and how other jurisdictions manage it,listen to this week's episode of Good Question, P.E.I.

Have a question for a futureepisode? Good Question, P.E.I. wants to hear from you!

Emailgoodquestionpei@cbc.caor call our talkback line at 1-800-680-1898.

With files from Nicola Macleod