Edmonton Councilors Stop Alcohol Consumption in Parks Program – Edmonton | The Canadian News

Alcohol consumption will not be allowed again in City of Edmonton parks this summer, following a vote by city council members Monday.

A pilot project began in May 2021 and lasted until last October, during which 47 picnic spots for alcohol use were designated in seven parks throughout the Edmonton River Valley.

Several surveys were conducted before and after the launch to gather feedback. These were presented to councilors on Monday.

The council heard 3,868 people responded to the most recent survey, with 2,526 of them saying they participated in the pilot project.

Of the respondents who participated, 53 percent said they had very positive or somewhat positive experiences with the project and 12 percent said they had very negative or somewhat negative experiences.

In terms of enforcement, most issues occurred in areas not intended for alcohol use: 1,664 offenses were spotted in non-designated areas. These expenses led to the issuance of two tickets.

There were 541 non-alcohol-related offenses – those issues included garbage, dogs being in prohibited areas of leash, or gatherings that were larger than health restrictions allowed.

Violations at designated sites were mostly for people who use alcohol after hours. The Council heard 245 warnings had been issued at the designated sites.

City officials reported that they had heard that there was a lack of clarity about exactly where and when alcohol could be drunk.

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Several speakers expressed concern about the project to councilors on Monday.

Jameela Murji said, as a Muslim woman, she already fears for her safety and it has increased while using parks during the pilot project period.

Murji also described how she visited a local park with her five-year-old child. She said an alcoholic beverage company was handing out free samples at the park and joked that her child was too young, but gave the child a promotional beer sociable.

Several Alberta Health Services representatives also commented during the meeting.

Dr. Brent Friesen said there were significant adverse health effects associated with alcohol use and the AHS was not in favor of continuing the program.

Dr. Friesen said the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer agrees with AHS’s position.

“There is evidence that outdoor spaces are one of the more risky places for drinking and alcohol-related harm to both the person who drinks and those who do not drink,” said Z’Anne Harvey-Jansen at Alberta Health Services.

Harvey-Jansen said board members should not wait for issues to happen and then look for ways to solve those problems. Instead, Harvey-Jansen encouraged councilors to avoid problems in the first place.

Shovel. Erin Rutherford pointed out that the city has been working to accommodate more licensed patios in the summer and she has noticed that her neighbors enjoy alcohol on their front porches during the summer.

Dr. Friesen pointed out the difference is that servers at restaurants are trained to monitor excessive alcohol consumption and there is a level of private responsibility when drinking at home. He said both were not the case with the parking lot project.

Shovel. Michael Janz tried to make the program permanent and expand it to more sites across the city. His motion was rejected as he was the only councilor in favor of it.

Instead, councilors voted in favor of a motion made by shovel. Keren Tang. She asked the administration to look at the implications of the launch and develop a report on how to make people feel better safe in public parks.

That report is expected in the third quarter of 2022, which means alcohol will not be allowed in parks this summer.