Chestermere City Council tabled the third reading of the alcohol in the parks pilot program bylaw during the July 12 meeting.
The alcohol in the parks pilot program bylaw will be brought back to the July 19 council meeting.
The pilot program permits alcohol consumption on the grass areas at John Peake Park and Sunset Beach between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. The pilot program may be suspended during city-sponsored events, explained City Director Cam Wong.
Glass containers would not be permitted, and park visitors are asked to remove all garbage and empty drink containers when they leave the area.
Public intoxication and disruptive behaviour will not be tolerated, and a person must stop consuming alcohol if an RCMP member or a Community Peace Officer requests that they stop, the council report said.
During the pilot, city administration and enforcement can stop the program at any time without notice, if there is a public safety concern.
The city is currently waiting for a legal opinion regarding the pilot program.
In June, city administration was directed to gather additional information from other municipalities regarding concerns directly related to consuming alcohol in parks, statistics from enforcement agencies, public engagement results, and ensure Chestermere enforcement was well informed and supported the program.
The City of Calgary issued two surveys during the 2021 public engagement process which indicated that 65 per cent of respondents supported the alcohol consumption in the parks program.
80 per cent of the survey respondents felt that the Calgary program had a neutral impact on their park experience and that the program had a positive impact, including enhancing the park experience, while 12 per cent felt the program had a negative impact, and exposed park users to potential public intoxication.
Calgarians top reasons for using the program included it was an alternative option to going to a restaurant or a bar, another way to socialize with family and friends, and that they just wanted to try it out.
“Our key takeaways from other pilots include signage and designation of where the areas are located, access to public washrooms, and keeping consumption areas away from playgrounds and schools,” Wong said.
The City of Chestermere has received mixed feedback about the pilot program.
“The feedback is mixed, we have everything from a terrible idea to a lovely idea,” Wong said.
48 per cent of residents are in favour of the pilot, and 46 per cent are not.
The Chestermere RCMP are aware of the pilot program and encourage all park users to be respectful of each other and follow the guidelines set by the city.
“We support the pilot project and look forward to the public’s opinion on all areas of concern, as this will help shape how the bylaw will look moving forward. We will be ensuring citizens who are participating in this project are of legal age to consume are within the designated areas and hours of consumption and are consuming the specified beverage types from a non-glass container,” an RCMP statement said.
“The Chestermere RCMP would like the public to consume safely as our judgment and motor skills may become altered when under the influence. There is a potential to have situations stemming from the ability to consume liquor in public where there are no designated servers or security for oversight. This pilot project may increase our calls for service. These situations may be but are not limited to, impaired driving, assaults, or water rescues. We encourage the public participating in liquor consumption to not drink and drive, not become aggressive, and not enter the water if their motor skills have been affected by alcohol. This is new to our city, the RCMP maintains the focus on public safety. Let’s pilot this project together and safely,” the statement said.
The RCMP encourages anyone witnessing a variation of the pilot guidelines to contact the local Community Peace Officers at 403-207-7058 or RCMP at 403-204-8900.
