Is drinking alcohol allowed in Ottawa parks? No. Should it be? Absolutely

May 16, 2023

Or, why the city should follow the lead of other municipalities and ease its restrictions against having a drink in a park

I dodged a bullet on Wednesday evening, when I went to Brewer Park to watch friends play softball.

No, it wasn’t an errant foul ball or other game-related calamity that caused the close call, nor a falling tree branch or anything connected to the extreme weather incidents that have visited the area of late.

It was my own behaviour.

On the evening in question, I knowingly contravened City of Ottawa By-law 2004-276, in particular Section 7, part (1)(f), which states that “No person shall, in a park or facility and without a permit issued by the General Manager: (amended by By-law No. 2021-176) have in their possession any alcoholic beverage.”

Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.

Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

Don't have an account? Create Account

The drink could have cost me $260, which is the amount of the fine that Ottawa By-law issued to three transgressors last year, and five so far this year.

I confess that this was not the first time I’d committed such a breach, but I’m hoping it may be the last — although not because I expect to stop. I’m hoping instead that the city will follow the lead of other municipalities and ease its restrictions against having a drink in a park.

Yes, I know that Ottawa is the city that fun famously forgot, and that it’s located in the country’s most historically puritanical province, but does it have to be this way? There was a time, recall, when about the only fun Ottawans were permitted on a Sunday was a church sermon, so I know change is possible.

On the same day that I was toasting a bottom-of-the-seventh walk-off home run, the city of Toronto started a pilot project allowing people 19 and older to consume alcohol in 27 mostly downtown city parks, including Trinity Bellwoods and Christie Pits.

Read more: Alcohol consumption allowed in 27 Toronto parks, for a limited time

Alcohol can only be consumed in those parks between 5:30 a.m. and midnight, and not within two metres of playgrounds, wading pools, splash pads or skateboard parks, or inside the gates of an outdoor swimming pool or deck. Additionally, people must be respectful and not disturb others, and empties must be disposed of in a park recycling bin or taken home.

The pilot continues until Oct. 9.

Other Canadian cities have adopted similar measures in at least some municipally owned parks, including Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary and Montreal.

Among the arguments in favour is that it creates a more enjoyable atmosphere for social gatherings, like picnics, say, as well as recreational activities. For apartment- or condo-dwellers and others without a patch of grass to call their own — and that’s pretty much all the new housing being built in Ottawa these days — it allows residents an otherwise unavailable outdoor space where they can socialize over a glass of wine or a beer.

Detractors, meanwhile, cite such potential problems as excessive noise, vandalism, intoxication and public urination. These are certainly valid concerns, but by-laws and laws regarding those still exist.

Results of a survey of Toronto residents, released in April, showed that 44 per cent were in favour of allowing alcohol in parks, while about one-third expressed “some degree of opposition.” Pilot projects like Toronto’s will indicate the behaviour that the policy change will encourage most: rowdyism or responsible fun.

It’s an idea worth trying in Ottawa, starting perhaps in such parks as Strathcona, Britannia and Vincent Massey, where family picnics are already prevalent (Montreal, for example, allows permitless drinking in parks only if it accompanies a meal), or at the aptly named Brewer Park, where there are also numerous recreational facilities.

The city could help itself by ensuring that parks where drinking is allowed also have suitable washroom facilities, just as a restaurant or bar must, as well as potable water for drinking and washing up. According to Facility Operations director Dan Brisebois, washrooms are available at recreation buildings near many parks, and in parks where there are buildings associated with outdoor rinks. There are also close to 200 portable toilets in city parks.

At Brewer Park, for example, where the public washrooms at one corner of the park are more than a three-minute walk from the baseball diamonds at the opposite corner, a portable toilet has been erected by the sports fields. It’s far from a perfect solution, but it works.

Meanwhile, must we always cite the worst possible outcome of any proposal that loosens regulations and allows residents a say in how they enjoy public spaces? Could we not instead consider the good that might result from something like this, and trust that those who choose to embrace the idea will do so responsibly?

Have a good long weekend, Ottawa.

Cheers.

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. We have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.

To contribute to the conversation, you need to be logged in. If you are not yet registered, create your account now - it's FREE.