Regional parks in the Lower Mainland are getting designated drinking zones this summer after a pilot project was approved by the regional board March 22.
Despite concerns expressed by public health officials, Metro Vancouver Regional District has approved alcohol consumption in six regional parks starting on the Canada Day long weekend and extending until Thanksgiving, as part of a pilot project.
Outside of those designated areas, alcohol consumption will remain illegal. Signs will be installed at entry points to the designated areas and at key locations around the boundaries of the permitted zones. The City of Vancouver allowed public alcohol consumption at 22 parks in summer 2021 and has since made those changes permanent, a Metro Vancouver staff report noted.
“The Pilot Program to Permit Alcohol Consumption in Regional Parks will provide opportunities for visitors to connect with friends and families in places other than bars and restaurants and private homes, increasing opportunities for more people to connect with nature,” says the report. In a letter from Fraser Health earlier this month, three medical health officers “strongly cautioned against” allowing the public to drink in regional parks.
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