As of June 22nd some of North Vancouver parks are allowing legal drinking in 9 public spaces. The City of North Vancouver council approved the bylaw, allowing alcohol in some parks as a response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

This allows people to come together to socialize in outdoor spaces safely, while still allowing for social distancing. According to the council, "This bylaw is about creating space outdoors for residents to socialize in a way that respects physical distancing. By allowing people to gather in our parks we're supporting their well-being, as well as supporting local restaurants and breweries."  The hours of legal drinking in these 9 parks are from 11am to 9pm and will be allowed until October 15th, 2020.

In many countries around the world drinking in public has been legal for a long time.

The question now is, should this type of bylaw be brought into some public spaces on the Sunshine Coast? There is already illegal drinking on many of our public beaches, so maybe it’s time we have specific areas where alcohol can be consumed. That way we know where it's ok to go to partake in an alcoholic beverage or which areas to avoid if we don’t. 

Just something to think about.