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Liquor in parks: ‘Recipe for disaster’ or good idea? City of Mission staff sent to find out

Divided 4-3 council votes for staff report on feasibility of having a cold one in public parks
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Mission council voted 4-3 to get a report back on the feasibility of allowing Missionites to have a cold one in public parks. In April of 2021, Delta council voted to allow drinking at three parks as part of a pilot project. / James Smith Photo

To beer, or not to beer in city parks? That’s the question that Mission staff have been asked to investigate.

A divided four-to-three vote at council on April 4 sided with Coun. Jag Gill’s motion to get a report back on the feasibility of allowing Missionites to have a cold one in public parks.

Gill said it’s already happening, and the question is really about having a measure of oversight. He was clear his motion was not advocating in favour of such a policy, just having the research to say whether it’s a good or bad idea.

Other municipalities, like New Westminster, Port Coquitlam and Vancouver all have parks where residents can legally carry open liquor.

“We aren’t reinventing the wheel,” Gill said.

The votes against came from Coun. Danny Plecas, Coun. Carol Hamilton and Coun. Ken Herar.

Plecas questioned whether there was an appropriate park in the community, and the strain on bylaw and police involvement.

Hamilton stated there were already special permits allowing drinking for events in parks, bringing up last weekend’s Pakenham Cup and the Mission Folk Festival.

Herar said he had concerns about supervision, accountability, liability, safety and harm, the right of others to enjoy public space, costs, as well as maintenance and cleanup factors. He called it a “recipe for disaster” that could result in death.

Mayor Paul Horn and Coun. Mark Davies both pointed out that the motion was just a fact-finding mission, which could answer the concerns of the other councillors; and similar policy had been successfully done in other places.

With new parks eventually coming online in Mission’s southwest and the waterfront areas, Davies said it’s better to get a report now to consider potentialities.

“It’s always better to know than to not know,” Horn agreed, adding he’s frequently asked this question.

He said park users often enjoy alcoholic beverages now, just in secret, and notes that Europeans commonly take wine to picnics.

“I don’t think the average person is going to use alcohol in a deleterious or disruptive way,” Horn said. “It’s already illegal to be inebriated in a public place.”

He suggested pilot programs are always possible to test anything new.