Legal drinking in P.E.I. parks an idea that's unlikely to be uncorked anytime soon
Permitted public-space drinking was piloted during the pandemic, but has since fizzled out
This story is from this week's episode of Good Question, P.E.I., a new CBC podcast. You can listen here.
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Picture this: You're enjoying a sunny summer afternoon in one of P.E.I.'s many parks, sitting on a blanket with your friend.
It's hot; your mouth is dry.
You really want a cold beer or cooler.
Sorry, no can do — at least, not legally.
Why exactly this is the case on the Island, as several other provinces open up to permitted drinking, is the subject of the latest episode of our local CBC podcast, Good Question, P.E.I.
Several other Canadian cities have already explored the idea of regulated drinking in public places, including Toronto, Vancouver, Regina and Montreal.
And during the COVID-19 pandemic, when restaurants were closed to indoor dining, delivering meals — and yes, alcohol too — to parks and other outdoor spaces seemed to many Islanders like an acceptable idea.
Even the mayor of Charlottetown, and the minister responsible for the P.E.I. Liquor Control Commission, appeared open to the idea at the time.
But four years later, there's still no wine allowed in our picnic baskets, nor beer in our backpacks.
Legalizing drinking in public parks is simply not a priority right now, officials say.
A P.E.I. Liquor Control Commission spokesperson explained any such change couldn't happen overnight, nor is it as simple as just drafting legislation to let people drink in public spaces.
The agency's director of corporate affairs and regulatory services, Heather Rossiter, said it would also require consultations between local officials, the province, and the public.
She added there would also need to be a good reason for changing the current rules, such as a municipality requesting it.
City of Charlottetown officials don't seem as keen on letting people to uncork their picnic wine in public as they were four years ago. When asked last week about it, the city said it was only meant to be a temporary measure during the pandemic.
There are reasons public drinking is still tough for many people to swallow, explained Heidi MacDonald, professor of history and politics at UNB Saint John.
That's especially the case amidst much recent attention to drinking and driving on the Island.
But the reasons also go back generations, MacDonald said, noting P.E.I. had "by far" the longest prohibition on alcohol compared to other provinces, lasting from 1900 to 1948.
Religion could also play a role in people's reservations about public drinking, echoing why P.E.I. may also be slower than other provinces to have Sunday shopping.
Whatever the reason, she says it will probably be a while before beer pong replaces Frisbee as the park game of choice in P.E.I.
It's not the first time booze-law reforms have been difficult for the public to get behind. Before alcohol sales were allowed in gas station stores on the Island, MacDonald recalled, many people found such an idea concerning
A big worry back then, she said, was that making alcohol more available would lead to more addiction and public intoxication.
Such concerns, which MacDonald calls "slippery slope fear," could equally be applied to drinking in public parks, she said.
"The people who would like alcohol in parks, they're thinking of a book club meeting, perhaps, or a glass of wine," she said. "They're not thinking of obvious drunkenness.
"So it's the gap between those who picture alcohol as causing drunkenness — and those who picture alcohol as just part of a meal [or] relaxing afternoon."
In any case — unless that gap narrows, or the rules change — P.E.I. picnickers will have to find another way to quench their thirst for now.
For more on drinking in public parks, and how other jurisdictions manage it, listen to this week's episode of Good Question, P.E.I.
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Email goodquestionpei@cbc.ca or call our talkback line at 1-800-680-1898.
With files from Nicola Macleod