Patrons may soon be able to sip wine or crack a beer while visiting city parks if council approves a trial proposed by the mayor.
Morinville and Edmonton have already jumped on board with their own similar pilots, as have other municipalities across the province, including Calgary.
All have followed the province's lead, which, in June of 2020, allowed people to drink alcohol at provincial picnic sites under the Gaming, Liquor, and Cannabis Amendment Act.
Some will see the city's pilot as a positive opportunity to relax with friends or family while enjoying a glass of wine or a cold beer in one of our many beautiful green spaces.
Others will see its potential to create all kinds of problems, including how it will affect whether people feel safe hanging out at the park, or whether parents will feel as safe sending their kids to the park when they are old enough to go with friends instead of a grown-up.
Do park patrons really need to kick back with a drink or two while hanging out around a fire pit at Lions Park or enjoying a picnic near the river?
Is public drinking in areas where children play a good idea?
Will it facilitate easier access to alcohol for teens?
Only time will tell. Unfortunately, the city hasn't left much time.
Council is set to debate the pilot on Aug. 16. If it passes, the program will begin Aug. 20 and run until the end of September, leaving little more than a month to see how it goes.
In comparison, Edmonton's pilot, from May 28 to Oct. 12, operates on a booking system for specific picnic sites, creating a way for the city to collect specific data over a four-and-a-half-month period. Edmonton has also set up enforcement teams to monitor the sites.
Mayor Cathy Heron, in an interview with The Gazette, said the city has yet to shape how the pilot will look, though some of it will likely follow Edmonton's and Morinville's approaches, opting to only host the program in specific parks, rather than citywide, along with a designated picnic-table format.
Defined areas and restricted hours will be important to a successful pilot to avoid the inevitable rowdiness that will arise if small social get-togethers become larger, extended parties.
The key will be public responsibility and, where it is abused, rapid enforcement. If the public follows the old adage, "everything in moderation," it should be fine.
But it’s unlikely to come free to taxpayers if the city finds it necessary to post regular patrols by peace officers to prevent small things from becoming big problems.
And problems are sure to come up.
Edmonton issued 31 tickets to park-goers for consumption outside designated areas during its first month, and more than 600 warnings.
Creating an open culture around substance use in public spaces will have its drawbacks. These need to be examined, no matter what the data shows. How the city plans to collect that data is also important, for it to be meaningful.
With a project that raises so many questions, let's hope the short-lived pilot, and the conversation that must be had with the community beyond it, provide solid answers.
Editorials are the consensus view of the St. Albert Gazette's editorial board.
