Leave your beer or wine cooler at home if you’re planning to visit Port Moody’s Pioneer Memorial Park.
On Tuesday, April 23, council voted to permanently allow responsible alcohol consumption in five public spaces around the city.
But alcohol will be banned in Pioneer Memorial Park that had been part of a pilot program to test the idea in 2022 and 2023.
While Coun. Diana Dilworth said she enjoyed seeing families and groups with alcoholic beverages on hand visiting the park across from the city’s recreation complex for picnics and gatherings, Coun. Samantha Agtarap said the presence of a healing garden and the phone of the wind that allows visitors to “communicate” with loved ones who have passed away means it should be “more of a reflective space.”
A second motion to also ban alcohol in Old Orchard Park was defeated.
Coun. Callan Morrison said excluding the waterfront park in Pleasantside would deprive residents on the city’s north shore of a nearby location to enjoy an alcoholic beverage while visiting a park.
“If you want alcohol, you’d have to travel outside your neighbourhood,” he said. “Unless there’s a more significant issue with Old Orchard, I’d like to leave it there.”
The locations where alcohol will be allowed permanently are:
- Rocky Point Park
- Old Orchard Park west of the playground area and above the beach
- Kyle Centre pop-up park
- Trasolini Field spectator stands
- Queens Street plaza
In a report, Julie Pavey-Tomlinson, Port Moody’s acting general manager of community services, said other than an increase in garbage and litter, the pilot program had presented no major problems.
In fact, from July 27, 2022, when the pilot program was initially approved, to Dec. 31, 2023, Port Moody police reported only 10 calls related to booze in the designated public areas and feedback from the public was generally positive.
Pavey-Tomlinson said staff would continue to monitor the garbage situation after council recently rejected a request an additional $36,500 be allocated in the city’s budget to pay for more trash collection. She said a zero-waste program being developed by staff would also help deal with litter.
Dilworth said it’s important a “few bad eggs” aren’t allowed to ruin a privilege residents were able to enjoy for 17 months.
“If problems arise, we can take action at that time,” she said.
Coun. Haven Lurbiecki agreed it would be hard for councillors to totally take something away that’s been in place.
“This is well-liked in the community,” she said.
A new bylaw allowing the booze consumption is expected to be ready for council’s consideration by its next regular meeting on May 14, 2024.
