Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Adam Donnelly

DRINKING IN PUBLIC

Mayor not in any hurry to explore public drinking in Kamloops

Aug 13, 2020 | 4:25 PM

KAMLOOPS — Imagine this: enjoying a cold, crisp beer to quench your thirst as you frolic in the Thompson River on a sweltering summer day at Riverside Park.

“I would say that I’d participate in something like that,” one young man at Pioneer Park says.

According to two other park-goers, as long as those enjoying beverage in public does so responsibly, they’re in favour.

“If people are able to manage it responsibly and they’re able to clean up after themselves, I don’t have an issue with it,” says another young man.

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“It seems to be working in Pentiction,” a young woman suggests. “As long as people are responsible and clean up their own garbage.”

This week, Vancouver okayed a pilot project allowing four public drinking plazas throughout the city. The municipality joins North Vancouver and Port Coquitlam in allowing alcohol consumption in public spaces. Mayor Ken Christian believes while that might work in larger communities, he doesn’t see the need in Kamloops.

“We haven’t had a demand for drinking in public spaces or on our beaches here,” Christian explains. “Nor do I think it’s a good idea. The Liquor Control Board is fairly strict about the rules around the consumption of alcohol. I think you have to have a place where you can control.”

While the Mayor doesn’t think it’s a good idea for Kamloops, one longtime hospitality sector worker thinks it is. Bryce Herman, President of the North Shore BIA, agrees with Christian that the key to public drinking is controlling how and where it takes place.

“I would never say I want to open it up and say ‘these four blocks are wide open to drinking on the street.’ That’s not what it’s about,” Herman says. “I think it does have to be controlled, but I think Vancouver has approached it in a very sensible and logical way.”

Herman believes if people are willing to follow the rules, individual businesses could benefit from designated drinking zones.

“Here on the North Shore, you’ve got Bright Eye [Brewing], and so on. If you could take one of their beers to go, and they’re allowed to sell some off-sales under the COVID-19 conditions, currently. That, to me, is a way of enhancing that,” Herman says. “It’s helpful to the business. It’s not really taking away.”

One compelling reason the Mayor isn’t interested in opening the debate on public drinking is the pandemic. Of the over 4,200 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Province of BC, over 1,500 fall into the 20-40-year-old age range. That demographic seems to be more willing to partake in risky behaviour.

“We’re still in a pandemic,” Christian observes. “To have drinking on the street, and have everyone six feet apart and have everyone at small tables being only served by service staff is a very different thing than what we’re used to

While there’s no rush to move forward with drinking in public spaces in Kamloops, the city can keep an eye on how it goes in Vancouver and decide down the road if it’s worth exploring here.