Toronto – After a successful pilot project, Toronto City Council has endorsed the expansion of the Alcohol in Parks program that will allow residents and visitors 19 years of age and older to consume personal alcohol at the 27 pilot park locations and additional parks across the city.
Later this summer, the program will be expanded to ensure that a minimum of one park in each ward is designated to allow for personal alcohol consumption. The additional parks will be chosen based on health and safety considerations and other factors.
The Alcohol in Parks pilot program has been successfully operating since August 2, 2023, and was extended by City Council to run in pilot parks until April 19, 2024.
The City evaluated the impact of the pilot on park users and neighbouring communities through public opinion surveys and 311 reporting. Pilot feedback showed a high level of satisfaction among residents and park visitors, with few issues arising and minimal operational impacts. More than 90 per cent of people who visited a pilot park and responded to the City’s online park experience survey said that they were satisfied with their visit.
The City will continue to monitor the alcohol in park locations, with a commitment to addressing issues that may arise and prioritizing investigations into matters that may pose risks to public use. Bylaw enforcement officers regularly visit City parks to educate people about park rules and City bylaws and will continue to do so as part of their assigned duties. To support this program, the City will ensure that users are informed about access to support services and resources for alcohol.
Since 2020, cities in British Columbia and Alberta have launched pilot programs to allow the consumption of alcohol in some city parks. Based on the positive results of the pilot programs, most cities extended their pilot or transitioned to permanent programs including Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton. More information about Toronto’s program, including park locations, regulations and restrictions is available on the City’s Alcohol in Parks webpage.
“Responsible adults can enjoy a beer or a glass of wine at a picnic in our beautiful parks. Toronto is the first municipality to introduce a program of this kind since the Province of Ontario authorized municipalities to designate public spaces for personal alcohol consumption in 2019. We are taking a strategic and measured approach to implementing this program throughout the city and are drawing from the experiences of other Canadian municipalities.” – Mayor Olivia Chow