Legal drinking in P.E.I. parks an idea that's unlikely to be uncorked anytime soon

This story is from this week's episode of Good Question, P.E.I., anew 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 topermitted 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, includingToronto, 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 manyIslanders like an acceptable idea.

Even the mayor of Charlottetown, and the minister responsible for the P.E.I. Liquor Control Commission,appearedopen 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.

18:40Public park prohibition: Why can't I drink alcohol?

Lots of other provinces allow it. People are certainly asking for it. So, what's preventing us from enjoying a beer or a glass of wine at a picnic? We talk about the influence of prohibition, culture, and the pandemic, and how they flow into our current rules here.

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 betweenlocal 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 publicas 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, explainedHeidi 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 whyP.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.

WATCH | Public park drinking no longer a priority for municipalities:

Public park drinking no longer a priority for municipalities

1 year ago

Duration 2:24

A pandemic push to allow drinking of alcohol in outdoor public places has lost momentum.

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 makingalcohol more available wouldlead 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 ruleschangeP.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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