Get up, get out and enjoy even more of Edmonton’s beautiful city parks! How, you ask? For five years now Edmontonians have been able to legally drink alcohol at 18 designated city parks.
City Council started a pilot program in May 2021 in response to a survey asking Edmontonians if they would be in favour of the move. Of those responses, 71 per cent indicated that they would support allowing public alcohol consumption in designated outdoor areas. The two-year pilot was a hit, and since 2023 park users have been able to enjoy their alcoholic beverages in parts of Edmonton’s parks.
But it’s not a free-for-all. Alcohol consumption is permitted at designated picnic sites at parks throughout the city, such as Rundle, Gold Bar, Victoria, Government House, William Hawrelak, Sir Wilfred Laurier and Whitemud. There are a total of 118 picnic sites spread out across the 18 parks where Edmontonians are allowed to consume alcohol, each marked with signage and rules to follow. Nineteen sites are available for pre-booking through the City of Edmonton website, while the rest operate on a first-come, first-served basis.
Public alcohol consumption is still prohibited in most jurisdictions across Canada. Edmonton is now in line with cities like Montreal and Europe’s major metropolitan centres, and for its supporters, it’s a positive step away from Prohibition era liquor laws that have persisted until now. Negative reports have been few, and there is plenty of park space available for non-drinkers to enjoy.
