Drinking alcohol may be allowed in eight Kelowna parks, permanently, if city council agrees.
A staff report suggests that booze be allowed at Cedar Creek, Boyce-Gyro Beach, Kinsmen, Rotary Beach, Sarsons, Strathcona, Sutherland Bay, and Waterfront parks.
Boyce-Gyro, Kinsmen, and Waterfront were part of a pilot program approved by council for 2023 that ran from July 4 to Oct. 6.
“The 2023 pilot project for the responsible consumption of liquor within three parks resulted in no additional bylaw or RCMP calls for service,” the report stated.
There was a manageable increase in waste, and the report recommended a permanent program for the eight parks.
Alcohol would not be allowed within 15m of a playground or children’s play areas, residences, sports courts and fields, parking lots, water bodies, and piers or boardwalks without railings.
The program would operate from May 15 to Sept. 15 annually, seven days a week, between noon and 9 p.m.
Glass containers are prohibited and there would be regular maintenance checks and signs at the selected parks.
Council will consider the matter at its regular meeting on May 6.
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