The Amendment to the "Alcohol in Our Parks" bylaw to add a 5 metre buffer around the pond at Vanier Park was approved at the Park Board Meeting on June 21, 2021. All the Commissioners, with the exception of John Irwin who abstained, voted in favour of the Amendment, without ANY discussion as to the appropriateness of having a BYOB zone anywhere near the TWO ponds, let alone still in between them as indicated.
I suppose we should feel somewhat vindicated that our efforts at least got this 5 metre buffer and that the Park Board admitted that having a drinking zone at this location WILL cause a "disturbance to this ecologically sensitive area". But it's not enough. There shouldn't be a drinking zone anywhere near the ponds. And does anyone actually think that the drinkers or the wildlife will pay attention to this meaningless boundary?
The next step in our ongoing campaign is to at least ensure that the 5 metre buffer applies to both ponds and that the drinking zone does not go IN BETWEEN the two ponds, where the wildlife cross back and forth. There wouldn't be much space left for a drinking zone between the ponds if the 5 metre buffer applies to both ponds, which we expect that it will. Surely it's not meant to apply to just one pond? Hmm ....
As for when this drinking zone will become officially legal, the Province has given Royal Assent to the Bill after 3 Readings, and the next step is Proclamation. This could happen any day now, or not for a few weeks. No one seems to know. Then, we'll see what happens ....
Please keep sharing this petition. We're now at 396 signatures. Let's get to 500.
Thanks,
Elvira Lount