The Park Board pilot program to allow consumption of alcohol in designated "pilot" drinking sites within 22 Vancouver parks is now official, from July 12 to October 11, 2021, between 11am and 9pm daily.
There's a list on the website of the parks with designated sites, but the way the information is presented on the website, and portrayed in the media, drinking at first glance appears to be ok everywhere in ALL of the 22 parks listed. Most people aren't going to read further or understand that it's only allowed in certain sections of those parks.
"Kitsilano Beach Park/Hadden Park" is listed one of the approved parks with a drinking zone, BUT, Hadden Park is not a designated drinking area, so why is it even included on the list? And only a small section of Kits Beach Park is designated - the quieter section of the old grove of trees at the north west end of the beach (see photo with this update).
Does anyone think that people will stop drinking elsewhere at Kits Beach after they hear that Kits Beach is a designated site, and that they won't drink in Hadden Park since it's listed? It's highly doubtful anyway that people will change their current habits which hopefully will work to the advantage of Vanier Park ponds.
Even though the criteria for selection of the drinking zones is "Minimal impacts to natural areas", for some bizarre reason, Vanier Park is still included, with a slight change of a 5 metre buffer by the "pond", ignoring the fact that there are 2 ponds, and even though the Park Board admit that it is an ecologically sensitive area. The map still shows the drinking zone as being in between the 2 ponds (see photo with this update).
ACTION ALERT: Please help keep an eye on Vanier Park ponds over the summer, and post new comments on this petition of your observations, particularly if you witness drunken behaviour near the ponds including using the ponds and nearby bushes or trees as a pissoir; any disturbances of, or interference with, the wildlife, including the wildlife being chased away or bothered by kids, adults and/or off leash dogs; unpermitted amplified music, including boom boxes and mini iPhone wifi speakers, particularly at excessive volumes; and ignoring the supposed 5 metre buffer zone around the ponds. (FYI, the Park Board isn't giving out permits as yet for music events in our parks and buskers aren't allowed in our parks at any time.)
Please take photos and videos, call 311 to report incidents, file a report with VanConnect with a video or a photo, or call the VPD non-emergency line at 604-717-3321. If you know how to contact me please send me any photos or videos, or post on Keep Kits Beach Wild.
Thanks,
Elvira Lount