Well it only took 135 years of people just doing it anyway before the Vancouver Park Board finally followed through Monday on their 2020 proposal to allow drinking in public parks! The Park Board officially approved:

• Collingwood Park

• David Lam Park

• Fraser River Park

• Granville Park

• Harbour Green Park

• Kitsilano Beach Park

• Langara Park

• Locarno Beach Park

• Maple Grove Park

• Memorial South Park

• Memorial West Park

• New Brighton Park

• Pandora Park

• Queen Elizabeth Park

• Quilchena Park

• Riverfront Park

• Robson Park

• Rupert Park

• Stanley Park

• Trout Lake

• Vanier Park

• Volunteer Park

BUT there’s a rub… disguised as a loosening of rules it is in fact a naked attempt to segregate people who imbibe from those who don’t. The marked ‘designated drink areas’ will attempt to shift the rowdy element, the drinkers, from the general public. This will fail. I’m pleased that enjoying an adult beverage is ‘legal’ in parks. I’m pleased that the road to softening the regulations on alcohol consumption, following a European lead, has been started. The legislation passed earlier this week and is only awaiting some nonsensical blessing from an appointee who represents some old lady in England who thinks god chose her to be a Queen. Without too much digression I want to state plainly: I do not want Prince Charles‘ ugly mug on my money!

Visions of rickshaw carts with portable cocktail bars like in Southeast Asia bounce through my head. The future end of the draconian BC laws aimed at overtaxing and over-regulating everything from liquor to property to parks.