The District of West Vancouver is developing a policy to gain greater control over public outdoor events where alcohol is served.
If adopted by council, the municipal alcohol policy would put more onus on the district to mitigate alcohol abuse and any associated financial and social burden levied on the community.
Local governments have the potential to significantly affect the health and well-being of residents at the community level, said Arleta Beckett, the district’s manager of community development, youth and families.
Alcohol abuse causes more than 20,000 hospital visits and close to 2,000 deaths each year in this province, bringing a $2-billion financial toll, according to The Centre for Addictions Research of B.C.
Under the proposed policy, the district will have clearly defined guidelines for alcohol consumption during sanctioned events in municipal parks.
“It’s going to define which parks and facilities are in scope and out of scope when considering events with alcohol,” said Beckett.
The district’s focus for the alcohol policy is on large parks, many of which are on the waterfront: Ambleside, Dundarave, Gleneagles Golf Course, Horseshoe Bay Park, Hugo Ray Park, Klahanie Park, Memorial Park and Whytecliff Park.
There are also a handful of annual events to be included in the policy: Coho Festival, Harmony Arts Festival, Community Day, Dinner on the Dock at Horseshoe Bay, and the annual Ambleside Live concert.
Beckett said the district receives special event applications that include alcohol consumption from all sectors of the community ranging from sports teams to arts groups, and having a policy allows staff to evaluate the requests more fairly.
The development of the policy is happening in the face of changes to the way alcohol is being produced and consumed in B.C., with the explosion of craft beer and spirits, said Beckett.
“And people want to take advantage of that,” explained Beckett, citing Dinner on the Dock at Horseshoe Bay which features locally produced food, beer and wine.
Event organizers would still be required to obtain a special occasion permit from the B.C. Liquor Control and Licensing Branch, before the district can approve an application.
West Vancouver is working with other government agencies and the community as it develops a Municipal Alcohol Policy, an initiative of B.C. Healthy Communities and the Ministry of Health.
A staff report is expected before council in the spring.
