Having A Ball In No Fun City

By Mike Catherall

Vancouver has long since been burdened with the undeserved moniker 'No Fun City.' Look at your friends' Facebook walls and you will see the complete opposite conclusion. Vancouverites know how to have fun. We love our four months of absolutely beautiful summer weather and our eight months of rain. The 'check-ins,' photos and status updates don't lie (unless your friend group consists of compulsive fabricators). People in Vancouver know how to get down, party with the best of them and enjoy everything our beautiful west coast has to offer.
But back to that 'No Fun' stigma - Where does that come from? Many who throw around the 'No Fun City' phrase believe that the reason Vancouver, when compared to other metropolitan cities in the world, doesn't stack-up is our out-of-date liquor laws. These laws prevent citizens from consuming alcohol in public spaces, like parks, beaches and other outdoor events. Why that would instantly erase all the other awesomeness that the city puts on is unfathomable, but such is the case.
People want to be able to drink where they please. Some argue that Vancouverites lost their rights when we showed our dark side during TWO Stanley Cup riots. Others would point the finger at underage drinking and still others would like to believe the suburbs are to blame for our bad reputation.
Even with our negative rep, groups of individuals have been campaigning for years for the Provincial Government to lighten the laws that govern drinking in our province. Grassroots groups like Campaign for Culture, actively advocate for a change in regulations. Among other laws, they would like to see the ban on happy hours lifted, citizens given the right to drink openly at parks and beaches, a greater variety of licensed venues and the ability for Farmers Markets to sell craft beer and wine.
Till now, these shouts have fallen on deaf ears. The Liquor Control and Licensing Board have had a firm grip on regulations and licensing and it seemed that no matter how many petitions were signed, the board was not relenting to public pressure.
Well it seems things have changed.
The Ministry of Justice has decided to weigh-in and conduct a comprehensive review of many of the laws regarding the consumption of alcohol in our province. This will be the first time in decades that the province has asked the public for their opinion around drinking laws.
Suzanne Anton, the Minister of Justice believes now is the appropriate time to rethink some of these older laws. "In concert with industry and citizens, we are looking to make practical and responsible change which promote consumer convenience and economic growth in the province, with a strong eye to maintaining public safety and protecting the health of our citizens," said Anton.
Instead of a costly referendum, the Government is taking a modern approach, creating a website for the public to visit and comment on (they should really just create a Facebook page). Public opinion will be gathered for three months, along with the opinions of the current licensed establishments in the province. This information will help the Ministry decide which laws need reworking.
Changes won't come until at least next year, but opponents of the LCLB's strict regulations believe the request for public involvement is a huge step in the right direction for fair governing of the liquor laws in our province.
In fact, there have been a few small laws changed in the last few years. Restaurants now allow patrons to bring their own wine. This law was altered due to heavy pressure by the restaurant industry. It's bizarre to think that restaurants were for customers bringing their own wine, but it does allow unlicensed establishments to accommodate patrons who wish to drink.
On the flip-side of that coin, the LCLB quietly passed a bill this year that restricts bars from hosting all-ages shows if they primarily a liquor establishment. Again, bizarre.
Listening to the public's thoughts and not just the establishments and control board is a productive way of examining the topic clearly and responsibly. Let's hope the process is transparent enough that the Ministry's decisions are defended by actual public discourse.