TORONTO, ON – The City of Toronto has announced that a pilot program to allow legal consumption of alcohol in some city parks will be launching later this summer.
Toronto City Council voted in favour of the pilot and Friday May 12th, and more details were provided in a news release:
The motion calling for the pilot, introduced by Councillor Shelley Carroll (Don Valley North), Chair of the Economic and Community Development Committee, and seconded by Councillor Chris Moise (Toronto Centre), Chair of the Board of Health, directs City staff to work with Councillors interested in hosting a pilot in their ward.
Staff will consult with Councillors, provide a list of parks most suited for the pilot, and report back to the Economic and Community Development Committee on Thursday, July 6 with a recommended approach and necessary bylaw amendments; the recommendation would then go before Council during its July meeting. The proposed pilot is set to run from Saturday, August 5 to Monday, October 9, in parks where the local Councillor has opted into the program.
Council also requested that the report include advice from the Medical Officer of Health on any harm reduction, treatment or education programs to be in place prior to the approval and implementation of the pilot.
For more details, see the full news release.
Source & Photo: City of Toronto