VANCOUVER—A Vancouver city councillor, facing his last months in office, is challenging the parks board and upcoming candidates to fix “no fun city” and allow drinking alcohol on public beaches.

Following a Vancouver Police Department reminder on Wednesday that consuming liquor anywhere on sandy shores carries a $230 fine, Non Partisan Association Coun. George Affleck tweeted, “we can be grown ups on the beach, can’t we.”

The post spurred a slew of social media responses.

“I think it’s ridiculous we don’t allow it,” Affleck said in an interview. “It’s up to the city and the parks board to authorize it.” That’s written into policy by the province, he explained.

But Vancouver has yet to pour it up.

Affleck said the party in power has been “very conservative” when it comes to alcohol consumption in general. In seven years on council, Affleck said he supported loosening liquor regulations in the city, including rejuvenating the Granville Strip and allowing wine in grocery stores.

The City of Vancouver amended several bylaws in May to reduce regulatory restraints with liquor laws, such as allowing more patios.

Critics say eliminating fines for drinking in public would have a detrimental impact on families or pets trying to enjoy a little bit of sunshine, and that it would pose a threat to public safety.

But Affleck noted there are measures in place to handle disorderly conduct.

“The police have the tools and laws to enforce if there is a problem,” he said. “Everybody is doing it, they’re just hiding it. So chill out, let’s just do this and allow it.”

OneCity, Vancouver’s left-of-centre party, tweeted its support on Thursday afternoon, with candidate Brandon Yan being the first to endorse online.

“As we did during the byelection, we support legalizing drinking in public parks and beaches,” the tweet read. “We think those who have private decks, patios, and backyards shouldn’t have all the fun.”

To booze, or not to booze?

With or without fines, almost everyone has a cellphone in their pocket and, if there is a problem, they can call the cops, said James Kennedy, a Vancouver comedian who frequents the city’s beaches.

He recently watched police on ATVs ticket a group sipping brews on Jericho Beach.

“They were drinking a six-pack between five people,” he said in an interview. “It’s disheartening to think that the government and cops have so little faith in our communities to self-police.”

And, he noted, many other places in the world allow brews on the beach and “nobody is having unruly fights.” In fact, alcohol consumption while having a picnic in a public park is permitted in places such as Alberta and Quebec.

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StarMetro reached out to the parks board for comment and received an email statement which read, “the Park Board’s Ranger team works closely with the VPD in monitoring the busiest beach areas both downtown and on the West side.”

The Liquor Control Licensing Act determines the fine amount for liquor consumption in a public place. According to Sgt. Jason Robillard, officers operate under individual discretion to write tickets. And every encounter is different.

“We like to do that as a last resort,” he explained. “We want to make sure people enjoy safely, responsibly, and are courteous to each other.”

A cluster of online comments questioned the level of police presence and use of ATVs.

But Robillard said the Beach Patrol responds to a variety of calls, not just liquor warnings. These include beach-related emergencies, such as sexual offences. There are four working ATVs that have to span a large area of the city, he added.

VPD has officers on bike, horseback and boats, who have partnerships with park rangers, life guards, the BC Ambulance and Canadian Coast Guard, Robillard noted.

Beach Patrol members wrote more tickets in 2017 than the previous year, according to the VPD Strategic Business Plan Report-Back.

But the number of recorded liquor pour-outs decreased significantly, from roughly 8,000 in 2016 to 2,700 in 2017. The report noted “the considerable drop in pour outs may be attributed to improved beach patron behaviour resulting from ongoing visible police presence.”

“Our number one priority here is safety,” Robillard said. “It has to do with water and beaches. Sometimes alcohol intoxication doesn’t mix with bodies of water.”

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