Ottawa Festivals Network says BYOB at public events ‘a lovely idea’ but more details needed

The province is looking at making it easier for municipalities to allow people attending certain events to bring their own booze. CTV’s Stefan Keyes reports.

The Ottawa Festival Network says allowing residents to bring their own alcohol to outdoor public events could bring positive changes, but it needs more details to assess the financial impacts to the already cash-strapped sector.

On Tuesday, the provincial government said it would be expanding “bring-your-own” event permits for municipally designated cultural or community outdoor events, including farmers’ markets, outdoor movies, art exhibits and neighbourhood festivals.

The permits would allow people to bring their own alcohol to consume at those events.

• Ontario residents may be able to BYOB to more public events this summer

Ottawa Festival Network executive director Tara Shannon says she didn’t expect the announcement to come but says the organization will be working with the city to determine how it’s implemented.

“If there’s a festival that doesn’t currently rely on alcohol sales with those margins to make those budgets work, it could be a lovely idea,” she told Newstalk 580 CFRA’s Ottawa Now with Kristy Cameron.

“Sustainability in the festival sector is top of mind right now. It’s a sector that is under an incredible amount of strain financially so, we would have to be sure that this new policy does not impact that.”

The Festival Network represents and advocates for more than 170 events across the capital, from major ones such as Bluesfest, Jazzfest and Cityfolk, to smaller community gatherings such as Shakespeare in the Park.

Under the changes, which are expected to take effect this spring, municipalities will be required to pass a bylaw to authorize the use of alcohol if they don’t already have one in place.

Last year, the City of Ottawa launched an alcohol in parks pilot project, allowing booze consumption in eight parks across the city. City staff told CTV News Ottawa on Wednesday that a report outlining Ottawa’s approach to allowing personal alcohol consumption in designated parks in 2026 will be presented to the Community Services Committee in the coming weeks.

“Each municipality is going to implement this in a way that makes sense for the city, so we’ll be working closely with the City of Ottawa to look at what’s possible, looking at it with the public policy department and see how this takes shape in our city,” Shannon said.

“We’re still a long way from having this information to see what the impacts will be.”

Shannon says there will also be conversations with local BIAs to ensure small businesses that typically benefit from street festivals happening nearby are not negatively impacted.

“I’m sure there is a way to balance it because the romantic image of it all and even for myself, just being able to go to the park and being able to bring a beer with me, I can see the appeal of that, but we just have to make sure that we have all the information and all the economic impacts and we’re having conversations with all the stakeholders that are affected by this,” Shannon said.

In a statement to CTV News Ottawa, a spokesperson for the Attorney General of Ontario says the new changes will bring more flexibility to “safely and responsibly enjoy events across the province.”

“Municipalities will be required to pass a bylaw authorizing the use of alcohol in public, if they do not already have one in place, and establish a local process that would determine whether an event qualifies as community or cultural outdoor public events,” the statement says.

Event organizers in participating municipalities will be able to apply for bring-your-own permits through the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) starting on April 30.

With files from CTV News Toronto’s Joshua Freeman and Newstalk 580 CFRA

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