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

The premier wants to change the rules to allow Ontarians to bring their own booze to several outdoor public events. Natalie Johnson has more.

Ontario residents could soon be able to bring their own alcohol to more outdoor public events.

The provincial government said Tuesday it is expanding “bring-your-own” event permits for municipally designated cultural or community outdoor public events.

Events that would qualify include farmer’s markets, movie screenings, art exhibits and neighbourhood festivals.

The expanded permits would allow people to bring their own alcohol to consume in designated areas at those events. Previously known as tailgate permits, they have so far only been handed out for live sporting events.

“What we’re saying is, if you want to go to a park, if you want to go to a cultural event, then you can have a glass of wine and a beer. You want to bring your own wine, that’s fine,” Premier Doug Ford said at a news conference at Queen’s Park Tuesday.

In a statement, Attorney General Doug Downey said the ‘bring-your-own’ event permits will help save attendees money, lower overhead costs for event organizers and “contribute to local economies.”

Ford said he does not believe the move would necessarily dig into festival organizers’ profits.

The change is expected to take effect this spring.

Municipalities will have a role in deciding which events will qualify. The province says they will be required to pass a bylaw authorizing the use of alcohol in public if they don’t already have one in place, and will need to establish a local process to determine whether an event qualifies as a community or cultural event.

In Toronto, there is currently a city program that allows people to consume their own alcohol in many city parks. But the program does not allow people to drink their own alcohol at festivals and cultural events.

Speaking with reporters at a separate event, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said she needs to see more details about the idea, but she supports people having “more ways to enjoy the city.”

“If the province wants to make an exemption that drinking in public space is allowed in big public event, then that’s up to the premier,” Chow said.

However she added she hopes people will still support local businesses that are part of the events.

The province says it plans to amend a regulation under the Liquor Licence and Control Act to allow the “bring-your-own” permit change.

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.

Speaking with reporters at Queen’s Park, Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles said she doesn’t have a problem with the change, but accused the premier of using the announcement as another distraction from his government’s move last week to keep records from the premier’s office and cellphone secret.

“He is pressing the booze button and the safety button. He’s talking about traffic again, because it’s always what’s on his mind when he’s trying to distract from the things that are really bothering people in Ontario,” Stiles said.

“I think everything he said in the last few days is all about distracting from the fact that he doesn’t want people to have access to his cell phone records because he’s trying to hide something.”