B.C. says farewell to beer garden fences

Rob Easton, The Canadian Press Published Saturday, April 26, 2014 1:44PM PDT Last Updated Saturday, April 26, 2014 7:28PM PDT

The first round of changes to B.C.s liquor laws came into effect Saturday to much fanfare from the provincial government.

And while the government touts free-range drinking to become the norm as it tears down beer garden fencing around the province, many local festival organizers say little will change this summer.

"Unless we gated the entire perimeter of the event, then it really makes no sense for us to get too excited about this legislation, said John Orysik, media director at the TD International Jazz Festival that sees thousands of people gather in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery.

The new rules allow organizers to get rid of separated beer gardens in favour of more open liquor sales including mixed drinks like a gin and tonic that can be carried around festival grounds.

But according to the regulations, festival organizers wanting to allow wider liquor movement must have controlled entry and exit points, which is a non-starter for the jazz fest.

Right now, events are free to the public and accessible to everyone. Thats the whole idea, so its not gated, said Orysik.

The Pacific National Exhibition a prime candidate with its controlled entry and long established vendors will see few changes this year but organizers do have an eye on the future.

"The analysis for an event as large as ours might take several months, even six months to a year to decide if it's the right fit, said spokesperson Laura Balance. "At this point we would be looking at that with an eye to 2015.

The Vancouver Folk Music Festival is gated but organizers are concerned more alcohol would turn a fun family weekend into a booze-fest.

See the original post:
B.C. says farewell to beer garden fences