On April 15, 2024, Burnaby City Council directed staff to bring forward a bylaw to establish a city-wide, year-round program to allow the responsible drinking of alcohol across all City parks.

On June 24, 2024, Burnaby’s bylaw changes permitting the responsible consumption of alcohol in City-owned parks came into effect and outlines where drinking is not permitted – such as in playgrounds, on sport fields and at spray pads. Learn more about Alcohol in Burnaby Parks.

From July 1 to October 31, 2023, the City of Burnaby conducted a temporary pilot program permitting responsible consumption of alcohol in four parks across Burnaby: Central, Confederation, Edmonds, and Keswick parks. Alcohol consumption was permitted at these parks from dawn to dusk, everywhere except in these areas:

Within 10 metres of:

• playgrounds
• sport courts and fields, and artificial turf surfaces
• spray parks and outdoor pools
• skate bowls
• parking lots
• In or on any of the following:
• trail pathways
• natural parkland and forested areas
• indoor areas
• any other areas with signage forbidding alcohol consumption posted

We chose these parks because each has the following features which made them suitable for our pilot program:

• Location: The pilot parks are near Burnaby’s four major town centres (Brentwood, Lougheed, Metrotown, and Edmonds), and will provide opportunities for Burnaby residents across the city to participate in the program.
• Green Space and Public Washrooms: These parks have ideal areas to enjoy time outdoors this summer, with amenities like plenty of lighting, picnic tables and benches, open green space, and shade trees. Each also has public washroom facilities available on-site.
• Recycling Capacity: We’re making sure each park has enough recycling bins to prevent littering of empty containers. Keswick Park will have additional temporary bins this summer, and our staff will be monitoring the need for additional bins and pickup at all pilot parks throughout the program.

Forty-five Burnaby residents responded to the survey that was run in conjunction with the temporary pilot program, and there was no notable increase in complaints to City Bylaw Enforcement or to the RCMP.