Petition to allow alcohol in Collingwood parks
With summer around the corner, Collingwood resident Jonathan Hillis wants to loosen alcohol restrictions in local parks.
"Seeing that Toronto had a successful pilot and are now looking to make it a permanent fixture in their parks, it made me think, why can't we do it here in Collingwood," says Hillis.
Hillis started a petition to get the town to consider allowing open alcohol in its public parks, and so far, it's received over 320 signatures.
"I think it's going to also allow us to get out and be more active as well. Getting friends together and go to a Park, have some fun, play some volleyball or soccer and then maybe sit down and have a drink," he says.
Hillis recommends that the pilot take place at the town's major parks, including Sunset Point Park, Millennium Park and Fisher Fields.
Mayor Yvonne Hamlin says it would be a big decision for the community but is open to discussion.
"If there's interest in moving it forward, we would have to and want to get input from two main sources for us. One is our staff and also our community," says Hamlin.
While the mayor says she understands why it would be a fun initiative, she must consider the pros and cons.
"I guess I'm always looking at what are the problems that could come and how do we prevent them and I'm so thinking about safety," she adds.
Still, Hillis believes that Collingwood could set an excellent example for other municipalities considering the same thing.
"We just have some responsible folks that will know how to really show the youth what responsible drinking looks like and just really be able to come together as a community out at these parks, support one another and have some fun," he says.
Hillis notes that once he gets a few more signatures on the petition, his next step is to meet with council members. He will either submit a written proposal in May or attend an in-person deputation in June.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise’s disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Wildfire near Fort McMurray more than triples overnight, several evacuation alerts remain in place
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
Putin replaces Russian defence minister in rare cabinet shakeup
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
Man fatally 'slashed in the neck' in downtown Toronto, suspect outstanding
Police are searching for a male suspect after a man was “slashed in neck” on Sunday morning in downtown Toronto and died.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Edibles, armchairs and adapters: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.