On Aug. 11, I took my 6-year-old granddaughter to Esther Short Park in downtown Vancouver. Too bad she wasn’t old enough to get in as the Vancouver Brewfest had taken over the park. I am, but I would rather spend the time with my granddaughter than knocking back brewskies — and I don’t drink.
When she wanted to know why they had a fence that completely surrounded the whole park, except the play area, I told her the drinkers have taken it over. I thought we got rid of the drinking and drugging in that park? It took years to clean up, and now it’s being sanctioned by the city? The only difference between the days when people drank in the park back then and now is the permit. I guess if the city can make a buck off it, then it’s OK. So my granddaughter was left wondering why the drinkers needed to take the whole park. And I have no answer to that.
How many of those attending drove home intoxicated over the weekend? How about putting on these drinking parties someplace else, and leave the city parks for the residents of Vancouver to enjoy? I don’t pay taxes to turn my parks into pubs.
Rob North
Vancouver
