So, in the span of a few weeks, we went from drinking 12 hours a day to not drinking at all.
A downtown entertainment district has been shelved before it ever started as Okotoks council defeated the contentious proposal last week amid concerns that it would do little to accomplish its original objective. I agree with council members that allowing drinking on the street was unlikely to be a catalyst to attract more people to the downtown core, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it was a bad idea, at least not in a modified form.
The initial proposal, which would have seen drinking permitted along Elizabeth and McRae streets from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week, was most certainly overkill. As I suggested previously, I can’t see the allure of wandering around downtown with a beer in hand at 8 o’clock on a random Tuesday when most places are shut tight.
A revision to the proposal recognized that flaw and recommended the district only be in effect on a handful of days to coincide with major community events. Even that significant reduction didn’t sit well with civic politicians who decided to shelve the idea in its entirety, at least for the time being.
I’ll buy the notion that allowing drinking on the street is unlikely to draw more people to already busy events, but I think an argument could also be made that a cold one or two on a hot summer day would make said events more enjoyable for many people.
I realize the impetus for an entertainment district was to bring more people downtown to spend their money, which is unlikely to be the case whether it’s done in conjunction with events or not, but what about an entertainment district as a bit of a bonus for those already making the trek to these festivities?
It would be changing gears in terms of its objective, but would it be the worst thing to happen to our town? Surely, we’re responsible enough to imbibe in public without things going off the rails.
The proposed entertainment district was to be a pilot project, which gave Town officials the ability to determine whether it should continue the following year or if revisions would be necessary. Those same safeguards could still be in effect. Heck, you could pull the plug on it at any time should things go south for any reason.
As it stands now, it looks like council members are playing the role of ‘fun police’ by denying a cold one to community members taking in the Okotoks Show and Shine, Taste of Okotoks or other large-scale events in the downtown core.
I’m not sure whether it was significant opposition to the original proposal or the worry it wouldn’t benefit downtown businesses, but councillors were spooked enough they ended up throwing the whole concept out the window.
That’s a shame because the idea has merit. It might not be why it was initially proposed, but an entertainment district could increase the enjoyment for festival goers, which seems like reason enough to at least give it a try.
