Dartmouth councillor Gloria McCluskey’s effort to ban booze at city events is dead in the water. McCluskey, who has long objected to beer companies setting up tents at Natal Day and Canada Day celebrations, asked the HRM council to disassociate alcohol vendors from city-sponsored events.
The council rejected that request at its Tuesday meeting, on an unrecorded 14 to eight voice vote. Actual opposition to the proposal may have been higher still—councillors often vote in favour of another councillor’s request for a staff report, either out of simply courtesy or because they’d like to see the information spelled out, and then vote against the actual proposal.
In practical terms, McCluskey’s proposal would have done away with the beer tents, which provide the financing for fireworks displays. Had the ban been adopted, the city would have had to increase funding for the events to keep the fireworks.
It’s unclear if McCluskey intended to ban beer tents at events like the Atlantic Jazz Festival, which is produced by a non-profit organization but also receives city money and permits. If so, the ban would have made it fiscally impossible for such events to continue operating.
“We’ve got too many drinkers on council,” McCluskey said after the vote.
This article appears in Jan 21-27, 2010.
I wish they’d drink more, would make channel 10 council meetings so much more exciting, jaggerbombs before more cat debates.
Aside from the revenue they generate, beer tents provide a more secure and monitored space for people to have a drink vs. bringing their own (which people will do of course, but not all of them). People will drink at events – it’s an accepted and expected part of our culture.
Yet another effort by someone who is supposed to represent the people, completely disregarding the views and desires of her constituents. I can hardly wait for the day when these baby boomers finally step down or at least get out of the way
She should be in a home.
I like Gloria but she is really getting too old for this job. Time to move on Gloria.
oh gloria, my fondness for you abounds.
Old hag. Hop in your prude time machine and go where you belong.
Ah, the modern day temperance movement. Typical of the establishment in NS –
Limit the liquor licenses and fight tooth and nail against any new pubs any chance they get… after all any good ole Bluenoser knows that drinking is “dirty” and should only be done in private and alone, or in illegal ‘speakeasies’ like it was for centuries in this province…
Now if we could just do something about all these damned women voters…