Prince Albert’s executive committee voted six to three to advance recommendations tied to the city’s liquor store hours bylaw, but not before sharp debate over drugs, youth, and unintended consequences.
Community Safety and Well-Being Coordinator Jim Woodcock presented findings from the impact evaluation of Bylaw 13 of 2024, which restricts liquor store sales to between 10 a.m. and 11 p.m.
Woodcock said the Saskatchewan Health Authority found that average alcohol-related emergency room visits at Victoria Hospital dropped from 27 per week before the bylaw to 22.7 visits per week after it was implemented.
The Prince Albert Mobile Crisis Unit also recorded a decline in alcohol-related calls, while liquor shipment data showed no major change in overall consumption trends.
City staff also reviewed alcohol-related calls handled by the Prince Albert Fire Department as part of the evaluation. The analysis compared data from before and after the bylaw change, though the results were less clear than the hospital data. Administration said there was no definitive change tied directly to the policy, but some data suggested a slight downward trend in fire calls after the bylaw was introduced.
Despite those findings, Ward 6 Coun. Blake Edwards said he would not support the motion.
“I won’t be supporting the motion as it reads for a variety of reasons,” Edwards said. While acknowledging that “the ER being reduced is a good thing,” he questioned whether alcohol is the primary driver of current social issues.
“I don’t necessarily believe that our ER calls, though, are made up of people using alcohol anymore. I think it’s more harsher drugs, and people are turning to crystal meth, which is cheaper,” he said.
Edwards warned that increasing alcohol pricing or restrictions could push people toward other substances.
“If intoxication is the desired outcome, they’ll choose other drugs, which include a more unpredictable drug of crystal meth, and that I don’t think is the outcome we’re looking for in this city.”
He also raised concerns about the financial impact on events and businesses.
“When events are hosted, it’s hard enough to get people to come out right now. At the cost of things, events are declining in numbers,” Edwards said, adding that restaurants and pubs are “struggling as it is.”
Ward 1 Coun. Daniel Brown echoed concerns about drug use and youth.
“With these ER visits, did the drug-related causes go up after this was implemented? Because I know I have kids that are into the stuff,” Brown asked. “If they can get booze, they’re gonna phone and get something else.”
Later in the discussion, Brown said he could not support the recommendation.
“I just feel that drugs is the major concern in our community nowadays with cocaine and crack,” he said. “It’s more prevalent in kids nowadays, like they go to parties, there’s cocaine.”
Brown also questioned whether limiting sales within city limits could be pushing residents to travel outside the city.
“That one stop, or whatever’s across the river there, that guy’s booming, because that’s where everybody’s going,” Brown said. “Now we’re not having people just driving around the city to get a box of beer when they’re drunk, they’re driving across the bridge onto a highway at 100 kilometers an hour. That’s a bigger concern to me.”
Mayor Bill Powalinsky supported the motion, acknowledging the meth crisis but arguing that alcohol regulation remains within municipal control.
“The meth crisis has never gone away,” Powalinsky said. “We can’t regulate the sale of meth, unfortunately, but we can regulate the sale of alcohol.”
He said the data show “a cause and effect ratio, statistically, with the reduction in hours,” and pointed to concerns about impaired driving.
“I don’t know how many times I’ve seen people roll out just staggering drunk with the keys in their hands,” he said.
Ward 7 Coun. Dawn Kilmer said the report provides useful information as the city continues to examine how alcohol and drug use affect community safety. While she acknowledged both issues are concerns in Prince Albert, Kilmer said the available data still helps guide local policy decisions.
“Alcohol is a very big problem and an indicator with many of the social problems that we have,” Kilmer said, adding that the council still needs more data, but the work being done is important.
During the discussion, Ward 8 Coun. Darren Solomon asked why police statistics were not included in the report. Woodcock said police data had been reviewed but was difficult to track consistently and was not strong enough to include in the public report.
The amended motion directs administration to continue working on a municipal alcohol strategy and allows council to advocate to the province regarding updates to Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority social reference pricing, which has not been indexed to inflation since 2010.
The vote to move the recommendations forward carried six to three.
arjun.pillai@paherald.sk.ca
