One of Alberta's last dry communities could soon see pours of alcohol
CBC
About a half-hour's drive from Lethbridge, Alta., is the town of Raymond, a community known for the accomplishments of its high school sports teams, its religious traditions and as the home of the first stampede rodeo in the country.
On a cool, spring evening, locals trickle into the Raymond Senior Centre located just off the town's quiet main street. The crowd has come to debate an issue long-decided in other parts of the country: should restaurants in town be allowed to serve alcohol.
Following an address from the town council, there are warnings of the dangers of imbibing; there's concern for the youth. Some say it's not a big deal — it's the 21st century, after all. Others, like Chonita Sims, want no part of a town that serves its people liquor.
"I feel like if we're going to open this door, we can never close it again."
What's clear is that the discussion goes beyond whether or not to serve booze; it hits at the southern Alberta town's very identity.
Raymond, a close-knit agricultural community about 250 kilometres southeast of Calgary, has been dry since it was founded in 1903. These days, you can drink in town. You just can't purchase alcohol there.
The public engagement session among town council and townsfolk last week was the second of its kind in recent weeks.
It's not the first time the debate on alcohol has come up in the town's history, but it could be the first time it leads to anything changing.
When Alberta's prohibition ended in 1924, some municipalities voted to maintain the ban on liquor stores and other licensed establishments. That included the area around Raymond.
Now, that prohibition could end in the town due to a combination of changes in provincial rules and an appetite among a couple of local restaurants to begin serving alcohol.
The town says it would consider class A liquor licences only, meaning a food-first restaurant where minors are allowed.
Town council wants to hear from the people of Raymond before it votes on whether to amend their land use bylaw to allow for a licensed restaurant.
Raymond's long-time dry status has been rooted in three things: lingering prohibition laws in the area, restrictions attached to land titles in town and deeply held community beliefs.
After the end of prohibition across the province a century ago, municipalities were allowed to weigh in on the topic through what was called local option votes.
Police services across northern Ontario say most illicit drugs circulating in their communities are being transported from southern parts of the province, while prescription drugs diverted into the illegal market continue to pose a serious and ongoing threat.
The case of a child who was killed by his mother shortly after being returned from foster care has shed a rare and needed spotlight on the child welfare system, say experts in the field.
G.E. Barbour may be best known for its King Cole tea, but the Sussex company’s peanut butter is apparently what everyone wants overseas.
Seven years into an early onset Alzheimer’s diagnosis, Sandra Demontigny's home is full of reminders.
A blizzard gusting across southern Manitoba is leaving a long list of highway and school closures.
While a blizzard threatened outside, Saskatoon city council endured an icy blast inside city hall from a Riversdale business leader over its homeless initiatives.
This is a story about fire, faith and marshmallows.
Alberta’s population bucked the trend that almost every other Canadian province and territory experienced last quarter, Statistics Canada population estimates suggest.
A U.S. judge on Wednesday blocked Michigan from enforcing a 2020 order to shut down Enbridge's Line 5 oil pipeline running beneath a channel linking two of the Great Lakes, ruling that pipeline safety is a federal responsibility.
When retired RCMP constable Jason Hydamacka heard the news that the insurance money for his amputated leg was coming, he sat in his truck and cried.
As Neskantaga First Nation’s youngest band councillor, Lashaunda Waswa says she wants to inspire the next generation to protect the community’s land, water and wildlife.
Toronto has seen a drop in crime rates across the city, but its police chief says youth crime rates continue to be a cause for concern.
Cambridge council has voted to request a pedestrian safety review of Cedar Street from the region after two back-to-back collisions last week, one of which killed a three-year-old girl.