Residents in one of Alberta's dry towns share feedback on liquor sales proposal

A proposal to change a bylaw that would see liquor sales to proceed in Cardston, Alta., saw feedback from residents at a council meeting on June 27, 2023. (Pexels)

Residents of an Alberta town that has banned alcohol sales for the past century have weighed in on a bylaw proposal to change that.

Cardston residents were asked whether or not they liked the idea of allowing restaurants and certain community facilities to serve alcohol.

The non-binding result saw 53 per cent of residents in favour of the idea.

Tuesday evening, they shared their thoughts during a town council meeting.

"Everybody deserves a right to celebrate and call whatever you want a moral victory," said Darren Atwood, the founder of the group Cardston Citizens for Positive Progress.

Atwood said he's "concerned" that the community is facing indecision from council.

"If we had a referendum it would have been binding," he said. "Everybody's voice counts and they should be heard."

Those against the proposed change suggested it was a diversion from the values that built Cardston.

The community was founded in 1887 by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who travelled from Utah via the Macleod-Benton Trail.

One of the tenets of that religion is a prohibition on alcohol.

"We are trying to open the door to break tradition with our founding fathers by failing to pass the torch they carried high to protect the community from the subtle evils and disease of alcohol," said one Cardston resident.

At the end of the meeting, Cardston's mayor Maggie Kronen said a decision may come in the next few weeks.