A century after the end of prohibition, a dry Alberta town steps closer to allowing liquor

A century after the end of prohibition, one dry town in southern Alberta is a step closer to allowing liquor to flow in certain establishments.

The town of Cardston, located roughly 225 kilometres south of Calgary, held a plebiscite Monday in line with the provincial election on potentially changing a bylaw to allow restaurants and recreational facilities to serve liquor. 

The results in the town, which is home to many non-drinking Mormons, or members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, were close —  491 residents (53 per cent) voted yes, 441 voted no. 

CBC News reached out to Mayor Maggie Kronen for comment on the results, but did not hear back in time for publication. 

Tanner Leavitt, who owns Guero Taco along the town's Main Street, is among several people in Cardston's business community who have pushed for the bylaw change. He said he was surprised by Monday's results. 

"I am hopeful for what this could bring," he said. "The councillors I've reached out to seem willing to move forward based on this." 

LISTEN | Local restaurant owner Tanner Leavitt discusses Cardston plebiscite:

The results of Monday's plebiscite were non-binding. However, they will be used to inform council on the public's views on the matter as the town moves forward with potentially changing the bylaw. The next step will be a public hearing. 

Specifically, Cardston is considering changes to a land-use bylaw that would allow Class A and B licences, which are for food-first restaurants and large recreational facilities, where alcohol could be consumed on-site. Covered under the large facilities license would be the community's golf course and Agridome.

What the bylaw change wouldn't do is allow liquor stores or bars to open. 

According to Leavitt, the last time the Cardston council considered allowing liquor licences in town, opinions among council were split: four against the change versus three who were supportive. This division was part of what led to the recent vote. 

"I reached out to the councillors who were against, and they wanted to do a plebiscite to see how they could better represent the town, because they were going off the results from the last plebiscite," Leavitt said. 

The last plebiscite was held in 2014, when nearly 70 per cent of voters opted not to change Cardston's dry status, which has been in place since 1923. 

Cardston, which has a population of 3,724, according to the 2021 census, remains among a handful of dry towns in southern Alberta. Others are Raymond and Magrath, both of which also have large Mormon populations. 

Cardston was founded by Mormons in the late 1800s. The town is home to the first Latter-day Saints temple built by the church outside of the United States. 

A matter of choice

Marsha Negrych, the owner of the century-old bed-and-breakfast Cobblestone Manor, has been advocating alongside her husband, Ivan, to allow certain liquor licenses in Cardston.

In a phone call Tuesday, she said that allowing venues such as the golf course or the Agridome to serve alcohol will offer growth opportunities for the small town. Often, she said, event organizers are turned off by the dry rules and opt to host their tournaments or rodeos elsewhere. Besides, visitors are already bringing their own alcohol from outside. 

"We can't book any tournaments because you can't buy a drink," she said. "And yet, when [visitors] bring their golf carts back, after people have rented them, they are full of empties. So people are drinking. I mean, it's ridiculous."

Negrych and her husband are Mormon. So is Leavitt. They abstain from drinking alcohol. However, they say visitors to their town should be able to drink if they so choose. 

"It's 2023, and we're the only place around where you can't buy a beverage to your preference," Negrych said. "It's not right. It's not right to deny people their free agency of choice." 

For Leavitt, if the bylaw were to change, he'd open a patio in the back of his restaurant. He said the option to sell alcohol would keep more tourist dollars in town. 

"Often, when we tell them it's a dry town, they ask where else they can go, so they either move on or go to dinner elsewhere," he said. "So, from a business standpoint, I think we would be able to keep a lot more business here in town, and attract more people that don't have the same beliefs as the residents." 

No comment from the church

CBC News reached out to the local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for a response to the plebiscite results. 

In a statement, a spokesperson said that the church did not take a stance on the issue prior to the plebiscite and will not take a stance after.

"The church does not endorse a political party or a candidate. Members of the church are encouraged to be good citizens, to consider the issues and to vote according to their conscience," the statement said.