Combines work a field with the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains in the background near Cardston, Alta. on Friday Aug. 29, 2003.Ian Martens/The Canadian Press
For a century now, small town Cardston, Alta., has been dryer than tumbleweeds. Not only are there no liquor stores within town limits, you can't even have a beer with your pizza at the local restaurant.
Come Monday, the process of changing that will be put to a vote on a non-binding plebiscite that asks residents if they want fluoride in their drinking water, hens in their backyard and alcohol sold or served in town.
"This question [concerning alcohol] could be a game-changer," Mayor Maggie Kronen said. "We have to make decisions for today, tomorrow and the future … There is much to consider."
What to do about alcohol is a significant issue on multiple levels. Located 235 kilometres south of Calgary, Cardston is home to 3,500 people, the majority of them Mormons, who are opposed to drinking coffee, tea and alcohol, and believe Sundays are holy and should be about reflection.
But 21st-century intrusions have made for exceptions. In 2001, Cardston residents voted in favour of being allowed to shop on Sundays. The mayor at the time, Mel Tagg, acknowledged the change was made because a grocery chain, Extra Foods, had purchased land in Cardston and would eventually open a store there.
Even if Monday's plebiscite showed every eligible voter in Cardston wants liquor stores and to be served alcohol, Ms. Kronen explained it may not be enough to get it done.
The Alberta government would have to amend its liquor laws so that specific establishments could sell alcohol. If that was agreed upon, the amendment could only be made when the Liquor and Gaming Act was next up for a review. (Its last review took place in 2008 when the government cracked down on cheap drink specials and extended happy hours.)
"There are different kinds of licences," said Ms. Kronen, who explained an A licence is for restaurants, bars and clubs, a B licence is for recreational facilities, C is for non-profit clubs and D is for off-premises sales and liquor store.
"If [one business receives a licence], it opens all the doors," Ms. Kronen added.
When it comes to alcohol, business and economics are also in play. Those who want alcohol have bonded under the label Cardston Citizens for Positive Progress. They are convinced if tourists come to Cardston and are told there is no alcohol, they might drive on to the neighbouring communities that do sell and serve spirits. (Cardston's Lee Creek Valley Golf Course has no alcohol but the Magrath Golf Club does and is just a 30-minute drive away.)
Other towns in Canada have made changes to provincial liquor laws. Last November, Winkler, Man., opened its first alcohol retailer in a mostly Mennonite community. By manufacturing farm equipment and growing wheat and canola, Winkler had embarked on a period of growth that led to other changes and a willingness to accept them.
"As Winkler grew slowly but surely, it also progressed," Andrea Kowal, a spokeswoman for the Manitoba liquor agency, told The Globe and Mail. "Its attitude towards alcohol is now fairly open."
Cardston is willing to consider being more open, too, but the issue needs debate and clarity and a thoughtful approach. That's the next step in determining whether Cardston stays dry or accepts liquor sold in a controlled manner.
"We have to understand the [plebiscite] results," Ms. Kronen said. "We'll look at the number of voters versus the number of eligible voters. This plebiscite is non-binding but we have to keep in mind it's also a democratic process."
Former Cardston mayor Rick Schow is of the belief the plebiscite will not carry the day.
"I don't think it will be close," he said. "In my opinion, it will be sustained as it currently is."
The plebiscite also asks if people want the town's recreational facilities rented out on Sundays.