The City of Vancouver will host viewing parties for the CanucksB次元官网网址� Round 2 playoff series against the Edmonton Oilers starting with Game 3 on Sunday.
Mayor Ken Sim and others have previously expressed concern about large-scale events for the playoffs, given VancouverB次元官网网址檚 history of Stanley Cup riots.
But Sim now says a lot of thought and planning has gone into events set to take place at a park far from the downtown core, where hordes of drunken fans rioted after the CanucksB次元官网网址� Game 7 Stanley Cup loss to the Boston Bruins in 2011. There were also riots in 1994 after a Game 7 loss to the New York Rangers.
B次元官网网址淎 lot of the individuals who were working on this yearB次元官网网址檚, you know, festivities, they were there in 2011 and so they had a lot of lived experiences, and from that came a plan that was put together with a lot of thought,B次元官网网址� Sim told a news conference on Wednesday.
Those organizers are not the only ones reflecting on VancouverB次元官网网址檚 troubled relationship with the playoffs, as the Canucks enter Round 2 with a game at Rogers Arena tonight.
Simon Coutts said he remembered being B次元官网网址渉eckledB次元官网网址� by passersby as he boarded up his bike shop on VancouverB次元官网网址檚 Robson Street before the 2011 loss.
SimonB次元官网网址檚 Bike Shop had been in business since 1986, and Coutts said the 1994 riot made him take precautions when the Canucks made the final again.
B次元官网网址淚n 2011, I was out on the street every day. I was watching the parties, watching the people,B次元官网网址� Coutts said on Tuesday. B次元官网网址淭here were just too many people out of control downtown and thereB次元官网网址檚 drinking and all sorts of stuff B次元官网网址� and then I guess you could say all hell broke loose.B次元官网网址�
Sim had previously acknowledged the riots at a news conference last month, saying the city had B次元官网网址渁 historyB次元官网网址� and it would need to make sure any playoffs viewing event would be very safe.
At the time, he said the city was B次元官网网址渘ot just gonna say B次元官网网址榟ey letB次元官网网址檚 throw a party, this timeB次元官网网址檚 gonna be different, What we learned in the past was, thatB次元官网网址檚 what they thought in 2011.B次元官网网址�
On Wednesday, Sim said this yearB次元官网网址檚 plan takes pressure off the downtown core.
SundayB次元官网网址檚 viewing party is at Oak Meadows Park, which can hold about 2,000 people, in the South Cambie neighbourhood, the mayor said.
Going deeper into the playoffs, Sim said community centres would also be open.
If the Canucks advanced to the third round, the city would look at the Pacific National Exhibition as a venue to allow up to 6,000 fans to gather, he said.
Sim said the whole city wanted to celebrate the teamB次元官网网址檚 success this year, and their planning aimed to ensure fans could enjoy the playoffs B次元官网网址渞esponsibly.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淭his is an opportunity that doesnB次元官网网址檛 come up often, and we have an amazing team,B次元官网网址� he said.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 also a time to show off the fact that Vancouver fans can celebrate in a family friendly, fun and safe way.B次元官网网址�
Ian Tostenson, the CEO of the BC Restaurant & Food Services Association, said in an interview on Tuesday that he supported a B次元官网网址渃autious approachB次元官网网址� to Stanley Cup celebrations given the cityB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址渢rack record.B次元官网网址�
The viewing parties for away games, he said, offered a more B次元官网网址渃ontrolledB次元官网网址� environment than inviting thousands of people downtown as happened in 2011.
B次元官网网址淏ig events like FIFA and big concerts and stuff, weB次元官网网址檙e able to do that really well,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚 just worry that if we just kind of recklessly sort of go, throw some TVB次元官网网址檚 up and invite, you know, 20,000 people on Georgia Street again, I just predict thereB次元官网网址檚 going to be trouble somewhere.B次元官网网址�
He said holding another large public viewing party downtown carried risks because if B次元官网网址渟omething goes terribly wrong, itB次元官网网址檚 just going to set us back years and I think weB次元官网网址檝e made some progress here.B次元官网网址�
For Coutts B次元官网网址� a Canucks season ticket holder B次元官网网址� lingering memories of the 2011 riot make him think a B次元官网网址渂ig partyB次元官网网址� isnB次元官网网址檛 a good idea, but family-friendly gatherings at Rogers Arena for away games have been both controlled and successful.
B次元官网网址淩ight now, my feeling is a good feeling, so I donB次元官网网址檛 have the same feeling I had last time,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淣o one wants a repeat.B次元官网网址�
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