Vancouver has confirmed it will be hosting Canucks viewing parties beginning Sunday.
After much chatter around the possibility of events being held in the city, Mayor Ken Sim confirmed Wednesday morning the city will open up spaces to “allow people to have an incredibly family-friendly, fun way to celebrate.”
Sunday’s watch party will be located at Oak Meadows Park with room for about 2,000 people. Sim explained some libraries and community centres will also be open, with those details to come.
“We’re going to be helping other independent organizations, like theatres, in the city get feeds to the game so they can watch as well,” he said.
“And if, and when — knock on wood — the Canucks beat the Oilers and we get to Round 3, we’ll be opening up the PNE which will allow for another 6,000 individuals to enjoy a family-friendly, responsible, beer or glass of wine while they’re enjoying the event.”
Sim explained the city manager’s office has been working with the Vancouver Police Department, the Vancouver Fire Rescue Services, and the Canucks, to make sure “everything we do is done with the view of ‘family-fun’ and safety.”
As for having multiple spaces in the city activated as locations for watch parties, Sim explained it gives everyone across the city a chance to celebrate.
“If you’re living in South Van, you may want to stay in the neighbourhood as opposed to trekking downtown with the thousands and thousands of other individuals. So, it just gives more options, and it takes the pressure off the downtown core as well because I can tell you, a lot of people will be going downtown regardless of what we did,” he said.
“This just gives us more options to spread it out and have people enjoy responsibly.”
Sim added that Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi has agreed to a friendly wager — the loser of the Round 2 series will have to fly the winning team’s flag at their respective city hall and wear the winning team’s jersey.
“Both mayors will be contributing to really good causes … In Vancouver, it will be Yo Bro Yo Girl, which supports at-risk youth in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland,” he said.
“We did have a conversation just the other day, and I’m glad saner heads prevailed, but we were actually going to rock the bare chest with paint, and or there might have been a tattoo involved. I don’t think Mayor Sohi wanted to live the rest of his life with a Canucks logo on his forearm, so I think that’s a good call,” Sim laughed.
As for the cost of opening up the spaces to Canucks fans, Sim says there’s room in the budget with the cost to the city being “minimal.”
“When you step back and you look [back], how many times do the Vancouver Canucks actually make it really deep into the playoffs? And I say this with a lot of respect because I’m a Vancouver fan.”
On Monday, the City of Vancouver teased that fans could expect more information this week.
The city shared at that time that it was “very aware of the high interest” for a place to come together and watch Vancouver take on the Edmonton Oilers.
It comes after New Westminster voted Monday night to look into holding the events, with Delta holding community watch parties during Round 1 in which the Canucks downed the Predators 4 games to 2.
