Robertson confident Celebration of Light will be safe event
Posted July 11, 2011 4:35 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Mayor Gregor Robertson admits the upcoming Celebration of Light fireworks may be policed a little differently this summer, but he isn’t worried about big crowds downtown so soon after the Stanley Cup riot.
Robertson says the city is expecting the biggest turnout ever for the shows.
“I think we’re expecting the Celebrations of Light to be great, but at the same time we’ll be taking precautions and making sure we’re ready to ensure the event is policed and kept safe,” he says.
The city and police have a plan in place to control a crowd of more than 600,000, but it will mean some changes.
“The events through the Stanley Cup Playoffs will help us adjust and make sure we’re ready for anything, but I think we’ve had great Celebrations of Light in the past and this will be another one.”
A night of fireworks always keeps police busy, but Robertson says the city is capable of hosting big events of this size.
Celebrations over the last week for Vancouver’s 125th birthday have been peaceful and safe, even with a strong turnout, he adds.
The Celebration of Light fireworks run over three nights this year: July 30, Aug. 3 and Aug. 6.
