Didn't see a general thread so I decided to create one, not to keen on the title so if anyone has a better one, let me know and I'll change it.
For those that say there is nothing going on in this city, here's a short highlight just for the COV, doesn't include any concerts or pro sports. I've included a link to the document and it has a calender for 2009 event approved so far.
http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/cclerk/...ents/csbu5.pdf
The following is a breakdown of some of the 2008 events approved, by type:
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74 Cultural events (Canada Day, Celebration of Light, Dragon Boat Festival, Festival d’été; Greek Day, Word on the Street);
• 7
2 Community Celebration Events (Marpole Days, Point Grey Fiesta, Chinatown Festival)
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56 Sporting events (Childrun, CIBC Run for the Cure, Pacific Road Runners Half Marathon, Vancouver International Marathon, Vancouver Sun Run, Terry Fox Walk);
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81 promotional/corporate events (Nike Human Race, Red Bull Soap Box Derby,Steamworks Concours d’Elegance);
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27 Parades & Processions (Kerrisdale Carnival Day Parade, Santa Claus Parade, Celtic Parade, Pride Parade, Vaisakhi Parade, Winter Solstice Procession);
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116 VAG events (festival Vancouver, Amacon Christmas Tree, Mennorah Installation),
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5 VANOC Events
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3 Car Free Day events
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14 School events (St. George’s School Fair, St. Jude School Walkathon, York House Fall Market).
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123 Block Parties – not including the Kits Car Free Day residential block-party program.
DISCUSSION
T
o date we have received 151 applications for 2009 events, and we’re on track to meet or exceed 2008 figures. The majority of applications we have received to date are for reoccurring events; or events with minimal street impacts. Only four new events are significant enough to bring to Council for specific approvals. If Council approves these events in principle, then final approval will be delegated to the City Engineer, subject to
suitable arrangements being made through FEST.
Play on Street Hockey Tournament – June 13-14th
An out-of-town organizer presented a street hockey tournament in Vancouver in 2004 and 2005, but because of a lack of sponsorship and good planning, it had minimal success. A local event company has submitted a new proposal this year; and with the support of CBC Hockey Night in Canada and the Canucks/GM Place, a significant crowd is anticipated to attend the weekend-long 4 on 4 street hockey tournament to be held on streets in and
around GM Place, including parts of Abbott Street, Carrall Street and Quebec/Columbia Street on the weekend of June 13th & 14th. Other major traffic routes in the area (Pacific Boulevard and Expo Boulevard) will not be impacted.
Car Free Day Events – June 14th
After a successful expansion of the Annual Commercial Drive Car Free Day in 2008 to include events on Main Street, Denman Street and a one-day expanded block party program on residential streets in Kitsilano, the Vancouver Car Free Day Society has been asked by interested residents in other neighbourhoods to assist with a further expansion of the program.
In 2009 Car Free Day ‘block party’- type closures are proposed for residential and side streets in Marpole, Dunbar and Kerrisdale as well as major closures on Commercial Drive from Venables Street to East 1st Avenue, on Main Street from East Broadway to East 19th Avenue (a longer closure than in 2008), and on Denman Street from Davie Street to Robson Street.
These Car Free Day events are different from the proposal for on-going car free areas that Council is currently looking into, and also different from the individual Block Party program the City has been supporting for more than thirty years. The increased interest in Car Free Day events is presenting challenges for FEST. The 2009 Car Free Day events were originally scheduled for June 21st but, because the Annual Greek Day celebration on West Broadway required the substitution of diesel buses for trolleys on two
major bus routes, Coast Mountain Bus Company was not able to provide enough diesel buses for the West End or Main Street Car Free Days.
There are a number of bus-related issues that have an unfortunate negative effect on both car free days and other special events; particularly when the events take place on trolley bus routes. When diesels replace trolleys they are kept on for the complete route and for the duration of the driver’s shift; and on some routes that usually have articulated buses, capacity is also reduced. As well, in many areas of the city bus routes are detoured for a
significant distance, not just for the area of the event, creating hardship and confusion for regular transit users in other areas. Coast Mountain Bus Company has a limited number of diesel buses, and this will continue to be a problem for event organizers.
Canada Day Parade – July 1st
The organizers of Vancouver’s very successful Santa Claus Parade have been asked by Heritage Canada to present a proposal for a Canada Day Parade to tie in with the Canada Day Celebrations at Canada Place. At this point in time no response to the proposal has been received, so no specific work has been done to determine a route. However, if Council gives approval in principle for such an event, FEST will work with the organizers to determine a
route that would either pass or end at Canada Place, allow good access for viewers and participants and cause the least possible disruptions to transit service in the area.
Canada Day at Canada Place – July 1st
For the past 21 years Canada Place has presented a family-focussed celebration of Canada Day at the Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Center. For a number of years the event was held both inside the VCEC and outside on Canada Place Way, and for several years it was expanded to Cordova Street as well. Renovations at VCEC and Canada Place limit the space available for Canada Day festivities, and Canada Day organizers are requesting the closure of Canada Place Way from Howe Street to Thurlow Street and Cordova Street from Howe Street to Burrard Street from Tuesday evening, June 30th to the morning of Thursday, July 2nd to facilitate staging some of their events on the street. Canada Day organizers are working with
the new Vancouver Convention Center staff, the Pan Pacific and Fairmont Waterfront Hotel and CERES, operators the cruise ship shore services, to ensure that disruptions to the two cruise ships arriving in Vancouver on July 1st are minimized. By keeping Howe Street open to traffic, critical transportation corridors for cruise visitors will be maintained. Their daytime event and the annual Canada Day fireworks show, presented by the Burrard
Inlet Fireworks Society, have the support of Vancouver Police, Engineering Services and the general public.
Events Not Approved
Every year there are a small number of events that neither Event office staff nor FEST can approve. These are mainly rallies and protests that involve routes and times that are deemed to disruptive to safe movement of participants; and whose organizers refuse to pay for the City services required to put events on safely.
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Yeah i love the dragon boat festival. I guess we have to say there are a lot of events in Vancouver (that doesn't mean we should stop creating more), but what we need is to simply add more flavor to the average night. A little more diversity in architecture, signage and lights would be welcomed, and a relaxing of restaurant and bar by-laws to allow for more music, dancing and longer operating hours would be great. Also, we could use more exotic entertainment in the city and a six flags in the suburbs would be great (i feel the best place for that would be right beside bridgeport station and the casino). The firework last Canada day were fun and i hope that event continues to grow.
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