WATCH: Only a few hours until a Vancouver summer tradition blasts off. It’s the 25th annual Celebration of Light, and the ongoing extreme fire risk will be top of mind.
UPDATE: Late Saturday, VPD Cst. Brian Montague described the fireworks event as “fairly uneventful,” with only a few liquor pour-outs and a handful of fines handed out for smoking.
Transit Police spokesperson Anne Drennan said officers “encountered relatively few problems” Saturday night. Transit police made two arrests, issued approximately 12 tickets, and conducted 17 liquor pour-outs.
The Honda Celebration of Light kicked off Saturday night with Team China lighting up Vancouver’s skies.
Much of downtown Vancouver was a maze of road closures and traffic delays. As of 7:30 p.m., Davie St. was closed from Burrard St. to Denman St. and traffic restrictions were in effect for Kits Point and the West End.
To avoid commuter chaos, city officials said people should consider taking transit, cycling or walking to the event. TransLink added extra bus and SkyTrain service to accommodate the influx of passengers.
City officials recommended pedestrians use the following exit routes out of the West End following the fireworks:
-Burnaby Street for the SkyTrain and Canada Line
-Beach Avenue for Yaletown Station
-Gilford Street to access Georgia Street bus route
Heading into this weekend, city officials reminded those in attendance to support fire safety measures by respecting the long-term smoking ban in Vancouver parks, and refraining from the use of barbecues.
Comments