Residents who live near a park at Richards and Smithe streets say overnight noise from people partying in the park is affecting their quality of life.
sθәqәlxenәm ts’exwts’áxwi7, meaning ‘rainbow’ is a popular park and playground for neighbourhood families but it has also become a popular spot for people to hang out after hours.
Mark Drutz lives across the road from the park.
He told Global News that residents suspect people are coming there from the Granville Strip, just two blocks away.
“It happens throughout the night,” Drutz said.
“It can be two or three different instances during the night, which can be three or four times a week. And of course, it’s worse Fridays, Saturdays and holidays. And it’s young people, as far as I can tell. It’s teenagers and young adults.”
He said sometimes it is only a few people but on other occasions, the group has been much bigger.
“Because it’s more of a playground than a park, they’re cavorting on the equipment,” Drutz added. “So they’re not just sitting there having quiet conversations. They’re jumping around and screaming and hooting and hollering and having a great time.”
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He said sometimes the noise starts around 3 or 4 a.m.
“We were living here for 10 years, and the downtown noise was manageable,” Drutz explained. “There was not a problem. So this, this is extreme. And I’ve used the white noise machine, I’ve used earplugs, and I’ve tried it again.
The park opened in summer 2022.
Global News reached out to the Vancouver Park Board for comment but was told no one is available due to the holiday Monday.
They sent along a statement Tuesday saying “in accordance with the Parks Control By-law, and like all parks in Vancouver, sθәqәlxenәm ts’exwts’áxwi7 is closed to the public from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily. While the vast majority of people use the park responsibly, we’re aware of some instances where the park has been misused after hours.”
Staff said rangers patrol the area daily starting at 7 a.m. and will call in additional support from the city’s outreach services or the Vancouver Police Department if needed.
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“City Protective Services, who monitor several downtown areas, also patrol the park between 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., daily. Since patrols started in March of this year, CPS staff have not had to call on VPD for support,” they said in the statement.
They confirmed they have no plans at this time to fence off or restrict access to the park.
“If park users or residents are concerned about an issue during park opening hours, we ask them to call 311 so it can be streamlined to the most appropriate team,” the park board said. “The VPD should be contacted to report a nuisance or hazard, after the park has closed. As always, if there is an imminent public safety issue or an emergency, people should call 911 immediately.”
Drutz said Vancouver police have shown up at times to disperse the crowd, especially when it appears to be a more organized event.
He explained that there were two last summer where people set up at about 11 p.m. and partied until the police showed up and shut it down.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Drutz said. “I couldn’t believe that this was happening and, it’s because it seemed so organized. It wasn’t even a random thing because they had the tents and the music and the lights and the crowds swarming and parking everywhere blocking the street. So, I just assumed it was announced somewhere on social media and then the people were swarming in. It was a shock.”
The park is ‘open’ from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and then is ‘closed’ overnight.
Drutz said police cannot patrol the area all the time and no one answers the non-emergency number during the night.
Residents have now created a petition, asking the Park Board to either fence the park, which is already fenced on three sides, or hire a security guard for an eight-hour shift every evening.
Drutz said he has also contacted the Park Board and has not received a response.
He added that he knows he lives downtown and it is expected there will be noise, but this level of noise is different.
“We lived here for 10 years before the Park Board was called,” Drutz said. “The park was built and it was totally liveable. And now this is just keeping us awake several nights a week. So it is beyond the norm.”
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