Celebration of Light brings road closures, increased transit service

All eyes will be on the sky over Vancouver on Saturday night as the Honda Celebration of Light kicks off.

The first instalment of the three-night fireworks extravaganza will feature a display from Team Japan. Team U.K. will be take the stage on Wednesday, Aug. 2, and Team Canada will wrap things up on Saturday, Aug. 5.

Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to gather in Vancouver’s English Bay, Vanier Park and Second Beach, among other vantage points.

WATCH: Celebration of Light sneak peak

3:06 Sneak peek at Team Japan’s 2017 Celebration of Light performance

With the province under a fire ban, Vancouver Fire and Rescue Service Assistant Chief Joe Foster said dry conditions have impacted the city’s green spaces.

“They’re exceedingly dry and we need all the co-operation we can with all park and beach users to prevent fires,” Foster said.

Malcolm Bromley, general manager of the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation, echoed Foster’s concerns, saying the city plans to strictly enforce its ban on smoking on city park land and beaches.

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WATCH: Preparation underway for Celebration of Light

2:24 Preparations underway for first night of 2017 Celebration of Light

“The fine is $250 if you are caught smoking on our beaches. We will have extra rangers deployed. They’ll be ringing the entire venue from English Bay to Spanish Banks and Jericho,” Bromley said.

Road closures

Road closures begin at 7:30 p.m. in the West End, affecting the area bordered by Beach Avenue, Thurlow, Alberni and Gilford streets.

There will also be road closures in Kits Point, impacting the area bordered by Cornwall Avenue, and Arbutus and Cornwall streets.

Streets are expected to reopen at approximately 11 p.m., once crowds have largely dispersed.

Here is a map outlining the Celebration of Light road closures:

View image in full screen

Residents will be able to get into the area via specific access points and must display a valid resident parking permit or proof of address.

Organizers say parking enforcement in the area will be strict.

Taking transit

TransLink says there will be increasing service for the three nights of the Celebration of Light.

WATCH: Vote for your favourite song to be featured in Celebration of Light

0:59 Vote for your favourite song to be featured in Celebration of Light

Additional trains will run on the Expo, Millennium and Canada Lines before, during and after the event. Additional buses will also be on the roads and the SeaBus will be offering additional sailings.

A full list of transit changes is available here.

– With files from Jeremy Lye