Vancouver city council has passed a motion to explore safety upgrades in the Granville Entertainment District in the wake of a fatal stabbing.
Nightclub promoter Kalwinder Thind died Jan. 27, after being stabbed while trying to break up a fight outside the Cabana Lounge on Granville Street in Vancouver’s downtown.
In the wake of the tragedy, Non-Partisan Association (NPA) Coun. George Affleck proposed a motion calling for a suite of upgrades to the district, including the potential installation of security cameras.
On Wednesday, Thind’s family made an impassioned plea to council to support the idea.
“We’ll never be okay,” Thind’s sister Jessicka Bhullar said.
“I just don’t want to have this happen to another family like it happened to ours.”
READ MORE: After a nightclub employee’s death, questions about whether Granville Street is safe
Five people were arrested in the wake of Thind’s fatal stabbing, but none have been charged.
Vancouver police are still appealing for witnesses to the incident.
WATCH: Death of nightclub employee raises safety concerns
Affleck’s motion, which passed unanimously, asked staff to look at options around installing and expanding a network of CCTV cameras, along with extending transit service to the downtown core.
It also called for the city to review parking, look at allowing live music and dining on the street and explore expanding patios, among other upgrades.
The Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association (DVBIA) and other groups have long argued that poor transit service to the downtown core is contributing to violence and street disorder because bar patrons gather in the streets instead of going home.
In December, TransLink said it would examine the possibility of extending SkyTrain service on weekends.
While Affleck’s motion was approved, Thind’s brother Simran Bhuller said he felt it didn’t go far enough.
“It’s a start, there is other stuff that could be addressed,” he said.
City staff have been given until April to explore the ideas, and report back to Council.