Lions Gate Bridge lane closures will affect traffic during Stanley Park comedy festival: city staff

The City of Vancouver is warning that “significant delays” are expected this weekend at Stanley Park.

This is due to a resurfacing project for Lions Gate Bridge, which will render the bridge to single-lane alternating traffic from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

The northbound access to Prospect Point from the Stanley Park Causeway will be fully closed as well, between those times.

Those driving in the area, including those planning on attending the Great Outdoors Comedy Festival at Stanley Park, are asked to plan accordingly.

“Vehicle congestion at the entry and exit from Stanley Park is expected while the work is underway during the Great Outdoors Comedy Festival in Stanley Park this weekend,” city staff said in a release.

“We are asking park visitors to consider leaving their vehicles at home while this work is underway. Alternative modes of transportation, such as public transit, walking, biking, and rolling will be the best options to get to and around the park during the festival.”

For those planning on cycling to the park, the seawall will be open throughout the event and at least one sidewalk on the Lions Gate Bridge will be open as well.

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The Great Outdoors Comedy Festival is sold out, according to its website.

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The two comedy stars headlining are Russell Peters on Friday and Kevin Hart on Saturday. Up to 10,000 attendees are expected each day.

This will be the first large-scale event held in a city park since the newly elected park board lifted a moratorium on such events.

“This is why we lifted the moratorium in the first place, for events like this,” park board commissioner Jas Virdi said.

“It gets people outdoors and it gets them laughing and that’s what we need to see in the city.”

Not everyone supported the festival, however.

Vancouver Park Board commissioner Tom Digby said more consultation should have been done over the use of Stanley Park.

“This particular company picked the most esteemed venue in the whole city and boom, without any guidelines, because we’re in a rush to make money, we land it right there,” he said. “And I think that that is really not a proper use of public space.”

— with files from Amy Judd