Fireworks weren't set off in Coal Harbour to celebrate Canucks' loss

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      Some speculated that the fireworks seen last night were to celebrate the end of the Vancouver Canucks' season.

      The Georgia Straight's wine columnist, Kurtis Kolt, was among those who saw a connection between the skies lighting up and the Canucks' defeat, resulting in the following bit of Twitter rage.

      In fact, according to the City of Vancouver, this was a private fireworks show done on a floating barge. 

      It had earlier been arranged by a client of the Vancouver Convention Centre, but that wasn't going to end the cynicism in some quarters (as the tweet below indicates).

      Comments

      10 Comments

      cj100

      Apr 26, 2015 at 2:37pm

      Last night's fireworks were a private event arranged by/for the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), who had a trade show at the VCC this past week. It was announced on April 8 from Washington, DC as per the link below.

      This was only the day after the Canucks clinched their berth, and it wasn't yet clear at this point who they would face in round 1, so the playoff schedule would not even have been drawn up by this point. Game 6 wasn't even officially on the schedule until the Canucks survived elimination in Game 5. And of course the planning for the fireworks would have begun well before it was finally announced on Apr 8. But hey, why let the facts get in the way of a good conspiracy theory? ;)

      "ISRI2015’s final night [Sat Apr 25] celebration will kick off at 6:30 p.m. with the lighting of the Olympic flame – the same flame that presided over Vancouver’s Winter Olympic Games in 2010. ...[P]repare for a memorable night of ... fireworks."

      http://www.isri.org/news-publications/article/2015/04/08/isri2015-just-f...

      No War but Class War

      Apr 27, 2015 at 7:53am

      KK there is more to life then hockey. Enjoying the delusions of middle to upper class consumer life and the privileges that come with it? What no comment about fireworks and the growing divide between the poor/ working poor and the wine drinking Bourgeoisie of our city.

      Thanks

      Apr 27, 2015 at 8:40am

      I heard the fireworks and assumed that it was a big party put on by Flames fans, which seemed possible. I saw it as a celebration of a Flames win, not of a Canucks loss. Who would pay that much to rub it in?

      As it turned out, it was mere coincidence.

      ursa minor

      Apr 27, 2015 at 11:49am

      Thanks - the rumour I saw was that it was paid for by Calgary oil companies and organized by Mayor Naheed Nenshi to taunt Canucks fans.

      Even if they were for another event, the timing could not have been worse, and frankly should have been cancelled.
      Even though the game was in Calgary, there were still a high volume of Canucks fans downtown who were inebriated and emotional and made similar assumptions. From where I was watching I could hear "Fuck you Calgary" being screamed into the street by a number of people and the smashing of what I assumed to be bottles. It could have easily led to a repeat of the events of 06/14/94 and 06/15/11.

      No War But Class War - there is more to life than hockey but not everyone may recognize that in time. For better or worse, Canucks hockey constitutes a major civic event, and the ISRI organizers should have recognized that.

      Thanks

      Apr 27, 2015 at 1:33pm

      @ursa minor. I know someone who puts on these firework displays and it's like a military operation due to the fact that it can be a very dangerous business if you don't follow the rules and delaying or altering the show because of something as dumb as you suggested would never be done. Besides did it ever occur to you that the people attending the event and the organizers were doing something other than watching the game to check when it would be over? I'm pretty sure that the coincidental timing was the last thing on their minds.

      ursa minor

      Apr 27, 2015 at 3:12pm

      Thanks - why is preventing a riot dumb? If your comments about it being dangerous to delay a fireworks show are true, then can you explain to everyone how the crew that does fireworks shows at Nat Bailey Stadium can put them without incident, when no one is absolutely certain about when a baseball game is going to end?

      If there was a riot as the result of angry drunk Canucks fans being pissed off about being taunted with fireworks, who would have been slapped with the "dumb" tag? Sorry, but if you're planning a major event you're expected to be aware of what else is going on in the city. It's pretty poor of this group and the Convention Centre to be ignorant of what could happen, especially since the VPD was quite public about ramping up police deployment Thursday night for game 5.

      ursa minor

      Apr 27, 2015 at 3:13pm

      Also thanks - If you don't know who in Calgary would pay so much to rub it in, you're obviously not familiar with Calgary.

      J.M.T.

      Apr 27, 2015 at 3:50pm

      I think hockey fans need to pull their heads out of their asses. Not everyone gives a shit about our local hockey club. Not everyone lives or dies on a stupid hockey goal. Some people actually have outside interests away from hockey. Leave them alone. Drink your beer and shut up.

      cj100

      Apr 28, 2015 at 2:46am

      Ursa: I don't think it's on ISRI if the fireworks led to unrest. Presumably they need approval for pyro, so if anything bad unfolded, it's on the city (or whoever) for allowing it, just like 2011 was on CoV for the large crowds downtown.

      Frankly, it's odd to suggest folks in Cgy would have arranged this, since as I said game 6 wasn't officially scheduled until game 5 ended. Doubt if all the clearances could be made so quickly. Flames didn't even know they'd play here at all in Round 1 until like Apr 10, barely 2wks before game 6.

      Besides, hosting conventions like ISRI — whose itineraries are planned weeks/months ahead — benefits the city's economy. Should we forego this and tell the world to hold their conventions elsewhere for 2 months each year because Maybe Hockey?

      The fireworks were clearly planned well before game 6 was certain. So if anything, hockey should have been planned around fireworks, not the other way around, assuming they even posed a threat. Maybe the real problem is folks should quit jumping to conclusions ("CGY TROLLZ!!") over something that ultimately is quite trifling.

      "If there was a riot as the result of angry drunk Canucks fans being pissed off about being taunted with fireworks, who would have been slapped with the "dumb" tag?"

      I'd have to go with "angry drunk Canucks fans".

      "Sorry, but if you're planning a major event you're expected to be aware of what else is going on in the city."

      That's the job of whoever here (presumably the city but I could be wrong) authorises fireworks. And maybe "angry drunk Canucks fans" could equally be aware that other events are ongoing in the city, and that not everything revolves around them. Or do we just give them a free pass to act out if we don't fully cater to them?

      "It's pretty poor of this group and the Convention Centre to be ignorant of what could happen, especially since the VPD was quite public about ramping up police deployment Thursday night for game 5."

      Or... it's presumptuous of the NHL to assume cities must rearrange their other events, scheduled weeks and months in advance, just to accommodate the league's latest whims. And perhaps disquieting that we should simply acquiesce to this thinking.

      We in Canada scoff at sun belt teams when conflicting, long-booked Garth Brooks concerts delay their playoffs, but maybe they're the ones who get it right.

      so pretentious

      May 3, 2015 at 12:11pm

      Vancouver people, NOT everything is about nor or everyone is thinking about the canucks.
      Some of us are celebrating other things . Its NOT always about YOU.