Police chief warns underage drinkers at Celebration of Light: We'll call your parents

by Stephen Hui on July 24th, 2015 at 2:00 PM

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Every time the Symphony of Fire, Celebration of Light, or whatever they're calling the corporate-sponsored fireworks these days, comes around, it feels a little bit like Prohibition is back in Vancouver.

You'll see police out on the streets and around SkyTrain stations with seemingly nothing better to do than confiscate and pour out liquor.

In a statement sent out today (June 24), Chief Constable Adam Palmer of the Vancouver Police Department said there will be "several hundred officers working during all three nights of the Celebration of Light".

"We will be enforcing the provincial liquor laws, like we do every year -- on our streets, in the parks, and on our transit systems. This includes drinking in public and underage drinking. As a reminder to people, drinking alcohol in public is illegal, and the fine is $230 if you’re caught consuming liquor in a public place. If you are under 19 years of age, which is a minor in British Columbia, we’ll be contacting your parents and having them come and deal with you," Palmer stated.

"There are three licensed venues this year surrounding this year’s Celebration of Light. The first one will be the YVR Fan Zone, which you might be familiar with from previous years at English Bay. It seats about 1200 people. Two new ones this year will be at Sunset Beach, with 750 liquor seats, and the Inukshuk, which will be a small one with about 300 seats. There’s plans in place with our officers and private security to deal with those venues."

A City of Vancouver news release notes: "Open alcohol is prohibited on Vancouver's beaches, streets and parks."

By the way, there's also a smoking ban in Vancouver parks.

The 2015 Celebration of Light takes place July 25, 29, and August 1.

Comments

3 Comments

Martin Dunphy

Jul 24, 2015 at 2:35pm

I'd like to see parents try to get down there in that madhouse.

Thank the police

Jul 24, 2015 at 3:16pm

Nothing better to do? It's called prevention. Quite often, people complain that police are NOT preventing crime. In fact, they are, and you sneer at them for it. And we all know that sexual assaults, etc. are on the rise when young guys are pissed to the gills. I'd call sexual assault prevention a pretty serious task. This event is family friendly and there are over 400,000 people that can attend. It won't be just Miss Manners sipping a glass of wine on Denman Street. Thank you, police, for keeping us safe.

ursa minor

Jul 24, 2015 at 3:47pm

@ Thank the police - I lived in the West End for the first two years of my time in Vancouver and enjoyed the fireworks. After I moved to the East Side I went back for an evening, and it was idiotic and horrific with punks fighting and screaming at their top of their lungs for no reason. I haven't been to the fireworks since, and unlike a lot of people, I wasn't surprised by the Game 7 riot in 2011 - it was the same crowds gathering downtown to watch the Canucks playoffs games on the outdoor screens.

I feel for people who think that liquor enforcement is too strict, but I feel more for my neighbors who have to put up with this parade of a**holes every year. Just close liquor stores in the West End on the afternoons before the fireworks, and prohibit alcohol on SkyTrain and buses. Grow up, already.