The 麻豆传媒映画Canucks haven’t quite secured a playoff spot, but New Westminster wants to be ready in case the hometown team hits the ice for some Stanley Cup playoff action this spring.
At its Jan. 27 meeting, council considered a motion from Coun. Paul Minhas related to establishing an outdoor community gathering in New West where fans could watch 麻豆传媒映画Canucks playoff games in 2025.
Minhas’s motion directed staff to begin preparations to host, in potential partnership with the Downtown Business Improvement Area and the New Westminster Chamber of Commerce, a series of outdoor viewing events if the Canucks make it into the 2025 playoffs. His motion asked staff to report back to council before March 31 with operational and financial impacts, as well as revenue-generating opportunities associated with hosting outdoor/indoor Canucks playoff events.
“Hockey is ingrained in Canadian culture, serving as a vital lifeline for communities across the nation,” he said at Monday’s meeting. “It fosters unity, ignites passion, and creates lifelong memories. From backyard rinks to the NHL arenas, the sport brings people together, instilling pride and identity while embodying the spirit of resilience and teamwork that defines Canada.”
Minhas believes the city would provide “numerous benefits that enhance the viewer experience and foster a sense of community” by showing the playoff games at outdoor or indoor venues, such as Anvil Centre or community centres.
“Outdoor viewing creates an electric atmosphere, allowing fans to gather in a shared space, amplifying the excitement and camaraderie that comes with supporting their teams,” he said. “This communal experience can forge lasting connections among friends as they celebrate victories and console each other during defeats. Moreover, outdoor events can be more inclusive, attracting families, friends and casual fans who might not attend a game in the arena.”
Minhas said local businesses, including restaurants, bars, and retailers, would benefit from increased foot traffic and sales during these events.
Rather than supporting Minhas’s motion, council unanimously supported an amended motion. It directed staff to consult with the Downtown Business Improvement Association, the New Westminster Chamber of Commerce, Tourism New Westminster, the New Westminster Police Department, and the city’s Arts, Culture and Economic Development Advisory Committee before considering hosting a series of outdoor Canucks viewing events if they make it into the playoffs.
Coun. Ruby Campbell said she’s a “big fan” of events and believes they can engage community, bring attention to the city, and create business for retailers when they’re done right. However, she sought to amend Minhas’s motion to prioritize feedback from the business community, noting she heard concerns from local businesses when this idea was proposed last spring.
“I did receive phone calls from quite a few restaurants saying, ‘Why would the city take away patrons from the restaurants at a time when sporting events actually are one of the peak times for restaurants and a peak time for restaurants to increase business?’” she said. “I’m not saying that we can't do both. But the motion is intended to consult the business community through the existing organization so we can really understand how this event could possibly work from the business community viewpoint.”
What does the police department say?
Coun. Tasha Henderson, who chairs the police board, said she’d like a better understanding of the vision for the event.
“Are we talking every single event, or is it just some? Is it every round?” she said. “And I guess that I'll preface this with some context: in speaking with the chief constable about this, there's certainly a lot of operational support from the police department needed to do a large downtown event like this, particularly if we look back at public disorder that happened in 麻豆传媒映画around playoff events.”
Henderson stressed the need for the New Westminster Police Department to be involved in the discussions on the proposal, as it could provide input about the potential for public disorder and impacts on its operations and budget.
“I'm supportive of activation for sure, but I just want to make sure for this particular one, because of what we've seen happen in the past, that we're really aware of the risk management,” she said. “And so, I'd ask staff to work carefully in collaboration with the police department to ensure that we're sort of crossing all those t's and dotting the i's, as it were, and then assessing resources based on that need of what we can actually accommodate.”
Coun. Daniel Fontaine said he would support the amendment to the motion but found it “redundant,” as the intent of Minhas’s motion was to consult with the business organizations. Fontaine said he believes these types of events increase traffic to local businesses.
“When you build these events, people come. Restaurants are full. Pubs are full. People love those experiences,” he said. “It's actually the opposite; you actually fill up your local pubs and restaurants.”
Fontaine said these types of gatherings provide free, family-friendly places where people can go and watch a game with other community members, without having to spend money. He said Anvil Centre “was like downtown New Westminster's living room” when some Canucks playoff games were shown there last spring.
“In terms of policing, yes, there's always a risk whenever you do events, and there's always a way to say no; it's always easier to say no than it is to say yes. But if we want to build a fun city, if we want to build a great city, we have to find a way of getting to yes more often, rather than saying no,” he said. “And there might be challenges. But because of the fact that other cities are also hosting these types of events, the police will also confirm that it's dispersed.”
Fontaine said playoff viewing events would allow the city to test out some of its operations for FIFA World Cup in New Westminster.
'Doing this with them and not for them'
Mayor Patrick Johnstone said he is “cautiously in support” of the motion but stressed the need for consultation with local business organizations and the police department.
“If the Canucks have 10 or 20 good playoff games this year, that's a pretty significant investment,” he noted.
Johnstone said council needs to know the costs and resources required by the city and external organizations to make this proposal happen. He said the city needs to be talking to Tourism New West, the Downtown BIA, and the chamber of commerce before proceeding.
“I want to make sure we're doing this with them and not for them. I haven't heard that they've been consulted on this yet or provided feedback. They may love this idea and want to partner with us. They may also have concerns,” he said. “I just want to make sure that we're not imposing this on an organization or doing it without sort of the support of an organization that it is meant to support through economic development and cultural development.”
A said the New Westminster Police Department had concerns about a large-scale outdoor event, given that 麻豆传媒映画was not having a similar event and downtown New Westminster's proximity to SkyTrain. Pedestrian and attendee safety were also cited as concerns about having an event in Hyack Square.
Last spring, the City of New Westminster hosted a couple of family-friendly Stanley Cup viewing parties at Anvil Centre, where community members watched the 麻豆传媒映画Canucks take on the Edmonton Oilers in Round 1 of the playoffs. Games were also shown on lobby screens at Moody Park and Queen’s Park arenas, the youth centre, and the Queensborough Community Centre.
No large-scale outdoor viewing of Canucks playoff action was offered in downtown 麻豆传媒映画last year, but away-game viewing parties were held inside Rogers Arena. In addition to New Westminster, Port Coquitlam, North Delta, North Vancouver, Burnaby, Maple Ridge, Abbotsford and 麻豆传媒映画were among the Metro 麻豆传媒映画cities that held viewing parties in arenas, parks or community facilities.
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