As symbols of undying affection, Vancouver's love locks are in need of a permanent home. And NPA councillor George Affleck is putting forward a motion at today's Council meeting calling for exactly that.
Love locks are regular padlocks that have been engraved or embellished with romantic sentiments, and attached to fences, railings or similar public fixtures. The keys are then thrown away to symbolize each couples' unbreakable commitment to each other.
The heartfelt concept has spread since the early 2000s, enchanting tourists while concerning local authorities around the world. It became so popular in Paris, for example, that in June a section of the railing of the Pont des Arts bridge collapsed under the weight of all that love.
Affleck saw the Paris locks while travelling, and liked the idea.
"I'd been to the ones in Paris a couple of years ago and it was quite cool. I was walking towards it… and they kind of glittered and I didn't know what it was. This was before it got really well known. Turns out it was all the locks," he told WE by phone.
A section of the Pont des Arts bridge in Paris collapsed last month under the weight of hundreds of locks.
Around Valentine's Day of last year, Vancouver lovebirds started emulating the trend by attaching their locks to the fencing of the Burrard Bridge. City officials swiftly stepped in with bolt cutters to remove them, citing appearance and safety concerns. They then popped up recently on the seawall of northeast False Creek, only to be removed by lot owners Concord Pacific.
Affleck wants a permanent place to be found for the metallic missives.
“These types of spontaneous, quirky activities make Vancouver a great place to live. We need to foster this energy. The love locks deserve a home,” he said. “This has the potential to attract tourists, as well as locals, and removing them simply looks like we are returning to the “no-fun city” that we are trying not to be,” he added.
Affleck is well-aware, however, that establishing a designated area could possibly kill the spirit of the gesture.
"There's a certain irony with government getting involved with a spontaneous thing. Yes, I get that. 'Let's put some red tape together,'" he laughed. "But I hope not. I hope we can create something that's cool and fun and appealing, without being overly governmental."
Affleck’s motion asked city staff to work with the Park Board, business improvement associations and Vancouver residents to find a new, permanent home; and it passed, with one small change...
"Vision amended it to say it would be me, George Affleck, not staff who would find a new home for them. Send me your ideas, people of Vancouver! Not sure if this makes me the official Councillor of Love," he added facetiously, "but I will do my best to fulfill the Council directive."
You can tweet Affleck your suggestions with the hashtag #vanlovelocks.
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