Long live the fireworks!
Re: “Douse the Fireworks”, Vancouver Shakedown, July 30, 2015.
Allow me to counter a few points in Grant's column.
Does he really think that if there was even a remote possibility of there being a danger to Stanley Park that it would take place? Why not be up front and say he doesn't like this annual spectacle instead of using the drought as an excuse. Calling the spectators "a mostly young, obnoxious bridge-and-tunnel crowd" shows his arrogant disdain for those not lucky enough to call this part of the city home. And the reason the city banned fireworks elsewhere is because those aren't lit from the safety of a barge in the middle of a large body of water.
My sympathy goes out to the demise of his dog but I refuse to believe that a healthy dog would die from some loud bangs. Dogs living in parts of the country known for massive thunderstorms must be dropping like flies everywhere.
Vancouver is known as no-fun city and if it were up to him it would really perpetuate that image. Lighten up a bit, Grant.
-Anonymous
I am sorry that Grant Lawrence's dog died but that is not enough reason to propose cancelling the Celebration of Light fireworks over English Bay. We have been attending for 10 years since moving to Yaletown and have not witnessed any of the bad behaviour mentioned in Grant's tirade. Viewing the fireworks from the park next to the Aquatic Centre along Beach Street, we are usually surrounded by neighbourhood residents, young and old, who appreciate the fireworks and are polite and respect. I have observed no fights, just people clapping at the end of the show and moving slowly and safely down the street in an orderly manner back to their homes and cars. Perhaps it is a different story down near Denman, and I am appalled by some of the photos I have seen of the amount of trash people leave on the beach. But it is a summer tradition that makes Vancouver special and unique and I wouldn't want to see it changed.
–Long live the fireworks
Hot Air, or stupidity?
The people who light “Asian Fire Balloons” on English Bay Beach and then watch them ride the wind and drift into the city and/or Stanley Park are very, very, very stupid people. Don’t they know that the westerly wind is dominant. I saw one Asian Fire Balloon miss a balcony on a 16th floor by five feet. Just think how easily that fire would have spread if it hit the building and spread its flame... and the damage to life and property it would have caused. Think about how easily one of these would ignite Stanley Park into a raging fire. This just shows how really stupid “stupid people” can be.
–From the Balcony
Drivers need a lesson in sharing
Entitled road-users have special rudeness issues, which I sadly experienced again today in the West End.
These sorry car drivers repeatedly come up behind bicycles and yell and wank their horn, telling bicycles to ride somewhere else, but not on their exclusive road. Obviously bike paths are not everywhere and the roadway is shared. In my opinion, the road is really the best place for faster bikes – not on sidewalks or crowded bike paths – so promoting better safe sharing etiquette in all of these places is important.
It would be good if the city better educated its drivers and cyclists about sharing the road and paths. For example, faster cyclists or those wanting a workout should stick to the roads and not make the bike paths dangerous. A real danger for road bike users is if you ride even slightly close to the curb; drivers often are too lazy to change lanes so they will just squeeze by you with an inch to spare, which is a not respectful to the seriousness of killing someone riding a bike. I always suggest riding one's bike in the middle of a car lane to protect oneself and offer a "personal safety discussion" if drivers don't like changing lanes.
–West End Driver and Cyclist
