Councillor doesn't regret shotgunning drink with Vancouver mayor, does regret it was vodka cream soda
There has been mixed reaction to the display of public drinking, which took place over the weekend
The Vancouver city councillor who shotgunned an alcoholic drink on stage with the city's mayor says he doesn't regret it.
But he does regret the drink was a can of cream soda-flavoured vodka.
"It was pretty foul-tasting, and it was warm," Mike Klassen told CBC On The Coast host Gloria Macarenko when asked about the stunt.
On Saturday, Klassen stood alongside Mayor Ken Sim as they quickly downed cans of alcoholic beverages at an outdoor celebration called the Khatsahlano Street Party — a move that has drawn mixed reactions from other councillors and members of the public.
Klassen, who is a member of the ABC Vancouver party alongside Sim, said the show of public drinking happened spontaneously after the politicians were welcomed onto the stage.
"The mayor said ... people aren't here to hear political speeches. He basically looked down and said, 'There are people there with drinks in their hand and we want to be a part of this.'
"What I've heard is people are kind of taken aback, and also somewhat pleased that people are not afraid to be themselves in that sort of situation," Klassen said.
Bringing 'fun' back to 'no fun' city?
CBC News has reached out to Sim for comment but has not heard back.
However, shortly after video of the event was posted online, Sim shared it on social media with the caption, "We're serious about bringing fun back to Vancouver!"
The post is a reference to the fact Vancouver is frequently referred to by locals as the "No Fun City," with reasons including an 82-page document on the regulations for holding a basic event, a housing crisis that has driven many young and creative renters out, and rapidly disappearing studio and venue spaces.
Sim, elected in 2022, has vowed to be "a mayor with a renewed swagger."
But Coun. Christine Boyle of One City Vancouver says she doesn't think Sim and Klassen's stunt, which took place at an arts and music festival, should be viewed as proof that the city is now a fun place to live.
"We continue to hear about artists being priced out of the city and arts and culture venues closing, festivals struggling to survive," she told CBC's On The Coast.
"I too am in favour of fun and we have a lot of work to do to make sure that the people who make Vancouver fun can continue to call Vancouver home."
'Double standards'
On social media, Sim and Klassen have received mixed reviews. While some were enthusiastic and suggested other mayors should go head-to-head with Sim, others questioned the mayor's role modelling.
At least one person decried what they called the glorification of alcohol consumption when Health Canada recently released a report about how alcohol is a carcinogen and no amount of alcohol consumption is safe.
Others suggested chugging alcohol in public is hypocritical when so many people in Vancouver are stigmatized for their substance use in the midst of the ongoing toxic drug crisis.
Vancouver Green Party Councillor Pete Fry says the move "highlights some double standards in our city."
"Not everybody can go around chugging beers on stage and certainly we see lots of folks are disproportionately affected by a lack of a sort of harm reduction approach, that maybe we can be a bit more thoughtful and fun about some of that as well," he said.
With files from CBC On The Coast