Vancouver councillor calls for change on Granville Street strip to make it safer

Vancouver Councillor George Affleck says it's time to change how the Granville entertainment district operates.

The Granville Street strip in downtown Vancouver can be a safer place for people late at night through more policing and an investment in "patio culture," Affleck said.

"I believe, and I've argued this, that we should be engaging what's going on in the street," he said.

His comments follow the death of Granville nightclub worker Kalwinder Thind, 23, who died after attempting to break up a fight in the Cabana nightclub, which had spilled out on to the street.

Violent crime on Granville Street is a persistent issue. In 2016, a 28-year old woman, Lauren McLellan, was killed at another Granville Street nightclub.

Affleck called for more restaurants with patios and positive entertainment activities on the street itself. These changes would allow the outdoor area to grow and not restrict revelry to behind a night club's closed doors.

"I think if you have more eyeballs on the street, more people who are enjoying street life ... you change the culture," said Affleck.

He pointed to the live entertainment of New Orlean's Bourbon Street as an example.

Hold music concerts

"A real active street as opposed to just a big party on the street."

He said the Vancouver Police Department (VPD), in conjunction with the bar safety association, BarWatch, have done good work protecting citizens on the strip, but revamping the street can help prevent violence from occurring in the first place.

One suggestion is to move bus routes to other nearby streets, removing the bus cables that hang over the road, and allowing large sound stages to be erected for music concerts.

Former VPD officer and current chair of BarWatch, Curtis Robinson agrees it is time for the culture of Granville Street to change.

Robinson endorses outdoor entertainment on the street and said his organization has been trying to make that happen since 2009.

"We looked at getting street entertainers, emerging bands ... a beer garden ... having a stage and opening it up more or less like New Orleans," said Robinson.

That idea is often brought up at BarWatch meetings, Robinson said.

Affleck said one of the biggest problems on the strip is when inebriated underage people attempt to get into a bar, get turned away, and then mill around looking for fun.

"Don't just have people wandering around ... have live music on the street," said Affleck.

Affleck said he made a proposal to Vancouver City Council five years ago to reassess the design of Granville Street, but it was voted down.

With files from Angela Sterritt