Good luck with that: Vancouver mayor wants Canucks to help pay for riot bill

[Por_sha911]

Good luck with that: Vancouver mayor wants Canucks to help pay for riot bill | ProHockeyTalk

As if things weren’t crazy enough in Vancouver hearing about how the city council wanted the NHL to step in and do things that their police force are supposed to handle, the mayor is now getting in on the action.
Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson has had his hands full in trying to help get the city straightened out after the riots that erupted in the city following Vancouver’s Game 7 loss to Boston in the Stanley Cup finals. With the bills piling up to help pay for the clean up and repair of the city’s buildings, the cost is immense and he’d like to see the Vancouver Canucks help pick up part of the tab.

Considering the city council already stepped in it knee-deep in calling out the NHL for not doing enough to help out with the riots as they happened, coming forth to ask for money from one of the NHL’s member organizations seems like an added slap in the face.

I'm wondering what some of the local folks think.

[HardDrive]

Bizarre thinking at best.

[1990C4S]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

Bizarre thinking at best.

Are you sure?

There were tens of thousands of fans on the street, encouraged to be there by (if memory serves me) the Vancouver Canucks. Building stages, installing big screen TV's, and telling fans to come downtown for a party. My recollection is that 'liquor laws' were ignored due to the large number of fans.

Had the crowds downtown been limited the fans who had tickets to see the game then the mayhem would likely have been avoided. But add 50-100,000 fans who have been drinking for a few hours....

No one is saying that the Canucks should be on the hook for the entire repair bill, but they (again, I think it was them) encouraged huge numbers of people to flood the downtown core.

And while it has been a few years since a Canadian team has been in the Stanley Cup Final, even when Montreal won (Canucks lost) in 1993 there were similar riots. Only a complete cultural moron could say they were 'surprised' by riots after losing the cup at home. (Or even winning at home).

Suppose your neighbour threw a huge party, say 250 people drinking in a confined area. When it spilled over onto your property would you not hold your neighbour at least partially accountable? Would you not say to him WTF were you thinking? Similar questions should be asked here.

Yes, individuals are responsible for their actions, but they were aided and abetted by someone....

Anyhow, it costs nothing to ask. Worst case the Canucks ignore them or decline. Best case (for the taxpayers) they make a nominal contribution.

I can see teams having to post a bond prior to be allowed permits for these 'street parties'. And there will be no 'congregation' allowed once one team has won three games.

[widgeon13]

Why not the citizens of Vancouver?

[1990C4S]

Originally Posted by widgeon13

Why not the citizens of Vancouver?

No doubt they will pay 99%.

[Dottore]

I'm good with the Canucks footing the bill.

The buggers lost after all.

Proximate cause and all that.

[1990C4S]

Originally Posted by Dottore

I'm good with the Canucks footing the bill.

The buggers lost after all.

Proximate cause and all that.

What about the larger riot that was inevitable if they won? The reality is that by losing they minimized the damage and the city of Vancouver owes them money.

[Brian 162]

Why should the Canucks pay the bill? They didn't even show for the last game.

[Dottore]

Originally Posted by 1990C4S

What about the larger riot that was inevitable if they won? The reality is that by losing they minimized the damage and the city of Vancouver owes them money.

Same.

The Canucks and their relentless promotional machine spend all season, 24/7, working these kids up into a lather about the friggin Stanley Cup in every possible media—like was the Holy Grail—the absolutely most important thing in the entire universe—and they do so purely for their own financial gain.

So yes, I think they should pay for the consequences of their stupendous, all-season "we are all Canucks" way over-the-top rubbish hype.

They really are to blame.

Certainly they are more blameworthy than the Vancouver taxpayer.

[pksystems]

How bout we place the blame where it belongs..... on the rioters.

Instead we try ridiculously hard to blame anyone, and everyone else.

It's the NHL's fault.
It's the Canucks fault.
It's the Alcohol companies fault.


It's Vancouvers fault for cramming 100,000 people into a small area to watch the game on a big screen.


Whoever made that screen.... let's blame them.

Nobody is responsible for their own actions anymore.

How many charges have been laid in Vancouver for the riots so far? Last I heard it was ZERO. The riots in the UK took place months later, and they have more then 1000 charged.

Canada's joke of a justice system is to blame.

[1990C4S]

Originally Posted by pksystems

How bout we place the blame where it belongs..... on the rioters.

Because they don't have deep pockets. And it is not feasible from a financial perspective.

[Rick V]

Originally Posted by pksystems

How bout we place the blame where it belongs..... on the rioters.

Instead we try ridiculously hard to blame anyone, and everyone else.

It's the NHL's fault.
It's the Canucks fault.
It's the Alcohol companies fault.


It's Vancouvers fault for cramming 100,000 people into a small area to watch the game on a big screen.


Whoever made that screen.... let's blame them.

Nobody is responsible for their own actions anymore.

How many charges have been laid in Vancouver for the riots so far? Last I heard it was ZERO. The riots in the UK took place months later, and they have more then 1000 charged.

Canada's joke of a justice system is to blame.

BINGO!!!!!!
and it isn't just Canada...........

[1990C4S]

Originally Posted by Rick V

BINGO!!!!!!
and it isn't just Canada...........

What will that net the city? A protracted legal bill and negligible income.

The police are (apparently) aggressively pursuing charges against the rioters. I hope this is true.

This thread isn't about accountability, its about accounting. But the Canucks can't simply wash their hands of this and say 'it was unforeseeable'.

[Christien]

Originally Posted by Brian 162

Why should the Canucks pay the bill? They didn't even show for the last game.

I agree that the rioters should pay, of course, but that's just not going to happen. Blood from a stone, and all that. I don't have a problem with the team pitching in with the cost. The last people that should (but ultimately will) pay for it are the taxpayers.

Actually, the team should have already offered, as a good will gesture.

[pksystems]

If the game was in Boston, and there was a riot in Vancouver, should the NHL/Canucks have any responsibility for anything?

How about a riot breaks out in.... Kelowna? Calgary? You can see where I'm headed. This is a very slippery slope, and it is "Canada's game" so a riot after a loss could happen anywhere in Canada where some losers want to riot.

Break out the stiff fines for any rioters. Some of the photos are very clear of people running out of a building with a tv..etc..

[s_morrison57]

Originally Posted by Brian 162

Why should the Canucks pay the bill? They didn't even show for the last game.

So true, I think we should blame Gary Bettman for being a butthead

[1990C4S]

Originally Posted by pksystems

How about a riot breaks out in.... Kelowna? Calgary? You can see where I'm headed. This is a very slippery slope, and it is "Canada's game" so a riot after a loss could happen anywhere in Canada where some losers want to riot.

Provided the Canucks organized the event in Kelowna, Calgary, etc. and assuming they encouraged huge numbers of people to attend, then yes, I say they have a degree of blame. Who built the huge stages? Who hired the entertainers? Who put up the big screen TV's?

Random gatherings are not the team's or the league's problem. Organized events are different.

[Por_sha911]

Originally Posted by s_morrison57

So true, I think we should blame Gary Bettman for being a butthead

Winner. He should probably be blamed for the flooding in the NE USA during the last storm as well. Oh sure, he had no control over the weather but he is so hateable.

[Por_sha911]

Originally Posted by 1990C4S

Provided the Canucks organized the event in Kelowna, Calgary, etc. and assuming they encouraged huge numbers of people to attend, then yes, I say they have a degree of blame. Who built the huge stages? Who hired the entertainers? Who put up the big screen TV's?
Random gatherings are not the team's or the league's problem. Organized events are different.

Doesn't the team have to obtain some kind of permit to do this? You would think that the city would supply ample police presence for the event.

[1990C4S]

Ample is a debatable number. They had ample police when they weren't needed. But I believe that the number of police on hand was considered inadequate when things got ugly.

I believe they needed a permit for the event, the additional police are usually paid for by the person/organization getting the permit...

I do not know exactly what the city did. Maybe someone local can answer that....but typically the police requirement is the cities decision, the users pay for what the city deems necessary.