‘Night Council,’ more patios, music: changes coming to Granville Strip

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Some big changes are promised for Vancouver’s entertainment hub. The idea is to make the Granville Entertainment District safer, but also give the street some vibrancy.

Approved changes made by the City of Vancouver include more patios and live music until 1 a.m.

NPA Councillor George Affleck says the patios may actually make Granville Street safer because there will more eyes on the street.

“I was very pleased to see that the staff reversed a decision made a year ago, which I opposed, which was to restrict patios. Now we can, once again, expand the patios on Granville Street, which I think is really great… It creates a much more safe environment if we have people eating and drinking on the street and enjoying entertainment on the street.”

He’s also not worried about people complaining about extra noise in the area.

“One of the benefits of the Granville Street Entertainment District is that very few people live on Granville Street, so we can actually have things happen late — like live music on the street — without disturbing neighbourhoods unlike other neighbourhoods,” he explains. “So I think it’s a real positive thing that could really enhance the experience for all kinds of people.”

In addition to these changes, the City is also creating a “Night Council” to help bars and restaurants work with the municipality.

“The Night Council is very similar to what there is in Amsterdam, there’s a Night Mayor, who basically brings together all of the groups to create some sort of unity in how Granville Entertainment District might operate in the most safe and positive way, really,” Affleck says.

He admits there are some challenges when it comes to dealing with the area, including the fact there are several groups. “And there all sort of dealing with all the many issues that we have with the area, including the city, the bars, the restaurants, and the patrons. So the Night Mayor with the [Nightlife] Council would potentially deal with a lot of that to bring a much more positive and safe environment along the Strip.”

Not only are changes opportunities to “diversify event offerings,” but the City says it’s also a way to increase revenues. City staff add they will help support local arts and cultural events, as well as spaces.

“I’m optimistic that creating a Nightlife Council, supporting the Good Night Out program and boosting nighttime arts and culture will make the GED and the whole city safer and more vibrant,” Mayor Gregor Robertson says in a release. “I’m grateful that Council took action to modernize our Liquor Policy and make the Granville Entertainment District safer and more diverse, with more patios and live music later into the night.”

While he is happy to see some changes go through, Affleck says they should have been made sooner.

One change that won’t be going through along Granville is city run cameras to watch the street. City Council voted against moving ahead with the idea, which disappoints Affleck.

“Which for issues related to violence and crime that’s happening on Granville, sort of an immediate solution I recommended that this would be a good idea for the short term. But staff have said that won’t be happening.”

Instead, it will be left up to each bar and restaurant to decide whether they want cameras or not.