Vancouver Extends Granville Street Pedestrian Zone to Labour Day

Vancouver city council has voted to extend the popular Granville Street Pedestrian Zone until Labour Day, a decision aimed at preserving the lively atmosphere that has captivated the city during the FIFA World Cup. This extension will also allow temporary FIFA-related patios and public realm expansions to remain in place throughout the summer.

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Vancouver has rediscovered what’s possible when we put people at the heart of our city. Granville Street has been full of energy, local businesses are seeing more customers, and residents and visitors have told us loud and clear that they want this momentum to continue.

Mayor Ken Sim expressed his enthusiasm for the decision, stating that the city has not felt this alive since the 2010 Olympic Games. He emphasized his desire to sustain this momentum, noting the positive impact on local businesses. "Vancouver has rediscovered what’s possible when we put people at the heart of our city," Sim said. "Granville Street has been full of energy, local businesses are seeing more customers, and residents and visitors have told us loud and clear that they want this momentum to continue."

The extension comes with a significant price tag, estimated at $4.75 million for the additional seven weeks. This figure includes weekly costs for engineering services, sanitation, traffic management, and washrooms, amounting to $300,000 per week. Policing costs are estimated at $200,000 weekly. The total also incorporates a grant of up to $1.25 million to the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association for various activations and programming.

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We saw it go from three and a half million dollars to four million dollars to $4.75 million in less than 48 hours. To me, that suggests that the mayor didn’t have a really concrete plan and it’s just sort of throwing money at an idea and as stewards of public funds, we, I think, need a little bit more clarity.

While many businesses and residents have welcomed the extension, citing increased customer traffic and a vibrant street life, some council members raised concerns. Councillor Pete Fry, who was absent for the vote along with Councillor Sean Orr, noted the rapid escalation of costs and suggested a lack of a concrete plan. "We saw it go from three and a half million dollars to four million dollars to $4.75 million in less than 48 hours. To me, that suggests that the mayor didn’t have a really concrete plan," Fry stated, advocating for greater clarity on public fund stewardship. Despite these reservations, the council majority supported the extension, responding to what Councillor Sarah Kirby-Yung described as "loud and proud" requests from residents and businesses.

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This is something that residents have been asking us for loudly and proudly. We’ve heard from the local businesses that really, really want to see this continue.