Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Vancouver needs a ‘world-class’ New Year’s Eve celebration

So where did you spend New Year’s Eve? No doubt some of you followed up on Cheryl Rossi’s suggestions in her “Where to ring in 2015” story and enjoyed a cabaret extravaganza, movie screening, live band or improv performance.
.
Image via ThinkStock

So where did you spend New Year’s Eve?

No doubt some of you followed up on Cheryl Rossi’s suggestions in her “Where to ring in 2015” story and enjoyed a cabaret extravaganza, movie screening, live band or improv performance.

I suspect many of you had dinner with friends and joined tens of millions watching the Times Square countdown on TV. I also know some of you may have wanted to do something but ended up staying at home alone.

This year we had relatives from Australia at our house. They were expecting a grand public celebration with fireworks like the one held in Sydney and Melbourne every year.

They were disappointed to learn Vancouver was not having a major public event, so they booked a New Year’s Eve cruise from Coal Harbour.

When I asked them the next day how it went, they said it was a lot colder than a New Year’s Eve Cruise in Sydney Harbour, and asked why Vancouver did not have a major event like so many other world cities.

I did tell them about the fabulous street events we enjoyed during the 2010 Olympics, but decided not to mention the celebrations following our Stanley Cup loss in 2011.

I also told them that Vancouver had been planning to have its first large-scale New Year’s Eve party in years to welcome in 2015.

The free event, which was announced in December 2013, was going to take place at Jack Poole Plaza and involve fireworks, live music and entertainment, food carts, exhibits, and a lighting of the Olympic Cauldron.

Unfortunately, it had to be called off since the Vancouver New Year’s Eve Celebration Society fell about $100,000 short of its $300,000 fundraising goal. However the Society is now planning an event for 2016.

According to a press release in October, the society is a non-profit community organization founded by local news, lifestyle and entertainment outlet Vancity Buzz.

The intent of the event is “to offer the thousands of Vancouverites looking for a centralized place to go on New Year’s Eve an inclusive celebration that includes live music, multicultural programming, entertainment, and fireworks.”

Fundraising, planning and execution efforts are being led by the society in partnership with an event production agency.

The society includes representatives from the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association, Port Metro Vancouver, Tourism Vancouver, the Vancouver Convention Centre and a number of private companies. The society is also working closely with the City of Vancouver in the planning of the event. I was pleased to read Mayor Robertson is on board.

“Vancouver’s vibrant festivals, parades, and major events throughout the year are a highlight for locals and visitors alike, but there is a definite need for a significant family-friendly New Year’s Eve celebration,” says Robertson. “The City continues to be ready to support the development of this new event and we hope more community partners will come forward to help make it a world-class success.”

As someone who loves parties and celebrations (yes it is true, I was the Mackenzie Collegiate Student Council Social Director in 1964), I am hoping that during the coming year Vancouver businesses, community organizations and philanthropic individuals will join city council in getting behind this initiative.

Hopefully we can follow the lead of Auckland and Hong Kong where amazing fireworks displays are also held in the harbour.

For those who prefer to do something on New Year’s Eve but do not like the idea of going downtown for a big public event, perhaps the city’s community centres could organize small neighbourhood parties. These could also appeal to those who might otherwise be home alone.

The community centre events need not be grand; perhaps light food and soft drinks and the opportunity for neighbours to get together with other like-minded folks and watch the downtown celebrations and fireworks on TV.

For those who feel fireworks are not appropriate for a city trying to be the greenest in the world, perhaps we could have just green fireworks.

I am sure those cruising in the harbour would enjoy them, too.

twitter.com/michaelgeller