Last night the Vancouver Canucks lost the Stanley Cup final. An estimated 100,000 people were in the downtown core to take part in festivities -- a number that far surpasses those that flooded the city in 1994. If you weren't a resident of Vancouver that fateful night 17 years ago then you have absolutely no frame of reference regarding the impact it had on the people of the city, most of whom had nothing to do with the riot, and the utter embarrassment that it caused. Broadcast live to the continent on CNN, scenes of morons smashing windows, looting stores, and confronting police were shown repeatedly for days afterwards.
hockey
Canucks 'fans' lose the hockey plot
What happened after the game was neither in the spirit of people at the arena nor the spirit of those who bravely protested the G8 and G20 meetings in Toronto in June 2010.
Related rabble.ca story:
Vancouver's hockey riot: How to understand it
How do we understand the riots that exploded in Vancouver after the beloved Canucks lost the Stanley Cup Finals? How do we understand the burning cars, broken glass, and injuries that stand as an enduring coda of their game-seven defeat at the hands of the visiting Boston Bruins?
Having communicated with several dozen people in "the most livable city in the world" I think I have a modest perspective on why the Canucks 4-0 loss was followed by fire.
Hockey Fans for Peace an antidote to sour Don Cherry
The right-wing Hockey Night in Canada pundit is out of line -- and we're not just talking about his sartorial tastes.
Related rabble.ca story:
Thumbs up to a publicly owned Quebec City arena
A media furore has irrupted in Canada outside Quebec (COQ). Strong local support for the return of a storied NHL franchise -- the beloved Nordiques -- to the provincial capital (disclosure: I spend part of the year here in Quebec City), linked to a request for federal financial support has emboldened editorial writers, columnists, cartoonists, and, undoubtedly, talk show hosts to vent their opposition.
Imagine, the Quebec government has pledged to invest $175-million (or 45 per cent of the costs) in a new public multi-purpose sports and entertainment facility in Quebec City. The Charest Liberals have decided it would be an important asset for the city where Aboriginals met Samuel Champlain in 1608, and most of the people in Quebec agree.
