New petition calling for end to 420 Vancouver event at Sunset Beach
The 420 Vancouver event has been setting up at Sunset Beach for the past couple of years, but now a new online petition wants to see the annual event shut down and moved somewhere else.
“The event has morphed from a protest, to a celebration, to an unsanctioned marketplace that sells questionable quality, still illegal, substances to minors,” the petition reads. It adds that the event has never been approved by the Vancouver Park Board.
However, it continues, “disregarding the considerable number of bylaws that get violated (particularly but not limited to smoking bylaws), there is no proactive or reactive enforcement or deterrent.”
The petition says the event is “disruptive to neighbours, residents and businesses in the area. Children, babies, seniors and people with respiratory issues are negatively impacted by it.”
The petition also say that there are issues that the event and its organizers could address better, which it says include things like
- Guaranteeing the quality and accountability of items, to minimize impact in public health
- Ensuring that minors are not actively purchasing or consuming cannabis
- Not smoking in the park
- Appropriate noise levels and respectful time slot
“We are not advocating for hard, potentially conflict-prone resolutions,” the petition reads.
It also suggests that both the city and the park board could find “other solutions,” which include:
- Closing the area just for that day,
- Organizing an alternative, community-inclusive event,
- Helping the 420 organizers find a different location with less community and environmental impact,
- Increasing efforts and outreach towards promoting a healthier (for everyone) event
The petition acknowledges that this is a “politically risky initiative.”
However, it says, “we believe that it’s the right thing to do for their constituents, the community and for the sake of setting a precedent of law-abiding friendly conflict resolution.”
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