Bright Nights closed for rest of the season after Stanley Park theft

Jan 1 2022, 4:25 am

The operating season for Bright Nights at Stanley Park has been cut three days short, after the actions of thieves killed the power supply that illuminates millions of festive Christmas lights in the park forest.

Shortly after 4 pm on New Year’s Eve, Bright Nights organizers issued a statement, indicating that Vancouver Park Board staff discovered that the train route was in the dark. While the train and lights are intact, the main power source has been subject to suspected theft.

The power issues were discovered this morning, shortly after Park Board staff fixed the train’s mechanical issues brought on by freezing temperatures this week.

As a result, organizers have cancelled Bright Nights for the remainder of the season, starting with the closure tonight on New Year’s Eve. The Vancouver Police Department is now investigating the theft.

After a virtual event in 2020, Bright Nights reopened for an in-person event on November 26, 2021 and was originally scheduled to close for the season on January 2, 2022.

Bright Nights adds to Vancouver’s festive attraction offerings, but it also serves as a major fundraiser for the BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund. Each year, the lighting installation is setup and dismantled by firefighters offering their time to Bright Nights on a volunteer basis.

“It’s truly heartbreaking. The year has been hard enough and now a suspected theft has occurred which is well beyond our control.

From extreme weather conditions, COVID restrictions, and now this, 2021 has been a year of challenges and barriers. Fire fighters across our Province look forward to putting on Bright Nights every year for the community, raising funds to help support burn survivors across BC & Yukon. This final setback is devastating.”

Kenneth ChanKenneth Chan

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