Park Board closing Sunset Beach bathrooms for unsanctioned 4/20 event

Apr 18 2023, 8:46 pm

The Vancouver Park Board will be closing the Sunset Beach bathrooms and the entire Vancouver Aquatic Centre on the day of a large, unsanctioned 4/20 event.

The Park Board says while it respects 4/20-goers’ Charter-protected right to protest, it’s going to “protect park assets” by closing the concession, washrooms, and Aquatic Centre.

vancouver aquatic centre closed 420

Daily Hive

“We are acting out of an abundance of caution and closing nearby facilities to ensure staff and public safety and support the neighbouring community,” a Park Board spokesperson said.

Luckily, the planned event is planning to have porta-potties for attendees. A map of the planned event layout on World Cannabis Events’ website shows porta-potties next to the food trucks on the rainbow-painted section of the Sunset Beach parking lot.

world cannabis

World Cannabis

The Park Board has not permitted the Sunset Beach event because organizers failed to meet requirements, including liability insurance, permit fees, adequate ground protection, and traffic management plans.

Const. Tania Visintin with the Vancouver Police Department said officers would be out to ensure safety and mitigate disruptions caused by the 4/20 gatherings.

“This is one of 800-plus protests and marches that are likely to happen in Vancouver this year, and while it has drawn large crowds in the past, there’s rarely any violence associated with it. We expect to have extra resources assigned, as we would with any significant protests or gathering.”

The Sunset Beach event is one of two planned 4/20 celebrations in Vancouver. The other is happening in Thornton Park near Main and Terminal, where a 65-pound joint will be revealed in an attempt to break a world record.

Longtime Vancouver 4/20 event organizers will be attending the Thornton Park farmers’ market and concert series, with Afroman scheduled to appear at the after-party. This year’s Sunset Beach event is being organized by a new group called World Cannabis Events. It’s the first time 4/20 will be back at Sunset Beach since the COVID-19 pandemic.

GET MORE VANCOUVER NEWS
Want to stay in the loop with more Daily Hive content and News in your area? Check out all of our Newsletters here.
Buzz Connected Media Inc. #400 – 1008 Homer Street, Vancouver, B.C. V6B 2X1 [email protected] View Rules
Megan DevlinMegan Devlin

+ News
ADVERTISEMENT