Soccer fans celebrate along Granville Street in Vancouver after Switzerland defeated Columbia on July 7.Jesse Winter/The Globe and Mail
Vancouver is hoping to ride the momentum of the FIFA World Cup until Labour Day by extending the popular Granville Street pedestrian zone by seven weeks.
But it’s going to cost $4.75-million and that has critics questioning whether the expenditure is the best use of scarce municipal dollars.
Five blocks of the downtown thoroughfare were closed to traffic beginning June 11 and transformed into a bustling pedestrian zone with expanded bar and restaurant patios, photo-op installations, street performers and other activities. While the shoulder-to-shoulder crowds have eased after the last of Vancouver’s seven matches, the street continues to be a lively public gathering space.
At a special council meeting on July 2, city council voted to extend the pedestrian zone by seven weeks – from July 19 to Sept. 6 – citing the success of the World Cup and feedback from local businesses, residents and visitors. An initial funding envelope of $4-million grew to $4.75-million after discussions to increase money for the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association (BIA), which oversees programming on Granville Street, to $1.25-million from $500,000.
Councillors Rebecca Bligh and Pete Fry, who are both running for mayor this year, voted against the motion, citing a lack of information and transparency.
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Mayor Ken Sim, who co-sponsored the motion with ABC councillor and deputy mayor Sarah Kirby-Yung, said the pedestrian zone has seen widespread community support and that early approval gives stakeholders time to plan for a post-World Cup transition.
“Acting quickly demonstrates that council is responsive to community feedback and willing to build on proven success,” Mr. Sim said in a statement to The Globe and Mail on Monday. He was not available for an interview.
According to the city, estimated weekly costs include $200,000 for policing, $150,000 for enhanced sanitation, $100,000 for traffic management and $50,000 for other costs such as maintaining six portable toilets, graffiti removal, and data and monitoring.
The Vancouver Police Department would not provide a breakdown of its expenses, saying in a statement to The Globe that it does not disclose details of operational deployments.
Jane Talbot, president and CEO of the Downtown Vancouver BIA, said the $1.25-million it is receiving from the city will be used to introduce more arts and culture and family-friendly experiences, while continuing to support the nightlife economy.
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“Some aspects will feel similar, and others will feel different,” Ms. Talbot said in a statement. “The funding will support programming, live entertainment, public art, activations, enhanced cleaning and safety measures that make the street welcoming for businesses, residents and visitors.”
Ms. Bligh voted against the motion, saying that while the Granville Street World Cup experience was electric, money would be better spent on the street’s long-term revitalization strategy rather than a short-term pilot extension.
She added that many community events and organizations are being forced to do more with less, particularly after Mr. Sim’s “zero means zero” budget passed last November. The budget froze property taxes for 2026 and required city staff to find $120-million in savings or new revenues while giving police an extra $46-million.
“Everything we do at the city has to be with a mind to what’s the long-lasting value for such a significant expenditure of taxpayer dollars into just a small five blocks of our downtown, when there are business districts and high streets all around the city that are looking to partner with the city with greater investment for long-term benefit,” she said in an interview.
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Ms. Kirby-Yung countered that the city has a golden opportunity to capitalize on the street already being closed, transit already rerouted and public enthusiasm high. The extended pilot will inform long-term planning with lessons on how to support businesses, what kind of activations people enjoy and which safety measures work best, she said.
“It gives us a chance to test what that looks like outside of a major world event like FIFA, but to capitalize on the positive energy and the momentum that we’ve had in the city,” she said.
Away from the downtown core, Neil Wyles, executive director of the Mount Pleasant Business Improvement Association, said many were surprised to hear of the extension.
He said the cost of event production is high – his neighbourhood’s one-day Pleasant Day Festival costs around $300,000 – and added that he’s curious to see how the Granville Street pilot will fare without the draw of the World Cup.
“As a non-downtown BIA who’s on the outside looking in, it seems a lot of money,” he said. “That amount of money could fund hundreds of community and special events throughout the city.”