Vancouver is returning to normal after the biggest party in Canadian history ended with Sunday’s men’s gold medal hockey win and the closing ceremony.
The look of the Games is disappearing, fences are being dismantled and streets are reopening.
During the Games, downtown streets were jammed with an estimated 150,000 people. Public bus service halted and the Granville Bridge— a major artery into downtown— was closed.
The parties went well beyond midnight but no major incidents were reported. Civic crews faced a large clean-up task because of litter, broken bottles and vomit.
Vancouver Police deputy Chief Doug LePard said there were more than 20,000 voluntary liquor pour-outs during the Games and 1,230 violation tickets for drinking booze in public. He said 253 people were arrested for public drunkenness and 93 arrested for breach of peace. Downtown liquor stores were closed early five times to limit alcohol consumption.
“Fearmongers and critics tried their best to convince the public that massive police presence would lead to massive abuses and police brutality even suggesting we would employ soniccannons,” LePard said. “As we said then, how ridiculous.”
Many of the 5,000 police officers from across Canada departed on the three cruise ships chartered by the RCMP.
Workers at the Vancouver Convention Centre removed desks, chairs and monitors from the main press center.
Vancouver International Airport had as many as 39,000 people depart on Monday, the busiest day in the history of the airport. No major delays were announced. VANOC CEO John Furlong showed up at the airport to thank volunteers, but instead volunteers mobbed him to thank him.
Furlong will be in Ottawa on March 3 for the beginning of the Paralympic torch relay on Parliament Hill. B.C. Place Stadium and the Vancouver and Whistler Olympic Villages will be converted for the Paralympics, which begin March 12.
Half of the city’s 6,000 street banners will be sold by UNICEF for Haiti earthquake relief. VANOC began auctioning Games’ memorabilia on eBay Monday, including sports equipment from key events. Still, hundreds of people lined up Olympic Superstore in downtown hoping to buy a piece of the Games.
Written by Bob Mackin in Vancouver.
Últimas Noticias
Sinner-Alcaraz, the duel that came to succeed the three phenomenons
Table tennis: Brazil’s Bruna Costa Alexandre will be Olympic and Paralympic in Paris 2024
Rugby 7s: the best player of 2023 would only play the medal match in Paris
Rhonex Kipruto, owner of the world record for the 10000 meters on the road, was suspended for six years
Katie Ledecky spoke about doping Chinese swimmers: “It’s difficult to go to Paris knowing that we’re going to compete with some of these athletes”
