World Cup hosting halfway done, Vancouver keeps city calm
With three matches left at BC Place, the Host Committee reports just five noise complaints and no human rights violations as Egypt and other nations celebrate in the city.
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Vancouver is halfway through hosting seven FIFA World Cup matches at BC Place Stadium, and the city is holding steady.
Three matches remain, including New Zealand taking on Belgium on June 28. So far, the city's 311 phone line has generated only five noise complaints related to BC Place Stadium and the FIFA fan festival between June 11 and 23.
Jessie Adcock, of the Host Committee, said the atmosphere across the city has been electric. Thousands of fans attended free festivals at Hastings Park, and the two Team Canada games drew massive marches to the stadium. When Egyptian star Mo Salah celebrated Egypt's first World Cup win downtown after their victory, Musqueam Indian Band Chief Wayne Sparrow gifted the team a drum as they boarded a plane to Seattle.
"That moment was another example of what the World Cup brings," Adcock said. "It happened in Vancouver, but it brought joy to a nation thousands of miles away, and we became sort of the window into that joy."
The city's bylaw enforcement team integrated FIFA brand protection into regular duties. Inspectors spoke to several businesses about compliance but issued no fines or penalties to date. The city is taking an education-first approach.
As of June 27, no human rights violation incidents related to vulnerable people had been reported to the city. The city has received some feedback on accessibility measures through email and a FIFA human rights grievance portal, and staff are reviewing these with event-delivery partners.