Vancouver City Councillor Sarah Kirby-Yung puts forward "urgent" motion to chart reopening plan for arts and events
Proposal directs city staff to look into permitting small outdoor happenings this summer
Photo by Tim Mossholder
Coun. Sarah Kirby-Yung
UPDATE: We’ve talked to Coun. Sarah Kirby-Yung and have added quotes below.
VANCOUVER CITY Councillor Sarah Kirby-Yung has received backing for her “urgent” council member’s motion for the city to put pressure on the province to set out a timeline for reopening arts and events.
The motion also asks city staff to look at the reopening of small outdoor events in the third quarter of 2021—July through to the end of September. Council voted to support the emergency motion unanimously at a recent city council meeting.
In her Tweet yesterday about the proposal, the NPA councillor said groups and businesses need “a sequencing plan and info to rebound”.
Kirby-Yung called on Mayor Kennedy Stewart to write to the Premier and Provincial Health Officer on behalf of city council, “outlining the importance of an articulated Opening Up Plan identifying phases for different sectors, businesses and events and projected timing, as well as the importance of this being communicated well in advance, in order to provide information to industry, notably hospitality, arts and events sectors, that will enable them to understand, plan and resource for expected phases as BC works its way towards post-pandemic life.”
The council motion also directs staff to report back on Vancouver’s readiness to permit small-scale outdoor events in the third quarter. The city normally hosts dozens of arts festivals, from Indian Summer to the Powell Street Festival, throughout that time period.
What sorts of small-scale events does Kirby-Yung envision? She recalled to Stir the less-than-50 outdoor gatherings that were allowed last summer—”in popup plazas and parking lots”—such as the concert series she attended in a parking lot during the Vancouver Mural Festival. “It was local musicians, chairs were set up and spaced out, and it was amazing,” she said. “It was the first time a lot of people had been out and had live music, and I thought it would be a shame not to have that [kind of show] happen this summer.”
Kirby-Yung told Stir it’s important for city staff members to prepare to pivot quickly, as they did to allow for the opening of more restaurant patios on streets last summer.
The news comes amid the cancellation of July’s Vancouver Folk Music Festival for the second year in a row due to pandemic uncertainty. There was also an outcry yesterday when BC health authorities released more specific timelines for reopening religion and sport (which could hold indoor gatherings by mid-April) without any mention of arts and culture events.
“I think the arts are being given short shrift during the pandemic, and haven’t been given the consideration they deserve,” Kirby-Yung told Stir, pointing out that bars and restaurants have been allowed to reopen with safety measures. “At the same time they have been getting us all through, whether it’s Netflix and movies, or music, or some of the online arts events we’ve seen. It would have been a pretty bleak pandemic without the arts.”
In her motion, Kirby-Yung cites the roll-out of vaccines as a reason to prioritize a schedule for reopening events and other gatherings, including tourism. And she cited a defined plan as integral to helping arts and other businesses rebuild. She pointed to the need for a detailed guide such as the UK has released with its COVID-19 Roadmap for arts and culture, and not a general outline like BC’s Restart Plan.
The provincial health officer shut down all events, including live arts performances, November 19 and has extended those restrictions indefinitely.
Vancouver arts leaders have stressed to Stir the importance of having a framework, and that reopening will not be like hitting an on/off switch. “How do we reopen when we reopen? Will there be large concerts? I think not. So let’s have those discussions now so we know what the roadmap is,” Firehall Arts Centre artistic producer Donna Spencer told Stir during fall shutdowns.
Kirby-Yung agreed groups require some degree of predictability, as well as planning time, to book acts and venues—and that the “roadmap” can help pave the way into the fall, when larger arts groups are waiting to see if they’ll be able to open for indoor shows.
Here is the full preamble to the motions in Kirby-Yung’s proposal:
“1. The COVID-19 pandemic has inflicted significant negative economic impact, with many Vancouver businesses and cultural groups including restaurants, hotels, tourism businesses, arts organizations, and event organizers forced to curtail, severely limit or shutter operations due to health guidelines and physical distancing restrictions
“2. BC has recently made announcements regarding the expedition of its vaccination program citing the intent to have all British Columbians receive a vaccine dose by the end of July and stated it expects to see progressive relaxation of restrictions commence before summer
“3. Organizations like the BC Coalition of Tourism and Hospitality Businesses, BC Restaurants and Foodservice Association, ABLE BC, BIAs, Tourism Vancouver, Hospitality Vancouver Association, the arts community and event producers all cite the importance of a defined plan that outlines the anticipated phases and timelines for the opening up of different sectors, businesses and events
“4. There are examples of countries and jurisdictions that have developed roadmaps for lifting lockdown such as England, which has created and communicated a plan that identifies specific phases and timelines for the anticipated unlocking of restrictions
“5. Prior to these recent advancements in BC’s vaccination program it was not anticipated that events, even of small side, would start up before Q4 2021, however new timelines suggest they could be possible in Q3”.
You can find details of the motion and vote in the city council minutes here, page 35.
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