Vancouver looking to enable more parties and events in more spaces

Vancouver city council is making another move to try and shake the label "no fun city" by allowing more events and parties in informal venues like warehouses, coffee shops and retail spaces.

A motion from councillors Peter Meiszner and Sarah Kirby-Yung will be put forward on Tuesday to expand the Arts Event License Policy. Under current rules, non-traditional venues can only host three events per month. The motion aims to increase that to six.

“I’ve been to a number of these kinds of events and my hope is that it’s going to help make Vancouver more vibrant,” said Meiszner.

Some of the examples listed include a book launch in a coffee shop, a music event in an industrial space or an art exhibit in a retail store.

“A lot of these warehouses are located on the east side and they’re really unique events because they’re different from what you would find on say Granville Street or Davie Street, they have a different vibe to them,” Meiszner said. “I think that this is going to get a lot more event organizers interested in hosting different kinds of events across the city.”

Those in the events industry say there have been improvements to Vancouver’s arts and culture scene over the years.

Dave Evans works with the event promotions company, Do Stuff Media, and its Vancouver-based arm, Do 604. He says it's been hard for the city to shake its unfortunate nickname but that this move may be a step in the right direction.

“If you want to get rid of that moniker and move towards a city that’s known for its nightlife and for its events – I think removing all that regulation and just letting creatives do what they do best, which is create, that’s the way we’re going to get there,” Evans said.

The motion is expected to be passed by council, directing staff to look at ways to increase the number of allowable events per month. It’s expected the review will be complete by June to allow for more events by the summer.