One of the biggest stories in Vancouver of 2011 was the Stanley Cup riot of June 15. A terrible blemish on the reputation of British Columbia unlikely to heal for some time.
When provincially-appointed reviewers John Furlong and Doug Keefe released their expensive report into the riot on Sept. 1, 2011, what they didn't include were the 85 submissions received via email and Canada Post from the public and various interest groups.
On Dec. 20 I finally received the records I requested via Freedom of Information. Here is my story from the Vancouver Courier.
Some of the comments were not flattering to Furlong, Premier Christy Clark or the Vancouver Canucks.
See the records (which were partially censored by the government) below.
Riot Review Submissions-Mackin
Showing posts with label riot 2011. Show all posts
Showing posts with label riot 2011. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Friday, September 23, 2011
Tweet the Chief = Ignore the Journalist
I was interviewed on News1130 for my evaluation of the Vancouver Police Department's Tweet the Chief interactive, social media event on Sept. 22.
My grade? A "charitable B-minus."
It was the first time that VPD Chief Jim Chu took questions via Twitter and Facebook and offered answers in a Livestream webcast. I encourage the VPD to do a Tweet the Chief event every month. There should also be Tweet the Chief sessions in other languages and there should also be a regular Tweet the Chief event solely for the media.
I support any effort by politicians and public officials to face the public, because politicians and public officials are employed by the public. They are accountable to the public. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Mayor Gregor Robertson's only foray into a social media event (beyond a traditional radio call-in show) was actually a telephone town hall conference for Vision Vancouver members only.
There were technical difficulties. The session started late. There was also no explanation for who the people were in the "studio" audience at the VPD headquarters' media theatre or whether their questions were pre-screened and approved by the VPD.
Const. Jana McGuinness was the moderator. She has experience handling media scrums, but being a host of a live webcast was new to her. It was obvious that the strategy was also to put a kinder, gentler face on the police chief and the force. Chu talked about a favorite police movie and mentioned his love of hockey. He was asked why VPD uniforms are black and joked that it was the only color that would hide stains from spilled coffee and donut crumbs.
I offer all the above comments, despite the fact that all of my questions via Twitter and Facebook were ignored. There were fewer than 200 viewers of the Livestream, so it's not as if the quantity of questions was overwhelming. I think my questions were ones that the VPD didn't want to address. Or McGuinness didn't want to put her boss on the spot.
I have copied below verbatim the questions I posed during Tweet the Chief. I challenge Chu -- not the media relations department, but the Chief himself -- to respond. Or, better yet, sit down with me for a one-on-one interview, to answer all the questions.
I'll buy the coffee and donuts. I promise not to spill.
My grade? A "charitable B-minus."
It was the first time that VPD Chief Jim Chu took questions via Twitter and Facebook and offered answers in a Livestream webcast. I encourage the VPD to do a Tweet the Chief event every month. There should also be Tweet the Chief sessions in other languages and there should also be a regular Tweet the Chief event solely for the media.
I support any effort by politicians and public officials to face the public, because politicians and public officials are employed by the public. They are accountable to the public. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Mayor Gregor Robertson's only foray into a social media event (beyond a traditional radio call-in show) was actually a telephone town hall conference for Vision Vancouver members only.
There were technical difficulties. The session started late. There was also no explanation for who the people were in the "studio" audience at the VPD headquarters' media theatre or whether their questions were pre-screened and approved by the VPD.
Const. Jana McGuinness was the moderator. She has experience handling media scrums, but being a host of a live webcast was new to her. It was obvious that the strategy was also to put a kinder, gentler face on the police chief and the force. Chu talked about a favorite police movie and mentioned his love of hockey. He was asked why VPD uniforms are black and joked that it was the only color that would hide stains from spilled coffee and donut crumbs.
I offer all the above comments, despite the fact that all of my questions via Twitter and Facebook were ignored. There were fewer than 200 viewers of the Livestream, so it's not as if the quantity of questions was overwhelming. I think my questions were ones that the VPD didn't want to address. Or McGuinness didn't want to put her boss on the spot.
I have copied below verbatim the questions I posed during Tweet the Chief. I challenge Chu -- not the media relations department, but the Chief himself -- to respond. Or, better yet, sit down with me for a one-on-one interview, to answer all the questions.
I'll buy the coffee and donuts. I promise not to spill.
Twitter:
@bobmackin
Dear Chief: please comment on sentence of ex-Const. Hodson. What is VPD doing to prevent corruption in force? @VancouverPD #TweetTheChief
@bobmackin
Dear Chief: why were cars not towed away from post office parking lot before Game 7? @VancouverPD #TweetTheChief #riot2011
@bobmackin
Q: Who are the people in @VancouverPD #Tweetthechief "studio audience" and were their questions vetted by VPD?
@bobmackin
Dear Chief Chu, After #riot2011, why should citizens have faith in VPD to keep safe/secure people and property? @VancouverPD #Tweetthechief
@bobmackin
Dear Chief: Why did no one from VPD join city manager Ballem's fan zone conference call on morning of 6/15? #TweetheChief @VancouverPD
@bobmackin
Dear Chief: Please give 3 reasons why you and Dep. Le Pard should remain in office after #riot2011. @VancouverPD #TweettheChief
@bobmackin
My @VancouverPD #TweetTheChief stats: 1 hour watched, 6 Twitter questions asked, 3 Facebook questions asked. Answers? 0. #fail
Facebook:
Bob Mackin
Dear Chief Chu, After the VPD mis-handled the riot response, why should citizens have faith in the ability of VPD to keep safe and secure a scheduled public gathering or assist in a natural disaster?
Bob Mackin
Dear Chief Chu, high-ranking RCMP E Division officers Craig Callens and Norm Lipinski were embedded with the VPD command on June 15. FOI documents show Craig Callens reported to the Deputy Solicitor General that there were 700 police officers from all sources deployed for the riot. Can you explain the disparity between Callens's total of 700 and the 928 you have in the VPD internal review?
Bob Mackin
Dear Chief Chu: VPD Dep. Steve Sweeney appealed Feb. 22, 2010 to RCMP V2010 ISU for extra help to prevent an Olympic hockey riot. Crowds were larger than expected. There was widespread public drunkenness and fighting. A briefing note written by the RCMP says VPD claimed conditions were reminiscent of June 14, 1994. During the 2011 Stanley Cup, similar "pre-riotous" conditions were observed by LCLB, especially on the night of Game 5. Why did VPD not invoke its authority and shut down the fan zone before Game 7? Was there resistance from the Mayor and/or City Manager?
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Fan zone? Secrecy zone!
On Dec. 8, 2008, when Mayor Gregor Robertson was sworn-in, he promised the following to citizens of Vancouver.
That's right. Mayor Robertson promised more transparency, not less. No asterisks. No ifs, ands or buts.
So why all the secrecy about anything related to the 2011 Stanley Cup riot? Is it because of the Nov. 19 civic election and the fear that the ill-fated fan zone and his handling of the riot may cost him his $144,394-a-year job?
In the absence of a truly independent and transparent review of Vancouver city hall's planning for the fan zone and response to the riot, it is incumbent on us in the media to dig for the facts and show them to you. City hall has undergone an information clampdown and is delaying disclosure until at least mid-September. It has offered no assurance whatsoever that any information will actually be provided. It is a question of both if and when the information gets to daylight.
City of Vancouver's Freedom of Information office, which falls under the office of Robertson-hired city manager Penny Ballem, is making great efforts to delay requests for all manner of information about the fan zone and June 15 riot. The city is even hiding behind the FOI process (that it claims is over-burdened), instead of routinely releasing information to journalists -- even when confronted with facts verified by third-parties! Perhaps Robertson and Ballem are truly embarrassed that I found out they hired a company to manage the Stanley Cup fan zone just two days before the series started on June 1.
Here is the Contracts Awarded status report. The most recent update was June 8. None of the fan zone contractors appear here.
From my own photographs of the fan zone before June 15 and from talking to sources close to the situation, I was able to piece together a list of some of the contractors. A list that city hall doesn't want to confirm or deny.
Here is the Brand Live Group website. The company is known for staging high quality public and corporate events. Its credits include Vancouver House for the City of Vancouver during the 2010 Winter Olympics, the Celebration of Light fireworks festival, Canada Day at Canada Place, various events to "animate" the in-receivership Olympic Village and the Live at Squamish music festival. Brand Live was hired to oversee the fan zone. Was it in over its head with the Stanley Cup fan zone? Was it misled by Vancouver city hall? Was Brand Live doing a favour?
Paul Runnals of Brand Live said that Fresh Air Cinema was hired by the city to subcontract the truck-mounted big screens from Impact Video.
Pit Stop Portables was hired to provide the portable toilets. Its website even links to a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation news story about the fan zone -- before the riot, of course.
Super Save Fence Rentals provided the barriers, which became projectiles on riot night.
On Aug. 23, I was advised that my requests for lists of payments made to the above companies would be released within 60 days of my Aug. 12 requests. The Freedom of Information Act counts business days, not calendar days. So I'm expecting such information could be released around Nov. 4. The election is Nov. 19.
Would they try to delay any or all information I seek until after the election?
Say it ain't so. Vision Vancouver's party leader promised better than that. Why would they stoop so low?
Our File No. 2011-156 - ack
Our File No. 2011-157 - ack
Our File No. 2011-158 - ack
Gmail - FOI Requests 2011-156, 157, And 158
What was Gregor Robertson doing during the Finals?
What was Penny Ballem doing during the Finals?
"As your city government we will lead with a bold vision. We will set clear targets, measure success, and be accountable for our actions.
"That accountability must extend to every aspect of City Hall. When the city uses your money, you have a right to know where it’s being spent, and what it’s being used for. When leaders fall short of that standard, public confidence is shaken.
"Over the next three years, we will rebuild that confidence, and ensure transparency, accountability and public debate at City Hall.
"Politicians do not always live up to that responsibility, I know. But I also know that there were literally thousands of people voting last November for the very first time.
"My commitment to them, on behalf of every member of my team, is that I will not let you down on making City Hall more open and accountable."
That's right. Mayor Robertson promised more transparency, not less. No asterisks. No ifs, ands or buts.
So why all the secrecy about anything related to the 2011 Stanley Cup riot? Is it because of the Nov. 19 civic election and the fear that the ill-fated fan zone and his handling of the riot may cost him his $144,394-a-year job?
In the absence of a truly independent and transparent review of Vancouver city hall's planning for the fan zone and response to the riot, it is incumbent on us in the media to dig for the facts and show them to you. City hall has undergone an information clampdown and is delaying disclosure until at least mid-September. It has offered no assurance whatsoever that any information will actually be provided. It is a question of both if and when the information gets to daylight.
City of Vancouver's Freedom of Information office, which falls under the office of Robertson-hired city manager Penny Ballem, is making great efforts to delay requests for all manner of information about the fan zone and June 15 riot. The city is even hiding behind the FOI process (that it claims is over-burdened), instead of routinely releasing information to journalists -- even when confronted with facts verified by third-parties! Perhaps Robertson and Ballem are truly embarrassed that I found out they hired a company to manage the Stanley Cup fan zone just two days before the series started on June 1.
Here is the Contracts Awarded status report. The most recent update was June 8. None of the fan zone contractors appear here.
From my own photographs of the fan zone before June 15 and from talking to sources close to the situation, I was able to piece together a list of some of the contractors. A list that city hall doesn't want to confirm or deny.
Here is the Brand Live Group website. The company is known for staging high quality public and corporate events. Its credits include Vancouver House for the City of Vancouver during the 2010 Winter Olympics, the Celebration of Light fireworks festival, Canada Day at Canada Place, various events to "animate" the in-receivership Olympic Village and the Live at Squamish music festival. Brand Live was hired to oversee the fan zone. Was it in over its head with the Stanley Cup fan zone? Was it misled by Vancouver city hall? Was Brand Live doing a favour?
Paul Runnals of Brand Live said that Fresh Air Cinema was hired by the city to subcontract the truck-mounted big screens from Impact Video.
Pit Stop Portables was hired to provide the portable toilets. Its website even links to a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation news story about the fan zone -- before the riot, of course.
Super Save Fence Rentals provided the barriers, which became projectiles on riot night.
On Aug. 23, I was advised that my requests for lists of payments made to the above companies would be released within 60 days of my Aug. 12 requests. The Freedom of Information Act counts business days, not calendar days. So I'm expecting such information could be released around Nov. 4. The election is Nov. 19.
Would they try to delay any or all information I seek until after the election?
Say it ain't so. Vision Vancouver's party leader promised better than that. Why would they stoop so low?
Our File No. 2011-156 - ack
Our File No. 2011-157 - ack
Our File No. 2011-158 - ack
Gmail - FOI Requests 2011-156, 157, And 158
What was Gregor Robertson doing during the Finals?
What was Penny Ballem doing during the Finals?
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