Vancouver riots cause ‘$1 billion worth of bad publicity’ for city

By {/%BYLINE%} {%AUTHOR%}Jackson Wightman{/%AUTHOR%} {%TITLE%}Vancouver riots cause ‘$1 billion worth of bad publicity’ for city{/%TITLE%} {%ALTERNATIVEURL%}{/%ALTERNATIVEURL%} {%IMAGE%}/Uploads/Public/vancouver-riot.jpg{/%IMAGE%} {%ROLE%}87d65c27-6e78-4e5c-b423-78d47d4f2768{/%ROLE%} {%KICKER%}Crisis Communications{/%KICKER%} {%CATEGORIESID%}5b5f5480-7a63-458a-90a4-0b98007ec3f7{/%CATEGORIESID%} {%CAPTION%}Bedlam erupted after the city’s hockey team lost the Stanley Cup last night, marking the second time in 20 years that Canadians have rioted following a hockey final.{/%CAPTION%} {%BODYCOPY%} Canadian cities tend to go crazy when their teams are in the Stanley Cup Finals. This applies win or lose. Montreal residents have rioted in the past when their hockey team, the Canadiens, won the top prize in the NHL. Strange way to celebrate a win. Alas, Vancouver exploded last night after Boston destroyed the team’s hopes of winning Lord Stanley's Cup. According to CTV: “Cars were overturned, store windows were smashed, smoke was billowing from overturned vehicles that had been lit ablaze. Looters were seen stealing makeup, clothing, even a mannequin from major retailers including the Bay, Chapters, Sears." Mayor Gregor Robertson was predictably angry, calling the riots “absolutely disgraceful, shameful,” CTV reported. This sort of nonsense does not jibe with the typical perception of “the genteel, polite Canadian.” Perhaps more unbelievable in such an expansive country is that Montreal, Vancouver—two cities with a very different vibes, personalities— had the same reactions to Stanley Cup hockey. Images, reports of the riots have spread across the globe, prompting one observer to offer a frank assessment on the public perception of Vancouver. Bob Whitelaw, who investigated a Montreal riot, told CTV's Canada AM that the rioters probably did at least $1 million in property damage, but “$1 billion worth of bad publicity for the City of Vancouver.” It’s time to smarten up. Rioting after a sporting event—win, lose, or draw—puts a terrible face on an otherwise wonderful city. Jackson Wightman is a PR Daily contributing editor based in Montreal. (Image via){/%BODYCOPY%} {%ID%}8612{/%ID%} {%DATAID%}a94cd3b7-b492-4056-8f71-0f8943e18612{/%DATAID%} {%CanonicalUrl%}{/%CanonicalUrl%} {%PUBLISHDATE%}6/16/2011 1:53:01 PM{/%PUBLISHDATE%} {%LINK%}https://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/8612.aspx{/%LINK%} {%BYLINE%}
June 16, 2011