VPD will give unopened alcohol back after the fireworks

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Vancouver Police are surprised people continue to take booze to events like the Celebration of Light, despite repeated warnings not to.

But there is a way to get back any liquor the cops may confiscate. If your booze isn’t open, an officer will hand you a receipt, sort of like a coat check, so you can take it to the police station later to reclaim your alcohol.

Cst. Brian Montague explains what happens if you don’t go back to get it. “It’ll just be unclaimed property. Like any other unclaimed property, it would get destroyed. Other property is burned, I don’t know if they would add it to the incineration pile but it’s destroyed with other property.”

If your drink is already open, it will poured out in front of you.

Montague says an officer can use his or her own discretion. “I had a situation last week, stopped a man and woman walking down the beach and they had a perfectly logical explanation as to where they were coming from, where they were going to, they were able to provide me with some basic information and I let them proceed on their way, alcohol in hand.”

Tonight Thailand will light up the sky for the final night of the event.

Transit will be extremely busy; you can avoid lineups for the ticket machines by pre-paying your return fare as you exit the Waterfront Station anytime after 4 p.m.

Car access into the West End will be limited to area residents only, starting 7:30 p.m. The restrictions will be bordered by Denman Street, Thurlow Street, Alberni Street, and Beach Avenue (see map below).

Car access into Kits point will be limited to area residents only, starting 6 p.m. These restrictions will be north of Cornwall Avenue between Arbutus and Chestnut Streets.

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