Vancouver WE Day event cancelled amid controversy
Posted July 16, 2020 4:49 pm.
Last Updated July 16, 2020 4:50 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — A big event in Vancouver has been cancelled for the foreseeable future, amid the WE Charity controversy.
Every year Rogers Arena would be full of 20,000 enthusiastic students coming to see singers, sports stars, and inspirational speakers taking to the stage with an overall message promoting volunteerism.
NEWS 1130’s William Cook covered the event last November and says it featured inspirational speeches, and live music.
“There was big energy of this collected community for everyone. There was this great feeling through the whole arena,” he says. “It was a celebration for the students and teachers across Canada who had volunteered their time and raised thousands of dollars in support for local causes or charities.”
But, Christopher Richardson, a former Vancouver School Board Trustee, says some teachers didn’t want to get involved.
“There was very much a school-based, teacher-based decision whether they would participate, and I’m aware there were some teachers who thought it was too flamboyant,” he says.
Richardson says the students always seemed to enjoy the event.
“It seemed to provide, for those students, involvement they enjoyed and cherished.”
Among the stars at Vancouver’s last WE Day were NBA Legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and singer Serena Ryder.
RELATED: Commons finance committee to begin probing WE Charity’s volunteering contract
The charity called off all events across the country Wednesday because of the pandemic, and announced a restructuring of its organization following the now-cancelled federal contract worth $900 million.
Meanwhile, the federal ethics commissioner is investigating the prime minister and now the federal finance minister for their roles in the government’s decision.
