PoCo hosting playoff watch party for Canucks fans

Looking for some cheap nachos and a better ticket price than your typical stadium seat for Tuesday night’s playoff game?

You might want to head to the Port Coquitlam Community Centre.

Mayor Brad West says the big screen will be up and the centre will be decked out in Canucks colours to amp up the crowd.

“We’ve got tons of Canucks fans in Port Coquitlam and, of course, not everybody is able to make it downtown,” West said. “Having the game on in our own community makes a lot of sense. People want to come together.”

While Vancouver is yet to announce any official viewing parties for Canucks playoff games, West says he sees every game as a chance to bring people together.

Plus, he says their snack prices are hard to pass up.

“We’ve probably got the best deal in town,” he said. “Way better than Rogers Arena prices.”

For $9, West says you can get a hotdog, popcorn, and a drink. For $14, you can score nachos and a beer.

Port Coquitlam’s city hall will also be lit up in Canucks colours for the game, West says.

“I think these are good opportunities for cities to add to the vibrancy of their community,” he said. “It’s way more than just cheering on your favourite team, it’s about building community,”

He adds he imagines there are City of Vancouver employees working on a plan for future watch parties, since it’s just too good of an opportunity.

“We should have this sort of stuff in as many cities in the province as we can because it’s nice to do something fun,” he said.

On Sunday, the City of Delta hosted its own playoff watch party as the Canucks faced off against the Predators and won.