I can remember the night as if it was yesterday.
I was sitting on my favourite bar stool at Gramma's Pub in Gibsons nursing my sorrows with my fellow Canucks fans as we watched the Boston Bruins hoist the Stanley Cup after an agonizing game seven Stanley Cup final loss in Vancouver.
As the images shifted from the Bruins celebration on the ice at Rogers Arena to outside where pockets of rowdy fans were starting to get unruly, I thought to myself, just don't let it get out of hand. Just go home, guys - there is no need to riot. Of course, that didn't happen, and we all know the activities that unfolded on that June 15 evening. Thousands of people committed unspeakable acts of vandalism and violence, destroying property, stealing property, smashing store windows, setting police cars and civilian vehicles ablaze and assaulting police officers and innocent bystanders who tried in vain to stop the carnage.
For hours, the downtown core of Vancouver was awash in mayhem, and in the process, became the scene of the largest crime spree in the history of the province, according to Vancouver Police Chief Jim Chu.
In the days and months that have followed, I have been sickened by many of the stories and images that have emerged in the Lower Mainland media and on social networking sites of the hooligans responsible for the riot, and I have been counting down the days for the VPD to release its first recommendation of charges.
That day finally came this past Monday - of all days, Oct. 31, Halloween - when the VPD recommended 163 charges against 60 suspected rioters, 50 men and 10 women. The average age of those charged is 21 with the youngest male 16, oldest male 52, youngest female 17 and oldest female 22. The most charges being recommended against one individual is 10. The rioters hail from Surrey (21 suspects), Vancouver, Burnaby, Maple Ridge, Abbotsford, Delta, Richmond, Victoria, Coquitlam, Courtney, Langley, New Westminster, North Vancouver, Port Coquitlam, Seattle, Wash. and Westbank.
From the addresses of these miscreants, it's pretty fair to say that many came to Vancouver with the sole purpose of starting trouble, which was the main battle cry from City of Vancouver officials and the police in the days following the riot. Many came wearing masks to shield their faces, had backpacks with weapons and accelerants and were not true-blue, hardcore hockey fans.
And while many have been quick to thrust blame at the VPD for not laying charges soon enough, I'm of the opinion that to do this right and to ensure that justice will be served, a thorough and complete investigation was in order before laying charges. I applaud the VPD and their team of investigators for their efforts thus far and for their continuing efforts to investigate and lay more charges in the future. Now it's time for Crown counsel to step up and approve the charges so the names of these individuals can be made public for all to see.
Those who destroyed Vancouver's image and destroyed the city that night should be held accountable and punished to the full extent of the law. And if that doesn't happen, then they all should be forced to pay the costs of the damage that they caused - even if that means having their wages garnisheed for the rest of their lives.
You do the crime, you should do the time. Justice needs to be served.
