A 25-year-old man is in critical condition after a stabbing Friday night in Vancouver’s Granville Entertainment District, as thousands of people packed the downtown core following relaxed COVID-19 restrictions.
Sgt. Steve Addison, a spokesman for the Vancouver police, said extra officers were patrolling the city Friday night after capacity limits were lifted at bars and restaurants.
“Large crowds began entering the downtown core in the early evening, with some lining up early at nightclubs, and hundreds wandering the entertainment areas. This led to multiple conflicts on the street,” said Addison in a statement issued Saturday.
Shortly before 2 a.m., VPD officers intervened in a violent assault near Smithe and Granville streets, after a man in his 20s was stabbed. Officers provided first aid to stem the bleeding before the Vancouver man was taken by ambulance to hospital for emergency surgery.
He was in critical condition but is expected to survive, said Addison.
A 21-year-old man from Surrey was arrested downtown, and the investigation is continuing.
The VPD will continue to deploy additional officers to manage crowds throughout the long weekend.
On Wednesday, the B.C. government lifted the remaining social restrictions, which included allowing full capacity at theatres, clubs, restaurant and pubs, music events and Vancouver Canucks games.
