This two hour walking tour--run by the Vancouver Police Museum--takes participants through the oldest parts of Vancouver, exploring the early (and roguish) history of our city. Covering ten city blocks, the tour visits numerous locations, including the site of one of Vancouver’s oldest brothel districts, the location of the city’s first saloon as well as the first police station (and jail). Opium dens, gambling houses and beer parlors are also featured topics of the tour. Tour runs every Wednesday at 2pm and Friday and Saturday at 4pm until October 1, 2008.
$15 for adults, $12 for students and seniors. 24 hours advanced reservation required. Call 604-665-3346 or visit vancouverpolicemuseum.ca for information or to make a reservation.
On April 4th a protest was held at the grassy knoll at UBC. The grassy knoll is undergoing redevelopment; the plan for Trek Park (affectionately called the grassy knoll) is a new transit loop that would effectively level and remove the grassy hill UBC students love to sit upon on the rare sunny day.
The protest started with live bands and good times. A bon fire was then lit in the centre concrete area and the brigade was called to hose it down. Protesters were quite fond of the festive fire and attempted to step on the hose to stop the extinguishing of potentially a symbol of the firey spirit that is Grassy Knoll protest.
One woman, who was stepping on the hose, who news is calling “Stef” was arrested:
"(the woman) was grabbed by an RCMP officer and thrown to the ground, pinned, and handcuffed. Her face was literally shoved in a puddle of mud while an RCMP officer sat on top of her," the release said, describing it as an "uncalled act of police aggression."
A small army of 25 students that grew to a whopping 35 created a human chain around the police car that detained the rabble-rouser “Stef”. 19 more students were arrested.
There is a pretty thorough play-by-play at the UBC Insider with links to videos and all that jazz.
These web sites recall local Taser victim Robert Wayne Bagnell (2004)s and also provide recent news reports and discussions on recent events in the taser controversy:
