A commission has released its recommendations in a much-anticipated report into event safety in B.C.
Minister of State for Community Safety Terry Yung presented the report in Vancouver Wednesday (July 9). He began by recognizing the victims and the families impacted by the Vancouver Lapu Lapu Day vehicle attack on April 26 that left 11 people dead and dozens others injured.
Premier David Eby first called for an independent commission to look into event safety in B.C. following the Lapu Lapu Day festival attack. The accused in that attack, 30-year-old Kai-Ji Adam Lo, is expected back in court July 23 for a fitness hearing.
However, the report notes that since the Lapu Lapu Day event is the subject of a criminal investigation, it's excluded from the commission's mandate.
Yung said the "foundation of the whole report (is) not to look at one moment in time in the past, which we cannot change," but instead looking to the future.
The recommendation are: risk assessment in event planning; clarifying jurisdiction roles in event oversight; training for planning support and a centralize hub; support for event delivery and local capacity; foster local collaboration on event safety; and promote learning through event evaluation.
The report looked at events based on attendance and location, and broke them into six categories: Indigenous events of varying sizes that take place throughout the province; major events with 30,000 people or more; large events between 5,000 to 30,000 attendees; medium events with 500 to 5,000 people; small events of fewer than 500 attendees; and rural events that take place outside major urban centres.
The six recommendations
Retired B.C. Supreme Court judge Chris Hinkson led the independent commission. He was tasked by the provincial government to report back with his findings by June 30. The report is dated June 26.
Yung said the provincial government accepts the intent of the recommendations and will be working through them to determine how best to implement them.
"This is about keeping people safe, supporting people maintaining public confidence in the safety of our gatherings with our friends families and across the city and across the province, because everyone deserves and should be safe."
1. Risk assessment in event planning
In the first recommendation, the report noted that all public events in the province regardless of size should be support by a risk assessment.
The recommendation notes that while it doesn't need to complex, it should consider the event's scale, location, activities and potential hazards. It adds that it should also evaluate existing safety measures, identify any gaps and assign clear responsibilities for emergency planning, access and crowd management.
The risk assessment could be prepared by event organizers, municipal staff, or collaboratively, depending on local capacity.
2. Clarifying jurisdictional roles in event oversight
Hinkson said the province should establish clear criteria for consultation that defines the roles and responsibilities of all parties involved in the event planning, approval and emergency response. He adds the framework should determine who's in charge of decision making and how to coordinate between event organizers, municipal and regional governments, first responders, provincial agencies, and Indigenous authorities.
The report points to adapting elements of the United States' National Incident Management System.
3. Training for planning support and a centralized hub
Hinkson's report recommends the province establish a centralized hub to support event safety across B.C. It would provide accessible, standardized advice, training and practical tools for event organizers, municipal officials, and others involved in planning public gatherings.
The report notes that "most event planners and organizers do not have access to consistent advice or resources for event safety planning." Consultation for the report also revealed "widespread lack of consistent knowledge, training, and experience among those involved in hosting events of all sizes."
4. Support for event delivery and local capacity
The report calls for the province to consider expanding the availability of targeted grants or financial support to help offset event-related safety and security costs.
Hinkson noted that through consultations it was made clear that rising safety and security costs are "one of the most significant barriers to hosting community events."
5. Foster local collaboration on event safety
The report notes that the province should support and promote community-led safety planning efforts, particularly for Indigenous-led and culturally specific events.
As well, it recommends encouraging and promoting "regular tabletop exercises that include police, fire departments, emergency management services, and event organizers." The report describes "tabletop meetings" as bringing together all parties that are involved in planning and hosting an event.
6. Promote learning through event evaluation
The final recommendation is about monitoring the progress and effectiveness of any of the implemented recommendations.
It recommends the province encourage routine follow-up reports on events, along with the collection of structured public feedback.
More to come.
