Second thought needed on celebration squares?

Two days ago, a great season came to a sad conclusion for Canucks fans like me.  The worst part wasn't the fact that the Canucks lost game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final for the 3rd time in it's history.  The day after game 7, now that the season is over, the silver lining for the Canucks is that they have as good a chance as any team to win the Cup in 2012 as all teams are at point zero again.

The saddest thing for me was the destruction caused by so-called Canucks fans that began destroying the city that hosted their hockey parties throughout the playoffs.  The madness that transpired after the Canucks' loss has to be on the minds of city planners that have touted the building of public squares in town centres around Burnaby to celebrate special events.   Perhaps the scale of the gatherings need to be reduced to allow for better crowd control as one possible solution.

Whatever the solution, we can expect much debate and discussion over the building of the future celebration square at Brentwood Station.

Future celebration square perfect spot to watch Canucks playoff runs?

On the potential eve of the first ever Vancouver Canucks Stanley Cup Championship, I have been imagining what the future celebration square that will one day sit next to Brentwood Station on the northeast corner of Willingdon Ave and Lougheed Hwy will look like.  The community value of public gathering places has skyrocketed along with Canucks fever this spring as the Canucks have battled their way to the Finals and into the hearts of many people who normally are not aware of the Canucks.

The currently vacant lot situated west of the station will one day be developed into a celebration square with shops and cafes along with a bus loop that will be better integrated with the station.

The scenes of crowds gathered at Hamilton and Georgia Streets outside the CBC broadcast centre have been nothing less than spectacular.  The spontaneous, joyful interaction with complete strangers during the playoffs has been very enjoyable during my commute on the Expo and Millennium Lines back to Burnaby.  As the area around Brentwood Station develops into a town centre, I hope it develops in a way that will attract large crowds for events during important days of the year such as Remembrance Day, international sporting events, Canucks playoff runs or even local entertainment productions that will attract outdoor crowds.

Until it happens, I can continue to dream.