This is the True Vancouver

You can always find good in any situation and evidently Vancouver is a city that knows this. 

Riots started around 8pm Tuesday night after the Vancouver Canucks lost in game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. Store windows were smashed. Fist fights broke out. Cars were set on fire. 12 hours later there were still crowds of people downtown, only these crowds were full of generous volunteers who were helping clean up the mess from the night before. 

Hudson's Bay at Georgia and Granville got hit hard last night. Literally. Just about every single window was smashed, the outdoor canopy was set on fire, smoke detectors inside set off the sprinklers, and tons of merchandise was stolen. You would think that when the president of Hudson's Bay phoned into the radio, she would be full of anger. No. Instead, she was so grateful and uplifted by all the people who had shown up volunteering to help clean the mess. 

The depressing sheets of wood that boarded the windows of Hudson's Bay became messages of hope for a city that broke out into chaos only 12 hours earlier. 

After all, the rioting was not a true reflection of Vancouver. It represented a small group of idiots who were stupid enough to cause all this trouble. The rioting was not a display of Vancouver's true spirit. This morning, Vancouver's true spirit became evident.

People began writing messages thanking the police and cleanup crews for all their help. Many messages were in support of the Canucks, congratulating them on a terrific season and wishing them all the best next season. There were many apologies for how people reacted last night... in fact, I'll let the pictures below speak for themselves. 

Here's Emily signing the boards...

...and Edwina signing too.

People were leaving notes on the police cruisers, thanking them for their help and dedication.

Emily and Edwina

This morning was a real display of the people of Vancouver. I hope the Canucks see the boards and all the wonderful messages people have left. They were amazing, and I hope they all realize that the real Vancouver is behind them 110%.