By Laura Baziuk, The Province
A respect-your-neighbours campaign is in the works to help make the neighbourhood around Rogers Arena a safer place.
David Negrin, the president of the company that runs the stadium formerly known as GM Place, promised the campaign at a town hall meeting discussing neighbourhood safety Thursday night.
He said public awareness messages will run during Vancouver Canucks games inside the arena to remind spectators to respect the nearby residents when they leave the stadium.
About 40 people turned up to the meeting on neighbourhood safety, attended by city leaders such as Vancouver Police Chief Jim Chu and city councilors Andrea Reimer and Ellen Woodsworth.
The event had been called to discuss safety issues after residents David Holtzman and Peter Regier were attacked on their way home from Rogers Arena.
The couple was returning from a concert June 12 when they saw two men urinating in the entranceway to their townhouse. When they told the men to stop, they were viciously beaten.
Holtzman told the meeting he’d like to see more porta-potties and an increased police presence.
Chu, who does not often appear at public meetings, said the meeting’s public response has given him resolve to emphasize the issue of safety when speaking with event promoters coming to Vancouver.
“This was so important to me,” he said. “Not only was David victimized, but the community was victimized.”
Two brothers, Parminder Singh Peter Bassi and Ravinder Robbie Bassi, both of Richmond, were later arrested in connection with the assault, and are set to appear in court Aug. 9.
