West Vancouver Police dealt with a large group of approximately 300 youths at Ambleside beach on Canada Day, many of whom were intoxicated and violent.
On July 1, 2019 at approximately 8:30 pm, West Vancouver Police officers were on foot patrol in Ambleside Park in anticipation of increased park users due to Canada Day celebrations. Officers encountered multiple groups of youths, most of whom who were under 19 years old and were consuming liquor.
Officers, exercising their authorities under the Liquor Control and Licensing Act, began seizing liquor and issuing violation tickets.
At approximately 8:50 pm, three officers were assessing the now-large crowd of youths who had congregated near the skate park. Officers began questioning one person who was observed consuming liquor. A struggle ensued after the person is alleged to have charged at one of the officers. The rest of the group quickly surrounded the officers and began chanting and swearing obscenities, while many filmed the interaction.
Two officers were assaulted during the incident with one officer sustaining injuries after being punched in the face.
Further WVPD officers quickly arrived and helped to move the crowd to the beach area where physical fights continued to break out amongst the group and police again had to intervene to ensure public safety. Youths continued to yell obscenities at the officers.
Due to the violent behavior and sheer size of the unruly crowds, access to Ambleside Park was temporarily shut down, causing traffic issues and preventing families and others from enjoying the festivities at the beach.
The youths stayed in the area for the following three hours before dispersing toward Park Royal Mall where officers witnessed further violence amongst the group.
It is believed that those who were a part of this group, were from the North Shore and ranged in age between 12 and 20 years.
“This type of violent behavior cannot and will not be tolerated in West Vancouver,” says Chief Len Goerke. “Foot patrols throughout our parks and beaches will be ongoing over the Summer months and enforcement action will be taken where officers find individuals contravening the Liquor Control and Licensing Act, or disrupting the peace and lawful use and enjoyment of public space by drunkenness, violence, or threats of violence.”
As a result of this incident, two youths were arrested for assault on police and later release
Wow what a difference between 1960’s and now. I had fun when I went over to beach parties with the DJ’s from the radio stations, Red, Frosty, etc. I had the job of doing the fried chicken to take out to the bonfire. We got tipsy but never would we have thought of doing crap like this.
Me neither!!! We had fun but didn’t lose respect for others. This kind of unacceptable behaviour needs to be nipped in the bud! I blame parents for almost of it as they let their kids do whatever they want, without boundaries or consideration for others. This would never be tolerated in my day.
>> I remember being at the 1966(?) riot in Edgemont Village, North Vancouver, on Halloween night with about the same amount of teenagers. The police and fire trucks arrived and water-bombed us. We were bored teenagers with nothing to do on Halloween. I don’t know if alcohol was involved, and later on, I didn’t stick around to see the vandalism. I stood on the sidelines and watched. Bored teenagers need something to do. There was supposed to be a North Vancouver Youth Centre at the bottom of Lonsdale, instead, they built condos.
Vancouver Sun Story: Fifty years ago, Halloween in North Vancouver turned ugly.
“Hundreds of milling, shouting teenage boys and girls staged a Halloween riot at a North Vancouver shopping centre Monday night,” The Vancouver Sun reported on Nov. 1, 1966.
“Hurling curses, rocks and bottles, the youthful mob battled police for nearly three hours at the Edgemont shopping centre. Police arrested 23 young people, mainly boys.”
The trouble started around 7:30 p.m. when groups of teenagers gathered at the shopping centre. At first they soaped store windows, then started chucking eggs at storefronts and passing cars.
The police arrived and rowdies started throwing eggs at them.
“The mood turned ugly about eight, when youngsters started throwing rocks through plate glass windows and setting fires, including one atop a bakery shop,” said The Sun. “Dozens of RCMP officers charged into the mob to arrest youths and drag them into patrol cars and a paddy wagon. The mob cheered with each crash of breaking glass and shouted obscenities at police officers as they made arrests.”
The Province reported the eggs and firecrackers thrown by the crowd had been looted from a store.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” an unidentified shopkeeper told the Province. “It seems as if every goon in the country is here, and there is precious little the police can do.”
The battle between the teenagers and the police raged on and off for three hours. It only settled down after the fire department was called in, and drenched the crowd with water from a fire hose.
“By 10:30 p.m. the number of teenagers had fallen considerably,” said the Province. “Many were drenched from head to foot and headed for home. But others came back for more. They treated the fire hose like a game, and several stood only 20 yards away as torrents of water were poured on them.”
SOURCE: https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/this-week-in-history-1966-this-halloween-was-a-real-riot