Halloween brings injuries and arrests to lower B.C

Emergency services in Vancouver were confronted with Halloween chaos again on Thursday, as attacks, fires, fireworks-related injuries and general public disorder plagued the spooky holiday.

Despite an ongoing ban on the sale or use of fireworks anywhere in the city, incidents involving low-grade explosives still resulted in a number of injuries.

The chaos started early at David Thompson Secondary School in Fraserview, where two teenage boys were injured after someone set off fireworks in the school hallway just after 10 a.m.

According to a statement from Vancouver Police, the person set off the fireworks at the entrance to the gym, hitting two students as they walked by. One was taken to hospital with facial injuries, while the other had temporary hearing loss.

Police have not identified a suspect and say it is unclear if the person is a student at the school. The VPD, whose Youth Services Division is investigating the incident, has asked anyone who witnessed the attack or has information about what happened to call the department at 604-717-3144.

Officers continued to have their work cut out for them as evening arrived, with Vancouver police noting much of the disorder was concentrated in the downtown area.

Eight people were arrested for breach of the peace, in addition to one for an assault on a police officer, all carried out on the Granville Strip, the VPD said Friday.

Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services left another person with serious fireworks-related injuries Thursday evening after someone conducted the “malicious discharge” of fireworks near another person.

Despite Vancouver’s ban on selling, buying and discharging fireworks that came into effect in 2020, fire officials said they had received 100 reports of fireworks being set off in the city this year, with crews responding to 50 points of concern where they had problems to actively intervene or disperse people who were in the area.

Of the 21 fires reported in Vancouver Thursday evening, three were related to fireworks, VFRS said.

While the numbers mark a notable decline in spooky misbehavior in the season, fire officials noted that the $3,000 in fireworks-related damages is significantly lower than the $225,000 brought in last year, and the two together pale in comparison to the $1.3 million in combined property loss for 2019 and 2020 – the incidents that occurred on Thursday highlight that there is still room for improvement, the VFRS said.

“While the number of fireworks-related events has decreased year on year, more work still needs to be done to educate the public about the risks to people and property, and to enforce applicable bylaws,” the VFRS said. in a news release Friday.

Vancouver wasn’t the only region experiencing Halloween lawlessness on Thursday, with other Lower Mainland police forces reporting incidents throughout the evening.

In Squamish, fireworks, bear spray and improvised explosive devices were seized by police who reprimanded a large group of rowdy youths in the Garibaldi Highlands neighborhood. Officers had spotted about 100 youths setting off illegal fireworks, starting fires and “causing mischief” in the area, said Squamish RCMP, who had received a large number of calls reporting fireworks being shot at people, homes and cars.

“A number of young people were physically and verbally aggressive towards the police. Fireworks were aimed at police and their vehicles and were set off. In addition, some youths were found in possession of bear spray, bear bangers, improvised explosive devices (IED) and wearing balaclavas,” Squamish RCMP said in a news release.

Several young people were arrested and later released to their parents. Although no charges have been filed following the incidents, the investigation is still ongoing, police said.

Abbotsford police said officers seized explosives and issued trespassing tickets, with youths “as young as 14 years old” being reprimanded after a “large number” of fireworks complaints. Surrey RCMP recorded 39 calls related to fireworks use, while the other 301 calls received Thursday evening were due to disturbances, mischief, disputes, abandoned 911 calls and suspicious events.

There would have been an officer in Mission hit in the face with a baton while trying to break up a group of 300 near Albert McMahon Elementary School.

Meanwhile, the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), which announced last month that it would be one of the last regions to ban the festive explosivesnoted a significant reduction in Halloween-related incidents this year.

Nation spokesperson and Councilor Sxwixwtn, Wilson Williams, said people were “respecting the ban” on the sale of reserve land in the run-up to Halloween, and the number of reported noise complaints and incidents had been significantly reduced.

“I am happy to say that the fireworks ban we introduced in our reserve has achieved its intended purpose,” he said.

“The safety of our people during this season is our first priority, and the ban was a success.”