As Vancouver hosts its final FIFA World Cup match on Tuesday, Mayor Ken Sim gives the city an “A+” on its hosting abilities looking back at the tournament. “It’s been an incredible ride. It’s a little bittersweet, you know. It’s been so exciting that this happened in our great city, and it’s sad today’s the last game here,” he told CTV Your Morning Vancouver. He says his glowing grade comes from the work of volunteers, first responders, the Downtown Van BIA, hotels, restaurants, and of course the residents who have come out to party. “They have shown the world that Vancouver is an incredible city, it’s super friendly, super hospitable, and I am so proud of our community that has made Vancouver the best city to host,” Sim said, referring to Sports Illustrated’s ranking from before the tournament, which put Vancouver at number one out of 16 host cities. “I’m just so proud of all of Vancouver.” Granville pedestrian zone extended Looking ahead, Vancouverites will be able to enjoy a car-free Granville Strip for the rest of the summer after city council voted to extend the pedestrian zone beyond the World Cup—at a cost of $4.76 million. “Being very realistic, it’s not going to look like it did during FIFA World Cup, you know, it’s just going to be a different vibe,” Sim said. Some of the funding will go to Downtown Van so the BIA can create activations to draw people to the entertainment district after the tournament is over. Sim added the city will collect data on the pedestrian zone’s success to inform decisions on next summer. “At the end of the day, we have a world-class destination there, and an entertainment district that has been significantly underutilized, and it’s been in a challenging state, and we want to change that narrative,” he said.
