Pacific Coliseum Renovations | Completed

[jlousa]

Sorry you feel that way, but a lot of people would disagree with you. The fair has turned much more family friendly lately. Attendance will be down this year but only due to the weather. The shows were great and packed. The free concerts are also an improvement over a few years ago when they had much bigger shows but you had to buy tickets.

The upgrades to the colisuem are great as well, you can't tell by watching the superdogs though, turn out for a giants game to get a better representation.

[dreambrother808]

Originally Posted by mr.x2

And to those who think that Hastings Park should be turned into a park with a fair in it, the fair this year was pretty lame already....it gets worse every year in such a confined space. It will only get much worse when you start greening the entire place.

So true. A friend of mine visiting from Edmonton was bemoaning the fact that the PNE wasn't even on the level of Klondike Days. Limiting the space is not the answer.

[mr.x]

Originally Posted by jlousa

Sorry you feel that way, but a lot of people would disagree with you. The fair has turned much more family friendly lately. Attendance will be down this year but only due to the weather. The shows were great and packed. The free concerts are also an improvement over a few years ago when they had much bigger shows but you had to buy tickets.

The upgrades to the colisuem are great as well, you can't tell by watching the superdogs though, turn out for a giants game to get a better representation.

I've gone to the fair consecutively for the last 15 years or so, it's a family tradition....and I can tell you that with each year it gets progressively worse.

As for "family friendly", the fair has ALWAYS been family friendly.....the problem is that everything is getting smaller, hell there are less and less shows each year. Just one of many examples: years ago, they had an amazing parade within the park....then they canceled it for several years, brought it back with a much more mediocre parade three years ago with three daily parades, then last year it was two daily parades, and now this year it's just one.

Ever since they added the lake, the fair has become substantially smaller. And up until about 6 years ago, they had that nightly fireworks show in the lake.....now, it has been replaced with that mediocre stage fireball show and even that has been getting worse with each year.

[clooless]

Obviously the VPB wants the PNE out of Hastings Park. Just move the PNE to Surrey -- or wherever it is wanted -- and let the Parks Board complete their vision for Hastings Park.

[Distill3d]

Originally Posted by dreambrother808

So true. A friend of mine visiting from Edmonton was bemoaning the fact that the PNE wasn't even on the level of Klondike Days. Limiting the space is not the answer.

The PNE is certainly not on the level of the Calgary Stampede, but its defineately better than Klondike Days or its current name the "Capital Ex". The PNE doesn't have the space that the Stampede has. that is the one thing i did notice the 3 times i went.

it was mentioned that the PNE should be moved away from its current location, and previously i would have disagreed. however, having attended, i would have to say i did change my mind. it should be moved, however i'm certain the environmentalists would have issue with the area's i would suggest. Vancouver is limited on space, and moving the PNE to somewhere like Cloverdale is just a pain in the ass for everyone to get to.

[mr.x]

^ Cloverdale is wayyy too far, that's like the middle of nowhere.

Ideally, the Surrey Fraser River waterfront lot would have been an ideal location.....but nooo, the Liberals had to cancel it and hand the keys to the fair to the City of Vancouver, which has been pulling off the fair's arms and legs one by one with every passing year.



I would be all for a fair AND park if Hastings Park was much much larger......and I've said it before, move the fair elsewhere and move the Greater Vancouver Zoo to Hastings Park. Sure, there are animal activists in the city.....but you can make an argument that the animals would fair much better in a zoo that has much more attendance (thus much more scrutiny and attention to exhibits and treatment) as suppose to the incredibly cruel facility out at Abbottsford. Either way, you'd be using animals that are already present in the Lower Mainland - it's nothing new. The only thing new would be a much better and world-class facility.


As for the Pacfiic Coliseum, maybe the cosmetic renovations are a little more noticeable when there are Giants games but I highly doubt it'll be that much of a difference.....I mean, one just has to take a walk around the concourse and it's almost as if nothing has changed except a few concession stands and the washrooms.

[mr.x]

The PNE in 1992:





Today:










Nuff said. If that isn't enough proof, then I don't know what is.

[MistyMountainHop]

^ Man, it sucks they got rid of Empire Stadium. It was pretty significant in Vancouver's history of sports and music.

[flight_from_kamakura]

nice visual point there mr x.

it is indeed quite annoying at how much the fair has deteriorated, really, it's a shadow of its former self

[Distill3d]

wow! what a difference that one building makes.

[Distill3d]

Originally Posted by mr.x2

^ Cloverdale is wayyy too far, that's like the middle of nowhere.

Ideally, the Surrey Fraser River waterfront lot would have been an ideal location.....but nooo, the Liberals had to cancel it and hand the keys to the fair to the City of Vancouver, which has been pulling off the fair's arms and legs one by one with every passing year.

I'd personally like to see it moved to somewhere along SE Marine Drive, perhaps even say Mitchell Island. sure its a long shot, but why not, the place looks like its only being used by industry and is pretty much all open land anyways.

As for the Pacfiic Coliseum, maybe the cosmetic renovations are a little more noticeable when there are Giants games but I highly doubt it'll be that much of a difference.....I mean, one just has to take a walk around the concourse and it's almost as if nothing has changed except a few concession stands and the washrooms.

i agree with you. the building reminds me a lot of Rexall Place in Edmonton, except better.

[miniaturesnickers]

Originally Posted by mr.x2

Went to the PNE yesterday, and I was expecting huge renovations to the concourse.....it looks just as shabby as before, you actually need to go to find the renovated sections.....it was pretty disappointing. I know they spent $20-million on renovations, but it's hardly noticeable.....wish there were more money in the pot for cosmetic renovations.


And to those who think that Hastings Park should be turned into a park with a fair in it, the fair this year was pretty lame already....it gets worse every year in such a confined space. It will only get much worse when you start greening the entire place.

I don't think they're near finished yet. I think the idea was to get the building competition ready as quickly as possible, especially as they're having to work around the Giants/concert schedule. I imagine there will be more in the way of cosmetic renos pre-2010, but VANOC wasn't making those a priority until after the new ice plant, etc was finished.

[crazyjoeda]

What will they be doing to make the outside look better? It would be nice if they made the building more colourful, because it looks especially gloomy on a cloudy day. Maybe use some blue like the Richmond oval?

[EastVanMark]

Originally Posted by miniaturesnickers

I don't think they're near finished yet. I think the idea was to get the building competition ready as quickly as possible, especially as they're having to work around the Giants/concert schedule. I imagine there will be more in the way of cosmetic renos pre-2010, but VANOC wasn't making those a priority until after the new ice plant, etc was finished.

You are correct, they're not finished with the renovations just yet. The final phase of cosmetic renovations will not commence until after the 2008/09 Giants hockey season. The concert schedule will all but cease once Vanoc takes over the venue which is set to take place shortly.

[EastVanMark]

Originally Posted by marmorek

^ Man, it sucks they got rid of Empire Stadium. It was pretty significant in Vancouver's history of sports and music.

Truly was a huge (yet unavoidable) loss.

[mr.x]

Originally Posted by EastVanMark

You are correct, they're not finished with the renovations just yet. The final phase of cosmetic renovations will not commence until after the 2008/09 Giants hockey season. The concert schedule will all but cease once Vanoc takes over the venue which is set to take place shortly.

That's good to hear, I had assumed that renovations were done since they said it would be done by this summer.

[EastVanMark]

Originally Posted by mr.x2

I've gone to the fair consecutively for the last 15 years or so, it's a family tradition....and I can tell you that with each year it gets progressively worse.

As for "family friendly", the fair has ALWAYS been family friendly.....the problem is that everything is getting smaller, hell there are less and less shows each year. Just one of many examples: years ago, they had an amazing parade within the park....then they canceled it for several years, brought it back with a much more mediocre parade three years ago with three daily parades, then last year it was two daily parades, and now this year it's just one.

Ever since they added the lake, the fair has become substantially smaller. And up until about 6 years ago, they had that nightly fireworks show in the lake.....now, it has been replaced with that mediocre stage fireball show and even that has been getting worse with each year.

The reason why the fair has less shows is simple- lack of space. Year after year, the PNE has to turn away countless attractions willing to come on site simply because it has no room for them. To add insult to injury, the annual bill to upkeep the greenspace(which by the way brings in a grand total of ZERO by way of revenue) within the grounds is over a million dollars at present and only is even at that figure since they have scaled back the upkeep of the lagoon.

BTW the fireworks were scaled back for 2 reasons:
1) the cost
2) for safety reasons since one year one of the trees close to the display caught fire.

FYI the orignial parade downtown was by FAR the best of the parades, and all the others dont even come close

[mr.x]

Originally Posted by EastVanMark

The reason why the fair has less shows is simple- lack of space. Year after year, the PNE has to turn away countless attractions willing to come on site simply because it has no room for them. To add insult to injury, the annual bill to upkeep the greenspace(which by the way brings in a grand total of ZERO by way of revenue) within the grounds is over a million dollars at present and only is even at that figure since they have scaled back the upkeep of the lagoon.

BTW the fireworks were scaled back for 2 reasons:
1) the cost
2) for safety reasons since one year one of the trees close to the display caught fire.

FYI the orignial parade downtown was by FAR the best of the parades, and all the others dont even come close

Those are my thoughts as well as stated previously, the whole lagoon/greenery part and the skatepark has killed a ton of the fair's previous exhibition space. It's beyond retarded that we're even thinking of greening the entire park. The city needs to make a choice: keep the fair as is without changes to the park or let go of the fair so that it can move elsewhere and green the park.

If they really wanted to, I'm sure they could've relocated the fireworks elsewhere.....and it wasn't a safety issue until the lagoon was built......but yea, I could see cost as a huge issue and that may have only been an issue when they built the lagoon, which affected attendance.

I don't remember the parade from downtown, all I can say is that the previous in-grounds parades were much better.

[miniaturesnickers]

Originally Posted by EastVanMark

You are correct, they're not finished with the renovations just yet. The final phase of cosmetic renovations will not commence until after the 2008/09 Giants hockey season. The concert schedule will all but cease once Vanoc takes over the venue which is set to take place shortly.

Any indication what kind of cosmetic renos might take place at that time?

[jlousa]

I'd wait until they are done with the master plan before you decide if it sucks or not. Their aim at a more family friendly is already coming along, I know you aren't that old Mr. X but it wasn't that long ago that after 6pm all the families used to dissapper, the beer gardens would be overun with rowdys, there were almost nightly brawls amongst groups of teenagers. They've made huge strides in cleaning up that aspect. Heck I remember you weren't even allowed to bring in outside food, they changed that about 10yrs to attract families that couldn't afford to spend the whole day there.