Post-riot Vancouver has new hockey plans

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 28 (UPI) -- Vancouver officials have released plans for future scaled-down hockey celebrations to avoid a repeat of last June's Stanley Cup riots downtown.

Mayor Gregor Robertson said the city will no longer allow such large gatherings and street closures for sporting events, the Vancouver Sun reported.

He said arrangements have also been struck with various police agencies in neighboring jurisdictions to deal with rioters and staunch the flow of people into Vancouver by closing transit systems.

To accommodate fans who want to congregate for major events, Robertson said the city will open its 23 family-oriented community centers to watch events on television.

The investigation into the June riots is still going on and 75 people have been charged with more than 200 offenses so far. Some of the alcohol-fueled crowd of about 150,000 people erupted into violence when the Vancouver Canucks lost the championship game to the Boston Bruins.

The Canucks have already secured a playoff berth this season.