Canucks - This is Our Home

So, the Vancouver Canucks are almost at their goal of winning the President's Trophy again this year with only 5 games left to play before the Playoffs are upon us.  Remember the feeling of it last year?  When the Canucks were so far ahead of every team in the league and playing like nothing was going to stop them from winning the cup?  Remember the warm fuzzy feelings we fans had after every win and heading down to Granville Street to celebrate after every game?  I don't think I've ever high-fived or hugged so many strangers before in my life but I didn't care because WE WERE ALL CANUCKS!!  It was great.  Then came game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.  The energy was electric all throughout the city and even I got ambushed by CHEKTV at the Lord Stanley statute for an interview.  Those were all great memories of the amazing run the Canucks had.

Now remember this?

And this?

 These are memories I'd like to forget.

The next morning hundreds of Vancouver fans wanted to erase the memory of what had happened that night and show the world that we actually care for our city.  The boarded up walls of The Bay became a shrine where fans gathered to express their feelings of anger and sadness of what transpired the night before. The graffiti was also cleaned up, the fire damage was cleaned up and people were giving out free hugs.  City workers also hung up signs thanking the hundreds of volunteers who showed up to help clean their city.

Now 13 days from the start of the Playoffs, the Canucks have begun a proactive campaign to curb thoughts of rioting and to teach the new generation and those slightly younger than mine to respect their city and celebrate responsibly.  Here is the video that some of the old and new Canucks have put together to get the message out.  Including Canuck fans who love their city.

They even included the Out takes of the video.  I remember hearing about a call going out to Canuck fans all over, especially in Surrey to be on the corner of 72nd and Scott Rd in their Canucks gear for a shoot of some sort.  I had no idea it was for this.  But good on them for doing this.  You need to check out the Out Take vid just cause Juice is pretty funny.

I hope they play these videos at the games and put up the posters everywhere.  It would be a good reminder to all of those who had to watch our city's name and reputation go up in flames last year.  I've been through the '94 riots and the '11 riots.  I don't want to go thru a third one.  So, please celebrate responsibly.

Learn more about the campaign and see some galleries of Canucks - This is Our Home campaign.

There will be no outdoor viewing but there will be viewing held in community centres and at Rogers Arena for away games.  Vancouver lost something really good last year.....its gonna be many more years before we can get it back.