Stanley Park Bright Nights train goes dark after thieves make off with electrical equipment
CBC
Thieves who made off with heavy duty power cables and electrical components have forced the shutdown of the popular Bright Nights train in Stanley Park, the major fundraiser of the B.C. Professional Fire Fighters Burn Fund charity.
The organization's president Gord Ditchburn said the thefts at the Vancouver attraction were only discovered Friday afternoon during preparations to get the train and light display going again after it had been shuttered since Dec. 26 because of frigid weather.
"We've had COVID restrictions, inclement weather, the snow and freezing temperatures ... and now we have the final gut punch of people taking off with the main power source," he said.
"It doesn't affect the train, but the train is essentially running in the dark."
Riding the Stanley Park train through the Bright Nights display of millions of lights is a longstanding Christmas tradition for many families.
Bright Nights normally raises more than $500,000 per year for the burn fund, more than half of that through donations at the gate. But with all the disruptions, including last year's COVID-19 shutdowns, donations are down by as much as 80 per cent.
"It affects our ability to offer programs to burn survivors across the province," said Ditchburn. "So yeah, it's been a tough year."
The Bright Nights Stanley Park train was scheduled to run through to Jan 2.
Ditchburn said people who want to support the burn fund could still buy online 50/50 tickets until midnight on New Year's Eve, or make a donation.
He said Stanley Park officials had reported the thefts to Vancouver police.
P.E.I.'s Public Schools Branch is looking for 50 substitute bus drivers, and it'll be recruiting at three job fairs on Saturday, June 8. The job fairs are located at the Atlantic Superstore in Montague, Royalty Crossing in Charlottetown, and the bus parking lot of Three Oaks Senior High in Summerside. All three run from 9 a.m. until noon. Dave Gillis, the director of transportation and risk management for the Public Schools Branch, said the number of substitute drivers they're hiring isn't unusual. "We are always looking for more. Our drivers tend to have an older demographic," he said.