January 1, 2000

No Early Problems Reported as City Welcomes Year 2000

The City of Vancouver has rung in the Year 2000 without any initial reports of major problems due to Y2K issues or incidents at local celebrations.

City services including utilities, traffic and street lights appear to be working normally. The Vancouver Police Department has reported no major incidents so far, and noted that there were fewer people on downtown streets than on most New Year’s Eves.

Mayor Philip Owen joined the almost 350 staff who were keeping an eye on things around the city at the E-Comm Centre to welcome the new year.

"We’ve been watching events here and around the world, and Y2K seems to be relatively uneventful, and that’s what we were hoping for," said Owen.

City of Vancouver staff are part of the team on duty at the E-Comm Centre that will manage and coordinate response should any problems arise.

The Police Department has three times the usual number of officers working through the Y2K transition. As well, Vancouver Fire and Rescue have an additional 33 members and four extra trucks available to respond to calls.

The City’s Y2K staff will remain on duty and the E-Comm Centre will stay activated into the early morning hours to monitor situations.

Police are continuing to keep a close watch on the streets, particularly along the Robson Street area, as events such as First Night at Science World and the KISS concert at BC Place wrap up and bars close at 4 a.m.

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