The new BC Place is a fine upgrade indeed. Its giant ‘crown’ atop the building is at once ugly and beautiful. Inside, the new seats, the windows around the upper part, the retractable roof, the giant video screen are all awe-inspiring.
Outside is another story. Hovering over Terry Fox Plaza, a behemoth of a video screen blares light into the eyes not only of those fans flocking to Lions and Whitecaps games but dwarfing the homage to Fox.
It’s bad enough the screen dwarfs the statues, diminishing their stature, but the sole purpose is to display advertisements. What so bad about these commercials? They spray light into the windows of the apartments and condos for blocks. Residents complain that closing drapes or blinds does little to assuage the assault from the video images.
To give you an eye-opening view of the strength of this light, the following graph illustrates the area affected by the offensive light.
 |
| Click to embiggen |
In response to this assault from the bright light, residents are banding together to have the screen either removed or moved. The group has a Facebook page, Take the Giant Screen Down Now. If you live in the area affected by the screen, take a visit over to the page and lend your support.
The problem is that getting some action on the screen is complicated.
B.C. Place Stadium is beyond the reach of Vancouver city hall, meaning a resident who lives nearby may have to sue to get the Terry Fox Plaza advertising screen turned off.
The B.C. Enterprise Corporation Act exempts the stadium from civic bylaws. B.C. Pavilion Corporation holds the land fee-simple, which would make it subject to local government bylaws, if not for the Act that governs PavCo, according to Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations spokeswoman Cheekwan Ho.
snip
The screen displays a loop of advertisements, mainly for Telus, and may contravene the city’s sign bylaw, which states: “The illumination for any sign shall not create a direct glare upon any surrounding site, street or lane.”
