Edmonton learning from Vancouver riots

The violent unrest that marred Vancouver's Stanley Cup celebrations Wednesday night is resurrecting memories of similar scenarios in Edmonton.

"Many instruments were actually stolen," said Liam Copeland, manager of Long & McQuade on Whyte Avenue. "There are photos in the newspapers of people getting caught down the street with photos in their hands."

During the Edmonton Oilers own Stanley Cup run in 2006 rioters set fires on Whyte Avenue, scaled power poles, smashed windows and looted stores. In 2001 Canada Day celebrations spun out of control and the ensuing riots spawned injuries, looting and 15 arrests.

"Whyte Ave was the social meeting place," said Old Strathcona Business Association executive director Shirley Lowe. "So it was the natural gathering place, and we were never really prepared for that."

City police say lessons were learned from those events, as they will be from what transpired in Vancouver.

"We look at every event on its own and do a thorough risk assessment based on other experiences in other cities and other experiences," said Acting Inspector Kevin Kobi of the Edmonton Police service. "We make adjustments to our deployment strategies based on that."

However, Lowe is concerned that there are some challenges that still haven't been addressed.

"We have an egress challenge, we can't get people out," Lowe said. "We don't have any public transit, and in a 24-hour city with this many young people in it, that's an important feature."

Kobi says it all comes down to planning, and working together to ensure that future celebrations don't leave the city hungover with regret.

"You hate to see that happen in any city," Kobi said. "No citizen of any city wants to see that occur."

With files from Fletcher Kent.