Falling snow kept New Year’s Eve crowds small and relatively peaceful in downtown Vancouver, police said Thursday.
Const. Jana McGuinness said officers were kept busy, but the number of “incidents of note” was low.
A traffic closure in the Granville entertainment district reduced disturbances and falling snow made walking difficult. Six people were taken to jail to sober up.
In other parts of Vancouver, three people received minor stab wounds in alcohol-fuelled fights, McGuinness said.
New Year’s Eve was a bit wilder south of the Fraser River. In Surrey, one teen lost a hand and four others were injured when an older-style firearm exploded, according to a media report. News1130 radio said the teens were firing the weapon to ring in the new year when it exploded.
Earlier in the evening, emergency crews were called to a six-car collision at about 8:30 p.m. at the intersection of King George Highway and Fraser Highway.
A white Chevy Lumina minivan rear-ended another van at a traffic light. It then veered into other stopped vehicles, including a police cruiser.
Surrey RCMP said alcohol and careless driving appeared to be factors in the crash.
