Cyclists rides their bikes in the designated bicycle lane on the Burrard Street Bridge in Vancouver July 12, 2009.Jeff Vinnick/The Globe and Mail
Premier Christy Clark says she cancelled a controversial plan to open Vancouver's Burrard Street Bridge deck for yoga next week after the plan became too political.
Plans for the event on Sunday, June 21 – International Yoga Day – unravelled on Friday, when two sponsors – Lululemon Athletica and the YYoga studio company – jointly said they were pulling out due to the public reaction.
Soon after, Ms. Clark issued a statement saying the mass yoga session would not proceed. "Unfortunately, the focus for the proposed Burrard Street Bridge event has drifted towards politics – getting in the way of the spirit of community and inner reflection," Ms. Clark said.
"Though we are forced to cancel the Burrard Street Bridge event, I hope British Columbians will still feel encouraged to participate in their events elsewhere."
Ms. Clark announced the plan last Friday, framing it as part of an effort to bolster ties with India. She said she had discussed yoga with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his April visit to Vancouver.
The plan was controversial from the start, with critics noting it clashed with National Aboriginal Day, would be disruptive to the city and seemed a high-handed move. They also raised concerns about the $150,000 cost of closing the bridge from 4 a.m. to 11a.m.
But Ms. Clark teased her critics with a Twitter posting on Thursday. It featured a photo of Ms. Clark in front of a Tai Chi studio in Parksville, B.C. with the comment: "Hey Yoga Haters – bet you can't wait for International Tai Chi day."
However, Lululemon and YYoga both announced on Friday they would not be involved.
In an e-mail, Terry McBride, CEO of YYoga, said the idea was "purely formed," but the intention was not clear to the public. "We have had the opportunity to connect with our very passionate community over the last several days and have done a lot of listening. We have heard that the event that was presented was not what they wanted."
Lululemon Athletica borrowed yoga jargon for a wistful statement. "Downward dogs with a few thousand of our closest friends seemed like the perfect way to celebrate International Yoga Day. Until it didn't."
The company said it heard community frustrations about location, cost and date. "We had the best intentions. And so we're taking a deep, cleansing breath and over the next several days, we'll be reimagining a celebration that honours the spirit and tradition of yoga and serves our communities in a more meaningful way."
Ian Bailey