The riots that occurred after Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Vancouver Canucks and the visiting Boston Bruins remain were deplorable enough before we heard the story of Vancouver's Holy Rosary Cathedral.
Picture this: Rioters, throwing chunks of concrete in an attempt to smash the windows of the parish hall; Father Glenn Dion, wearing his collar and out in the chaos, pleading for peace. His words go unheard, and $5,300 in damage is done.
(In our minds, the scene included Dion spraying holy water at the rioters as he screamed "DEMONS BE GONE!" But apparently this did not happen.)
It's sort of an unwritten rule that if you see a priest begging you not to do something malicious, best not do something malicious. We all believe what we believe … but on the off chance that guy does have a Batphone to God's home office, best put down the rock, you know?
Like many aspects of the riot's aftermath, this tale took an inspiring twist: Dion's parish and four local business were recently given between $1,500 and $7,000 as part of the Vancouver Restoration Fund. From the Province:
According to commission CEO Lee Malleau, the $125,000 fund - sponsored by Vancity, Telus and other smaller donors - is intended to help smaller, family run businesses recover from costly damage.
Nine businesses have been approved for damage cheques and about 15 more are still going through the approval process. About 58 businesses were damaged by violent mobs during the June 15 Cup riot, according to the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association.
Here's a video clip of the checks' presentation, along with the return of CTV's Rob Brown, the dude who bravely reported on the night of the riots like the last uninfected human in the middle of a zombie apocalypse.
You'll notice at the end of the clip that one of the store owners has filed a civil suit against rioters that damaged his establishment. Which is a nice reminder that after the police are done identify the perps, there's a whole 'nother level of regret they'll be feeling from those seeking financial reparations.