Vancouver councillor hopes love locks will unshackle ‘no-fun’ city

VANCOUVER – A Vancouver councillor believes finding a home for so-called love locks may be a key to unshackling the city from its supposedly no-fun reputation.

Coun. George Affleck has proposed a motion asking city staff to work with the Park Board, business improvement associations and others to find a home for the padlocks that have been attached to a bridge and a fence around Vancouver.

The love locks symbolize a couple’s commitment to each other, and Affleck says such spontaneous, quirky activities should be fostered because they make Vancouver a great place to live.

He says Vancouver’s locks could become a tourist attraction as in Paris, where tens of thousands of love locks adorn a foot bridge over the Seine River.

Affleck worries workers have removed the locks in Vancouver, but he’s hopeful a permanent location can be found for the practice.

The Pont des Arts bridge in Paris was closed briefly in June when the weight of the locks caused a section of the railing to buckle and city officials said they hoped to persuade visiting lovers to show their undying affection in less disruptive ways.