VANCOUVER Police are investigating after a 25-year-old man was stabbed and critically injured early Saturday morning, as thousands of people packed the Granville Entertainment District amid relaxed COVID-19 restrictions.

“VPD deployed additional officers in the downtown core Friday night, as capacity limits were lifted at bars and restaurants throughout the province,” said Sgt. Steve Addison. “Large crowds began entering the downtown core in the early evening, with some lining up early at nightclubs and hundreds wandering the entertainment areas. This led to multiple conflicts on the street.”

Shortly before 2 a.m., VPD officers intervened in a violent assault near Smithe and Granville streets after a man in his 20s was stabbed. Officers from VPD’s Emergency Response Team provided immediate first aid to stem the bleeding before the man, a Vancouver resident, was taken by ambulance to hospital for emergency surgery. He is now expected to survive.

A 21-year-old man from Surrey was arrested at the crime scene, and the investigation is ongoing.

VPD said it will continue to deploy additional officers to manage crowds throughout the long weekend.