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World Cup gave Vancouver and Canada plenty of reasons to celebrate during uneasy times. Many of us embraced it

It's impossible to really answer right now whether the World Cup was all "worth it," in terms of public costs and long-term benefits. But the tournament provided a reason to celebrate and come together with family, friends, and strangers -- at a time when many Canadians needed just that.

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As B.C.’s sports minister, Anne Kang was lucky enough to be at B.C. Place last month, one of a reported crowd of 52,497 spectators watching Canada take on Switzerland in what was, at that time, the Canadian team’s biggest match ever.

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But Kang’s most memorable World Cup experience was actually with a much smaller crowd, nine days earlier and some 1,000 kilometres north of Vancouver’s stadium, in the parking lot outside Tumbler Ridge’s curling rink.

Back in January, FIFA announced a series of free-to-the-public World Cup watch parties, with 40 stops across Canada. After the shocking mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge in February that killed eight people, the provincial government asked FIFA to add the northeastern B.C. town as a 41st stop.

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Tumbler Ridge’s mayor, councillors, kids, parents, first responders and other community members came out to watch group-stage matches on a huge outdoor screen. There were live musical performances, teens and........

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