Vancouver's Riot Wall to come down

Vancouver's Riot Wall is expected to come down today, but city councillors say they are looking for suggestions on how to save the important piece of city history.

The plywood sheets were erected to replace the smashed windows of the Hudson's Bay store in downtown Vancouver after they weredestroyed by rioters after the Stanley Cup game on Wednesday night.

The boards were soon covered with messages of love and support for the Canucks, police, local heroes and the city itself by city residents seeking a place to express their shock and regret about the riot.

A total of 29 businesses were damaged during the riot and similar messages can be read on the plywood sheetson store frontsthroughout the downtown core.

But on Monday the replacement glass is expected to start arriving and crews will start restoring the windows at the Hudson's Bay store that has become the focus of the city's rebuilding efforts.

Wall to be saved by city

City Councillor Heather Deal says it's time for local businesses to get back to normal, but the sheets of plywood will not be thrown away.

"They are all so important. They are all so heartfelt. They are all so amazingly touching. I mean most of us were in tears looking at them over the last couple of days and we want to make sure that we get them spread out around so that people get the chance to look at them over the next little while as we all heal from the activities of Wednesday night," said Deal.

Deal says the city doesn't want to destroy the walls, but it hasn't figured out where they will go. She is asking anyone with ideas about what to do with the plywood boards to contact City Hall.

"We can't lose that it is a part of our history and it is going to become part of our archives and we cannot lose track of the fact that is the majority, the vast majority of how people in Vancouver and the area and in fact visitors to Vancouver responded to the activities of Wednesday night, and so we will absolutely be retaining those," she said.