COQUITLAM — Pokémon Go enthusiasts wandering around Coquitlam looking for significant sites in the hit game may find themselves at a surprising location.
The Hells Angels clubhouse, at 1041 Burnette Avenue, shows up as a designated gym, meaning Pokemon Go players are expected to congregate there for battles with rival players.
The Vancouver Sun was tipped to the bizarre gym location by a Pokémon player Friday. Sure enough, a visit to Coquitlam with the Pokémon Go application opened showed the special icon for a gym right on the biker clubhouse.
The spokesman for B.C.’s anti-gang agency said Friday that it’s totally inappropriate for the popular gaming application to send people to the clubhouse of the notorious biker gang.
“We think it’s highly inappropriate that this game would include a location that attracts all ages — including children — to the location of a gang that is not only is as well known as the Hells Angels is, but includes people who are involved in the highest levels of organized crime, including violent crime,” said Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton, of the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit.
The Sun spoke to one young player outside the clubhouse who also expressed surprise at the gym location.
“They shouldn’t be sending people there,” said the youth, who asked not to be identified.
Hells Angels spokesman Rick Ciarniello did not respond to an emailed request for comment. The Coquitlam clubhouse is the base of the Vancouver chapter of the biker gang, which is one of the three oldest. It was founded on July 23, 1983.
Pokémon Go gym sites are locations in the game that are super-imposed on top of real-world landmarks. The landmarks are usually historical or high-traffic sites.
Police earlier raised concerns about the safety of players staring at screens distracted as they wander around city streets.
This week, a player jumped onto the SkyTrain tracks to catch one of the virtual monsters, setting off alarms and prompting a warning by Transit police.
And last week, Vancouver police expressed concerns when a civilian employee discovered a virtual “Venonat” was located inside the police department’s Cambie Street headquarters.
Players are not allowed to wander around the building.
In Victoria, police have nabbed at least one driver playing Pokémon behind the wheel.
