In the quiet and leafy Vancouver neighbourhood of South Cambie, best known for its botanical garden, playoff fever is about to set in.

The neighbourhood is expecting thousands of Vancouver Canucks fans for a viewing party on Sunday evening at Oak Meadows Park, as the team faces the Edmonton Oilers for Game 3 of their Stanley Cup playoffs series.

The location, across the road from the VanDusen Botanical Garden and far from the city鈥檚 downtown core, is not exactly a nightlife hot spot.

That鈥檚 the idea 鈥� before announcing the location, Mayor Ken Sim had said he was aware of the city鈥檚 鈥渉istory鈥� with the playoffs that included downtown riots in 1994 and 2011.

The goal at Oak Meadows Park is not a drunken eruption of fandom 鈥� Sim said on Wednesday he want to show that Vancouver fans can celebrate in a way that is 鈥渇amily-friendly, fun and safe.鈥�

READ MORE: Collaboration key in keeping Canuck viewing parties family-friendly

Not everyone is happy about the event, at least, not with its timing, that coincides with what is one of the busiest days on the South Cambie calendar 鈥� Mother鈥檚 Day.

Shaughnessy Restaurant on the VanDusen grounds is one of the neighbourhood鈥檚 few restaurants.

Owner Chris Chatten said a viewing party was a great idea, but it was 鈥減oor timing鈥� to have it on Mother鈥檚 Day. The restaurant is expecting 800 people on its biggest day of the year.

鈥淚t鈥檚 probably the worst day they could have picked to have a viewing party starting and that鈥檚 frustrating,鈥� said Chatten, who has run the restaurant for more than 40 years.

鈥淢other鈥檚 Day is the single busiest day of the year for the restaurant 鈥� 600 or 700 people for lunch, and (then) a couple more hundred people for dinner time.鈥�

He said VanDusen is also plenty busy on Mother鈥檚 Day, attracting thousands of admirers for its spring floral displays. Its rhododendrons and magnolias are also coming into bloom.

鈥淚t鈥檚 very busy, and it just creates a huge traffic jam,鈥� said Chatten, adding that the city didn鈥檛 think of the implications for the neighbourhood.

鈥淚t鈥檚 unfortunate that they picked that location on Mother鈥檚 Day. Had they done a little research 鈥� of course, that didn鈥檛 happen and I鈥檓 not surprised.鈥�

Others aren鈥檛 worried. Johnny Tsoukalas also is expecting a busy Mother鈥檚 Day at his Greek restaurant, Johnny鈥檚 On Oak, but he鈥檚 excited about the game, too.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 going to be a little bit overworked, but everybody will be having a great time. hopefully they win,鈥� said Tsoukalas, a Canucks fan and lifelong hockey player.

The restaurant has been a fixture on Oak Street for 40 years. It was packed for Wednesday鈥檚 Game 1 of the Canucks-Oilers series. 鈥淓verybody was going crazy,鈥� he said, recalling the Canucks鈥� thrilling come-from-behind 5-4 win.

He said he was expecting another fun night on Sunday with his clients and friends.

Vancouver police spokeswoman Const. Tania Visintin said the department 鈥渄efinitely鈥� supported the idea of neighbourhood viewing areas.

She said Wednesday that 鈥渇amily-focused gatherings鈥� were 鈥渕ore conducive to maintaining public safety.鈥�

Robert Vestwick works in the office of the Oakridge Seventh-day Adventist Church, two blocks from the park.

He鈥檚 not worried about disruptions from the viewing party, since Seventh-day Adventist services are on Saturday, not Sunday.

The immigrant from Chile was wearing a Canucks jersey on Friday 鈥� 鈥渟ort of my new Canadian experience鈥� 鈥� and plans to go to the viewing party on Sunday.

After Wednesday鈥檚 game, in which the Canucks came back from 4-1 down, he has faith in the team. Vestwick watched it in a Denny鈥檚 restaurant, where he endured the mockery of some Oilers fans before the final period turnaround.

鈥淚f you believe in God, everything is possible,鈥� Vestwick said.

Nono Shen, The Canadian Press