Vancouver Park Board meeting over Stanley Park bike lanes ends in bedlam

A heated Vancouver Park Board meeting over the future of vehicle traffic in Stanley Park was stopped early after the chair said members did not feel safe.

The meeting was pushed back to Tuesday after only the third public speaker, despite the fact 44 individuals were set to speak Monday night.

The board was given a presentation on the current state of the Stanley Park Mobility Study which was followed by a series of registered speakers.

Over the course of the meeting, Committee Chair Camil Dumont had to sternly remind both speakers and commissioners to stay on topic.

Things came to a grinding halt when the third speaker, local lawyer Phil Rankin, told the commissioners “we’ve lost faith with this board, we think it’s ideologically driven … your staff is ideological.”

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Dumont responded to the accusations by recessing the meeting in an effort to maintain order.

When the meeting restarted a flustered Dumont told the room he felt targeted by the comments.

“I am feeling that this is a threat to me,” he explained.

After one last attempt to recess for calm, the decision was made to postpone the conversation.

“Currently we have members on our staff team and also commissioners who feel threatened and do not feel safe with the energy in the room right now, ” said Dumont.

“There were comments attacking staff in regards to ideology in the statement we were just hearing … as a result we are going to recess,” he explained.

As Dumont attempted to finish his words, members of the gallery voiced their displeasure with the board, including one who cried out “you guys are a disgrace.”

In April 2020, changes were made to give cyclists and pedestrians more room within the popular park, with vehicle restrictions brought in and bike lanes set up.

A few months later, in June, the Park Board moved to reopen Stanley Park to vehicle traffic, though some lanes remained closed for bikes. That same month, staff were asked to look at “the long term feasibility of reducing motor vehicle traffic in Stanley Park, including but not restricted to, reducing roadways to single lanes while maintaining access to the park, while increasing accessibility for those with disabilities.”

As work was conducted, the Park Board voted in November 2021 to keep the temporary bike lane set up on Park Drive until the Stanley Park Mobility Study was completed and recommendations were put forward.

Some commissioners say businesses within the park have been hit hard by the separated lane, while others say a car-free park is more welcoming.

There are also many accessibility concerns, which the report looks at.

The report says public and stakeholder engagement is needed before any changes are made, with safety, accessibility, economic vitality, climate action, resilience, connectivity, and experience listed as the seven guiding principles.

The fourth speaker is set to speak at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

With files from Hana Mae Nassar and Dean Recksiedler