Vancouver’s Bloedel Conservatory operating hours draw criticism

The operating hours for a Vancouver landmark are drawing criticism from someone who helped save it from closing over 10 years ago.

The Bloedel Conservatory in Queen Elizabeth Park has shortened its operating hours, closing at 6 p.m. every day instead of 8:30 p.m. as it had in previous years.

John Coupar, a former three-term Vancouver park board commissioner, says he doesn’t understand why the facility isn’t open for longer during the summer months.

“I was up there on Friday having dinner and came outside and a lot of people in the plaza, a lot of people in the park, and low and behold, the conservatory was closed,” he told CityNews. “Community centres are open, libraries are open late. This is a civic facility, it should be treated like the others.”

John Coupar speaking with CityNews in 2022. (CityNews image)

Coupar has a special connection to the facility, as his father was its first director when it opened in the 1960s. In 2009, he was instrumental in securing capital funding to refurbish the conservatory, saving it from closure.

“I think Vancouverites really rallied for the conservatory and really wanted to see it improved and saved and that was done,” he said.

In a statement to CityNews, Ema Tanaka, the garden director for Bloedel, says the operating hours for the conservatory are, “Determined annually by staff in the fourth quarter, guided by data-driven decisions that consider demand and historical visitation patterns.”

“The current hours are similar to many other local attractions, striking a balance between providing public access and ensuring operational efficiency. For comparison, the Vancouver Aquarium operates from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm, the UBC Botanical Garden from 10 am to 4:30 pm, Science World from 10 am to 5 pm, and Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm,” the statement said.

“As part of our annual review process, we will continue to analyze demand and data to optimize our operating hours.”

However, Coupar doesn’t think that process provides accurate enough information to determine what the conservatory’s hours should be.

“It doesn’t make any sense. We’ve got 55 years of history. To say that a year ago just coming out of the pandemic that it wasn’t that great, it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you don’t have it open, people are not going to be able to get in there,” he said.

Proof of traditional Summer hours for @BloedelConservatory Now cut to 6pm daily let @ParkBoard Commissioners know this can’t stand pbcommissioner@vancouver.ca pic.twitter.com/PrU65AgUaf

— John Coupar (@JohnCCoupar) July 30, 2023

The former politician says the whole situation is another example of Vancouver being a “no fun city.”

“We have more population coming into the city. People are always looking for things to do as families. It’s one of the few things low-cost family events you can do in Vancouver. It’s also very close to transit. It’s walkable, it’s bikeable,” he said.

“We have a mayor that came out and said he wanted to bring the fun back, wanted to bring the swagger back, wanted to have fun with families. Let’s see that happen.”

With files from Martin MacMahon