Motion to save Vancouver Park Board approved by commissioners

The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation passed a motion to preserve its own existence Monday.

In December of 2023, Vancouver city council approved a motion asking the provincial government to dissolve the Park Board and shift its responsibilities to the council.

In January of 2024, Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim said the change was long overdue.

He said the elected 135-year-old Park Board has done “amazing work” and adds the transition has “nothing to do with the people or the love and care that they — the elected Park Board — show, we are talking about a broken city.”

“This move will bring Parks and Recreation under the direct oversight of city council. This aligns the management structure for our parks and recreation with how it’s done in literally every single city in Canada, and with the exception of Minneapolis, every single city in North America,” Sim said.

Park Board Chair Brennan Bastyovanszky introduced a motion opposing Mayor Ken Sim’s move Monday night.

After listening to over a dozen speakers, commissioners carried the motion. Only Commissioner Jas Virdi voted to oppose.

The motion resolved that “the Park Board remains a democratically elected board, directly accountable to the people of Vancouver for a future vision for parks and recreation that is sustainable and inclusive.”

Other resolutions include:

• To work in partnership with the City of Vancouver for a new funding formula;
• To Improve facilities maintenance and operations management structure;
• To develop a new mandate for transparency with First Nations, the City of Vancouver, community centre associations, park partners, the province, the federal government, and the public;
• To make a strong commitment to reconciliation and decolonization by working with First Nations.

Broad public consultation, the board says, will help design and implement a “revitalized mandate” for an elected Park Board by October 2026.