Vancouver park board commissioner tells mayor and council to mind their own business

The emergency motion was introduced Monday evening by park board commissioner Laura Christensen Photo by Kyrani Kanavaros /Submitted

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By stepping into the decision-making process on much-needed community centre and park facility upgrades, Vancouver city council is overstepping its mandate and undermining the park board.

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That’s the gist of an emergency motion introduced Monday evening by park board commissioner Laura Christensen that ultimately passed by a narrow 4-3 vote.

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City council’s standing committee on finance and services met last week and approved a motion by Coun. Sarah Kirby-Yung that pushed for a bigger vision for Vancouver’s aging, undersized recreational facilities in the city’s four-year capital plan for 2027-2030.

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“For too long, critical investments in core infrastructure and community facilities have not kept pace with the needs of a growing city, contributing to mounting infrastructure pressures and service gaps now facing residents,” said Kirby-Yung’s motion.

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It said the city hasn’t built an indoor public pool since 2011 and the number of ice rinks in Vancouver hasn’t increased since 1976, while other municipalities have moved ahead with major new multi-use recreation facilities. It urges council to approve upgrades, renovations and construction of new facilities including community centres, parks, spray parks and pools.

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Christensen argues all of that is the park board’s job, and the motion urged the city to leave park commissioners and staff to set priorities.

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“It is unprecedented that council has directed allocation of funding for assets under park board jurisdiction prior to and without park board’s approval,” the motion claims.

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It calls for $20,000 to retain a lawyer to determine the park board’s jurisdiction under the long-standing Vancouver Charter, which gives the park board “exclusive possession of, and exclusive jurisdiction and control of all areas designated as permanent public parks and temporary public parks.”

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Commissioners Jas Virdi and Angela Haer questioned whether the motion would jeopardize Mayor Ken Sim’s recent commitment to give $400 million to upgrade five of the city’s community centres.

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“I hope you’re not making this political,” said Haer.

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Christensen countered that it was a question of “equity” and continuing to focus on the plans developed over many years by the park board and staff — rather than allowing council to steer the ship without following the guidance of the park board, possibly for political reasons rather than strategic ones.

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“I think that this is exactly park board doing its job by following its plans and strategies and not allowing city council to step in and direct where funding is going,” said Christensen.

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While “appreciative” of the $400 million commitment, Christensen pointed out that it should be the park board that directs how it’s spent, based on community input.

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Commissioner Brennan Bastyovanszky agreed the motion reasserts the park board’s role as a “check and balance” against political interference from council in how parks are run.

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Bastyovanszky and Christensen were joined by commissioners Tom Digby and Scott Jensen voting in favour of the motion, while Virdi, Haer and commissioner Marie-Claire Howard opposed it. It passed on a 4-3 vote.

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