Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation at Risk of Closure

Photo Credit: Global News

In December of 2023, mayor Ken Sim proposed the idea of dissolving the Vancouver Parks Board midterm and transferring its responsibilities to the city council. The Parks Board was opposed to this idea and pushed back with legal action.

The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation began in 1888 to oversee Stanley Park. It operates with the goal of providing, preserving, and advocating for park and recreational services for all people, communities, and the environment. Along with 250 parks and beaches, they oversee a variety of amenities like fitness centers, golf courses, and more. Vancouver’s Parks Board is unique in that it is the only one in Canada that is voted democratically, and they have held exclusive control over Vancouver’s recreational spaces for nearly 140 years.

Sim’s plan to formally close the Vancouver Parks Board and transfer the responsibilities to the city council cannot be enacted until permission from the provincial government is granted. This is attributed to the Vancouver Charter, a provincial statute that regulates the City of Vancouver, including the Parks Board. 

Sim’s reasoning for discontinuing the Parks Board is based on parks and recreational centers not being maintained to a high enough standard. The loss of natural aspects in parks have been highlighted, as Sim told the CBC that “one in four trees are dead in Stanley Park.”

In addition, he says that the Parks Board is very expensive. "This change is about managing these spaces more effectively, not about compromising them," Sim affirmed in a release. In a video shared through instagram, Sim claimed that “by not having an expected park board, we’ll save millions of dollars a year.”

While Sim’s idea may be gaining support, the Vancouver Parks Board has pushed back in response to his proposal. After seeking legal advice from lawyer Elliot Holzman, the board concluded that “a move to abolish the board midterm could violate the Constitution of Canada and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms,” according to the Vancouver Sun. Additionally, in September, Park Board Chair Brennan Bastyovanszky made a motion to preserve the existence of the board. The majority of the commissioners voted in favour and passed said motion. 

Although BC Premier David Eby expressed support for the plan, he has stated that he will not act upon it until after the fall election. Vancouver citizens will have to wait for a final verdict on the fate of the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation.