A new report from the City of Vancouver says it could save millions of dollars if the city’s park board is dissolved, and suggests more parkland could be made permanent under the city’s direct management.
Nearly one year ago, city council passed a motion asking the province to dissolve the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation, which oversees 250 parks and beaches in the city, along with community centres, pools, sports fields and other recreational services.
Those responsibilities would instead be transferred to the city, Mayor Ken Sim said.
On Thursday, the city’s Park Board Transition Working Group released its final report outlining the benefits of dissolving the park board, which has existed since 1888.
According to the report, the city would save $7 million per year for the next 10 years. It also says it would be able to designate 89 acres of permanent parkland under the city’s management. It says without the added layer of governance, the city would break down inefficiencies that lead to “costly delays.”
The working group’s recommendations and conclusions come after several months of surveys and meetings with stakeholders, it says. It also did an interjurisdictional review of city parks and recreation governance, the report says.
“This is about more than just governance — it’s about building a Vancouver that works better for everyone,” Sim said in a news release accompanying the report’s findings.
“By streamlining decision-making and eliminating inefficiencies, we’re creating a system that prioritizes what matters most: protecting and enhancing our cherished parks and recreational spaces.”
Park board commissioner Laura Christensen said she wonders if the park board’s planned dissolution is distracting from the 2025 budget, which was just released.
Speaking to CBC’s The Early Edition host Stephen Quinn before the release of the report Thursday morning, Christensen listed a number of tax hikes Sim has made since he became mayor.
Yet at the same time, she said, the park board has been asking for three years for $900,000 to improve janitorial services in park facilities — which, as she puts it, would bring the janitorial budget to a “moderately dingey level” — but the city has not provided it.
The Early Edition8:56Mayor Ken Sim will unveil his plan to dissolve the Vancouver Park board this morning
Mayor Sim says the plan will save the city $7 million dollars annually. We talk about what to expect from the announcement today with Park Board Commissioner, Laura Christensen.
Christensen said “it wouldn’t totally surprise” her if the park board was being starved for cash to make the case against the park board’s existence.
“I hope it’s not that intentional, because that would be really, really disappointing,” she said.
‘Unlikely’ transition would be priority, premier says
For the transition to happen, the province has to sign off on amendments to the Vancouver Charter.
CBC News has requested more information on this from the Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs.
During an all-candidates meeting in Kitsilano-Point Grey on Oct. 12, Premier David Eby said he has both good and bad feelings toward Vancouver’s park board.
He added that the city still has a lot to work out if it intends to make this change.
“It’s very unlikely this would be a priority for the province before the next municipal election,” he said.
The next municipal election is scheduled for 2026.