Vancouver would save $70M if park board dissolved, city report suggests
More parkland could be made permanent, fewer costly delays with simpler governance: transition working group
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 256 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 36 hectares 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 but did not engage in any planning for the proposed governance transitions with park board staff due to a directive issued by park board commissioners.
Sim, surrounded by some commissioners who support the transition, fellow councillors and representatives from the Musqueam and Squamish First Nations, was ebullient over the report and its findings.
"This is about more than just governance — it's about building a Vancouver that works better for everyone," Sim said at a news conference and in a news release.
"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 draft budget, which was just released.
It calls for a 4.5 per cent tax increase to cover increasing costs of service delivery plus another one per cent increase to, "address the historical deficit in funding for infrastructure renewal.". Council will begin deliberating on the 2025 budget on Dec. 3.
Speaking to Stephen Quinn, the host of CBC's The Early Edition 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 dingy level" — but the city has not provided it.
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.
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.
Following the news conference, Squamish Nation Council chair Khelsilem posted on X that the nation would analyze the transition report, but the province's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act and Vancouver's own UNDRIP action plan make it clear that any changes to the Vancouver Charter must involve consultation with nations.
"This process cannot be rushed," he wrote. "The Squamish Nation cannot support changes unless they align with UNDRIP principles and protect our title and rights."
On Thursday, the minister of housing and municipal affairs, Ravi Kahlon, said in a statement from his office that he had received the City of Vancouver's Park Board transitions report and was reviewing it.
"We have been that clear our top priority will be to deliver on the priorities of British Columbians. That includes the costs of daily life, strengthening health care and building safe communities in a strong economy."
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With files from The Early Edition