Vancouver Park Board dissolution still up in the air

In December 2023, Vancouver City Council voted in favour of asking the province to amend the city’s charter and abolish the elected Park Board.

A year later, not much has changed and the board is still business as usual.

Steps have been taken toward the dissolution, including two of the three local First Nations signing off on the agreement in February.

In March, Premier David Eby said he is also in favour of putting the Park Board’s duties under city council’s umbrella but said he is not in a rush to push the transition forward.

“While the Park Board is front of mind for a handful of people in Vancouver, this is not necessarily the number one priority for the provincial government of British Columbia,” he said.

An election in October cut a fall sitting of the legislature, pushing talks of amending the charter into 2025.

Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim had been quiet on the transition until a press conference in November during which he announced he and his Park Board transition team had come up with two recommendations on how the city can take over the board’s duties. Those included creating a dedicated council subcommittee for parks and recreation and a community partner relations office.

So will 2025 be the year the board is dissolved? Sim sure hopes so, as he says the move will save the city more than $70 million over 10 years.

“Make no mistake about it, this transition isn’t just about governance,” he said.

“It’s about unlocking opportunities to save, to improve, and to invest by streamlining services, cutting duplication, and eliminating unnecessary red tape.”