Pools, fireworks, polar bear swims at risk as Vancouver Park Board motions for a lesser share of Sim’s ‘Zero Means Zero’ cuts

The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation has filed an official response to Mayor Ken Sim’s steep budget reductions for 2026.

Last month, city council approved Sim’s ‘Zero Means Zero’ motion, designed to freeze property taxes from increasing at all next year.

With the motion, the city’s operating budget is expected to reduce by $120 million. The Park Board says it’s responsible for $15 million of that reduction.

The board’s written response to the city says, in 2025, its operating budget represented 7.9 per cent of the city’s budget, but it’s now being asked to absorb 12.5 per cent of the target reduction.

Commissioner Brennan Bastyovanszky tells 1130 NewsRadio that if the board makes those kinds of cuts, it would mean a slew of popular events would likely have to be eliminated.

“The mayor talked about making Vancouver a ‘fun’ place, and then is trying to take away the funding for all the things that people enjoy in the city,” said Bastyovanszky.

He says the ‘Zero Means Zero’ goal is “completely irreconcilable” with Sim’s goal to not reduce frontline services.

“These cuts are directly going to impact frontline services. I mean, we may not even have clean bathrooms during the FIFA World Cup. That’s the scenario that we’re looking at.”

Bastyovanszky warns the cuts at the current rate could also mean reducing hours for — or outright closing — community centres or public pools, scrapping park development, and the end to city fireworks shows, Symphony at Sunset, Polar Bear swims and more.

The board’s motion to city council pleads the case for a more modest, proportional share of the reduction.

“The Park Board requests that City Council reduce the 2026 budget reduction target assigned to the Park Board to reflect the Park Board’s share of the municipal tax base and thereby be limited to 8% of the total target, or about $9.6 million of the $120 million target,” it says.

The Park Board is also requesting a meeting with the mayor and city manager to “maintain equitable” budget targets.

Sim, meanwhile, has been working for years to dissolve the Park Board.

In December 2023, city council passed a motion asking the provincial government to help transition Park Board responsibilities to the council.

Last month, the province declared that amending the Vancouver Charter to do so would only be possible “upon obtaining electoral support” through a citywide referendum.