Our Work: 2025 By-Election Candidate Survey (Updated): Colleen HARDWICK (109) & Theodore ABBOTT (110)

Note: Colleen Hardwick and Theodore Abbott, who are both running as members of TEAM, submitted a joint response to the By-election Candidate Survey.

1. What is your favourite public space in the city – park, plaza, street, community centre, library, etc – and why?

2. In 2013, Vancouver declared itself a “City of Reconciliation”. More recently it approved its UNDRIP Strategy (2022). What role do you think public space should play regarding reconciliation?

3. If you could bring one new thing to the Council table on the topics of public safety and wellbeing in the Downtown Eastside, what would it be?

4. How important is the democratic function of public space to you? How would you ensure public spaces like parks and plazas are accessible and inclusive?

TEAM strongly supports an independent democratically elected Park Board that safeguards the parks and recreation system that is so important to public spaces.

5. What piece of public art do you like the most? How satisfied are you with the City’s approach to public art? Is there anything you would change?

Prioritize local artists for public art. Ensure art and design are incorporated into more open space to enhance culture.

6. There are lots of ways that public space planning can support climate-related objectives, including: protecting and planting street trees; initiatives to support walking, rolling and biking; and the restoration and enhancement of local ecosystems. How do climate matters align with your public space priorities?

7. The city’s shopping streets have been hard-hit in recent years – and face further threats under the current ‘tariff war’ with the US. What will you do to support our ‘main streets’ and shopping areas?

8. In May 2020, City Council approved a goal of transforming 11% of road space into “people friendly public space.” What are your thoughts on the implementation of this ‘road reallocation’ direction? Would you change anything?

9. The City is currently moving ahead with the dissolution of the elected Park Board. How do you think Vancouver’s parks should be governed and stewarded?

• Keeping our parks, beaches, and green spaces beautiful, serene and safe by expanding and improving maintenance, garbage pickup, and ecologically sound management, actively enforcing bylaws, and increasing the number of park rangers and lifeguards
• Ensuring access and safety across parks and facilities, including for the elderly, for the disabled and for families who need convenient vehicle access – such as restoring pre-COVID access to Stanley Park and Beach Avenue – while also allowing new alternative infrastructure for cycling and walking without impeding vehicles
• Assessing and planning for the impact of climate change on Vancouver’s parks and recreation system, including our beaches and seawalls, minimizing tree removal in Stanley Park through independent and documented individual tree assessments and risk analysis, and protecting and expanding the tree canopy across the city to provide shade and to support urban wildlife and ecology
• Advocating and planning for new parks and recreation facilities as our population grows, with the aim towards providing the ratio of 1.1 ha of parks per 1000 people, and ensuring the Park Board has independent planning, operations, equipment, and maintenance resources to do so
• Providing safe park spaces for off-leash dogs that are within walking distance in all neighbourhoods
• Supporting local community centre associations and their roles in the joint operation of community centre facilities

10. Creating, maintaining and programming public space takes resources. Does the City do enough to fund placemaking and public space initiatives? Is there anything you would do differently?