1. It’s day one on the job… and to start your work with the Park Board, you are invited to make one change in one park – which park do you pick, and what do you do?
I would choose CRAB Park at Portside and install a clean, accessible public washroom that remains open around the clock and is supported by dependable frontline staffing.
As a Gastown resident, I see every day how the shortage of basic public amenities affects residents, families, visitors and vulnerable people. A public washroom is not glamorous, but it is essential infrastructure. It would make the park cleaner, safer and more welcoming while restoring dignity to people who currently have nowhere else to go.
This reflects the Vancouver Liberals’ commitment to build more public washrooms and invest in frontline workers who can properly maintain our parks and public spaces.
2. In your opinion, how well is the delivery of parks and public spaces aligned with the type of growth and change taking place in Vancouver’s neighbourhoods?
It is not keeping pace. Vancouver continues to add residents and density, but many neighbourhoods are still relying on aging community centres, overcrowded fields, limited aquatic facilities and parks designed for a much smaller population.
Parks and recreation infrastructure must be planned alongside housing rather than years after new residents arrive. Every major neighbourhood plan should include an assessment of park space, recreation capacity, childcare, public washrooms, tree canopy and accessibility.
The Vancouver Liberals are proposing a historic $1.35-billion investment in parks, recreation and pools because this infrastructure is not optional. It is essential to public health, community safety and quality of life.
3. Heavier rains, more intense heat, and wildfire smoke are all being described as part of a “new normal” tied to climate change. Should Vancouver’s parks and recreation facilities play a part in supporting climate resilience or climate adaptation? If yes, how?
Yes. Parks and recreation facilities should be central to Vancouver’s climate-resilience strategy.
We should expand the urban tree canopy, especially in neighbourhoods with limited shade; introduce more drought-resistant and Indigenous plantings; improve soil and stormwater management; protect wetlands and natural shorelines; and use park infrastructure to reduce flooding during severe rain events.
Community centres should also serve as clean-air and cooling centres during heat waves and periods of wildfire smoke. That requires reliable air filtration, cooling, drinking-water stations, backup power and clear public communication.
Climate adaptation must also be built into every major renewal project so that the facilities we construct today remain useful and resilient for decades.
4. The Park Board (and City) is under increasing pressure to find new ways to finance park upgrades, deliver new parks, and cover other capital and operational costs. How do you propose financing your priorities in the context of the broader City budgeting process?
The first step is restoring disciplined financial management and putting frontline services ahead of unnecessary administrative spending.
The Vancouver Liberals will cancel the proposed $800-million second City Hall project and redirect municipal resources toward priorities people actually use, including parks, pools, community centres and public washrooms. We are also committed to a $1.35-billion investment in parks and recreation infrastructure.
I would support transparent, publicly available capital plans; independent oversight of major projects; realistic cost estimates; and regular reporting on whether projects remain on schedule and on budget. We should aggressively pursue provincial and federal infrastructure and climate-resilience funding and coordinate Park Board projects with the City’s capital plan to avoid duplication.
Partnerships and community contributions may supplement public funding, but they should never result in the privatization or commercial takeover of public parks. Core park and recreation services remain a public responsibility.
5. Vancouver is a city with a very diverse population with lots of different cultures calling this place home. Should the Park Board be doing more to respond to the needs of different cultural user groups? If yes, what sorts of changes to Park Board processes or practices would you envision?
Yes. Vancouver’s diversity should be visible not only in who uses our parks, but also in how programs and public spaces are designed.
Consultations should be offered in multiple languages and held in neighbourhood locations at accessible times. The Park Board should build sustained relationships with cultural organizations instead of asking communities for input only after major decisions have effectively been made.
Programming should better reflect Vancouver’s communities through culturally relevant recreation, festivals, food, arts, seniors’ activities and family programming. Facility bookings and permit processes should be simple, affordable and transparent so smaller cultural organizations can access public spaces—not only groups with professional grant writers or established City Hall connections.
The Park Board’s staff, advisory committees and leadership should also reflect the communities they serve.
6. We have to ask: are you planning – secretly, overtly, or otherwise – to abolish or reform the Park Board? If yes, what are you intending to do? In general, what’s your vision for Park Board governance?
I am not running to abolish the Park Board. I am running to rebuild and strengthen it.
The Vancouver Liberals support retaining an independent, democratically elected Park Board with stable funding, clearly defined responsibilities and the authority to protect Vancouver’s parks and recreation system.
Reform should mean better governance—not eliminating democratic accountability. I support stronger financial oversight, transparent capital planning, measurable service standards, improved coordination with City Council and clearer public reporting. Residents should be able to see how decisions are made, how money is spent and whether promised projects are actually being delivered.
Major structural changes to the Park Board should never be imposed without meaningful public consultation and democratic consent.
7. In recent years, the Park Board has taken steps towards reconciliation, decolo
Yes. Vancouver is located on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations, and this relationship must be reflected in how land and water are cared for.
I would continue moving from consultation toward genuine partnership and co-management. MST Nations should be involved early in decisions concerning ecologically or culturally significant sites—not approached only after plans have already been developed.
This work should include incorporating Indigenous knowledge into ecological restoration, supporting Indigenous place names and language, expanding opportunities for Indigenous cultural programming and stewardship, and establishing clear agreements with the Nations concerning governance, decision-making and long-term land care.
Reconciliation must be reflected in budgets, policies and decision-making authority, not only acknowledgements and ceremonies.
8. What, if anything, do you think the Park Board should do to support/facilitate community activation and stewardship of park spaces and facilities?
The Park Board should make it easier and less expensive for residents, neighbourhood organizations, cultural groups and local artists to bring public spaces to life.
I support simplifying permits, publishing clear service standards, offering small activation grants and creating a single point of contact for community organizers. We should reduce unnecessary costs that prevent neighbourhood festivals and cultural events from proceeding, while maintaining reasonable safety and accessibility requirements.
The Board can also expand adopt-a-park programs, community gardens, volunteer restoration projects and partnerships with community-centre associations. Stewardship programs must include proper training and support—they should complement unionized frontline workers, not replace them.
Public spaces are cared for best when residents feel that they belong there and have a meaningful role in shaping them.
9. We are living in a period of both increasing polarization and increasing social isolation. Should the Parks Board be doing more to respond to these issues? If yes, what do you propose?
Yes. Parks and community centres are among the few places where people from different backgrounds, income levels and generations can meet without being expected to spend money.
We should provide more affordable and free programming, including youth recreation, seniors’ activities, arts and cultural events, community meals, walking groups and accessible sports. Community centres should have welcoming common spaces where people can gather informally, not only rooms that require a paid booking.
The Vancouver Liberals believe investments in parks and community spaces contribute to a safer city. Well-used, properly maintained public spaces encourage connection, strengthen trust between neighbours and reduce isolation.
The Park Board cannot solve polarization on its own, but it can ensure that Vancouver continues to have inclusive places where people encounter one another as neighbours rather than strangers.