Question 1

Question 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?

Stephen MENON (200) – Renfrew Park. I would plant a grove of shade trees.

Renfrew Collingwood is one of the neighbourhoods where Vancouver’s Treecanopy is the thinnest. It is also where the Rupert and Renfrew Station Area Plan will bring thousands of new neighbours. Renfrew Park Community Centre ranked second for renewal needs in the Park Board’s own 2022 Community Centre Strategy. It still has no committed construction date.

My one change would be a grove of shade trees along the park’s most exposed paths and gathering spots. It would come with a commitment that most tree announcements skip: five years of watering, mulching and formative pruning. The first five years decide whether a young tree survives.

It’s a small change, but it says what I think the Park Board should be doing: improving our tree canopy in places that are being impacted due to resident growth and caring for what we plant after the photo op.

Leonard VANDERSTAR (202) – Stop the tree extraction/felling within Stanley Park with the exception of trees determined to be of imminent risk to life or assets using provincially certified danger tree assessment methods. Restore and promote forest canopy with tree species composition that reflect the Coastal Western Hemlock biogeoclimatic zone.

Tamiko SUZUKI (206) – I would hesitate to choose just one park as a new Commissioner, especially when there are several parks I would like to see improved! Rather than prioritize one park over another, I would focus on improving washroom access throughout Vancouver’s park system.

Currently, some washrooms remain locked because of maintenance issues, as has been the case at Nelson Park, while others close in the evening even when people are still using the parks. Clean, accessible washrooms are essential public amenities. They make parks more welcoming and usable for families, seniors, people with disabilities, and anyone spending extended time outdoors. For parks without washroom facilities, providing well-maintained portable toilets would be a practical first step while more permanent solutions are explored. Our parks should be welcoming and accessible to everyone, and that includes ensuring people can access clean, well-maintained washrooms when they need them.

Summit AMBEAULT-WANNAMAKER (210) – I’d choose Memorial South Park, and immediately work to improve its accessibility. I’d want to identify the largest barriers to entry, such as public washrooms, walkways, seating, and start addressing them. Small changes tend to make the most substantial changes for seniors, children, and residents alike.

Shayla BIRD (211) – I would choose Strathcona Park and immediately find a temporary solution to restore recreational court space while the community waits for the permanent tennis courts to reopen.

The four tennis courts at Strathcona Park have been closed since 2022 after the collapse of aging sewer infrastructure beneath them. Years later, they remain listed as temporarily closed. For a neighbourhood that relies heavily on its public spaces and recreational amenities, that is simply too long to go without an accessible, free place to play.

This is why the Vancouver Liberals’ are committing to a historic $1.35-billion investment in parks, recreation and pools because this infrastructure is not optional and significant new investment in parks and recreation matters. We need to address aging infrastructure and build for the future, but we also need to be creative about what we can do right now for residents affected by long construction timelines.

As a Strathcona resident, this one is personal. Our neighbourhood deserves the same urgency, quality recreational spaces and investment as every other part of Vancouver.

Cam ROTHERY (213) – Prohibit further commercial logging in Stanley Park or any other Vancouver City Park areas. Make sure any logging that occurs is only for the removal of trees that have been deemed to be unsafe by inspectors who are only beholden to the City of Vancouver and the Vancouver Parks Board.

Tyler PETERSEN (214) – I would like to improve the lighting in Andy Livingstone Park – and many other parks. One thing that I have heard from folks, especially women and marginalized groups, is that they do not always feel safe in our parks after dark – lighting in one way to help change that.

OneCity Vancouver has a plan to ReLight Vancouver, by adding lighting along street corridors and within park spaces. I would like to see our spaces used to their fullest potential, and that requires infrastructure to help folks feel more secure and comfortable in utilizing them, any time of day or night.

Sacia BURTON (215) – I am glad that the work of Park Board Commissioners is (often) more comprehensive than tackling issues one park at a time! That said, I would propose a 24/7 operating system for the fifteen public washrooms in Stanley Park as a pilot for expanding 24/7 service to public washrooms across all city parks. People across the city deserve the dignity of reliably available public washrooms.

Breanne SMART (216) – Day one is all about pools. At our first meeting of the Park Board in November, it’s expected that a staff report on the suitability of Kensington and Hastings as locations for a 50m pool will be reviewed. Our goal as Greens is to have a 50m pool in East Vancouver, a very underserved area in our city for aquatics.

John IRWIN (217) – I would choose a modest neighbourhood park that lacks proper washrooms and direct staff to explore how to install reasonably-costed washroom facilities there. Over the 2018-2022 term that I served on the Park Board, we passed a washroom strategy. It needs to be carried out. At the doors during this election we heard many times that not having adequate washroom facilities means that some seniors may choose to not go to the park, as they often require washrooms more often. This is also often a gender issue as women, especially for pregnant women, often have to relieve themselves more frequently. As a younger stay-at-home father, I was often troubled by the fact that many of our parks do not have change tables, and the lack of washrooms meant that you could not properly wash your hands after the inevitable diaper change.

Amanda BAINS (221) – 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.

Tom DIGBY (222) – The first order of business when the Park Board returns in November is whether to recommend a new 50 m swimming pool at Hastings community centre or at Kensington community center. Both sites are top priorities for renewal, and we need to develop a consensus on which would be best for a swimming facility.

While the green party is primarily focused on enhancing the urban ecosystem, we are long time leaders at the Park Board and we also know that facilities like pools, ice rinks and community centres are incredibly important to the public. We are happy to lead the discussion on the best infrastructure investment for the greatest public benefit.

Michael Robert CADITZ (226) – Prohibit further logging in Stanley Park and declare that only individual trees determined to be imminently dangerous using provincially certified methods can be removed.

Tricia BARKER (229) – I would increase the accessibility and cleanliness of the bathrooms along Spanish Banks. There are a great many seniors that walk in that area (as do I) and we often comment about how the bathrooms there are a complete mess. Many seniors will not go out for a walk if there is no public bathroom or if the bathroom is not clean and has not been updated to accommodate accessibility issues.

Dominic DENOFRIO (230) – I first became interested in running for Park Board after one of the riverside boardwalks at Fraser River Park was damaged, left to deteriorate over 3 years, and then removed rather than being repaired. I would restore the boardwalk in Fraser River Park, which I feel is representative of a lack of attention to basic maintenance in our parks, especially in South Vancouver.

Niknaz ALEMI (231) – We already have years of research, public engagement and adopted strategies; my job as commissioner is to use them, update them where necessary, and actually implement them. I’d start with VanPlay’s Equity Initiative Zones, which were created to identify where Vancouver has the greatest gaps in access to parks, recreation and nature. I would choose a park in one of those underserved areas, such as southeast Vancouver, and prioritize increasing tree canopy and creating more accessible, welcoming green space. To me, day one should be about using the research and community input we already have and directing resources where they are needed most.

Wah GEE (233) – I would choose New Brighton Park in Hastings-Sunrise and add more accessible, shaded seating near the waterfront.

As a Hastings-Sunrise resident, I value New Brighton as a place where neighbours can walk, swim, play, picnic and enjoy the waterfront. I want people of all ages and abilities to feel comfortable spending time there.

More shade and accessible places to rest would especially benefit seniors, people with disabilities and families with young children.

It’s a small, practical change that would make a much-loved neighbourhood park more welcoming and accessible.