Question 3

Question 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?

Stephen MENON (200) – Yes. Parks are already one of Vancouver’s most important components of climate infrastructure. We just do not treat or manage them with this level of importance

Heat: The 2021 heat dome was the deadliest climate event in Canadian history. It hit hardest in low canopy neighbourhoods, mostly in East and South Vancouver. We are at about 25% canopy, with a target of 30% by 2050. We will not get there by planting harder alone, we will get there by keeping trees alive. That means more in house urban forestry capacity: a municipal arborist apprenticeship, making the case for forty arborists over our term, and a published pruning cycle.

Cooling and clean air: Community centres should be designed and staffed as reliable cooling and clean-air spaces during heat and smoke events. Add more drinking fountains, splash pads and shade structures where canopy will take years to grow.

Rain: Parks and tree pits can absorb stormwater instead of shedding it to the sewer. That means rain gardens, permeable surfaces, and structural soil in tree pits wherever we open the ground

Wildfire and storms: Fuel management in forested parks and pest surveillance are maintenance jobs. So is storm response; In house crews are the only capacity the City controls when every contractor is booked the same morning.

Cleaner operations: Switch to battery electric equipment wherever it’s ready. It’s quieter for neighbours and cuts local emissions.

Leonard VANDERSTAR (202) – Most definitely! Forest canopy cover is an essential part of temperature modification, along with carbon sequestration and storage, hydrological integrity and wildfire prevention. We will establish the Green Canopy Office of which I will be directly involved with given my professional background in forest ecology. The Green Canopy Office will be a panel of experts that will assist the Park Board in directing City staff in forest/tree management within Vancouver’s parks.

Tamiko SUZUKI (206) – Our urban tree canopy is crucial for cooling neighbourhoods, providing shade during heat domes, and helping filter airborne pollutants. As extreme heat and wildfire smoke become more frequent concerns, trees and green spaces are essential to protecting public health.

Vancouver’s Urban Forest Strategy aims for 30% tree canopy coverage by 2050. However, a city-wide average can hide significant differences between neighbourhoods. Areas with abundant trees can raise the overall average while other communities remain exposed to excessive heat. We need to prioritize tree planting in neighbourhoods with the least canopy and work toward equitable tree coverage in every neighbourhood, so all residents can benefit from shade and cooling. We should also replace the thousands of trees lost to drought stress, disease, or old age. Many vacant tree pits are already visible across the city. With adequate staffing, equipment, and funding for planting, watering, and monitoring, we can restore this lost canopy and give new trees the support they need to survive.

With heavier rainfall and atmospheric rivers placing increasing pressure on our drainage and sewer systems, we also need more natural rainwater catchment areas, rain gardens, and swales to absorb stormwater and reduce flooding. Planting native and drought-tolerant species will help our green spaces adapt to changing weather patterns while supporting biodiversity.

Our community centres are equally important to climate resilience. They can provide cooling and warming spaces during extreme weather and clean, filtered air during wildfire smoke events. This makes it especially important to maintain, renovate, and replace aging recreation facilities in historically underserved neighbourhoods.

Climate resilience must be built into how we plan, fund, and maintain our parks and recreation facilities. Investing in trees, natural water management, and well-maintained community centres will help protect public health, reduce climate risks, and ensure that all Vancouver residents have access to safe, healthy spaces as our climate changes.

Summit AMBEAULT-WANNAMAKER (210) – Every year, the climate crisis continues to have damaging impacts on the community; whether that be an extreme heat event, the blanketing of the city in smoke, or even higher tides. The Vancouver Park Board has one of the most important roles to play in these realities.

First and foremost, myself and Vote Vancouver are committed to maintaining the 30% urban canopy cover goal, while tracking and maintaining mature and immature plantings. An effort like this assists in cooling our streets and creating healthier, more resilient communities.

Furthermore, with Vancouver Community Centres on the dawn of mass revitalization, the Vancouver park board needs to lead in sustainable building techniques. That means constructing community centres that are energy efficient, using regenerative materials, resistant to extreme weather, and built for long term use.

On that note, our community centres must operate on longer hours during extreme events, including but not limited to wildfire smoke, atmospheric rivers, and extreme heat.

Ultimately, I have seen the impacts of climate change firsthand and understand the urgency or public spaces in emergency scenarios.

Shayla BIRD (211) – Absolutely. Parks are not only places for recreation; they are important pieces of Vancouver’s climate infrastructure.

We should continue increasing tree canopy and shade, protecting biodiversity, improving drainage and stormwater management, and incorporating climate-resilient landscaping into park renewal. The Vancouver Liberals’ proposed Parks and Recreation Capital Plan includes $50 million for biodiversity restoration.

Our community centres also have an important role to play. During extreme heat and wildfire smoke, residents need accessible places where they can cool down, breathe clean air, access water and safely spend time indoors.

Climate adaptation should also be approached through an equity lens. Neighbourhoods with fewer trees, less green space or older facilities should not have to wait the longest for investment. Resilience means ensuring every neighbourhood is prepared for the climate realities Vancouver is already experiencing.

Cam ROTHERY (213) – We must protect and expand the level of green canopy in Vancouver. We will establish the Green Canopy Office, a panel of experts from which City staff will be required to receive permission before removing trees. Furthermore, during events like heat domes or smoke causing unsafe levels of toxins in the air, community centers play a central role in providing refuge to citizens. Especially the most vulnerable, such as the elderly and or those facing housing insecurity.

Tyler PETERSEN (214) – Yes, absolutely. Community centres and indoor pools should have adequate cooling and air filtration during heat waves and smoke brought on by forest fires. Air filtration has other benefits as well, reducing the spread of influenza and creating safer spaces for people to enjoy. Community centres, especially, serve as hubs for refuge in severe weather events – a process that should continue.

We have a plan to increase the tree canopy target to 40%, by updating the Urban Forest Strategy to expand access to leafy streets and the accompanying ecological resiliency. We also need to expedite the planting of other resilient species, especially urban meadows through our plan to ReWild Vancouver. Taken together, these plans will help to keep residents cooler in hotter weather, slowing/reducing water runoff, and preventing soil erosion.

Sacia BURTON (215) – It is crucial that the incoming local government takes climate mitigation seriously. In the community centers, rinks, pools, and fieldhouses that Park Board jointly operates, there are both opportunities and responsibilities to ensure heating and cooling is done without fossil fuels; that low-carbon options are prioritized for repairs and construction projects; and that alternative energy production projects (such as the solar panels on Creekside Community Center’s roof) are explored and expedited.

Spaces managed by Park Board, particularly parks and community centers, are often the last bastion of refuge during unsafe conditions. To ensure public safety and well-being, community centers should be adequately equipped to act as cooling and warming centers, have staff on hand to connect people to additional community resources, and offer extended hours during times when it is unsafe to be outdoors for prolonged periods.

The city has begun to invest in flood mitigation projects, including the St. George Rainway and in several parks (such as Slocan, Falaise, and Beaconsfield). It is crucial that progress towards better rainwater infrastructure continues in the years to come, including exploring ways to retain groundwater for expanding and retaining a healthy urban tree canopy.

Finally, it is high time for Park Board to implement “too hot to work” protections, particularly for employees and contractors who primarily work outdoors. While steps can and should be taken to offer reprieve in conditions where altered duties may be possible, it is also worth exploring the availability of paid climate leave for outdoor workers and contractors to protect their wellbeing and job security.

Breanne SMART (216) – Yes, our parks and recreation facilities should be used as part of preventative tools to combat changing climate. We know that they are vital as reactionary tools, for example, during heat waves as cooling centres. What we need to focus on as a Park Board is ensuring that we are proactive as we renovate and build new community centres. A good example is the relationship between swimming pools and ice rinks. Pools can use the heat captured from cooling rinks down as an energy source.

Another incredibly effective way to reduce our emissions in Park Board facilities is to increase the access to plant-based food options. Animal agriculture is one of the leading causes of climate change and by adopting the Plant Based Treaty and adding a mandate for plant-based food at community centres, we can greatly reduce the impact these centres have.

John IRWIN (217) – Sadly, this is the new reality, we need to mitigate emissions by electrifying the Park Board fleet to help the shift to a sustainable operation. Since 2018 the Park Board has had their community centres step in as cooling centres, we have to maintain and upgrade this capacity by installing heat pumps and other cooling systems. These systems need to also have air filtering to allow people to seek refuge when the smoke from forest fires is rated as extremely high, or moderate. The Park Board should also continue to open community centres as shelters for unhoused residents during heavy rainstorm events, as well as during cold weather.

Amanda BAINS (221) – 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.

Tom DIGBY (222) – Yes. The city needs more trees for health and climate resilience. The Greens support enhanced planting, pruning and stump removal across the city.

Recreation facilities and libraries need to install high quality air filtration and control for our fire stoked summers, to give residents a place of refuge. This is a very expensive undertaking and will take years to implement.

Michael Robert CADITZ (226) – We must protect the green canopy. We will establish the Green Canopy Office, a panel of experts from which City staff will be required to receive permission before removing trees.

Tricia BARKER (229) – We have to be aware of all these climate changes. The Park Board can and should work with experts in these fields to present the best way forward.

Dominic DENOFRIO (230) – Absolutely! One of the best ways we can use our recreation facilities in times of extreme weather, particularly intense heat waves, is to use them as neighbourhood cooling centres. A portion of our community centres already operate as cooling centres during heat waves, but I believe we should ensure all of our community centres and recreation facilities are equipped to operate this way. Park Board should also be prioritizing a more equitable distribution of the city’s street tree canopy across all neighbourhoods, to provide additional shade and cooler temperatures during extreme heat events.

Niknaz ALEMI (231) – Absolutely. My academic and professional background is in climate change, and I have had the opportunity to work in different countries and communities on climate adaptation and resilience. So this is something I take very seriously. I strongly believe in evidence based, science backed solutions to urban challenges, and parks are actually one of the most important tools we have for climate adaptation.

In Vancouver, that means protecting and expanding our urban tree canopy, especially in neighbourhoods experiencing more extreme heat, using rain gardens and other green infrastructure to help manage heavy rainfall, planting more climate resilient vegetation, protecting biodiversity and natural ecosystems, and making sure community and recreation facilities can provide safe spaces during extreme heat or wildfire smoke.

The good thing is that we don’t need to start from scratch. Vancouver has already done a lot of this research through its Climate Change Adaptation Strategy, Rain City Strategy and Urban Forest Strategy, and VanPlay specifically calls for our parks and recreation system to adapt to a changing climate. I would like to see us use that research and bring these plans together, treating our parks as essential climate infrastructure that protects both people and nature.

Wah GEE (233) – Yes. Parks and community centres should help people stay safe during extreme heat, heavy rain and wildfire smoke.

I support TEAM’s plans to protect mature trees, plant more trees and improve infrastructure to cope with changing weather.

I would prioritize shade around playgrounds and seating areas, gardens and drainage that absorb rainfall, and suitable community centres where people can find cooling and cleaner indoor air. We also need staff and funding to keep these services running, especially in neighbourhoods where residents have fewer options for relief.