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 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.
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?
Not well. Vancouver’s population and density continue to grow, while more people are living in smaller homes with less personal space. This makes our recreation facilities and community centres—our vital “third spaces” beyond home and work—even more important for physical activity, social connection, and a sense of belonging.
Maintenance has not kept pace with increasing use, and inadequate funding has repeatedly delayed essential renovations, seismic upgrades, expanded childcare and seniors’ spaces, and the construction of new facilities. We cannot expect aging infrastructure to serve a growing population without sustained investment.
The 2022 Community Centre Strategy established an assessment and prioritization process, with community centres agreeing on a framework to guide the order of renovations and replacements. However, under ABC, that process was undermined by decisions that raised concerns about transparency and political influence. Renfrew Community Centre,
ranked second in the priority order, was dropped from the list while other centres ranked lower were moved ahead.
We need transparent, evidence-based decisions and a consistent commitment to agreed-upon priorities. A growing Vancouver needs properly maintained and accessible community centres, with long-term funding to renew aging facilities, expand services, and build new spaces where demand is greatest.
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?
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.
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?
City Councils have repeatedly underfunded the Park Board and disregarded its strategies and long-term plans. The current ABC Council’s decision to impose a 0% property tax increase has meant cuts to the Park Board budget, resulting in staff layoffs, cancelled programs, and increased parking and user fees. Maintenance is also being reduced, which risks shortening the lifespan of already aging facilities and increasing future repair costs.
A COPE Park Board would work with Council to ensure that our green spaces, recreation facilities, and the health and resilience of Vancouver residents remain priorities. We would also insist that developers be held accountable for commitments made when receiving development approvals, including providing childcare spaces, new parks, and recreation facilities. The Riverview district is still waiting for promised amenities, and Council must ensure that development commitments are fulfilled.
The Park Board and its staff developed a capital borrowing plan to address facilities rated “Poor” or “Very Poor” by the Auditor General, including needed renovations and replacements. The current reduced capital budget requested will not address all the outstanding needs and risks further delaying investment in neighbourhoods that are already underserved.
Our parks and recreation facilities are essential public infrastructure. We need stable funding, responsible long-term planning, and accountability from Council and developers to ensure that all Vancouver neighbourhoods have access to safe, well-maintained, and welcoming public spaces.
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?
To understand what different communities need, we must engage with people where they are, listen to their experiences, and work with them to develop programs that are meaningful and welcoming. This means communicating in different languages through online platforms, printed materials, and in-person outreach. It also means holding meetings at accessible locations and at different times so more people can participate.
We should continue building relationships with First Nations, including the Host Nations, as well as Vancouver’s large urban Indigenous population, respecting their knowledge, cultures, and leadership.
We also need to make Park Board processes more accessible. Permit applications should be simple and straightforward, particularly for smaller community organizations that may lack the time or resources to navigate complicated procedures.
Our public spaces should reflect the diversity of Vancouver and help people from different backgrounds connect, participate, and feel that they belong. By listening to communities and working with them, the Park Board can create programs and spaces that are more inclusive, relevant, and welcoming to everyone.
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?
Absolutely not. COPE believes in an independent, democratically elected Park Board — one where collaboration and clear communication with City Council are a given, staff and community members are heard, and Commissioners work together with mutual respect and a shared commitment to caring for Vancouver’s Public Commons.
Independence is not about working in isolation. It is about having the authority to make decisions in the best interests of our parks and recreation facilities, while working constructively with Council. It also means changing the financial relationship with Council so the Park Board is not so vulnerable to year-to-year budget decisions. Our parks and recreation facilities need stable, predictable funding so we can plan for the long term, address aging infrastructure, and meet the needs of a growing city.
7. In recent years, the Park Board has taken steps towards reconciliation, decolo
Yes absolutely, reconciliation is an ongoing process and I would continue this work. The Park Board should continue building trust with the Host Nations and Vancouver’s urban Indigenous communities. We need to move beyond colonial decision-making and token consultation toward genuine co-management, adequate funding, and shared decision-making authority.
This means joint planning and governance that prioritize native vegetation and traditional food plants, land restoration and stewardship, and access to spaces for ceremony. It also means funding opportunities to train Indigenous youth, employing Elders and Traditional Knowledge Keepers, restoring Indigenous place names, and expanding Indigenous cultural programs.
Reconciliation is an ongoing process of listening, learning, and sharing authority. For the Park Board, it is also an opportunity to bring Indigenous knowledge and different ways of understanding our relationship with the land into decision-making. This knowledge will be invaluable in caring for Vancouver’s natural spaces and building resilience as our climate changes.
8. What, if anything, do you think the Park Board should do to support/facilitate community activation and stewardship of park spaces and facilities?
When people feel connected to a park or public space, they are more likely to care for it and take an active role in its stewardship. The Park Board can encourage this involvement by making it easier for neighbourhood groups and small community organizations to participate. This could include offering small grants, simplifying permits and applications, and providing staff expertise, practical guidance, and ongoing support.
There are many ways to activate our public green spaces, including expanding community gardens, creating pollinator gardens with native plants, organizing invasive plant removal, and supporting community-led restoration and educational activities. The key is to make participation accessible rather than burying volunteers in bureaucracy and time-consuming applications. By supporting local initiatives and giving communities the tools to care for their own neighbourhood spaces, the Park Board can strengthen community connections, increase biodiversity, and foster a shared sense of responsibility for our public commons.
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. Social isolation is a very real problem in our society. We can help combat it by taking a break from our screens, meeting people from all walks of life, spending time in nature, and creating places where everyone can feel a sense of community and belonging. Our community centres, parks, pools, and sports fields—all managed by the Park Board—provide these opportunities. They bring people together across generations and cultures, helping us build stronger, healthier, and more connected communities.
To make these spaces truly accessible, we need to keep admission fees affordable, registration simple, and parking fees to a minimum. We need programs and special events that welcome people of different ages, abilities, languages, and cultural backgrounds. We also need to properly maintain and staff our facilities so they can stay open longer, and renovate or replace aging infrastructure, particularly in neighbourhoods that have historically been neglected.
Our parks must be welcoming and comfortable for everyone, with plenty of shade trees, benches to rest on, and clean, well-maintained washrooms that are accessible whenever people need them. Public spaces should do more than provide recreation. They should help us connect with one another, feel that we belong, and build a stronger
sense of community.
10. Is there anything else you would like to share about yourself or your platform?
I’ve lived in Vancouver most of my life, raised a family here, and made lifelong use of our recreation facilities. I have a deep appreciation for our swimming pools, where I learned to swim, raced, and later taught others; our arenas for minor league hockey; and our soccer fields, gyms, dance rooms, and community centres. These places have been part of my life, and I’ve also seen what happens when they are neglected and starved of funding.
I am running with COPE because I care about our public commons—the parks, green spaces, beaches, and recreation facilities that belong to all of us. Vancouver is a world-class city in its natural beauty, yet many of our recreation facilities are shabby and in desperate need of repair or replacement. Staff are being cut, and the burden of keeping these places running is increasingly falling on parking and user fees. These costs disproportionately affect the people who need public recreation the most but can least afford it.
Our parks and recreation facilities are not luxuries. They are essential to our physical and mental health, our sense of community, and our resilience in the face of climate change. We need to protect and expand our green spaces, properly fund and renew our recreation facilities, and ensure that everyone—regardless of income, age, or background—can enjoy them.