Candidate Profile – LIAM MURPHY MENARD (#218)
Top 3 priorities
- Upgrade community centres
- Support at-risk youth
- Homeless camp reduction
Platform
My priority for the next four years is to break through the political gridlock and collaborate across the spectrum to get policy passed that will provide equitable access to our parks and recreation centres for all members of our community. I will upgrade our recreation and amenity hubs and build on past initiatives that have proven to be effective, while introducing solutions to problems we now face in a well-informed, modern, and sustainable way.
2022 Park Board Candidate Questions
1. You’re speaking to a friend from out of town, and they ask for a quick overview of “where things are at” with Vancouver’s parks and recreation facilities. What do you say?
Parks and recreation facilities in Vancouver are at a very interesting time in its history. We have spent much of the last decade investing in the infrastructure needed to support environmentally-friendly outdoor recreation activities – including a comprehensive biking system – but in doing so, we have had to redistribute funding away from our community centres and other core recreation sites. This upcoming election is especially important in many respects, but core of all is ensuring that we can continue to build on the biking system that has now become such an iconic part of Vancouver living while also starting to distribute funding back into our community centres, swimming pools, and other recreation sites.
2. The topic of equity features heavily in both VanPlay (the Parks Board Masterplan) and the recently approved Vancouver Plan. What’s your take? Does Vancouver’s park system need to be more equitable and accessible? If yes, what changes would you propose and/or prioritize to make this happen?
I believe that equity must be taken into account when making decisions of when and where to upgrade our facilities and parks. Many folks living in East Vancouver and south of 16th Avenue are currently lacking the recreation centres, amenities, and park space that those living in the central and western parts of the city have daily access to. I would like to focus on building a new swimming pool and turf field south of 16th Avenue, while exploring the possibility of doing the same in East Vancouver. When deciding which community centres to renovate and upgrade, those centres that cater to populations most at risk should be the first to be upgraded. The COVID-19 shutdown really highlighted the mobility and accessibility issues that many folks living in Chinatown face. Addressing these concerns must be top of mind, but they must be done in a manner that amplifies the voices of those living through these complex barriers.
3. As a general principle, should parks aim to accommodate cycling paths within their boundaries? What are your thoughts on bikes and bike lanes in parks? (Please note: this is not specifically a question about Stanley Park).
As a general rule I am in favour of building more bike lanes in Vancouver, as the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and connections to a healthier lifestyle benefit all residents. As mentioned in my response to the first question, however, I believe that the current needs of the city’s parks and recreation facilities now stretches beyond simply building an active transportation network. The hubs that the active transportation network had originally been built to connect fell apart as we built the network, and they now need our attention. I believe that thinking about a future placement for a bike lane when building park lands would be wise, as further development of the active transportation network must be in the plans as the population continues to increase. However, the placement of these bike lanes must be done in such a way that it does not intrude on the enjoyment of our parks for those who choose not to use it. Our parks should be accommodating and accessible for all residents, not just those who own and use a bicycle.
4. What role, if any, do you see the Park Board playing in responding to the needs of people experiencing homelessness/houselessness and encampments?
I believe that the Park Board absolutely has a role to play in responding to the needs of those residents experiencing homelessness and living in our parklands, but I believe that role is more of a steward than anything else. The courts have ruled that the Park Board cannot displace residents living in parks if they do not have anywhere else to go, but Park Board Commissioners also serve those residents that live around the encampments: whose lives are being affected by the conditions in the parks and who have lost access to their neighbourhood park as a result of these encampments. The Park Board must advocate to other levels of government for support, as these encampments stretch far beyond the jurisdiction of the Park Board. In doing so, Commissioners can serve as a steward for those living in the encampments and those living in the neighbourhood around the encampment: answering questions, helping distribute resources, and serving as the level of government closest to (and most in touch with) the residents themselves. In turn, the other level of governments can provide the financial support needed to properly address this issue in a fair, collaborative, and humane way.
5. Should Vancouver’s parks and recreation facilities play a part in supporting climate resilience or ecosystem restoration? If yes, how?
I believe that Vancouver’s parks and recreation should absolutely play a part in supporting climate resilience and ecosystem restoration by ensuring that all new developments take into consideration both their impact on local biodiversity and their resiliency in the face of a future climate event. Exploring the possibility of projects – such as daylighting streams and supporting native vegetation – that work to restore native ecosystems and increase biodiversity in our city’s parks must be a priority as we seek ways to integrate green spaces into a developing metropolitan city. In turn, our community centres must be adequately funded if they are to serve as our community hubs during times of emergency. The COVID-19 pandemic, and the heatwaves that occured around the same time, showed us that we are currently ill-prepared to support our most vulnerable during times of crisis. That must change. The Park Board must serve a leading role in developing climate resiliency, as it’s already been shown that its facilities will be leaned upon more than ever in times of crisis.
6. Is having a Board of Parks and Recreation the best way to govern and manage Vancouver’s park system? If yes, why? If not, what would you propose in its place?
I believe that having a Board of Parks and Recreation is absolutely the best way to govern and manage Vancouver’s park system. While I agree that the issues the Park Board is being asked to address have become far more complex than ever before – moving away from just managing grass fields and swimming pools and now being asked to deconstruct homeless encampments, rebuild a network of community centres, and oversee the purchase and development of pocket parks – I believe the solution is to elect individuals with the experience and knowledge needed to properly address these modern problems in a pragmatic and sustainable way. City council meetings in this city have already built a negative rapport province-wide for being too long, too polarizing, and having too much focus on saying things and not enough focus on generating results. I cannot imagine that dissolving the Park Board and absorbing those duties into the responsibilities of the city councillors – as some residents are asking for – would lead to any positive change in the quality of work that is being done.
7. What, if anything, do you think the Park Board should do to support/facilitate community activation/events and stewardship of park spaces and facilities?
Our parks serve as key gathering places for our neighbourhoods and I believe the Park Board should absolutely work to facilitate community activation in our park spaces and facilities by expanding drinking in the park legislation, cleaning up administrative procedures to make it easier to hold events in our parks, and collaborating with community organizations to host city-wide community-building activities, such as sports days and appreciation BBQs. I think the Park Board should also work to facilitate community stewardship in our parks by organizing beach and park clean ups, with our Park Board Commissioners as the hands-on public faces of such events. These events would encourage the community to come out and take stewardship of their neighbourhood park or beach, while also creating easy access for members of the public to talk to and share their concerns with their local elected officials on the Park Board.
8. In the past few years, the Park Board has taken steps towards reconciliation, decolonization, and co-management with MST First Nations. Would you continue this work? If yes, how?
As Park Board Commissioner, I would absolutely continue the work towards reconciliation, decolonization, and co-management with the Musqueam Indian Band, Squamish Nation, and Tsleil-Waututh Nation. As Vancouver is a City of Reconciliation, I would have a duty as an elected member of the city’s government to advance policy that is focused on decolonizing our parks and green space. To that end, I will collaborate with members of all three nations to ensure that ancestral knowledge, Indigenous cultural continuity and connection to the land, and respect for the natural world is integrated into every decision that we make as a Park Board.
9. If you could make changes to one park in the city – which park is it, and what would you do?
If I could make changes to one park in the city, it would be Stanley Park. I would add an electric trolley during peak hours to reduce traffic gridlock inside the park and ensure that Stanley Park remains accessible for all Vancouverites. I am eager to see the final results of the Stanley Park Mobility Study, but at this time believe that adding an electric trolley – in addition to the bike lane expansion that has already been undertaken – would help to create an equitable increase in accessibility both for those that live within biking distance of the park and those that have to drive in to enjoy its natural beauty. Introducing a trolley service would allow folks to spend less time loitering in their cars trying to enter the park – by giving them the ability to park outside of the park and then trolley into the park – in turn, reducing the number of cars in the park and reducing the overall gridlock.
10. Is there anything else you would like to share about yourself or your platform?
I am the only current President of a Community Centre Association running in this election. I believe that gives me a perspective and experience working in the recreation side of the Park Board that other candidates do not have. This direct experience makes me one of the most qualified candidates to step right into the role on day 1 and start enacting needed changes.
Biography & Contact
Biography (City of Vancouver Election Webpage)
As someone born and raised in this city, I have seen our parks filling with tents, our community centres well past their best-before-date, and our youth lacking the community ties of previous generations. As a Community Centre Association President and Supportive Housing Manager, I have the experience and knowledge that we need on Park Board to address these modern problems.
Contact
Website: www.liammenard.ca
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vancitymenard/
Email: liam@liammenard.ca