Vancouver Park Board
The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation, commonly referred to as the Vancouver Park Board, is the elected board with exclusive possession, jurisdiction and control over public parks in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Established by an 1889 amendment to the Vancouver Incorporation Act, 1886, has seven elected commissioners who are charged with determining the policy direction of the body. The board has a mandate to "provide, preserve and advocate... to benefit people, communities and the environment". Commissioners are elected at-large every four years, with a chair and vice-chair elected by the commissioners every year. Vancouver is the only major city in Canada with an elected park board, although Cultus Lake, British Columbia, also has an elected board.
History
The Vancouver Park Board has its origins in the 1886 granting of the military reserve at First Narrows to the City of Vancouver for use as a park. The new park, named Stanley Park, was formally opened in 1888. A warden and Parks Committee were appointed to oversee its development and management. In 1890, the appointed committee was replaced by a permanent elected body: three elected commissioners. Vancouver By-law No. 96 created the board and gave the commissioners absolute control and management over the park system. It was expected to expend monies voted to it by city council and had the power to enter into contracts and pass by-laws. Over its history, the board has been known as:- Committee on Works and Property
- Parks Committee
- Board of Parks Commissioners
- Board of Parks and Public Recreation
- Board of Parks and Recreation
Park Board commissioners served without remuneration until a 1972 amendment to the Vancouver Charter allowed them an annual honorarium of $1000.
Members
Since 2022
The current commissioners of the Vancouver Park Board were elected during the 2022 Vancouver municipal election.On December 6, 2023, three ABC Vancouver commissioners left the party to sit as independents after Vancouver mayor Ken Sim introduced a motion to ask the provincial government to change the Vancouver Charter to dissolve the park board. While remaining independent, they have indicated they will form a majority bloc with Green Party commissioner Tom Digby. On January 18, 2026, former ABC Vancouver commissioner Scott Jensen announced he was joining the newly created Vancouver Liberals in advance of the 2026 municipal election.
2018–2022
The commissioners of the Vancouver Park Board elected at the 2018 Vancouver municipal election served until November 6, 2022.2014–2018
The commissioners of the Vancouver Park Board elected during the 2014 Vancouver municipal election served until late 2018.Independence
In June 2009, Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson and Vancouver city councillor Raymond Louie, both of whom were members of the Vision Vancouver party, were accused by Vancouver city councillor Suzanne Anton, a member of the opposition Non-Partisan Association party, of attempting to destroy the independence of the park board by centralizing budget oversight. Aaron Jasper, a Vision Vancouver member of the park board, called on the city council to restore the decentralized budget control.In September 2009, Susan Mundick, the general manager of the board, announced her retirement. Penny Ballem, the city manager of Vancouver hired by Robertson, stripped Mundick of all routine transitional duties. Ballem then stated she would help the park board choose Mundick's replacement, a selection process city hall traditionally had not been involved in. In response, Anton urged Robertson and the city council to limit Ballem's control of the park board.