Mayor Sim demands BC NDP take action so Vancouver can abolish 'costly and outdated' Park Board

Mayor Ken Sim has urged the BC NDP to take action so Vancouver can abolish the Park Board and complete the transition to a single governance model.In a letter to Attorney General Niki Sharma, he made it clear that the city is ready to move forward but cannot do so until the government of British Columbia takes the necessary legislative steps.Sim began by addressing the province's recent claim to concerned constituents that the transition has been "paused by the city.""I want to be clear," he said, "the City of Vancouver has not chosen to pause this work. In fact, we remain committed to eliminating the costly and outdated dual governance model. The only reason this transition has not moved forward is because the Province has not followed through on Premier David Eby's public commitment to amend the Vancouver Charter during the past spring legislative session."Sim first asked the province to amend the Vancouver Charter in December 2023, and Eby said at the time he was "committed" to doing so following the 2024 election. That has not yet happened..Sim went on to suggest that eliminating the Park Board would result in "substantial benefits" for Vancouver, both financial and tangible."It is projected to save taxpayers $70 million over the next decade, with additional savings anticipated as more efficiencies are realized," he explained. "Most importantly, it will lead to the permanent designation of 89 acres of parkland including high-profile areas like David Lam Park and additional sections of Stanley Park."Sim noted that if the Park Board is done away with, decision-making would be streamlined, thus reducing bureaucratic delays and allowing the city to step in and "finally repair the Stanley Park Train, end the outdated COVID-era reservation system at Kits Pool, deliver a world-class 50-metre lap pool, and ensure Council priorities are reflected across Vancouver's parks and recreation system.""With every month your government delays, it is Vancouverites who are left paying the price," he lamented. "Given this, we ask that your office correct its communications with our shared constituents to accurately reflect the status of the transition: the work is not paused by the City, but is awaiting provincial action.".The Park Board has faced mounting criticism in recent weeks, with residents voicing their frustration over the cancellation of the Stanley Park Train and reservation system at Kits Pool..Mayor Sim vows to end COVID-era reservation system at Kits Pool, accuses Park Board of 'deliberate inaction'.On July 21, Park Board Commissioner Marie-Claire Howard tried to get a motion calling for the reservation system's removal heard, but Chair Laura Christensen ruled that it "did not qualify as urgent business.""Last night, the Park Board chose delay over action, and Vancouver residents are the ones paying the price," Sim wrote in a press release the following day. "Despite overwhelming public feedback calling for the immediate removal of the outdated Kits Pool advance booking system, the motion to scrap it was delayed until September 15, well after the pool closes for the summer. That’s not accountability, that's deliberate inaction."