This record covers Mark Halyk, ballot number 208, running for Vancouver Park Board with the Vancouver Liberals. Halyk managed the Park Board's food and beverage operations from 2014 to January 2026, when the position was cut, and that record is the subject of most reporting about the candidacy. The October 3, 2026 update adds CBC's own page for his April radio interview, the cathedral's listing of his Rector's Warden role, two forum listings, captions from his campaign video series, and four new Vancouver Liberals positions on parks, recorded as the party's positions.
The score counts how complete and checkable the published plan on this issue is. Whether the plan would work is a separate question, left to the reader. Measured October 3, 2026. The same seven points apply to every candidate for this office.
Parks and recreation5/10
2/2
A position in the candidate’s own words
“I’m immensely proud of the work I was able to do at the Park Board in making our food operations and sourcing strategy profitable and hyperlocal, and it’s work like that I would love to continue to champion with the Vancouver Liberals as a Park Board Commissioner”
The questionnaire has not been sent yet. No candidate has this point.
Vancouver Liberals’s platform on parks: 7 commitments, at least one with a number. Party text earns the candidate the position point only.
What this office controls. Vancouver is the only major city in Canada with a separately elected park board. Its seven commissioners control parks, community centres, pools, rinks and beaches.
“We have so many opportunities to generate revenue and improve the food and beverage operations at the Vancouver Park Board however when staff don’t have clear leadership, things don’t get done.”
The questionnaire has not been sent yet. No candidate has this point.
What this office controls. Council, the Park Board and the Board of Education each set their own meeting rules, committees, public consultation and reporting. The Vancouver Charter and the School Act create the three bodies and set their powers, and only the Province can change those acts.
“He believes Vancouver can protect beloved community assets while also creating new, thoughtful revenue opportunities that reduce pressure on taxpayers and improve recreation services for families.”
The questionnaire has not been sent yet. No candidate has this point.
Vancouver Liberals’s platform on taxes and budget: 2 commitments, at least one with a number. Party text earns the candidate the position point only.
What this office controls. The Park Board sets its own fees and approves its budget request. Council approves the City budget that funds it and the capital plan that pays for park buildings.
Party platform; candidate not quoted. Vancouver Liberals publishes 1 commitment on this issue.
0/2
Names a mechanism the office controls
Party text earns no points here; the statement must be the candidate’s own.
0/2
States a measurable target
Party text earns no points here; the statement must be the candidate’s own.
0/1
States a cost or funding source
Party text earns no points here; the statement must be the candidate’s own.
0/1
States a timeline
Party text earns no points here; the statement must be the candidate’s own.
0/1
A dated, sourced action on the issue
No dated public action on this issue found.
0/1
Answered the voche.me question on the issue
The questionnaire has not been sent yet. No candidate has this point.
Vancouver Liberals’s platform on climate: 1 commitment, none with a number. Party text earns the candidate the position point only.
What this office controls. The Park Board manages trees, natural areas and the shoreline inside parks, and its own community centres, pools and rinks. The City’s building bylaw is Council’s.
Party platform; candidate not quoted. Vancouver Liberals publishes 2 commitments on this issue.
0/2
Names a mechanism the office controls
Party text earns no points here; the statement must be the candidate’s own.
0/2
States a measurable target
Party text earns no points here; the statement must be the candidate’s own.
0/1
States a cost or funding source
Party text earns no points here; the statement must be the candidate’s own.
0/1
States a timeline
Party text earns no points here; the statement must be the candidate’s own.
0/1
A dated, sourced action on the issue
No dated public action on this issue found.
0/1
Answered the voche.me question on the issue
The questionnaire has not been sent yet. No candidate has this point.
Vancouver Liberals’s platform on public safety: 2 commitments, none with a number. Party text earns the candidate the position point only.
What this office controls. The Park Board makes the bylaws and rules for parks and beaches and runs the park rangers. Policing is the Vancouver Police Department’s, and Council approves its budget.
Party platform; candidate not quoted. Vancouver Liberals publishes 1 commitment on this issue.
0/2
Names a mechanism the office controls
Party text earns no points here; the statement must be the candidate’s own.
0/2
States a measurable target
Party text earns no points here; the statement must be the candidate’s own.
0/1
States a cost or funding source
Party text earns no points here; the statement must be the candidate’s own.
0/1
States a timeline
Party text earns no points here; the statement must be the candidate’s own.
0/1
A dated, sourced action on the issue
No dated public action on this issue found.
0/1
Answered the voche.me question on the issue
The questionnaire has not been sent yet. No candidate has this point.
Vancouver Liberals’s platform on transport: 1 commitment, at least one with a number. Party text earns the candidate the position point only.
What this office controls. The Park Board decides the roads, paths and parking inside parks, including Stanley Park Drive. City streets and bike lanes outside parks are Council’s.
On dates without a confirmed appearance the public schedule is unknown; the candidate may still have activities that day. This static page changes only when its research is updated.
01 / Introduction
About Mark Halyk
Mark Halyk appears on the City of Vancouver's final 2026 candidate list for Park Board, with ballot number 208. The City records the affiliation as Vancouver Liberals.
The page says Halyk worked more than ten years inside the Vancouver Park Board as a senior leader in Commercial Services. The page says Halyk worked in hospitality and owned and ran businesses before joining the Park Board. The page says Halyk is a member at Christ Church Cathedral and serves there as a Trustee.
The Vancouver Sun reported that Halyk was the Park Board's manager of food and beverage operations for 12 years, with more than two decades in hospitality beforehand, including six years as chef manager for the Four Seasons hotel chain in Toronto.
The Vancouver Sun reported that Halyk's position ended in January 2026 as part of the City's cost cutting, and that the City said the decision was about reducing costs and not about performance.
Daily Hive reported on May 30, 2026 that the Vancouver Liberals had approved Halyk as a Park Board candidate, and that this is the first time Halyk has run for office.
The campaign page says Halyk owned and ran a catering company, was a partner in a Victoria restaurant called Saveur, and serves as trustee and rector's warden at Christ Church Cathedral.
Christ Church Cathedral's own Wardens and Trustees page, read on October 3, 2026, lists Mark Halyk as Rector's Warden, which matches the campaign's description of that role.
CBC Radio's On The Coast aired a 9 minute 48 second segment with Halyk on April 22, 2026. CBC's page for the segment says he was the Park Board's manager of food and beverage operations for 12 years and is now running to become a Park Board commissioner.
Halyk appears at ballot number 208 on the Park Board ballot, listed with the Vancouver Liberals, one of six Vancouver Liberals Park Board candidates on the City's final list.
voche.me assembled this profile from the official candidate list and the campaign material linked under Sources. The campaign has not been contacted, and no candidate-supplied content appears on this page.
Published positions and selected commitments, separated by election cycle. Status labels describe the evidence reviewed, not a numerical score or a complete audit of the platform. Council approval is different from delivery.
16 commitments shown · Checked Oct 3
2026 · Parks and recreationCampaign pledge
Make park food operations pay for parks
Halyk says the aim is to keep improving Park Board food and beverage operations so they generate revenue for parks, and to keep sourcing food locally.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
Halyk said this to Daily Hive in May 2026 and the campaign page repeats it. Neither gives a revenue target for the coming term.
What still needs checking
What revenue would the Park Board aim for, and from which sites?
Halyk says partnerships between the Park Board and private operators can renew public spaces while producing money for parks and recreation programming, pointing to the Kitsilano Pool arrangement as the model.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
Stated on the campaign page and described in the VanRamblings profile. Neither names the next sites or says how contracts would be awarded.
What still needs checking
Which concessions would be next, and would the contracts go to open tender?
Halyk told Daily Hive there are many chances to raise revenue and improve food and beverage operations, and that work does not get done when staff lack clear direction.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
This is a statement of the problem. The article does not describe a specific management change Halyk would make as a commissioner.
What still needs checking
What would change in how the Park Board directs this work?
Halyk says pools, fields, community centres and green spaces should be maintained, and families across the city should have access to modern and affordable recreation, with planning that balances cost, climate resilience and access to places such as Kitsilano Pool.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
Set out in the VanRamblings profile and on the campaign page. No costing or capital list is given.
What still needs checking
Which facilities are treated as priorities for repair, and at what cost?
Halyk says Vancouver should have parks and recreation services that are well run, financially sustainable and centred on community needs rather than on bureaucracy.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
This quote appears on the Vancouver Liberals candidates page and on the campaign page. No specific process or rule is named.
What still needs checking
Which approvals or processes would be removed or shortened?
Halyk posted on X on September 24, 2026 that the four pillars of the Vancouver Liberals' Parks platform are why he is running for Park Board, and said the party understands the financial squeeze Parks and Recreation has faced and that this needs to change to rebuild a strong parks and recreation system.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
This is Halyk's own post on his X account, archived directly. It names the party's platform as his reason for running without restating the four pillars or any specific instrument, number, cost or date in his own words.
What still needs checking
Whether Halyk names a specific rule, number or date from the four pillars in his own words.
Party plan: keep the Park Board elected and independent
The Vancouver Liberals' published Park Board plan commits to fighting all efforts to remove the elected Park Board and to repealing the mayor's motion at City Council that called for abolishing it.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
The party's own two-page Park Board plan states this as a party commitment. It does not name Halyk, so it is recorded as the party's position rather than his own.
What still needs checking
Whether Halyk states this as his own position beyond the general commitment on his candidate page.
Party plan: grow the Park Board's share of the city budget
The Vancouver Liberals' Park Board plan commits to a Joint Budget Advisory Committee with Council and to restoring Park Board funding from 7.9 percent to 9 percent of the city's overall budget within four years.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
The party's own plan states this target and timeline. It does not name Halyk.
What still needs checking
What the Park Board's current share of the city budget is, confirmed against a City of Vancouver budget document.
Party plan: $1.35 billion for the 2031 to 2034 Park Board capital plan
The Vancouver Liberals' September 24, 2026 release commits $1.35 billion to the Park Board's 2031 to 2034 capital plan: $300 million for parks and open spaces, $50 million to restore natural habitat, and $1 billion to build, manage and renew parks, community centres and pools. The release quotes mayoral candidate Kareem Allam saying the plan would build one new community centre in each capital plan and update three existing ones.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
A party release that quotes Kareem Allam and does not name Halyk. Halyk's own X post of the same day backs the party's four parks pillars, which this release restates, but he does not state the $1.35 billion figure in his own words.
What still needs checking
Whether Halyk states the capital figure or names the facilities he would put first.
Party plan: remove parking fees at beaches and community centres
The Vancouver Liberals' October 2, 2026 release says parking fees at beaches and community centres would be removed within the first year of a Liberal government.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
A party release that quotes Kareem Allam and does not name Halyk. It does not say how much the fees raise now or how the lost money would be replaced.
What still needs checking
Whether Halyk supports this, and how he would replace the parking money in the Park Board budget.
Party plan: review a 50 metre tank for the new Vancouver Aquatic Centre
In answers published by The West End Journal on October 1, 2026, the Vancouver Liberals, through mayoral candidate Kareem Allam, say they would order an independent review of whether a 50 metre tank can fit the new Vancouver Aquatic Centre design before the main tank is built, and if it cannot, would put a new 50 metre pool in the capital plan with a site, a budget and a date.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
The answer is signed by the party's mayoral candidate and does not name Halyk. It gives no cost for the review or for a new pool.
What still needs checking
Whether Halyk, as a Park Board candidate, would move such a review at the Board.
Party plan: separate bikes and people on foot on the seawall
In the same October 1, 2026 answers to The West End Journal, the Vancouver Liberals say they would separate bikes and people on foot on the busiest stretches of the seawall.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
The answer is signed by the party's mayoral candidate and does not name Halyk. It does not name the stretches, a cost or a date.
Each entry below names its source. Campaign material is the candidate's own account. Nothing here is presented as a verified outcome unless the entry says so.
Approved
Kitsilano Pool concession partnership
The Vancouver Sun reported that Halyk worked with the local company Batch to replace a basic concession stand at Kitsilano Pool with a patio offering lighting, seating, live music, and food and alcohol service. It ran in the summer of 2024 under special event licences, obtained a liquor licence in 2025, and its capacity rose to 475 people. Concession sales at the site went from under $80,000 in 2023 to more than $2.4 million in 2025. Park Board food and beverage operations overall went from losing money each year to a profit of $2.2 million in 2025, which the Sun reported was $800,000 above the projection.
Scope, limits and sources
The figures come from reporting by Dan Fumano, first published by the Vancouver Sun and read here through the Yahoo News Canada syndication (dated April 22, 2026) and the Times Colonist syndication (dated April 23, 2026), which independently confirm the same figures and add that Halyk joined the Park Board in 2014, making the twelve-year role run from 2014 to January 2026. The same reporting says Halyk's position ended in January 2026.
Read original statements and reporting, or open the publisher’s video. A summary of a speech is labelled separately from a full recording.
Statement
Statement on joining the Vancouver Liberals slate
Halyk told Daily Hive of being proud of making Park Board food operations and sourcing profitable and local, and said there are many chances to raise revenue that go unused when staff do not have clear direction.
CBC's own page for the segment, titled Former Vancouver park board staffer to run for election, is dated April 22, 2026 and lists a length of 9 minutes 48 seconds. It says Halyk was the Park Board's manager of food and beverage operations for 12 years and is now running to become a commissioner. Halyk's own X post also links to the interview. voche.me did not listen to the audio, so no quote from it is recorded.
Door knocking and posts endorsing the parks platform
On September 24, 2026 Halyk posted on X about door knocking in Fraserview with Vancouver Liberals council candidate Armor Valor, and said the four pillars of the party's Parks platform were why he was running for Park Board. On September 26 he posted about door knocking in Douglas Park with the wider Vancouver Liberals team.
In a post in his Hey Dad video series, Halyk wrote that listening is part of leadership and that, from his 12 years as Park Board staff, staff have ideas that senior leaders need to hear. voche.me read the caption only; the video was not watched.
Halyk posted a video on Instagram and X with the caption that it explains why he is ready on day one to be a Park Board commissioner. voche.me read the caption only; the video was not watched, so no statement from it is recorded.
Records are labelled by type, including official findings, civil proceedings and political disputes where applicable. Each entry identifies the response found in the sources and the latest status verified for this page.
No reviewed entries have been added to this section yet. This is a research gap, not a finding about the candidate.
News coverage / Original publishers
Read the reporting
A dated reading list from independent publishers. The headings below are voche.me summaries; follow each link for the original article, context and any corrections.
Reporting
The Vancouver Sun
A Vancouver park board manager transformed a concession stand, then was laid off
Dan Fumano's article traces the Kitsilano Pool patio from a special event licence in summer 2024 to a liquor licence in 2025 and a capacity of 475, sets out the revenue figures, and reports that Halyk's job ended in January 2026 in a round of city cost cutting. The City said the decision was about cost and not performance. The article was read through the Yahoo News Canada syndication.
Former OneCity hopeful, ex-Park Board manager join Vancouver Liberals slate
Kenneth Chan reports that the Vancouver Liberals approved Halyk and Shayla Bird as candidates, sets out Halyk's twelve years managing Park Board food and beverage operations, the January 2026 layoff, and quotes Halyk on revenue and sourcing.
A profile by Raymond Tomlin on a Vancouver politics blog describing Halyk's decade in Park Board commercial services and the Kitsilano Pool partnership, and setting out a platform of fiscal responsibility with community access. The piece endorses Halyk, so it is commentary rather than neutral reporting.
Former Vancouver park board staffer to run for election
A 9 minute 48 second radio segment. CBC's page says Halyk managed Park Board food and beverage operations for 12 years and is now running for commissioner. The audio was not listened to by voche.me.
Sources checked October 3, 2026. Official records establish decisions; campaign material establishes stated positions; reporting adds investigation and context. None alone establishes every claim.
Daily Hive attributes the January 2026 layoff to budget cuts made by the Sim administration, while the City told the Vancouver Sun the decision was about reducing costs and not performance; no City document setting out the decision was opened. Whether Halyk has filed any complaint or claim over the end of the employment is unestablished; a search on October 3, 2026 found none. The Park Board's own meeting site, parkboardmeetings.vancouver.ca, returned HTTP 403, so the Park Board's project memo on Kitsilano Pool was not opened. The April 22, 2026 CBC Radio segment was confirmed from CBC's own page, but the audio was not listened to. Two campaign videos on Instagram and X were not watched; only their captions were read. Facebook (markhalyk) and LinkedIn, both listed on the City's candidate page, could not be read without signing in. Kerrisdale Community Centre listed Halyk among the speakers who confirmed for its September 29 Park Board meeting, but no report or recording of that meeting was found. The Vancouver Public Space Network's Park Board survey had no answers from him when it was last updated on September 29, 2026. Women Transforming Cities' pledge table covers mayor and council candidates only. The City's page links his nomination papers, which voche.me has not reviewed.
Research status
What voche.me has checked
Evidence reviewed on October 3, 2026: the campaign page, the party's Candidates & Caucus, Issues and news pages and its Park Board plan, the party's September 24 and October 2 releases, the City's Park Board candidate list (read through a reader service), VoteMate, Daily Hive's report on Halyk joining the slate, the Vancouver Sun's report on the Kitsilano Pool concession turnaround (read via Yahoo News Canada and via the Times Colonist), CBC's page for his April radio interview, Christ Church Cathedral's Wardens and Trustees page, the VanRamblings profile, The West End Journal's October issue, the Kerrisdale and Mount Pleasant forum listings, the Vancouver Public Space Network survey, and Halyk's own X and Instagram accounts.
Campaign page read on September 26, 2026. 4 stated positions and 3 background facts recorded here, each checked against a quotation from that page.
Checks still to do: confirm whether Halyk filed any complaint over the January 2026 layoff, listen to the April 22, 2026 CBC Radio interview, and look for a report of the September 29 Kerrisdale meeting.
The ballot name, office, ballot number and party label come from the City's final candidate list. Everything described as campaign material is the campaign's own account and has not been confirmed by an independent source unless the record says so.
03 / Background
Experience & community
2014 to January 2026
Manager of food and beverage operations, Vancouver Park Board
The Vancouver Sun reported, in an article also carried by the Times Colonist, that Halyk joined the Park Board in 2014, held this role for 12 years within its commercial services area, and that the position ended in January 2026.
Owner of a catering company and partner in a Victoria restaurant
The campaign page says Halyk owned and operated a large catering company and was a partner in Saveur in Victoria. Daily Hive also describes Halyk as a trained chef and hospitality entrepreneur who owned a catering and special events company.
Proposed questions for a future interview. They have not been sent to the candidate, and no answers have been supplied.
Which revenue changes would improve services without making access more expensive for low-income residents?
No response has been submitted.
How would you divide funding between existing-facility maintenance, affordable access and new construction?
No response has been submitted.
Have your own question?
Ask Mark Halyk directly. We send it to the campaign, and publish the reply here if we get one.
05 / About this page
Questions about this page
Facts voche.me can state about Mark Halyk's page itself, answered directly rather than left blank.
Is this an official page for Mark Halyk?
No. This page is researched by voche.me from public sources, listed below, and is separate from Mark Halyk's own campaign.
What is Mark Halyk's ballot number for the 2026 Vancouver election?
Mark Halyk is number 208 on the City of Vancouver's official 2026 ballot for Park Board.
What party did Mark Halyk run with?
Mark Halyk ran for Park Board with Vancouver Liberals.
Does Mark Halyk currently hold public office?
Not according to this profile. voche.me has not listed a current public office for Mark Halyk.
How many sources does this Mark Halyk profile cite?
This profile lists 2 sourced references, each with the date voche.me checked it, in the Sources section below.
Has Mark Halyk filed nomination papers for the 2026 election?
voche.me has not yet added a nomination record for Mark Halyk. This does not mean no nomination paper was filed, only that voche.me has not completed that research yet.
Why do some questions on Mark Halyk's page show no answer?
The "Questions & answers" section on this page lists questions voche.me would put to Mark Halyk in a future interview. They have not been sent yet, so the page says plainly that no answer has been supplied instead of leaving the section blank.
When was the election Mark Halyk ran in?
The 2026 Vancouver municipal election, including the Park Board race, was decided on October 17, 2026.
06 / Candidate contributions
Space for campaign updates
Research checked again: CBC, the cathedral, forums, campaign posts and party positions
Added: CBC's own page for the April 22, 2026 On The Coast segment; Christ Church Cathedral's page listing Halyk as Rector's Warden; the City's candidate page, read through a reader service, which lists his Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X accounts; two Instagram captions from his campaign video series; a Park Board forum in the West End on October 3 and an online food systems town hall on October 13, neither of which names him; and four party positions from Vancouver Liberals releases of September 24 and October 2 and the party's October 1 answers to The West End Journal, recorded as party positions because none names him. Corrections: the biography said he was one of seven Vancouver Liberals Park Board candidates, and the City's list has six; the door knocking talk dated his Douglas Park post September 24, and X dates it September 26; the first work history entry now cites the Times Colonist copy of the Vancouver Sun article that gives the 2014 start year.
