Vancouver council to vote on permanent park at 722 Gore Avenue in Strathcona
City staff recommend designating 0.286 hectares at Gore and Union as permanent public park at the November 17 council meeting, after the community pushed back against a 2024 firehall annex proposal.
Reported. A news outlet found this. voche.me names the outlet and links its report. Read the original report on cityhallwatch.wordpress.com.
Vancouver City Council will vote on November 17 to permanently designate the greenspace at 722 Gore Avenue and Union Street in Strathcona as public park, CityHallWatch reported on November 13 after reviewing the council agenda.
The site covers 0.286 hectares. In 2024, the City proposed using it as a temporary firehall annex, but Strathcona and Chinatown residents organized against the plan, and the Vancouver Park Board voted unanimously to support protecting the land as a park. City staff have since told council that "the Property is no longer needed for a firehall," citing an alternative location they found, according to CityHallWatch.
What council will decide
Council will vote on Administrative Motion 1, using Vancouver Charter section 488(5) to close the street and formally designate the land as permanent public park. The meeting starts at 9:30 AM at Vancouver City Hall, Council Chamber, Third Floor, 453 West 12th Avenue.
Mayor Pete Fry chairs the new council, which took office after the October 17 election.
Also on the November 17 agenda
The same meeting includes 16 by-law enactments completing rezonings approved under the previous council term. Several of those rezonings involve rental buildings where existing tenants are being displaced, including a 25-unit building at 1125 West 10th Avenue being replaced by a 162-unit tower, and a 40-unit building at 2260-2266 West 2nd Avenue being replaced by a 176-unit tower, CityHallWatch reported.
The 852-872 Seymour Street hotel rezoning, which City staff recommended refusing because the proposed tower came 11.0 metres from neighboring residential buildings against a minimum of 18.3 metres, was withdrawn from the agenda on November 13.
What residents can do
Anyone who wants to speak at the November 17 meeting on the Gore Avenue park item must register by 5:00 PM on Monday, November 16. Register at vancouver.ca/speak-to-council or call 604-829-4323. Written comments can be sent at any time before the meeting through vancouver.ca/contact-council. The meeting can be watched live at vancouver.ca/council-video.
A second council meeting on November 18 will cover 11 member motions on tenant rights, transit, the Park Board's future and other topics.
Questions this story answers
What is happening at 722 Gore Avenue in Strathcona?
Vancouver City Council will vote on November 17, 2026 to permanently designate the greenspace at 722 Gore Avenue and Union Street as public park. The site covers 0.286 hectares. City staff recommended the designation after a 2024 proposal to use the land as a temporary firehall annex drew strong community opposition from Strathcona and Chinatown residents, and the Park Board voted unanimously to support permanent park protection. Staff have since confirmed an alternative firehall location was found.
Why was a firehall annex proposed at this site in 2024?
The city proposed using the 722 Gore Avenue greenspace as a temporary firehall annex in 2024. After residents in Strathcona and Chinatown organized opposition, including a petition, the Vancouver Park Board voted unanimously to support protecting the site as permanent park. City staff later confirmed in their council report that 'the Property is no longer needed for a firehall,' citing an alternative location, according to CityHallWatch.
When is the council vote and where can residents watch or speak?
The vote is scheduled for the regular council meeting on November 17, 2026 at 9:30 AM at Vancouver City Hall, Council Chamber, Third Floor, 453 West 12th Avenue. Residents who want to speak at this item must register by 5:00 PM on Monday, November 16, at vancouver.ca/speak-to-council or by calling 604-829-4323.
What authority does council use to designate a permanent park?
Council will use Vancouver Charter section 488(5) under Administrative Motion 1, which allows the City to close a street and designate land as permanent public park, as reported by CityHallWatch in its November 13 agenda preview.
What is the size of the greenspace at 722 Gore Avenue?
The site covers 0.286 hectares (0.706 acres), according to CityHallWatch's summary of the City staff report. The land sits at the corner of Gore Avenue and Union Street in the Strathcona neighbourhood.
Who is on Vancouver City Council now and when did the new council take office?
Mayor Pete Fry of the Green Party leads a council that includes four Green councillors, four COPE councillors, one OneCity councillor and one ABC Vancouver councillor. The new council took office after the October 17, 2026 election. The Gore Avenue park designation is one of the first items on the November 17 regular meeting agenda.
Can a future council reverse a permanent park designation?
CityHallWatch reported the designation is permanent under Vancouver Charter section 488(5), but the article does not specify the process for reversing such a designation. Residents with questions about this can contact the City at vancouver.ca/contact-council.
What else is on the November 17 Vancouver City Council agenda?
The November 17 meeting also includes 16 by-law enactments completing rezonings from the previous council term, a cancelled December 21-22 reserve meeting slot, and the withdrawal of the 852-872 Seymour Street hotel rezoning proposal. A second meeting on November 18 will cover 11 member motions on tenant rights, the Park Board, and other topics.
Sources
The pages this story draws on. Open one to check a claim yourself.
- CityHallWatch — Vancouver Council Agenda preview, Nov. 13, 2026cityhallwatch.wordpress.com
- voche.me — Pete Fry candidate pagevoche.me
- City of Vancouver — Speak to councilvancouver.ca
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