OneCity Park Board candidates release plan for new pools, more lifeguards, and stable funding
OneCity's three Park Board candidates published a platform on 29 September calling for three new pools, a 40 per cent tree canopy target, and a dedicated funding stream for the Park Board.
Announcement. A campaign, a party or the City chose to say this. voche.me reports it as their claim. Read the original report on onecityvancouver.ca.
OneCity's three Park Board candidates published a platform on 29 September 2026 calling for three new community pools, a larger tree canopy, and a change to how the Park Board receives its funding. The announcement came from John Irwin, Tyler Petersen, and Dominic Denofrio, who are running for the Park Board under the OneCity banner.
The party's platform says OneCity will build three new 50-metre pools: one in Mount Pleasant through the planned redevelopment of Kingsgate Mall, one at Hastings Community Centre, and one in Marpole. That list of locations is the party's own; no cost or construction date appears in the announcement.
The platform also says OneCity will raise Vancouver's urban tree canopy target to 40 per cent and expand the share of city land designated as parks from 11 per cent to 12 per cent. The party says it will work to daylight up to three buried creek systems. All of those figures are from the party's own announcement and have not been independently verified.
On lifeguards, the party says it will ensure public pools stay open and are staffed through city-run certification. "Ken Sim and ABC slashed lifeguard staffing and put the safety of Vancouverites at risk," the announcement says. That characterisation of the past four years is OneCity's own.
Tyler Petersen, one of the three candidates, said in a statement on the party's own site that the Park Board needs a stable budget that it can count on year to year. The party says it will change how Park Board revenue is handled so the board keeps what it earns rather than having it go into the general city budget. The announcement also mentions a gift shop pilot program in some parks as a way to raise additional revenue without raising fees. No revenue figure is given for either proposal.
Dominic Denofrio, running for Park Board in South Vancouver, said in the same announcement that Marpole and South Vancouver have waited too long for the pools and community centres that other parts of the city already have.
The Park Board is an elected body that operates separately from City Council, and commissioners are chosen by Vancouver voters. You can see the full OneCity platform at the party's own website and read the candidate pages for John Irwin, Tyler Petersen, and Dominic Denofrio at voche.me.
Voters choose up to seven Park Board commissioners on 17 October 2026. Advance voting and voting place information is at /where-to-vote.
Questions this story answers
What pools does OneCity propose to build?
OneCity says it will build three new pools: one in Mount Pleasant through the Kingsgate Mall redevelopment, one at Hastings Community Centre, and one in Marpole. The party published this on 29 September 2026 on its own website. These are the party's stated locations; no construction timeline or cost figure appears in that announcement.
What is OneCity's tree canopy plan?
OneCity's 29 September platform says the party will raise Vancouver's tree canopy target to 40 per cent. The announcement also says OneCity will grow the share of land designated as parks from 11 per cent to 12 per cent of total city land. These are the party's own targets; independent verification of current baseline figures has not been done.
What does OneCity say about lifeguards?
The party's 29 September announcement says OneCity will ensure public pools are staffed with qualified lifeguards through city-run, equity-focused certification and funded long term. OneCity's statement says ABC Vancouver cut lifeguard staffing; that is the party's characterisation of the record. The party's candidates are John Irwin, Tyler Petersen, and Dominic Denofrio.
How would OneCity fund the Park Board differently?
OneCity's platform published 29 September says the party will make sure the Park Board keeps the revenue it earns rather than losing it to the general city budget. The announcement also mentions a low-cost gift shop program in some parks as an additional revenue stream. The party has not published a cost breakdown or a projected revenue figure for this change.
What creek systems does OneCity plan to restore?
OneCity's 29 September announcement says the party will work toward daylighting up to three creek systems that are currently buried under Vancouver streets. The announcement does not name the specific creeks or give a timeline. That figure and those goals are the party's own, published on its own website.
Who are the OneCity Park Board candidates?
The three OneCity Park Board candidates are John Irwin, Tyler Petersen, and Dominic Denofrio. All three are named as authors of the 29 September platform announcement. You can read each candidate's page at voche.me to see their full background and any other coverage.
Why does the Park Board revenue issue matter?
The Park Board is a separate elected body from City Council. OneCity's 29 September statement says the Park Board currently loses some of the money it earns to the general city budget. The party says this limits what the board can spend on parks, pools, and community centres. That framing is OneCity's own; no independent audit figure is cited in the announcement.
When is the Park Board election and how do I vote?
Voters elect Park Board commissioners on 17 October 2026, on the same ballot as City Council, Mayor, and School Board. You can check your voting place and advance voting options at /where-to-vote. Each voter can vote for up to seven Park Board commissioners.
Sources
The pages this story draws on. Open one to check a claim yourself.
- OneCity Parks, Pipes and Pools platform announcementonecityvancouver.ca
- OneCity party page on voche.mevoche.me
Found an error? Tell the editors with the corrections form. A correction is noted on the story it changes. Read our standards.
Topics
More from voche.me
Vancouver Park Board candidates set out plans for aging pools and community centres
