Vancouver Park Board sworn in at VanDusen, Tom Digby elected chair
Seven newly elected Park Board commissioners took office on Monday. Tom Digby of the Green Party was elected chair and Sacia Burton of COPE was elected vice-chair. Board meetings will move to City Hall starting November 30.
Announcement. A campaign, a party or the City chose to say this. voche.me reports it as their claim. Read the original report on vancouver.ca.
Seven newly elected Vancouver Park Board commissioners were sworn into office on Monday at VanDusen Botanical Garden, the City of Vancouver announced Tuesday. Tom Digby of the Green Party of Vancouver was elected Board Chair and Sacia Burton of COPE was elected Vice-Chair.
The seven commissioners elected on October 17 are Sacia Burton, Tom Digby, Jamie Han, Breanne Smart, Tamiko Suzuki, Spencer Van Vloten and T'uy't'tanat Cease Wyss. The new board has 4 COPE commissioners and 3 Green Party commissioners. All seven will serve a four-year term to 2030.
City Clerk Jason Twa swore in the commissioners at the VanDusen ceremony. Outgoing commissioners were recognized in a term review video before the new board held its first vote to elect a chair and vice-chair. Former commissioners, City councillors, community partners and Steve Jackson, General Manager of the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation, attended.
Meetings move to City Hall
Starting November 30, the Board's regular and committee meetings will move from 2099 Beach Avenue to City Chambers at City Hall, 453 West 12th Avenue, on a pilot basis. The City says the new location is closer to transit and is expected to improve in-person public access. The City also says meeting at City Hall opens opportunities for closer collaboration between commissioners and Mayor and Council.
The first meeting at City Chambers is November 30. Recordings of Park Board meetings are posted at parkboardmeetings.vancouver.ca.
What the new board has committed to
Tom Digby's tracker records 48 commitments. Digby said the board's first decision should be whether to build a new 50-metre pool at Hastings or Kensington community centre. His campaign also supported bike routes through parks, including the Stanley Park bike lane, and park accessibility work.
The Green Party's platform promised to restore the City-funded share of the Park Board budget to 50 percent, putting $6 million back into park spending, and to lower fees for swimming lessons, sports field permits and ice rentals.
Sacia Burton's tracker records 73 commitments. Her campaign included expanding the urban forest canopy to 30 percent by 2050, adding solar power at community centres and stopping the use of natural gas heating in public facilities.
The previous board
The outgoing board was led by ABC Vancouver, the party of former mayor Ken Sim. Under that board, a September 2025 vote restored the Stanley Park bike lane after it had been removed, and a July 2026 vote approved a plan for a 50-metre pool at the Vancouver Aquatic Centre site. The new board's position on that plan was a central question during the campaign.
The City will post a recording of the inaugural meeting later this week at parkboardmeetings.vancouver.ca.
Residents who want to attend the first regular Board meeting can go to City Chambers at City Hall, 453 West 12th Avenue, on November 30. Check parkboardmeetings.vancouver.ca for the meeting agenda and time once it is posted.
Questions this story answers
Who are the seven new Vancouver Park Board commissioners?
The City of Vancouver's November 3 press release names them as Sacia Burton, Tom Digby, Jamie Han, Breanne Smart, Tamiko Suzuki, Spencer Van Vloten and T'uy't'tanat Cease Wyss. They were elected on October 17, 2026 and will serve a four-year term to 2030.
Who is the new Park Board Chair?
Tom Digby of the Green Party of Vancouver was elected Board Chair at the inaugural meeting on November 2. Digby ran on commitments including supporting bike routes in parks and rebuilding four pools including a new 50-metre pool. You can follow his tracker at voche.me.
Who is the Park Board Vice-Chair?
Sacia Burton of COPE was elected Vice-Chair at the inaugural meeting on November 2. Burton and three other COPE commissioners form the largest single-party group on the seven-seat board. The other three seats went to the Green Party of Vancouver.
Where will Park Board meetings be held starting November 30?
The City of Vancouver said the Board's regular and committee meetings will move from 2099 Beach Avenue to City Chambers at City Hall, 453 West 12th Avenue, on a pilot basis. The City says the move is expected to improve public access by transit and allow more collaboration between commissioners and Council.
When is the first Park Board meeting at City Hall?
The first Regular Board and Committee meeting at City Chambers will take place on November 30, 2026. A recording of the November 2 inaugural meeting will be available at parkboardmeetings.vancouver.ca later this week, the City said.
Where was the Park Board swearing-in ceremony held?
The inaugural meeting and swearing-in ceremony were held at VanDusen Botanical Garden. City Clerk Jason Twa swore in the commissioners. Former commissioners, City councillors and community partners attended, along with Steve Jackson, General Manager of the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation, who served as master of ceremonies.
What party holds the majority on the new Park Board?
No single party holds a majority. COPE won 4 of the 7 seats: Sacia Burton, Jamie Han, Tamiko Suzuki and T'uy't'tanat Cease Wyss. The Green Party of Vancouver won the other 3: Tom Digby, Breanne Smart and Spencer Van Vloten. Tom Digby of the Greens was elected chair.
What were the key campaign promises of the new commissioners?
Tom Digby's tracker at voche.me records 48 commitments, including the question of whether to build a new 50-metre pool at Hastings or Kensington community centre, which he said would be the board's first order of business. The Green Party also promised to restore the City's share of the park budget to 50 percent and lower fees for swimming lessons and field permits.
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