COPE on libraries, pools and parks: 7-day libraries, a 50 metre pool, more off-leash space
COPE would open libraries 7 days a week, add 24/7 public washrooms, build more public pools including a 50 metre pool, and hire more lifeguards. It would expand VanWifi and the Leisure Access Program and protect parks from sell-offs and private profit.
FIGHT FOR VANCOUVER · PAGES 12 TO 13
Build the Commons: what the Fight for Vancouver says
COPE uses the word commons for the places and services that everyone in Vancouver shares: libraries, parks, pools, community centres and washrooms. This chapter of the platform sets out how the party would expand them. It would keep libraries open 7 days a week, give them funding for mental health workers, and fully fund library programs for newcomers, seniors, families and teens, including digital literacy, help with tax filing and English classes.
Several items concern parks and recreation. The party would speed up upgrades to parks and community centres that have been poorly maintained, upgrade playgrounds in neighbourhoods being left behind, and add shade trees, water and off-leash space for dogs. It would build more public pools, respect the 2022 plebiscite by building a new 50 metre pool, and train and hire the lifeguards and swim instructors needed to keep pools open.
COPE also takes a position on who runs these places. It would keep the Park Board as an independent, elected body, ban private companies from profiting from public courts and fields, and oppose industrial infrastructure in parks. It would expand the Leisure Access Program, which the platform describes as helping residents of all incomes use city facilities. It would also help residents run their own projects, such as community fridges, maker spaces and free stores.
The work is split between bodies. The elected Park Board controls parks, community centres, pools and beaches. Vancouver Public Library is run by its own library board, and under BC's Library Act a city council appoints that board and approves and pays for its budget. Council also approves the capital plan that pays for new buildings such as pools. Items that cross these lines, such as shared use of school and park land, would need the three elected boards to agree.
THE PARTY'S NUMBERS
Figures in this chapter
How often COPE says libraries would be open each week
The party's figure, page 12Hours of the public washrooms COPE would add
The party's figure, page 12Economic benefit the platform says each dollar invested in library access generates
The party's figure, page 12Length of the new pool COPE would build
The party's figure, page 13Year of the plebiscite on a 50 metre pool that the party says it would respect
The party's figure, page 13How many more pools per person the platform says Montreal has compared with Vancouver
The party's figure, page 1317 COMMITMENTS
What the party says it would do
Open libraries 7 days a week
COPE would expand library hours to 7 days a week and give libraries the support they ask for, including funding for mental health workers and better working conditions.
- Who has the power
- City, with others Under BC's Library Act a city library is managed by a library board, while Council appoints the board and approves and pays for its budget.
More 24/7 public washrooms
The party would increase the number of public washrooms open and accessible 24/7, with permanent buildings and sanitation stations across the city.
- Who has the power
- City, with others Council controls city streets and buildings, and the Park Board controls washrooms in parks.
Speed up park and community centre upgrades
COPE would speed up needed park, recreation and community centre upgrades, especially for community centres that have been poorly maintained for years.
- Who has the power
- City, with others The Park Board runs community centres, and Council approves the capital plan that pays for buildings.
Support tool libraries and the circular economy
The party would support the growth of tool libraries, libraries of things, and a circular economy in which goods are repaired and reused.
- Who has the power
- City Council Council can fund community programs and offer city space through its budget.
Make Vancouver friendly to dogs and dog owners
COPE would improve tree cover at dog parks, add public access to water and dog waste bags, and create more off-leash spaces.
- Who has the power
- Park Board The Park Board controls parks, including dog parks and off-leash areas.
Expand VanWifi
The party would expand VanWifi across the city for more free and open internet access, giving priority to areas that are now under-served.
- Who has the power
- City Council The platform presents VanWifi as a city service, which Council would fund through the budget.
Upgrade playgrounds and parks
COPE would upgrade playgrounds and parks where children play, with a focus on neighbourhoods that are being left behind.
- Who has the power
- Park Board The Park Board controls parks and playgrounds.
Fully fund library programs
The party would fully fund library programs for newcomers, seniors, families and teens, including digital literacy, help with tax filing, and ESL (English as a second language) courses.
- Who has the power
- City, with others The library board runs these programs, and Council approves and pays for the board's budget.
Work across the three elected boards
COPE would have City Council, the School Board and the Park Board work together to use public assets for the public good and grow Vancouver's social infrastructure.
- Who has the power
- City, with others Each of the three boards controls its own land and buildings, so all three would have to agree.
An independent, democratic Park Board
The party affirms an independent, elected Park Board as essential to the care of Vancouver's commons. It would fund and empower the board to work for the public good and the long term, and protect public parks from sell-offs and development.
- Who has the power
- City, with others The Park Board is created by the Vancouver Charter, a provincial law that only the Province can change. Council approves the city's operating budget.
Ban private profit from public amenities
COPE would ban private entities from collecting profits from public amenities such as tennis courts and fields, and oppose sharing agreements for public amenities that limit who can take part based on ability to pay.
- Who has the power
- Park Board The Park Board controls courts, fields and the agreements for their use.
End the developer tax break behind gravel dog parks
The party would end the developer tax break that it says creates gravel pit dog parks and poor community gardens.
- Who has the power
- City Council The platform does not name the tax break. City property tax rules and exemptions are set by Council within its powers.
Build more public pools, including a 50 metre pool
COPE would build more public pools across the city, respect the 2022 plebiscite and build a new 50 metre pool in Vancouver. The platform says Montreal has almost three times as many pools per person as Vancouver.
- Who has the power
- City, with others The Park Board runs pools and plans new ones, and Council approves the capital plan that pays for them.
Train and hire lifeguards and swim instructors
The party would train and hire the lifeguards and swim instructors needed to keep pools open and staffed, end line-ups, offer enough swimming lessons and keep people safe at Vancouver's beaches.
- Who has the power
- Park Board The Park Board runs pools and beaches and employs their staff.
Support and expand the Leisure Access Program
COPE would support and expand the Leisure Access Program (LAP) so residents of all incomes can use the city's facilities and services.
- Who has the power
- City, with others The platform describes the program as covering city facilities and services, so both the Park Board, which runs recreation sites, and Council would act.
Empower community-led initiatives
The party would help residents deliver services such as maker spaces, community fridges, free stores, and user-led upgrades to community facilities.
- Who has the power
- City, with others Council and the Park Board can offer space and funding, and community groups would run the services.
Oppose private use of public land and industry in parks
COPE would oppose the takeover of public lands by private interests and oppose industrial infrastructure in public parks.
- Who has the power
- Park Board The Park Board controls what is built in parks.
WHO WOULD HAVE TO ACT
Where the power sits for this chapter
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Questions about build the commons
Would COPE keep Vancouver libraries open every day?
Yes. COPE says it would expand library hours to 7 days a week and give libraries funding for mental health workers and better working conditions (platform, page 12).
Does COPE support a 50 metre pool in Vancouver?
Yes. COPE would build more public pools, respect the 2022 plebiscite and build a new 50 metre pool. It would also train and hire the lifeguards and swim instructors needed to keep pools open (platform, page 13).
What is COPE's position on the Vancouver Park Board?
COPE supports an independent, elected Park Board. It says it would fund and empower the board and protect public parks from sell-offs and development (platform, page 13).
What would COPE do for dog owners in Vancouver?
COPE would add tree cover at dog parks, public water and dog waste bags, and more off-leash spaces. It would also end the developer tax break it says creates gravel pit dog parks (platform, pages 12 and 13).
Who would decide on COPE's pool and library plans?
The elected Park Board runs pools, parks and community centres, and Council approves the capital plan that pays for new buildings. Vancouver Public Library is run by a library board whose budget Council approves and pays for (platform, pages 12 and 13).
Does COPE want to expand VanWifi?
Yes. COPE would expand VanWifi across the city for more free internet access, giving priority to areas that are now under-served (platform, page 12).
ON THE BALLOT
The COPE candidates behind this
Sources
Every commitment on this page comes from the party's own material, marked SAYS SO ITSELF. It proves what the party says it would do. Who holds each power is our own addition, from the sources listed after it.
- Fight for Vancouver: COPE 2026 Platform (PDF) SAYS SO ITSELFCOPE · pages 12 to 13 · checked
- Library Act, sections 4, 5 and 10: municipal library boards Province of British Columbia · checked