Vancouver Liberals on parks: keep the Park Board, 9% of the budget, $1.35B for pools
Parks and Recreation in the Vancouver Liberals' 2026 plan keeps the Park Board elected, raises its funding from 7.9% to 9% of the city budget, returns facility control to it, aims for a new community centre each capital cycle, commits $1.35 billion and removes beach parking meters.
PARK BOARD
The aim of Parks and Recreation, in the party's words
The Vancouver Liberals are committed to rebuilding a strong, independent, and well-supported Vancouver Park Board that has the tools, budget stability, and modern facilities needed to serve residents.
Parks and Recreation is the last topic on the Vancouver Liberals' issues page, and the party adds a two-page parks plan in PDF form. It describes its aim as "rebuilding a strong, independent, and well-supported Vancouver Park Board that has the tools, budget stability, and modern facilities needed to serve residents."
The parks plan would keep the Park Board elected, repeal the Mayor's motion to abolish it, create a joint budget committee with Council, raise Park Board funding from 7.9% to 9% of the city budget in four years, and return control of recreation facilities to the board. It would aim to build one new community centre and renew three more in every capital cycle. The issues page adds a $1.35 billion investment in parks, recreation and pools, 50-metre pools at the Vancouver Aquatic Centre, the removal of parking meters at beaches and community centres, an auditor general investigation of the PNE and cheaper policing for festivals.
Vancouver is the only major Canadian city with a separately elected park board. Its commissioners control parks, community centres, pools and beaches. Council approves the city budget and capital plan that pay for them, and only the Province can change the Vancouver Charter that creates the board.
3 CHAPTERS
Every chapter in Parks and Recreation
An Elected Park Board and a Better Budget Process
Vancouver Liberals: keep the Park Board elected, raise its share to 9% of the budget
- Fight all efforts to remove the elected Park Board
- Repeal the Mayor's motion to abolish the Park Board
- Create a Joint Budget Advisory Committee
Facility Oversight and Capital Renewal
Vancouver Liberals: Park Board control of its buildings, a new community centre each cycle
- Make clear the Park Board runs parks and recreation facilities
- Repeal the central REFM facilities structure
- A capital plan for new energy-efficient recreation centres
Pools, Parking, Festivals and the PNE
Vancouver Liberals: $1.35B for parks and pools, no beach parking meters, a PNE audit
- $1.35 billion for parks, recreation and pools
- 50-metre pools at the Vancouver Aquatic Centre
- Remove parking meters at beaches and community centres
WHO WOULD HAVE TO ACT
Who holds the power for these 19 commitments
Each chapter page names the body for every commitment and gives the reason in one sentence.
ON THE BALLOT
The Vancouver Liberals candidates behind this
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Questions about Parks and Recreation
What is the Vancouver Liberals' parks plan?
The Vancouver Liberals would keep the Park Board elected, raise its funding from 7.9% to 9% of the city budget in four years, give it back control of its facilities, and aim for one new and three renewed community centres each capital cycle. They also commit $1.35 billion to parks, recreation and pools (party park plan; party issues page).
Do the Vancouver Liberals support the elected Park Board?
Yes. The Vancouver Liberals say the Park Board must stay elected and independent. They would fight efforts to remove it and repeal the Mayor's motion at City Council that called for its abolition (party park plan).
What would the Vancouver Liberals do about parking at Vancouver beaches?
The Vancouver Liberals would remove every parking meter in front of beaches and community centres within their first year. The party says Mayor Ken Sim added hundreds of new meters at these sites (party issues page).
Who are the Vancouver Liberals' Park Board candidates?
The Vancouver Liberals are running Amanda Bains, Amir Bajehkian, Mark Halyk, Scott Jensen, Shayla Bird and Tricia Barker for Park Board in the October 17, 2026 election.
Can the Park Board raise its own budget?
Council approves the city's budget, which sets the Park Board's share. That is why the Vancouver Liberals propose a joint budget committee of commissioners and councillors and a goal of raising the board's share from 7.9% to 9% (party park plan).
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.
- Vancouver Liberals: Our Plan for Parks and Recreation Facilities (PDF) SAYS SO ITSELFVancouver Liberals · checked
- Kareem's Plan for a Better Vancouver (Issues page) SAYS SO ITSELFVancouver Liberals · checked