--- title: "Facility Oversight and Capital Renewal: the Vancouver Liberals plan | Vancouver 2026 | voche.me" canonical_url: "https://voche.me/parties/vancouver-liberals/2026-platform/parks-and-recreation/facilities-and-capital-renewal" last_updated: "2026-10-10T04:00:56.939Z" meta: description: "The Vancouver Liberals' parks plan says they would return control of recreation facilities to the Park Board by repealing a central city facilities structu..." "og:description": "The Vancouver Liberals' parks plan says they would return control of recreation facilities to the Park Board by repealing a central city facilities structu..." "og:title": "Facility Oversight and Capital Renewal: the Vancouver Liberals plan | Vancouver 2026" "twitter:description": "The Vancouver Liberals' parks plan says they would return control of recreation facilities to the Park Board by repealing a central city facilities structu..." "twitter:title": "Facility Oversight and Capital Renewal: the Vancouver Liberals plan | Vancouver 2026" --- ** Vancouver Liberals · Vancouver 2026 # Vancouver Liberals: Park Board control of its buildings, a new community centre each cycle The Vancouver Liberals' parks plan says they would return control of recreation facilities to the Park Board by repealing a central city facilities structure, launch a capital plan for new energy-efficient recreation centres, and aim to build one new community centre and renew three more in every capital cycle. All 5 commitments [Read the party's own page ](https://assets.nationbuilder.com/vancouverliberals/pages/233/attachments/original/1787255366/Vancouver_Liberals_Park_Plan.pdf?1787255366) [**19**Candidates](https://voche.me/parties/vancouver-liberals/candidates) [**9/10**Issues with published policy](https://voche.me/parties/vancouver-liberals/platform) [**9**Sources on file](https://voche.me/parties/vancouver-liberals/money) **9**Questions answered PARKS AND RECREATION ## Facility Oversight and Capital Renewal: what the Kareem's Plan for a Better Vancouver says The second half of the Vancouver Liberals' parks plan is about the buildings the Park Board runs. The party says everyone should be clear that the Park Board is in charge of parks and recreation facilities. Today, according to the plan, that work sits with a centralized city structure it calls REFM, a facilities-management structure that excludes the Park Board. The party would repeal that structure and return facility oversight directly to the board. The plan lists what the party expects from that change: clear authority for the Park Board over recreation facility management, direct control of maintenance and capital planning, quicker decisions on operations and building projects, and a structure that allows transparent, accountable planning. The last section is headed "Get serious about capital renewal." Capital renewal means replacing or rebuilding old buildings. The party would launch a capital plan to build new, energy-efficient, modern recreation centres in place of aging ones, with the goals of lower operating and energy costs, more program space and access, lower long-term costs, and buildings that meet modern standards. For every capital cycle, the city's multi-year building budget, it would aim to build one new community centre and renew and update three more, following the existing Community Centre Strategy. These steps need both bodies. The Park Board runs community centres, pools and rinks, while Council approves the capital plan that pays for buildings and controls how city staff are organized. THE PARTY'S NUMBERS ## Figures in this chapter **1** New community centre the party would aim to build in every capital cycle The party's figure **3** Existing community centres the party would aim to renew and update in every capital cycle The party's figure 5 COMMITMENTS ## What the party says it would do 1. ### Make clear the Park Board runs parks and recreation facilities The Vancouver Liberals would provide clarity for all that the Park Board is in charge of Vancouver's parks and recreation facilities.
Who has the power
City, with others The Park Board controls parks and community centres, and Council would have to agree on which city staff look after its buildings.
Source
Vancouver Liberals: Our Plan for Parks and Recreation Facilities (PDF)
2. ### Repeal the central REFM facilities structure The party would repeal the centralized facilities-management structure the plan calls REFM, which it says excludes the Park Board, and restore facility oversight directly to the Park Board. It says this would give the board clear authority over recreation facility management, direct control of maintenance and capital planning, quicker decisions and more transparent planning.
Who has the power
City, with others The plan describes a centralized city structure, so Council would have to agree to hand facility work back to the Park Board.
Source
Vancouver Liberals: Our Plan for Parks and Recreation Facilities (PDF)
3. ### A capital plan for new energy-efficient recreation centres The party would launch a capital plan to build new, energy-efficient, modern recreation centres to replace aging and outdated facilities, aiming for lower operating and energy costs, more program capacity and accessibility, lower long-term costs, and facilities built to modern standards and community needs.
Who has the power
City, with others Council approves the multi-year capital plan that pays for buildings, and the Park Board runs recreation centres.
Source
Vancouver Liberals: Our Plan for Parks and Recreation Facilities (PDF)
4. ### Build one new community centre each capital cycle For every capital cycle, the party would aim to build one new community centre.
Who has the power
City, with others New community centres need money in the capital plan, which Council approves, and the Park Board runs them once built.
Source
Vancouver Liberals: Our Plan for Parks and Recreation Facilities (PDF)
5. ### Renew three more community centres each capital cycle For every capital cycle, the party would aim to renew and update three additional community centres, following the Community Centre Strategy.
Who has the power
City, with others Renewals are paid for through the capital plan Council approves, and the Park Board decides the work on its own centres.
Source
Vancouver Liberals: Our Plan for Parks and Recreation Facilities (PDF)
WHO WOULD HAVE TO ACT ## Where the power sits for this chapter City, with others5 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ## Questions about facility oversight and capital renewal
How many community centres would the Vancouver Liberals build? The Vancouver Liberals' parks plan says that for every capital cycle they would aim to build one new community centre and renew and update three more, following the Community Centre Strategy (party park plan).
What is REFM in the Vancouver Liberals' parks plan? REFM is the name the Vancouver Liberals' plan uses for a central city facilities-management structure that, according to the party, excludes the Park Board. The party would repeal it and return control of recreation facilities to the Park Board (party park plan).
Would the Vancouver Liberals give the Park Board control of community centres? Yes. The Vancouver Liberals say the Park Board should be clearly in charge of parks and recreation facilities, with direct control of maintenance and capital planning. Council would have to agree, since the plan describes the current structure as a centralized city one (party park plan).
Do the Vancouver Liberals plan to replace old recreation centres? Yes. The party would launch a capital plan to build new, energy-efficient, modern recreation centres in place of aging ones. The Vancouver Liberals say this would lower operating and energy costs and add program space (party park plan).
Who pays for new community centres in Vancouver? Council approves the multi-year capital plan that pays for city buildings, and the Park Board runs community centres. The Vancouver Liberals' plan to build and renew centres in each capital cycle would need both bodies to act (party park plan).
ON THE BALLOT ## The Vancouver Liberals candidates behind this ### Park Board [208**Mark Halyk**Ballot 208](https://voche.me/candidates/mark-halyk) [211**Shayla Bird**Ballot 211](https://voche.me/candidates/shayla-bird) [220**Scott Jensen**Ballot 220 · Vancouver Park Board commissioner](https://voche.me/candidates/scott-jensen) [221**Amanda Bains**Ballot 221](https://voche.me/candidates/amanda-bains) [223**Amir Bajehkian**Ballot 223](https://voche.me/candidates/amir-bajehkian) [229**Tricia Barker**Ballot 229](https://voche.me/candidates/tricia-barker) ## 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. 1. [Vancouver Liberals: Our Plan for Parks and Recreation Facilities (PDF) ](https://assets.nationbuilder.com/vancouverliberals/pages/233/attachments/original/1787255366/Vancouver_Liberals_Park_Plan.pdf?1787255366)SAYS SO ITSELFVancouver Liberals · checked September 26, 2026 ## Sitemap See the full [sitemap](/sitemap.md) for all pages.