Board of Parks and Recreation
Regular Board Meeting
Monday, October 6, 2003 at 7:00 pm

AGENDA (REVISED)

A recording of the Agenda is available at 604-257-8507.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES
  1. Minutes of the regular meeting of the Board held on September 22, 2003 .
CHAIR'S REPORT

Item 2 - Bright Nights - Renewal of Agreement with BC Firefighter's Burn Fund and CUPE Local 1004
Representatives from the Firefighter's Burn Fund unit requested to speak to the Board.

Item 3 - Eburne Lands Subdivision
The following delegations requested to speak to the Board:

  • Glen McRae, Port Authority
  • Maureen Jones, Port Authority
  • Terry Fleck
  • Dick Stace-Smith, Fraser River Coalition
  • Wendy Turner
  • June Binkert, Save Our Parkland Association
  • Bert Brink, Save Our Parkland Association
  • West Southlands Rate Payers Association
  • Helen Spiegelman, SPEC

Item 4 - Vancouver's Waterfront Promenade - Waterfront Centre's Excellence on the Waterfront Award
Eleanor Hadley requested to speak to the Board.

DELEGATIONS
STAFF REPORTS
  1. Bright Nights - Renewal of Agreement with BC Firefighter's Burn Fund and CUPE Local 1004
    Staff report dated September 25, 2003 recommending that the Board approve recommendations A to D.
  2. Eburne Lands Subdivision
    Staff report dated September 25, 2003 recommending that the Board recommend to Council acceptance of payment in lieu of park dedication at the proposed subdivision of the Eburne Lands, subject to legal arrangements to the satisfaction of the General Manager Park Board and the Director of Legal Services, for the possible acquisition of Richmond Island for park purposes at a later date as described in the report and that the Board recommend to the Approving Officer the establishment of public right-of-ways along the water with the matter of physical access to be resolved through any development permits.
  3. Vancouver's Waterfront Promenade - Waterfront Centre's Excellence on the Waterfront Award
    Staff report dated September 22, 2003 recommending that the Board receive the report for information.
  4. Stanley Park Commemorative Integrity Statement
    Staff report dated September 23, 2003 recommending that the Board adopt the Stanley Park Commemorative Integrity Statement as an acknowledgment of the Park's status as a National Historic Site and as a reference for future decision-making.
    Appendix A  [1.35Mb] - Stanley Park Commemorative Integrity Statement dated November 2002
  5. Establishment of the Child and Youth Advocate
    Staff report dated September 23, 2003 recommending that the Board receive the report for information.
ENQUIRIES, OTHER MATTERS AND NEW BUSINESS
MOTIONS
  1. The following motions were referred from the meeting of the Board held on Monday, September 22, 2003:

    WHEREAS:
    1. The City of Vancouver has established a Commission on Electoral Reform to implement the ward system in time for the next general civic election;
    2. The Vancouver Park Board has been included in the terms of reference of the Commission;
    3. The Vancouver Park Board has never been consulted nor has it ever expressed an opinion as to whether it wishes to be included in this process;
    4. No consultation with the citizens of Vancouver has taken place as to whether the Park Board should be elected by a ward system;
    5. The Park Board is committed to public consultation;
    6. The Commission on Electoral Reform is only to examine how we implement wards, not whether we should have wards, so that no discussion as to the benefits of each system will be relevant;
    7. Vancouver is consistently rated as one of the most livable cities in the world;
    8. The Park Board has been elected at large since 1890;
    9. No ward city has an elected Park Board; and
    10. An elected Park Board is unlikely to survive a ward system.

    Therefore be it Resolved:

    1. The Vancouver Park Board recommends that no changes be made to the method of election of the Park Board without public consultation and a referendum put to the voters; and
    2. The Vancouver Park Board requests that the City not purport to make changes in regard to the election of the Park Board without consulting the Park Board.
  2. The following motions were put forward by Commissioner Romaniuk,

    WHEREAS the City of Vancouver has established a Commission on Electoral Reform to receive submissions and report to Council on the method of electing municipal representatives; and

    WHEREAS Thomas Berger has been appointed as the Commissioner and has been charged to recommend a public process to Council by mid-November 2003, with the final report to be submitted in April 2004; and

    WHEREAS the terms of reference for the Electoral Reform Commission include the method of electing Park Board Commissioners; and

    WHEREAS the mandate of this commission is to specifically include a ward system, but is not intended to exclude other methods of electing councillors and commissioners.

    Therefore Be It Resolved:

    That the Vancouver Park Board supports the Commission on Electoral Reform in establishing a public process which will examine the merits of a ward system, as well as other electoral systems including the current at-large system;

    And Therefore Be It Further Resolved:

    That the Vancouver Park Board requests that City Council not make changes to the method of electing parks commissioners without consulting the Park Board, and to this end the Board will participate in the public process as conducted by the Commission on Electoral Reform.

  3. The following motions were put forward by Commissioner Romaniuk,

    WHEREAS the Community Visions Choices Survey, which included questions on the aging house at 2317 McGill Street, was distributed June 2003 in the Hastings-Sunrise community, and 1850 surveys were returned; and

    WHEREAS the survey indicated an overwhelming interest in creating more indoor recreation space in the community for youth and seniors programs, and involving the public in these initiatives; and

    WHEREAS Kiwassa Neighbourhood House is bursting at the seams with community programs and looking for opportunities to expand their services;

    Therefore Be It Resolved:

    That the Vancouver Park Board rescind the demolition order for the unoccupied house at 2317 McGill Street in order that public consultation take place in the Hastings-Sunrise neighbourhood, involving stakeholders such as the Burrardview Residence Association and Kiwassa Neighbourhood House, on the future of the site at 2317 McGill Street, which could include either renovation of the unoccupied house for a use benefiting the community, or conversion to green space, and that the deadline for this consultation result in a recommendation to Park Board no later than February 29, 2004.

  4. The following motions were put forward by Commissioner Anton,

    WHEREAS:
    1. Persons in Strathcona Park are living in the park and are erecting tents and other structures and are thereby in breach of the Parks Control By-law;
    2. Public access to Strathcona Park is limited by the presence of those persons and the tents and other structures;
    3. Community groups in the area have informed the Park Board that residents are intimidated by those persons and do not now use the park;

    It is Resolved That:

    1. This Board take such action as is necessary including legal action to effect the earliest possible removal from Strathcona Park of tents and other structures erected in the Park in breach of the Parks Control By-law;
    2. This Board request the assistance of the City of Vancouver Housing Centre in finding housing for those persons living in Strathcona Park needing housing.

    WHEREAS:

    1. Persons in the area known as Creekside Park are living in the park and are erecting tents and other structures and are impeding public use of that area; and
    2. Creekside Park is maintained by the Park Board but is within the jurisdiction of the City of Vancouver;

    It is Resolved That:

    This Board request the City of Vancouver to take such action as is necessary including legal action to effect the removal of tents and other structures from Creekside Park at the earliest possible time.

 

NEXT MEETING: Monday, October 20 at 7:00 pm