Last night, in a 5-2 vote, the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation voted to “to explore opportunities with the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations (“the three Nations”) for co-management of parklands within their own respective territories that are currently under Park Board jurisdiction per the Vancouver Charter”. These are my introductory
Continue readingAuthor: Stuart Mackinnon
Stuart Mackinnon's BetterParks for Vancouver: Time is well past due to address climate change, for our own sake
Recent events only confirm the environmental threat’s real Vancouver Sun 22 Jan 2022 Stuart Mackinnon says. The recent storms have shown how vulnerable Vancouver’s coastal infrastructure is. The seawall around Stanley Park sustained major damage. Our beaches, coastal parks and pathways were inundated with water and aquatic debris. Piers were
Continue readingStuart Mackinnon's BetterParks for Vancouver: Does Vancouver need a Park Police Force?
At the last meeting of the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation, staff presented a report entitled “Park Ranger Service Model – Phase 1 Report Back”. This report recommended increased budget for the Park Rangers program and to ‘Create new positions with Peace Officer status to provide enhanced by-law enforcement
Continue readingStuart Mackinnon's BetterParks for Vancouver: Park Board approves planning of creek through Spanish Banks parking lot and dog park
Kenneth Chan, Daily Hive |Oct 5 2021, 1:43 pm Planning for the daylighting of Canyon Creek at Spanish Banks Beach Park will advance, following a unanimous decision by Vancouver Park Board commissioners on Monday evening. Canyon Creek, which is fed by a large catchment area within Pacific Spirit Regional Park,
Continue readingStuart Mackinnon's BetterParks for Vancouver: More than 180 people moved from Strathcona Park into accommodation by GM Order deadline
April 30 2021 The encampment in Strathcona Park has come to a close with the vast majority of people who had been sleeping overnight in the park having moved into safe and secure accommodation. The movement of people from the park follows a General Manager’s Order that was issued by
Continue readingStuart Mackinnon's BetterParks for Vancouver: Parks Board creating meadows in parks and boulevards throughout city
April 27 2021 The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation is piloting 37 hectares of naturalized and wildflower meadows in parks, golf courses, and boulevards throughout Vancouver this year. The move is part of the Board approved VanPlay Parks and Recreation Services Master Plan which calls for more naturally managed
Continue readingStuart Mackinnon's BetterParks for Vancouver: City Council ratifies collective agreement with CUPE Local 1004
April 20 2021 Vancouver City Council has ratified the terms of a new collective agreement covering outside workers represented by CUPE Local 1004. Union members voted to accept the settlement last week. The new collective agreement covers 1,650 employees who perform outside labour and trades work in Engineering Services, Vancouver
Continue readingStuart Mackinnon's BetterParks for Vancouver: Vancouver Park Board General Manager issues new order restricting tents in Strathcona Park
April 9 2021 – Today, the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation issued a new General Manager’s Order stating that all existing tents, temporary shelters, and structures must be removed from Strathcona Park by 10am on Friday, April 30, 2021. On February 10, 2021, a General Manager’s Order was issued
Continue readingStuart Mackinnon's BetterParks for Vancouver: Green Party of Vancouver welcomes Memorandum of Understanding regarding Strathcona encampment
MEDIA RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 7 April 2021 VANCOUVER, B.C. – The Green Party of Vancouver welcomes the announcement of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Park Board, city, and province to secure accommodation for people currently living in and around Strathcona Park by April 30, 2021. As
Continue readingStuart Mackinnon's BetterParks for Vancouver: Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation supports community groups with funding for projects that will creatively enhance parks
January 28 2021 Eleven new projects that creatively enhance parks and build community connections have received funding from the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation. The funding comes from the Neighbourhood Matching Fund (NMF), which supports neighbourhood-based groups that want to creatively enhance parks or other public lands through community
Continue readingStuart Mackinnon's BetterParks for Vancouver: Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation launches coyote education campaign
January 22 2021 The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation is launching a public education campaign to educate the public about co-existing with coyotes as coyotes continue to chase and nip at joggers and cyclists around Brockton Oval and Hollow Tree near Prospect Point in Stanley Park. Two more people
Continue readingStuart Mackinnon's BetterParks for Vancouver: Time to play as new playgrounds open in six parks across Vancouver
January 19 2021 Pirate ships, tree houses, trampolines, hill slides, play kitchens, and spider web nets are keeping children entertained at six new playgrounds that recently opened across the city. The Ray-Cam Co-operative Centre playground opens January 21 and features a custom treehouse around a sequoia tree and a netted
Continue readingStuart Mackinnon's BetterParks for Vancouver: Happy Holidays
Wishing everyone a happy holiday and a healthy new year.
Continue readingStuart Mackinnon's BetterParks for Vancouver: Vancouver Park Board and City committed to ending encampment, providing indoor shelter, for those sleeping in Strathcona Park
December 14 2020 The Vancouver Park Board, City of Vancouver, and partners are committed to ending the encampment in Strathcona Park as soon as possible. All partners continue to work on long-term solutions, but in the meantime several short-term solutions are underway, including providing temporary indoor spaces. Properties identified We
Continue readingStuart Mackinnon's BetterParks for Vancouver: Green Party of Vancouver Statement on ‘Freedom Rally’ scheduled this weekend
Published Oct 17, 2020 10:26 AM VANCOUVER, B.C. – The Green Party of Vancouver stands in strong opposition to the dangerous and deceptive two-day ‘freedom rally’ scheduled for this weekend in Vancouver. While we unequivocally support the right to free speech and political protests, the rally and its organizers are
Continue readingStuart Mackinnon's BetterParks for Vancouver: Stanley Park to reopen seawall to cyclists and full vehicle access Sep 26
September 18 2020 Stanley Park will reopen to full vehicle access and cyclists will return to the seawall on Saturday, September 26, after more than 5 months of modified access due to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic. The park was closed to all vehicle traffic on April 8, other than first
Continue readingStuart Mackinnon's BetterParks for Vancouver: Donnie Rosa to lead Vancouver Park Board as General Manager
August 31 2020 The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation and City of Vancouver will welcome an experienced municipal leader to the role of General Manager, Parks and Recreation, when Donnie Rosa assumes the role on September 28, 2020. Rosa brings a unique familiarity, strategic insight, and invaluable experience to
Continue readingStuart Mackinnon's BetterParks for Vancouver: Select arenas, fitness centres to reopen safely in September
August 10 2020 Vancouverites eager to return to indoor fitness and ice rink activities will find new COVID-19 safety measures in place as select locations are set to reopen in September. The Vancouver Park Board, in partnership with local community centre associations, will begin by reopening 12 fitness centres in
Continue readingStuart Mackinnon's BetterParks for Vancouver: Homeless Count results highlight imperative need for housing in Vancouver
August 5 2020 The preliminary results from the 2020 Metro Vancouver Homeless Count released today found that 2,095 Vancouver residents are without a home. While this number has dropped by 128 since last year, hundreds of people in the city are still without safe and stable accommodation that meets their
Continue readingStuart Mackinnon's BetterParks for Vancouver: Paul George, Co-Founder of the B.C. Green Party and Co-Founder of the Wilderness Committee, Awarded Order of British Columbia
MEDIA RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – AUGUST 3, 2020 VANCOUVER, B.C. – Paul George, co-founder of North America’s first Green Party, the Green Party of B.C., and co-founder of the British Columbia-based (Western Canada) Wilderness Committee is being awarded the Order of B.C., the highest recognition that the Province
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