A new North East False Creek development report goes before council on Thursday. It has a lot of people talking and it isn’t all favourable. Somehow over the many drafts a new boathouse/dock for the dragon boaters was left out. Dragon boating in False …
Continue readingAuthor: Stuart Mackinnon
BetterParks for Vancouver: Parks and recreation must be open to all in Vancouver
by Stuart MackinnonStraight.comPublish Date: September 30, 2011 Vancouver’s natural beauty is worth protecting. Our children not only need places to play, but also places to enjoy and explor…
Continue readingBetterParks for Vancouver: Capital Plan passes – No pool for Mount Pleasant
The Park Board passed the Capital Plan last Monday with one amendment regarding tennis courts at Kits Beach. The plan includes a new annex for Kensington CC and the chance of a new community centre for Marpole, though only half the financing was approv…
Continue readingBetterParks for Vancouver: Could’ve Told You Before I Met You – John Martyn
Forgive this bit of indulgence but I just had to share this song. John Martyn has been one of my constant companions for more than 35 years. His music has seen me through some of my most exciting experiences and some of my darkest moments. Whether i…
Continue readingBetterParks for Vancouver: Noise and Nonsense: Setting the record straight
There has been a lot of silliness in the media recently about the Green Party of Vancouver – and myself in particular – in an alliance with other civic parties. This is nothing more than noise and nonsense. The Green Party of Vancouver (GPv) is not i…
Continue readingBetterParks for Vancouver: Summer fun continues till September 18 at Kits Pool!
Kitsilano Pool will remain open an extra week to take advantage of the warm summer weather, which is forecast to continue past mid-month. The outdoor seaside pool located on Cornwall Avenue will now close September 18. The Vancouver Park Board …
Continue readingBetterParks for Vancouver: Special visit for Coquitlam seniors
Coquitlam NOW September 2, 2011
As part of the Gentle Giant Visit program, Gerry O’Neill brought his horse Pepper to visit residents at Belvedere Care Centre in Coquitlam. The program is designed so retirement homes and other extended care facilit…
BetterParks for Vancouver: Stanley Park cycling plan open house
The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation is embarking on a process to evaluate and resolve issues with cycling in Stanley Park to enhance the park experience for all users.
Everyone is invited to drop by a public open house to provide their com…
BetterParks for Vancouver: Have Your Say on the 2012-14 Capital Plan
The proposed 2012-14 Capital Plan for the City of Vancouver has gone out for public consultation. You can join in the conversation here – but only until August 31st. This year’s plan calls for a small borrowing, which means fewer projects. In tight fin…
Continue readingBetterParks for Vancouver: Green Parks Commissioner Stuart Mackinnon To Seek 2nd Term
PRESS RELEASE: 2nd August 2011Stuart Mackinnon, Green Party of Vancouver (GPv) Park Board Commissioner, announced today that he will seek a second term on Vancouver’s Board of Parks and Recreation. Elected in 2008, Stuart has been a champion of park…
Continue readingBetterParks for Vancouver: The Silly Season
Summer is often called the silly season in politics. Not enough news so news has to be manufactured. The summer before a fall election seems to be the silliest. Here in Vancouver we have an abundance of announcements coming out of city hall, with polit…
Continue readingBetterParks for Vancouver: A Martini with your putter?
The Vancouver Board of Parks & Recreation is considering serving alcohol on the greens and fairways of the public golf courses. I am very much looking forward to the staff report that will accompany this recommendation. According to park board by-l…
Continue readingBetterParks for Vancouver: Meadows in our parks?
There has been a spin attempted on the lack on maintenance in some of our parks and public spaces. It is being called the ‘meadow’ look. Well just for the record, to me this is what an urban meadow should look like. This is an area behind the sales …
Continue readingBetterParks for Vancouver: City council’s budget cuts create ‘meadow look’
By Stuart Mackinnon, Vancouver Courier July 20, 2011 8:02 AM To the editor: Re: “Central Park: Thigh high,” July 13. The “meadow look” is just a euphemism for budget cuts at the park board. Parks and boulevards look unkempt because the money needed…
Continue readingBetterParks for Vancouver: A letter to the editor I sent to the Courier
Re: Central Park: Thigh high The ‘meadow look’ is just a euphemism for budget cuts at the Park Board. Parks and boulevards look unkempt because the money needed to keep them tidy and trim was cut by city council in last November’s budget, some…
Continue readingBetterParks for Vancouver: Neighbourhood Flower Gardens: UPDATE
The Park Board passed unanimously my motion to allow neighbourhood groups to plant flowers in unused public spaces. With a slight tweak to the costing sources, all commissioners spoke in favour of the motion. My thanks to all the folks who spoke wrote …
Continue readingBetterParks for Vancouver: Rooting for a plan to reclaim the land
Commissioner aiming to convert unused parts of the city into useful gardens By Frank Luba, The Province June 23, 2011Small, unused and neglected bits of the Vancouver landscape could get turned into flower or vegetable gardens if a motion by Green P…
Continue readingBetterParks for Vancouver: What Are the Bees Telling Us?
Queen of the Sun: What Are the Bees Telling Us? A documentary on the global honeybee crisis coming to Vancouver June 24-30@ Denman Cinema: 1779 Comox Street – find out how you can help bees!Bees are losing habitat all around the world due to intensive…
Continue readingBetterParks for Vancouver: A Splash of Colour for Every Neighbourhood
In my neighbourhood the Park Board used to cut the verge along the railroad tracks 4-5 times a year. This has been reduced over the past few years to the point where I don’t think it will be cut at all this year. This would be in-keeping with the cuts …
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