You are currently viewing February 6/2024 Letter to Premier Eby

February 6/2024 Letter to Premier Eby

Dear Premier Eby,

The Save Our Park Board group of 30 former Park Board Commissioners is writing to you again, to follow up current developments regarding Mayor Ken Sim’s plan to eliminate the elected Vancouver Park Board.

We are deeply concerned that the Mayor’s announcement of his transition team (January 25) to eliminate the Park Board is ignoring due process as outlined by you. It ignores the Province’s requirement for consultation with First Nations, and dismisses a decision made by the Park Board to not have Park Board staff work on any transition to dissolve the elected Park Board.

Coupled with the Mayor’s Budget Task Force report released January 17, that recommends the sale of public assets and privatization of city functions and services, we believe there are troubling questions about the potential sale of public land used for parks and recreation, within the plan to decommission the elected Park Board.

A recent Globe and Mail article, February 3, made it clear two First Nations want a formal role in any Vancouver Charter amendments. It is therefore alarming that the Mayor has his transition team in place already, prior to any formal engagement as stated by First Nations.

The Mayor’s manoeuvres are unilateral and without regard to due process. We would also point out that the Vancouver Park Board passed a motion to work with MST Nations for co-management of parklands within their respective territories, TWO years ago. This direction does not necessitate the elimination of elected Park Commissioners – indeed it opens the door for creative governance models with First Nations.

We implore you and your government to not let the Mayor unilaterally force his agenda on Vancouver.

We remind you, he has no mandate to undertake these initiatives. As offered in previous communication with you, we would welcome the opportunity to meet to discuss these concerns. It’s not often you see 30 former electeds from across the political spectrum, coming together and setting aside political differences, in order to defend democratic principles and practice.

Yours Sincerely,

Malcolm Ashford
Tricia Barker
Constance Barnes
Sarah Blyth
Roslyn Cassels
John Coupar
Casey Crawford
Libby Davies
Allan De Genova
Melissa De Genova
Camil Dumont
Alan Fetherstonhaugh
Dermot Foley
Gwen Giesbrecht
Raj Hundal
John Irwin
Aaron Jasper
Tim Louis
Stuart MacKinnon
Bill McCreery
Laura McDiarmid
Donna Morgan
Lyndsay Poaps
Christopher Richardson
Ian Robertson
Anita Romaniuk
Erin Shum
Michael Wiebe
Pat Wilson
Loretta Woodcock