With apologies to Britney Spears I couldn’t resist using a line from one of her songs to call to attention Vision Vancouver’s latest attempt to take credit for work that previous Park Boards have accomplished. First it was one VV Commissioner taking personal credit for funding a new skateboard park and BMX track when this [...]
NPA Park Commissioner Ian Robertson says critical summer programs for children are being cut while homeless chickens are looked after Vancouver, BC – Park Commissioner Ian Robertson is questioning Vision Vancouver’s priorities as summer programs affecting hundreds of families across the city are cut. Full-time summer programs at parks such as Burrardview Park are being [...]
Children’s farmyard, Bloedel Conservatory face reprieve By Frank Luba, The Province May 4, 2010 The Vancouver Parks Board has received four proposals to keep the Bloedel Conservatory operating and another two proposals aimed at continuing the Children’s Farmyard in Stanley Park. The proposals were all received before the Friday deadline. Ian Robertson, Non-Partisan Association parks [...]
As some of you may know the Park Board is in the process of recruiting a new General Manager to replace Susan Mundick who chose to take early retirement after 11 successful years. What you probably don’t know is the job description approved by a majority of Park Board Commissioners now has the General Manager [...]
The Bloedel Conservatory and efforts to save it are still making headlines. In a recent Globe and Mail article by Frances Bula here, she reports that sources close to city hall reveal the Mayor’s office is working on a plan to save the Conservatory. While I welcome his Worship’s involvement, it’s interesting to note that none of Vision’s park [...]
On Saturday January 16 I had the pleasure of attending the official ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new Mt. Pleasant Centre at 1 Kingsway. What a fabulous facility! The Centre contains a community centre with a state-of-the-art fitness centre, full-size gymnasium , climbing wall and a community kitchen. In addition to a community centre, the facility [...]
By far one of the most rewarding activities as a Park Commissioner is to attend the opening of a new piece of infrastructure and on January 16th the new Mt. Pleasant Community Centre at 1 Kingsway will officially open. This new community centre has been in the works for a long time; in fact the [...]
Well it may still feel like winter outside and technically it still is and will be for a few more months. However the optimist in me looks for signs. The sign I received today was a note that lifeguard school for the Vancouver Park Board begins on January 14. So for all of you that [...]
Over this past weekend I received attendance figures for the Bloedel Conservatory for the month of December. Guess what? Attendance has tripled over December 2008 and in fact is the best December since at least 2005. Attendance for December 2009 was 8,213 compared to 2,571 for 2008. OK, credit the media and the fact that [...]
Plans to permanently close the Conservatory and Children’s Farmyard in Stanley Park were temporarily put on hold Monday night…for at least another four months. The Park Board voted in favour of issuing an RFP (Request For Proposal) from private interest groups to develop plans to keep both facilities open. Deadline for submission to the Board [...]
