Vote for Stuart Mackinnon for Vancouver Park Board

I have always cared passionately for our parks and green spaces. Growing up in Vancouver was like growing up in a magical land, filled with green fields, tall trees, forests, sandy beaches and sunny days at the poolside. I want every child to be able to share this experience | Stuart

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People and Nature in Balance

The Vancouver GREEN Party’s vision for our parks and recreation system

Vancouver’s natural beauty is worth protecting. Our children not only need places to play, but also places to enjoy and explore nature. We all need places of tranquil refuge from our busy lives. The animals and birds that help make our city lives enjoyable need places to nest and raise their young. People and nature in balance is the Vancouver Green Party’s vision for our parks and recreation system.

For too long our recreational facilities have been neglected: outdoor pools have been closed due to neglect; community centres have deteriorated from neglect; and too little money has been reinvested when there was no choice but to upgrade. We can’t afford to lose what we have. The Vancouver Green Party believes in re-investing in our aging infrastructure to protect and enhance our neighbourhoods. We need to return natural species to our green spaces and be a shining example of conservation.

What the Green Party of Vancouver believes:

  1. Parks as Parks. End commercialization of public spaces. Preserve the unique natures of Stanley, Queen Elizabeth and Hastings Parks.
  2. Sharing Spaces. Athletics and general users must share space. Dog owners and others must be respectful of the rules. School Board and Park Board must work together to enhance public spaces and access
  3. Accountability. Public input is important and decisions of the PB must be transparent
  4. Re-investmentment. Infrastructure must be renewed on an on going basis. Money must be put aside each budget for renewal
  5. Access. Public facilities must be accessible to all, regardless of income, mobility, or age.

Stuart will work toward:

  • Meeting with other progressive caucuses at all levels of civic government on a regular basis to bring a common front to issues of civic importance
  • Working with City Council to increase access and funding for public spaces
  • Working with other levels of civic and regional governments to ensure best value for tax payers
  • Working with community groups to ensure public input is maximized

People and Nature in balance—a vision for all.

INFRASTRUCTURE: renewing the past to secure our future

  • Invest in upgrading/renewing existing neighbourhood facilities before building new destination ones
  • Upgrading existing outdoor wading and swimming pools and re-opening closed ones where possible
  • Enacting a real ethical purchasing policy to ensure that all purchases meet the highest standards
  • Careful management and overseeing of new Olympic facilities to ensure that they are built to last—many of these will be left to the Park Board to manage and maintain, with little or no extra funding
  • Strengthening local decision making and management of facilities and parks to build strong neighbourhoods
  • Support the hiring of local contractors for Park Board facilities when possible

PUBLIC SPACES: where our communities meet to play and relax

  • All facilities, whether indoor or outdoor, must be accessible to all Vancouverites. Investing now means savings later
  • Hastings Park as a park. Increase greens space through out the area
  • Develop a ‘master plan’ for John Hendry/Trout Lake park
  • Encourage more Arts and Cultural events in our public spaces, especially in local neighbourhood facilities, to foster community spirit
  • Quantify existing area of paved parkland and establish a no net gain policy. Any additional pavement will require removal of an equal area. Seek opportunities to remove paved area or reclaim for alternate uses such as roller hockey, skateboarding, tennis, basketball, etc.
  • Re-examine the ‘destination’ emphasis in Park Board policy—encourage strengthening of our neighbourhoods.
  • Increased cooperation with the City and Vancouver School Board to better manage fields and recreational facilities

ECOLOGY: the future of our children depends on our decisions today

  • Water conservation measures in all parks and recreation facilities
  • Expand the planting of native species in all public spaces
  • Enhance and expand the trees on boulevard program
  • Daylight streams that used to flow through parks
  • Offer healthier choices at Park Board concession

STANLEY PARK: a unique natural asset worth protecting

  • Develop and implement a comprehensive stewardship plan for Stanley Park
  • Implement ‘car-free’ Sundays once a month
  • Promote ecotourism and interpretive services within the park
  • Encourage the use of smaller, alternate fuel tour buses
  • End the continuing erosion of the park by commercial enterprise