VanSplash strategy advisory group report: “Vancouver needs more pools”

Vancouver Park Board

News Release
July 31, 2019 

At a special Vancouver Park Board meeting last night, Commissioners received a feedback report on the draft VanSplash Aquatic Strategy outlining a vision for the future of aquatics in Vancouver. 

The report was produced by the VanSplash Advisory Group, which was appointed by the Board in late 2018 in order to review the draft VanSplash strategy and provide comments and insights to inform a revised draft strategy.

During the initial VanSplash engagement process in 2017 and 2018, staff heard from more than 7,000 residents at open houses, meetings, and through surveys. The advisory group was assembled to provide an enhanced, city-wide perspective on the diverse range of aquatic facilities and services.

The advisory group is made up of 19 individuals who responded to a call for applications. An independent facilitation consultant short-listed the applicants and the Board appointed members. The advisory group represents a wide range of backgrounds and interests in aquatics, and members are from every corner of Vancouver. The group met nine times over six months, facilitated by the neutral third-party facilitator.

“The Board was pleased to hear the comments and recommendations of the advisory group,” said Park Board Chair Stuart Mackinnon. “Their passion for aquatics is evident and we look forward to a well-informed revised draft VanSplash strategy later this fall. On behalf of the Board, I’d like to thank every member of the advisory group for their time and valuable perspective.”

                                   

The findings of the advisory group will be used to refine the final draft VanSplash Aquatic Strategy that will be presented at a public meeting to the Board this fall for their consideration and decision.

The revised draft VanSplash Aquatic Strategy will set the foundation for renewal and capital investment of the city’s pools, beaches and spray parks over the next 10 years. The vision for the draft VanSplash is to deliver a wide range of aquatic experiences for residents and visitors that support Vancouver as a highly-livable, world-class coastal city.

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VanSplash Advisory Group:

 

• The VanSplash Advisory Group was comprised of 19 Vancouver residents, each with a unique connection to aquatics

• ·Interested residents responded to a call for volunteers in November 2018

• · 256 people applied and an independent facilitation consultant short-listed the applicants to ensure a diverse range of interests, perspectives, backgrounds and locations within the city.

• · The Board appointed 20 members to the advisory group

• · The group met nine times over six months

• · Members included aquatic sport coaches, parents of children in swim lessons, people living with disabilities, aquatics advocates, former competitive athletes, recreational aquatics users, ocean swimmers, and a range of other perspectives and group affiliations.

Aquatics by the numbers:

• · The Park Board manages nine indoor pools, five outdoor pools,and 11 swimming beaches, and care for 17 wading pools, 15 spray parks, and one fresh water lake.

• · The nine indoor pools had 2.4 million visits in 2015, while outdoor pools Kitsilano, Second Beach and New Brighton had about 450,000 visits in total last year.

• · Eleven beaches and one lake provide supervised swimming to approximately five million visitors each year.

• · Kitsilano is the largest saltwater pool in North America with 137 metres of seaside swimming.

• · The newest aquatic facility in Vancouver is Hillcrest Centre which opened in 2010.

• · In the last decade, Killarney and Renfrew pools were renovated and spray parks installed at Norquay, Prince Edward, Pandora, Carnarvon and Riley parks. 

• · Six indoor pools are between 40-60 years old (Templeton, Kerrisdale, Lord Byng, Brittania, Vancouver Aquatic Centre and Kensington).

More information:  

https://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/vansplash-aquatics-strategy.aspx

Media contact:

Vancouver Park Board

pb.communications@vancouver.ca

 

City and Park Board ready to help residents beat the heat this summer

New measures implemented to combat hot weather and poor air quality

July 25 2019 – 

In preparation for a long stretch of sunny weather, the City of Vancouver and Vancouver Park Board are preparing to help residents who may struggle with the heat this summer.

This year, the City is undertaking a range of actions to adapt to summers becoming hotter and drier as the climate changes.

New programs

A number of new programs have been introduced this year, including:

• Piloting cleaner air rooms at Carnegie Community Centre, the Gathering Place, Mount Pleasant Community Centre and the Central Library. The City has installed high-efficiency particulate air filtering systems at these facilities which offer cleaner air for anyone experiencing respiratory issues.
• Introducing temporary clean air filtration units at many non-market housing locations when air quality advisories are issued
• Working with Evergreen, a local non-profit, to develop a greater understanding of the needs of Vancouver residents who are most vulnerable to hot weather

 

Water fountains

​The City has already activated 12 temporary water fountains in addition to the 234 permanent fountains across Vancouver.

The installation of misting stations in parks is beginning this week and the City is aiming to have twelve stations active within the coming weeks.

 

Splash Zones

Vancouver Fire Rescue Service has launched Splash Zones across the City to allow both big and little kids to cool down and meet the crews.

The events, at which aerial trucks spray water on attendees, are scheduled to take place every Thursday evening when the day time temperature is above 25 degrees Celsius.

Locations for these events will vary, follow VFRS social media accounts for up-to-date information.

 

Beaches

Vancouver has already seen some beach closures this summer. When these occur, the City is alerting the public via VanConnect and online.

 

Water Quality

The City is also continuing work to improve water quality in a number of ways, including:

• Further investing in a long-standing sewer separation program
• Launching a multi-year combined sewer overflow mitigation plan called the Vancouver Clean Water plan, that brings together regional and national partners as well as expertise from global peers to help accelerate the mitigation of Combined Sewer Overflow events
• Accelerating the implementation of green rainwater infrastructure across the City to capture and slow rainfall, in order to decrease pressure on our pipe system
• Under our One Water initiative, we are investing in increasing water quality monitoring and modelling for our oceans and streams, and making data and information more easily accessible
• Continuing to work to improve the water quality at False Creek including once again offering our free pump-out service aimed at eliminating improper sewage discharges from boats. 

 

Extreme heat warnings

The City is also ready to initiate its extreme heat response plan should Environment Canada issue a Heat Warning which occurs when temperatures reach over 29 degrees Celsius in the daytime and 16 degrees for two consecutive nights.

If an extreme heat warning is issued, the City will take steps to protect residents susceptible to the adverse effects of heat, including:

• Cooling centres will open at air-conditioned community centres and libraries. Locations and hours are available online.
• Emergency service personnel and volunteers are being particularly vigilant for people exhibiting signs of heat exhaustion.
• Community centres in the Downtown East Side will ensure water is available for homeless people, and staff will practice extra vigilance in ensuring the safety of those most at risk.
• The City's housing operations will also be implementing a hot weather support plan for tenants, including performing increased wellness checks, and providing water. The City will also open cool rooms in many locations and most of these will include temporary portable air filtration units when a poor air quality alert is issued.
• Providing additional information via Vancouver.ca and the VanConnect app to ensure people are aware of heat warnings and can access the information they need.

 

Tips for staying cool

• Dress for heat: Wear a wide-brimmed hat; lightweight, long-sleeved clothing; and sunscreen.
• Take it easy: Avoid strenuous activity and exercise, particularly if you have a respiratory or cardiac condition or diabetes.
• Stay hydrated: Fill up your water bottle at one of our drinking fountains, including temporary fountains that are set up during heat waves.
• Moderate your alcohol consumption: The effects of hot weather are exacerbated by alcohol therefore drink responsibly.
• Protect your loved ones: Never leave a child or pet in a closed car or in the direct sun.
• Look out for others: Remember that the very young, the elderly, people with chronic respiratory, cardiac and mental illnesses and those who are unable to move to a cool area are most vulnerable. If you see someone struggling, call 9-1-1 and if you can, help the person cool off with water to the face and neck until emergency services arrive.
• Cool off: Visit an air-conditioned community centre or library, or enjoy a wading pool, outdoor pool, water park, or spray park.
  • Find an air conditioned facility
  • Find a pool or water park
  • Take your dog to an off-leash park with water access

 

Care for your pets

This weather is also hard on animals as they are especially susceptible to heat.

Animals with fur coats are not able to cool themselves down easily and can overheat very quickly, so leaving animals at home can be much safer.

The temperature in a parked car can heat rapidly, so it's extremely dangerous to leave an animal unattended in a vehicle.

If you see an animal in distress please report it to the BC SPCA immediately.

The following off-leash dog parks have access to water for your pets:

• New Brighton Park 
• Crab Park at Portside 
• John Hendry Dog Park
• Sunset Beach 
• Hadden Park 
• Spanish Banks

View more information to stay safe in the summer heat
Share information on avoiding heat in the city PDF file (1 MB)

Download our helpful apps
Stay connected with us 24/7

3-1-1

604-873-7000

Greater & Greener in Denver

On Monday, 22 July 2019, I had the great honour to be a presenter/panelist at the opening plenary session of the Greater & Greener conference in Denver, Colorado. Representing the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation, I spoke about Reconciliation at the Park Board and our Biodiversity accomplishments. I shared the stage with Yvonne Lynch, an Urban Greening and Climate Resilience Strategist, and Luis Andres Orive, Environmental Director, City of Victoria Gasteiz, Spain.

Other Vancouver speakers at the conference included Dave Hutch, Director of Planning and Park Development, Rena Soutar, Reconciliation Planner, and Catarina Gomes, Park Planner

It was an amazing and exciting conference. I had the opportunity to learn and network with urban park professionals from Canada, the United States, and countries around the world. The take away for me is that Vancouver is at the leading edge of park development, biodiversity, and reconcilation work.

Greater & Greener is the Premiere International Urban Parks Conference

For more than a decade, Greater & Greener has been the leading international conference for urban park leaders, city planning and design professionals, public officials, advocates, funders, and innovators to explore the role of parks and recreation in addressing some of the biggest challenges facing 21st Century cities. The highly curated sessions, workshops, and tours facilitate an honest dialogue around solutions, cross-sector and peer-to-peer networking, and tools for building successful park partnerships.
 
Greater & Greener 2019: Exploring Natural Connections is presented by City Parks Alliance, the only independent, nationwide membership organization dedicated solely to urban parks. The conference brings together more than 1,000 leaders from parks and recreation, public works, transportation, city planning and other municipal agencies, mayors, advocacy and funding organizations, community leaders, designers and landscape architects, real estate developers and other stakeholders involved in city building.

Greater & Greener explores how urban parks can be designed, developed, programmed, funded, and sustained to meet increasing city demands. By expanding the discussion to new audiences and emphasizing the relevance of urban parks to engage leaders from across sectors, Greater & Greener aims to inspire reimagining of parks in a broad new context of economic, environmental, and social opportunities.

Commissioner Dumont’s substitution motion aimed at a fundamental paradigm shift around water management

VANCOUVER, B.C. – At last night’s Park Board meeting, Green Commissioner Camil Dumont substituted a motion introduced by Commissioner Coupar with one of his own. Coupar’s original motion asked the city to accelerate its plans to separate combined sewer overflow pipes (CSOs) by the year 2029, instead of the city’s current goal of 2050. Dumont’s replacement motion asked the City and Park Board staff to focus on investing in green infrastructure instead of solely on sewage pipe upgrades, which Greens view as outdated technology.

Currently the city’s rain management infrastructure is designed to capture and funnel rainwater into the sewer system, and send it to be processed with sewage at a treatment plant. When rainfall is too heavy, CSOs dump all excess water, including sewage, into False Creek and other bodies of water surrounding our city. Greens would like to see rainwater diverted from the pipe system all together and used to water our trees, grass, and plants. 

“It’s time for a paradigm shift; we need to start treating rainwater as a resource instead of as waste,” said Dumont after his substituted motion passed unanimously, with a few amendments. 

“Everyone agrees we need to stop dumping sewage into our waterways, but Greens would like to see a transition from the traditional ‘gray infrastructure’ to a more sustainable ‘green infrastructure’ model.

“For Greens it’s about moving into the 21st Century. Why would we invest millions in centuries old technology that diverts our rain water from where it’s needed? Why would we continue to pay millions per year after that to treat rainwater instead directing it to our plants and greenspaces?”

A similar motion is up for debate at tonight’s City Council meeting. Councillor Michael Wiebe plans to support the efforts passed in the replacement motion at Park Board.

“We can’t keep doing the same thing we did 100 years ago,” said Wiebe. “I’d like to see the city invest in our future instead of in the outdated inefficient infrastructure, which got us into this problem in the first place. 

“My goal is to get rainwater back to doing the job nature intended. We have an opportunity to be leaders in ‘green infrastructure’ which is not only more cost effective, but will also help mitigate the negative effects of the climate crisis.”

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Vancouver Park Board offering free Swim to Survive classes

The drowning prevention program is open to kids aged 7 to 18

Courier staff / Vancouver Courier

July 19, 2019 

Vancouver Park Board is once again offering up free Swim to Survive classes during National Drowning Prevention Week.

The courses, which are a partnership between the Lifesaving Society and Vancouver Lifeguard Association, are free for children aged seven to 18. There are 240 spots available this year. Sessions are being offered at Kits pool from 3:30 p.m. until 6 p.m. on July 23 and at New Brighton pool on July 28 from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m.

“This is the fourth year that the park board has offered this program to the public. Last year, more than 500 youth and children took the free course,” board chair Stuart Mackinnon said in a press release. “Swim to Survive demonstrates our commitment to equip children with the skills to safely enjoy our pools and beaches.”

Swim to Survive is a Lifesaving Society program offered across Canada that provides basic training in three essential skills needed to survive an unexpected fall into deep water. It is not a replacement for swimming lessons, but an important step to being safe around water.

In Canada, drowning is the number one cause of unintentional injury deaths among children aged 1 to 4 years old, and the second leading cause of preventable death for children under 10. Swim to Survive teaches water smart behaviours in time for young people to make better choices around water.

Visit vancouver.ca to register for Swim to Survive.

 © 2019 Vancouver Courier

Coyote Alert (from Facebook)

Vancouver to invest millions to build new playgrounds in several parks across the city

by Aria Nasimi on July 9th, 2019 Straight.com

At least seven parks across Vancouver will get new playgrounds.
 
They will be built in Ash, Beaconsfield, Cedar Cottage, Charleson, Jones, Kaslo, and Winona parks.
It came as a result of a park board vote last night to direct staff to negotiate and enter into contracts
.
In a media statement, the board said that construction of the new playgrounds, which cost a total of $4.5 million, is scheduled to start this summer or in early fall.

Vancouver park board chair Stuart Mackinnon said the seven new playgrounds will receive fun and challenging play equipment.

“There is much community support and enthusiasm for playground renewals and it’s an ongoing priority for the park board,” Mackinnon said in the statement. “Play equipment encourages children to be more active and builds social skills and sensory activity, helps with cognitive development, and encourages healthy emotional development.”

 Trampolines, pirate ships, hill slides, and spider-web nets are some of the equipment that the new playgrounds will have.

Seating areas and drinking fountains will also be available in the new playgrounds, the park board said.

According to the board, many of the current 160 playgrounds in parks across the city are reaching the end of their lifespan.

In 2015, the board made a priority of replacing the parks’ playgrounds. So far, 17 playgrounds have been renewed.

Follow Aria Nasimi on Twitter @Aria_Nasimi.

(c) 2019 Straight.com 

City should 'step up' to find shelter for people in Oppenheimer Park: park board chair

by Taran Parmar and Lisa Steacy

Jul 7, 2019

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) — After a large homeless camp at Oppenheimer Park caused an annual festival to relocate, one park board commissioner wants more supports for the city’s most vulnerable.

Commissioner Stuart Mackinnon says the board has done what it can to help and it’s time for the city to “step up.” The board has installed 24-hour washrooms, ensured access to water, and made sure there are park rangers on site.

“The Park Board can’t find accommodation for these folks. We are asking the senior levels of government–the city, the province, and the federal government–to find more housing for people.

There are far too many homeless people in Canada and especially here in Vancouver and as a result they’re finding places like Oppenheimer park to make a home. This is really intolerable in a society as wealthy as Canada.”

There are more than 100 tents at the site.

Mackinnon says he has heard from residents of the area who are concerned about safety and accessibility.

“I understand people’s concern. Parks are supposed to be accessible for everyone and when people are forced to camp out in parks it can be not as open as other people would like,” he says. “I am just as concerned as others about safety. Both the safety of park users and of course the safety of the people who are camping in the park.”

Earlier this week, organizers of the Powell Street Festival announced that this year’s program would not include any events in the park. The festival is a celebration of Japanese Canadian arts. Japanese Canadians made up the majority ethnic group in the area around Powell Street from the 1890s until 1942, when the Canadian government forcibly removed the entire community.

“As a community that has experienced forced displacement, we refuse to continue this pattern of dispossession of vulnerable people in this area,” said Powell Street Festival Society president Edward Takayanagi in a release. “In respect for the current residents and the occupants of the park, they have designed their festival and program to ensure the people in the park are not displaced while providing a rich cultural experience for festival goers”

The festival similarly rearranged it’s programming In 2014, when there were about 200 tents housing homeless people in the park. Later that year, campers were forced out by court injunction.

(c) News 1130 CityNews

Zero waste recycling stations expanding at Vancouver beaches

June 27 2019 – 

 

 The City, in partnership with the Vancouver Park Board, is expanding public area recycling by adding 20 new zero waste stations at park concessions throughout the city. The new stations support the City’s ongoing zero waste initiatives and public realm cleanliness.

The zero waste stations at the park concessions include at least one bin for recycling, organics, and landfill. The stations are colour-coded and have prominent signage to make it easy for users to properly sort their waste.

Concessions support the Single Use Reduction Strategy

City Engineering Services and the Park Board worked closely together to ensure that the majority of the food service packaging provided at the concessions could be composted or recycled in the program. Park Board-operated concessions have taken early steps to embrace the City’s Single Use Reduction Strategy.

Some of the initiatives undertaken at concession stands include:

• Eliminating the distribution of plastic straws
• Switching to lids with a sip portal
• Switching to wooden cutlery
• Using paper-based compostable food packaging
• Offering 25 cent cup discounts to patrons who bring their own mug 

 

Reduce and recycle

An integral part of becoming a zero waste community is ensuring that we all have the opportunity to reduce or recycle materials both at home and while we are out enjoying our vibrant parks, beaches, streets, and communities.

As Canada Day and summer festival season kicks off, visitors to public spaces and events in the city are encouraged to make use of reusable items wherever possible and adopt the pack-in and pack-out approach to help us preserve these spaces and the environment as a whole.

Public area recycling programs are notoriously challenging to manage due to contamination. We are asking residents and visitors to do their part — when you see one of the new recycling stations, please take a moment to sort your items properly and help keep recyclables out of the landfill.

Learn more about the program, including the location of new zero waste stations