The Vancouver Park Board is an elected board with exclusive possession, jurisdiction and control over public parks in the City of Vancouver.[1] Established by section 485 of the Vancouver Charter, the Park Board (also known as the Board of Parks and Recreation),[2] is one of the only elected bodies of its kind in Canada.[3] It has seven elected commissioners who are charged by the Vancouver Charter [4] with determining the policy direction of the Park Board.[3] The board has a mandate to "provide, preserve and advocate… to benefit people, communities and the environment." Commissioners are elected every three years.[3]
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In June 2009, Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson and Vancouver city councilor Raymond Louie, both of whom are members of the Vision Vancouver party, were accused by Vancouver city councilor Suzanne Anton, a member of the opposition party, of attempting to destroy the independence of the park board by centralizing budget oversight.[5] Aaron Jasper, a Vision Vancouver member of the park board, called on the city council to restore the decentralized budget control.[5]
In September 2009 Susan Mundick, the general manager of the board, announced her retirement.[6] Penny Ballem, the city manager of Vancouver hired by Mayor Robertson, stripped Mundick of all routine transitional duties.[7] Ballem then stated she would help the park board choose Mundick's replacement, a selection process city hall traditionally had not been involved in.[8] In response, Suzanne Anton urged Mayor Robertson and the city council to limit Ballem's control of the park board.[8]
The Vancouver Park Board oversees more than 200 parks, including major attractions such as Stanley Park to local neighbourhood parks such as Falaise Park.[9]