Metro Vancouver Parks & Green Space

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by GenWhy?

Am I reading this right but are they only allowing it on the grassy areas and not the sand?! At least my favorite picnic spot is now legal

Where did you read anything about that? I started skimming the document and didn't see anything to that effect. There is the comment about 'no glass' which is completely different (and understandable - no need for potential broken glass scattered around).

[giallo]

Have they still not added English Bay and Third Beach to the roster? Those beaches are already some of the most popular spots to have an alcoholic beverage at. May as well make it official.

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by giallo

Have they still not added English Bay and Third Beach to the roster? Those beaches are already some of the most popular spots to have an alcoholic beverage at. May as well make it official.

From pg 5 of the pdf:

The findings from the 2021-2022 summer pilots indicated that over 95% of total Park Ranger visits to pilot sites reported that park users consuming alcohol were respectful and responsible. The rare occasions where additional support from police was required were largely isolated to popular destination parks, especially during peak summer weekends. English Bay and Third Beach in Stanley Park are not recommended in the list of program sites; according to both Park Rangers and VPD, these parks regularly have enforcement challenges related to unsanctioned gatherings, substance use, and undesirable crowd behaviours.

[GenWhy?]

Originally Posted by Sheba

Where did you read anything about that? I started skimming the document and didn't see anything to that effect. There is the comment about 'no glass' which is completely different (and understandable - no need for potential broken glass scattered around).

Park Board Maps page 20-ish. It says you can drink at "the beach" but the zone doesn't include sand. Not that anyone will follow these rules anyway, but meh

https://parkboardmeetings.vancouver.ca/2...BylawAmendmentsSitesProgram-20230424.pdf

EDIT: nvm the have separate maps at the end for beaches

[giallo]

Originally Posted by Sheba

From pg 5 of the pdf:

Interesting. Thanks for the information.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by GenWhy?

Park Board Maps page 20-ish. It says you can drink at "the beach" but the zone doesn't include sand. Not that anyone will follow these rules anyway, but meh

https://parkboardmeetings.vancouver.ca/2...BylawAmendmentsSitesProgram-20230424.pdf

EDIT: nvm the have separate maps at the end for beaches

Politicians: Because Vancouverites are responsible enough to enjoy a drink in public park!

Vancouverites:
Partiers leave an 'incredible' amount of trash on Vancouver beaches
St. John Alexander
Published May 1, 2023 7:14 p.m. PDT

Frustrated residents of Vancouver’s West End helped city crews clean up city parks and beaches early Sunday morning after a large crowd left a huge mess behind.

Photos taken by angry onlookers and posted online showed discarded beer cans and bottles, food and beverage containers, empty cardboard containers and chip bags littered all over the beach.

“I was disappointed, disgusted,” a resident told CTV News...

... In the statement to CTV News, the Vancouver Park Board said sanitation crews were out at daybreak Sunday “to return parks and beaches to a safe and hygienic standard for all users.”

“While we thank everyone who disposed of their garbage properly, we were really disappointed to see such an incredible amount of garbage including food, packaging and BBQ equipment left on the city's beautiful public spaces,” it read....

https://bc.ctvnews.ca/partiers-leave-an-...utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter

[GenWhy?]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Politicians: Because Vancouverites are responsible enough to enjoy a drink in public park!

Vancouverites:
Partiers leave an 'incredible' amount of trash on Vancouver beaches
St. John Alexander
Published May 1, 2023 7:14 p.m. PDT

Frustrated residents of Vancouver’s West End helped city crews clean up city parks and beaches early Sunday morning after a large crowd left a huge mess behind.

Photos taken by angry onlookers and posted online showed discarded beer cans and bottles, food and beverage containers, empty cardboard containers and chip bags littered all over the beach.

“I was disappointed, disgusted,” a resident told CTV News...

... In the statement to CTV News, the Vancouver Park Board said sanitation crews were out at daybreak Sunday “to return parks and beaches to a safe and hygienic standard for all users.”

“While we thank everyone who disposed of their garbage properly, we were really disappointed to see such an incredible amount of garbage including food, packaging and BBQ equipment left on the city's beautiful public spaces,” it read....

https://bc.ctvnews.ca/partiers-leave-an-...utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter

I don't understand you're point. Please elaborate.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by GenWhy?

I don't understand you're point. Please elaborate.

Really? It is clear Vancouverites can’t be responsible when drinking in public parks and beaches. Apparently disposing of their litter is just too, too much for most of them. Perhaps they look at how drug users are able to litter with no consequences throughout the downtown core and take their cue from them.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Really? It is clear Vancouverites can’t be responsible when drinking in public parks and beaches. Apparently disposing of their litter is just too, too much for most of them. Perhaps they look at how drug users are able to litter with no consequences throughout the downtown core and take their cue from them.

Really? Vancouverites have just started leaving litter on beaches? There haven't been stories about the state of the beaches having to be cleaned up every year after the weather turns good, or there's an event at, or on the beach?

It might help if the Park Board had more litter stations, more clearly signed, with better collection, but this has nothing to do with 'responsible drinking' - that behavior hasn't changed in decades. It just wasn't authorized in the past. The Board not approving drinking at Third Beach because of the behaviour there shows it's nothing new. At least there's plenty of sand for them to stick their collective heads into, pretending that not authorizing drinking there will make any difference.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Changing City

Really? Vancouverites have just started leaving litter on beaches? There haven't been stories about the state of the beaches having to be cleaned up every year after the weather turns good, or there's an event at, or on the beach?

It might help if the Park Board had more litter stations, more clearly signed, with better collection, but this has nothing to do with 'responsible drinking' - that behavior hasn't changed in decades. It just wasn't authorized in the past. The Board not approving drinking at Third Beach because of the behaviour there shows it's nothing new. At least there's plenty of sand for them to stick their collective heads into, pretending that not authorizing drinking there will make any difference.

That kind of debris was usually only at fireworks night.

[idunno]

FWIW the West End beaches, Kits, etc. were PACKED on Friday and Saturday - I live in the area and can honestly say it felt like a fireworks night in terms of the crowds. Once the nice weather starts being consistent, the crowds will even out.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Took a walk on the seawall last weekend - can confirm. Just like fireworks night, it was probably all cleaned up by the morning after.

[GenWhy?]

Originally Posted by idunno

FWIW the West End beaches, Kits, etc. were PACKED on Friday and Saturday - I live in the area and can honestly say it felt like a fireworks night in terms of the crowds. Once the nice weather starts being consistent, the crowds will even out.

Agreed, as a fellow West Ender, the 1st few days are a zoo and they normalize as "non-locals" choose more local areas.

Partiers gunna party

[giallo]

Originally Posted by idunno

FWIW the West End beaches, Kits, etc. were PACKED on Friday and Saturday - I live in the area and can honestly say it felt like a fireworks night in terms of the crowds. Once the nice weather starts being consistent, the crowds will even out.

Yup.

We were in Mount Pleasant for dinner, and then took an Uber to Denman, and it was NUTS. I've never seen it like that outside of the fireworks. People were thirsty for some warm weekend weather, apparently.

[SpongeG]

this weekend calls for cool temps, high of 11 with wetness. Should be quiet.

[FarmerHaight]

Originally Posted by idunno

FWIW the West End beaches, Kits, etc. were PACKED on Friday and Saturday - I live in the area and can honestly say it felt like a fireworks night in terms of the crowds. Once the nice weather starts being consistent, the crowds will even out.

Originally Posted by GenWhy?

Agreed, as a fellow West Ender, the 1st few days are a zoo and they normalize as "non-locals" choose more local areas.

Partiers gunna party

Originally Posted by giallo

Yup.

We were in Mount Pleasant for dinner, and then took an Uber to Denman, and it was NUTS. I've never seen it like that outside of the fireworks. People were thirsty for some warm weekend weather, apparently.

I agree with all these comments. The beaches were busy summer 2022 but never, outside of the fireworks festival, were they as busy as last weekend. I don't know if it was all pent-up energy from a long and rainy spring, or a return to pre-COVID norms, but the grass and the sand and the sidewalks and the playgrounds along English Bay and Second Beach were PACKED.

[whatnext]

This is long overdue!

Vancouver Park Board approves 'lethal removal' plan to deal with Canada geese
"To reduce the population quickly, lethal removal of geese is required."
The Vancouver Park Board approved a 38-page Canada Goose Management Plan Monday (May 9) that includes the use of lethal control methods.

"To reduce the population quickly, lethal removal of geese is required," reads the plan put together by Park Board staff and an environmental consultant.

However, in order to receive permission to dispatch geese from the Canadian Wildlife Service, the Park Board is required to demonstrate that they have implemented other mitigation measures such as hazing (chasing them away through various methods), water management, landscape modification, and strict bylaws.

According to the Park Board, they have tried all of these methods and egg addling but the approach has been insufficient.

A 2022 population study indicated that there were at least 2,200 geese in Vancouver with an estimated population growth of 18 per cent per year in spite of the measures already taken....

https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/local...hal-plan-canada-geese-population-6974811

[whatnext]

Not surprising:

Donnie Rosa exits role of Vancouver Park Board general manager
Kenneth Chan
May 15 2023

There is a major shakeup in the senior leadership of Vancouver’s municipal government, with Donnie Rosa leaving the position of the general manager of the Vancouver Park Board.

Daily Hive Urbanized has learned Rosa will be leaving the executive leadership position of the municipal government that oversees Vancouver’s parks and recreation facilities and programs. City staff were informed of their departure Monday afternoon by mass email.

They first began the role over two and a half years ago in late September 2020.

This is the first major departure of the municipal government’s bureaucratic leadership under the ABC Vancouver party’s majority governance.

In 2022, Rosa was amongst the highest-earning employees of the City of Vancouver, earning $290,478. They replaced Malcolm Bromley, who retired in May 2020 after 10 years in the role.....

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/donnie-rosa-vancouver-park-board-manager-leaves-position

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by whatnext

This is long overdue!

Vancouver Park Board approves 'lethal removal' plan to deal with Canada geese
"To reduce the population quickly, lethal removal of geese is required."
The Vancouver Park Board approved a 38-page Canada Goose Management Plan Monday (May 9) that includes the use of lethal control methods.

"To reduce the population quickly, lethal removal of geese is required," reads the plan put together by Park Board staff and an environmental consultant.

However, in order to receive permission to dispatch geese from the Canadian Wildlife Service, the Park Board is required to demonstrate that they have implemented other mitigation measures such as hazing (chasing them away through various methods), water management, landscape modification, and strict bylaws.

According to the Park Board, they have tried all of these methods and egg addling but the approach has been insufficient.

A 2022 population study indicated that there were at least 2,200 geese in Vancouver with an estimated population growth of 18 per cent per year in spite of the measures already taken....

https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/local...hal-plan-canada-geese-population-6974811

Egg addling makes sense when you have a manageable number of geese but harvesting/lethal methods has to be done at this point.

https://parkboardmeetings.vancouver.ca/2...daGooseManagementActionPlan-20230508.pdf

[FarmerHaight]

Vancouver Park Board seeks public input on new city block-sized park near Granville Bridge's south end

Survey link