Mayor Ken Sim calls on Park Board to drop reservation requirement for swimming | Daily Hive

Mayor Ken Sim drops bid to axe Park Board, asks it to drop reservation requirement for swimming

Mayor Ken Sim and ABC Vancouver's press conference at Kitislano Outdoor Pool on July 13, 2026. (Submitted)

The ABC Vancouver party will field Vancouver Park Board commissioner candidates in the October 2026 civic election, and will no longer seek to abolish this body of separately elected municipal officials governing Vancouver’s parks and recreation system.

Mayor Ken Sim formally announced that formal policy pivot today, just three months before Vancouver residents head to the polls.

Instead, ABC will focus on building a roster of Park Board candidates who will commit to building new community centres and delivering accessible public swimming pools, safe parks, free swimming lessons, and affordable recreation programs.

ABC has yet to announce the candidates it will field for Vancouver City Council, Park Board, and Vancouver School Board.

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Renewed calls to eliminate pandemic-time reservation system for Vancouver pools

“This current Park Board is simply not working, and Vancouverites deserve better,” said Mayor Sim in a statement today.

“That’s why ABC Vancouver will be putting forward a team focused on the needs of residents, with a mandate to deliver high-quality parks and services that are both affordable and accessible.”

Ahead of announcing their candidates and platform, ABC is urging the current Park Board makeup to restore the pre-pandemic ability for the public to access Kitsilano Outdoor Pool and other swimming pools across the city by dropping in — eliminating the remaining pandemic-time reservation system, time limits, and other restrictions that still exist.

“Residents and families shouldn’t have to compete online or plan weeks in advance just to enjoy a public pool,” continued Sim.

“These are the kinds of issues that ABC will address with a common-sense approach if elected with a majority on Park Board.”

Critics such as local journalist and commentator Jody Vance have been repeatedly calling on the Park Board to restore drop-in sessions, especially at Kitsilano Outdoor Pool — asserting that the continued mandatory reservation system for this popular facility has greatly reduced its capacity and overall utility, and eliminated the ability for recreational spontaneity.

They should not need to book their “timed” swim at Kits Pool three days in advance like a private club. I’m fighting for those who need it, like I did. #FREEKITSPOOL @sitkamedia @george_affleck @KenSimCity @Dave_Eby @MarkJCarney pic.twitter.com/9PKoichHeR

— Jody Vance (@jodyvance) July 3, 2026

Park Board abolition plan previously halted after B.C. government mandated no public referendums for future parkland transfers to First Nations

In the last few years, there has been considerable conflict between the current makeup of Park Board commissioners and the ABC-led City Council, with the commissioners accusing the Mayor and City Council of interfering with the Park Board’s jurisdiction in driving policy, such as the recent disagreement over determining which community centres should be prioritized for renewal. However, the Mayor and City Council are also ultimately responsible for providing the final approval for the Park Board’s major capital projects and operating and capital budgets.

Much of the acrimony stems from Sim’s previous proposal, first announced in late 2023, to abolish the body of Park Board commissioners and transfer the governance responsibility to the Mayor and City Council — similar to other municipal governments across Metro Vancouver. The day-to-day operational responsibilities of the Park Board would also be transferred to City departments, with Sim asserting this would reduce in operating savings and improve governance accountability and outcomes.

Sim previously expended significant political capital towards his proposal, including losing ABC’s majority hold in the Park Board after three 2022-elected ABC commissioners were kicked out of the party for disagreeing with the approach. This abolition plan required the provincial government to amend legislation relating to the Vancouver Charter.

However, Sim’s proposal hit a wall in October 2025, when B.C. Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs Christine Boyle — previously an opposition Vancouver city councillor with the OneCity Vancouver party up until December 2024 — added a legislative amendment that would exempt potential future Vancouver parkland transfers to First Nations from the requirement of a public referendum for final voter approval.

At the time, Sim argued that strong protections should be in place for the consideration of any parkland transfers, with voters ultimately getting the final say on any changes. He opposed the legislation, and Boyle subsequently withdrew the bill from any further consideration after First Nations expressed a desire to be consulted on the proposed legislation’s contents. Boyle accused Sim of not consulting with First Nations, while Sim accused Boyle of not consulting with First Nations on her own legislation that was not shared with the City before it was tabled.

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