Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim says the pros of a new training field that will take over a community park for the FIFA World Cup outweigh the cons.
We previously reported on the situation at South Memorial Park, a community green space at 5955 Ross Street, near John Oliver Secondary School at Fraser Street and 41st Avenue. The park is used not only by the neighbourhood for family events like picnics and BBQs but also by clubs and teams. Some community members are upset about losing access to the park while it’s converted into a training area.
“Everyone’s entitled to their opinion, and it’s valid,” said Sim in a conversation with Daily Hive Urbanized about the field.
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South Memorial Park includes many additional community features, including a soccer field and a full oval for runners.
According to what the FIFA World Cup 26 Vancouver Host Committee told Daily Hive, Memorial South Park field and Killarney Park North will be “Vancouver’s two official training sites for the FIFA World Cup 26.”
Both parks will be closed from January 2025 until the fall of 2026. Daily Hive Urbanized published a story detailing the training sites this summer, and we recently put the community’s concerns to the Vancouver mayor.
A petition started by community members earlier this month, titled “OUR Park, NOT FIFA’s Field,” has garnered 1,621 signatures out of a 2,500-signature goal. Some of the concerns pertain to tree removal, a reduction in lanes of the running track, and a playground being demolished. Another concern is the lack of community consultation.
“Memorial South Park is the cornerstone of our community. Hundreds of people exercise, play, and visit each day. We represent a diverse community where all ages, ethnic communities, and fitness levels are welcomed. There has been no consultation as to how there will be amends for the physical and mental wellness that is being taken from us all,” one petition signee wrote.
The short version of what the mayor told us is that the good outweighs the bad.
“We’re welcoming the world, and it’s going to be the equivalent of 30 to 40 Super Bowls,” Sim said. “We could put a training facility in any neighbourhood, and there will be a few people that will have the same concerns, and so we have to look at the good of the whole.”
The practice field will be specifically situated at the southern half of Memorial South Park, fronting East 45th Avenue, within the footprint of the existing oval running track.
Sim shared his condolences with the residents who feel personally impacted by the changes to their beloved park, but he doesn’t regret the City’s decision.
“I apologize for any disruption that happens. But if we were to make that decision over again, we would make it in a second. But let’s focus on the good.”
He added that these neighbourhoods will inherit world-class practice facilities, which he thinks the “vast majority” of residents would love to have. Still, he reiterated that the community’s concerns were legitimate but that, overall, the benefits outweighed the drawbacks.
“I feel for those individuals.”
An estimated cost figure for these upgrades was not provided, but it is part of the municipal government’s estimated $230 million share of the costs associated with hosting the FIFA World Cup — about half of the total costs. While the $230 million figure may seem startling to municipal taxpayers, the municipal government’s portion of the costs will be almost entirely covered by the additional temporary 2.5% Major Events Municipal and Regional District tax applied on all hotel and short-term accommodations bookings within Vancouver’s jurisdiction between 2023 until at least 2030.
We touched base with a Memorial Park community representative, who doesn’t necessarily agree that the pros outweigh the cons.
“We lose 15 trees. They claim half of those are dead,” they said. “We lose the playground. They say we get a ‘pop-up’ playground. Could they at least put in a new one before they tear down this one?”
They also shared concerns about losing the track and the field, which, according to them, is used frequently by “young, old, people who can’t walk on sidewalks because of mobility issues.”
“I don’t believe that the needs of this community have been assessed at all. Our petition shows that people don’t want to lose the amenities we’ve already got for two years so that we can have things we don’t actually need. I encourage the planners of this event to find another location for this temporary training field. The cost to users of Memorial South Park is too high.”
Do you agree that the pros of FIFA taking over this Vancouver park outweigh the cons? Let us know in the comments.
With files from Kenneth Chan