Park Board gives green light to pay parking at Vancouver community centres and attractions
Year-round pay parking is officially coming to several Vancouver community centres and attractions in 2026.
The Vancouver Park Board commissioners voted on Monday, Oct. 20, to approve a new parking strategy that introduces pay parking to three community centres, a city-run golf course, and a holiday event in a 12-month pilot project.
According to the Park Board, the strategy will improve user experience, help reduce congestion, and lead to better management of parking at lots within their jurisdiction.
Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive
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“As Vancouver grows, demand for parking at our facilities is increasing,” said Park Board Chair Laura Christensen in a release. “Paid parking, where it makes sense, can improve access and increase investments in the maintenance and renewal of our parks and recreation facilities.”
The approved Park Board Parking Strategy will implement a 12-month paid parking pilot at Hillcrest, Kerrisdale, and Trout Lake Community Centres.
Community centre patrons will receive the first three hours of parking for free, with a rate of $3.50 per hour afterwards.
Parking for drivers not using the community centre begins at $3.50 per hour.
Parking lot at Hillcrest Community Centre. (Google Maps)
Park Board commissioners also approved the implementation of a 12-month paid parking pilot at Langara Golf Course, as well as a one-month paid parking pilot for the 2026 edition.
The Park Board Parking Strategy — Report Back, prepared by staff, identified that the Langara Golf Course parking rate would be $4.25 an hour between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.
It listed the VanDusen Botanical Garden’s Festival of Lights parking pilot rate as $25 event between 4 and 10 p.m.
Parking exemptions and discounted passes are planned for staff, volunteers, and vulnerable users in the strategy. Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations members will also receive exemptions in Stanley Park to assist access to their traditional territories.
VanDusen Botanical Garden
“The costs of ‘free’ parking are paid for by all taxpayers,” said John Brodie, director of Business Services, in a statement. “Paid parking connects some of that cost directly to those who benefit while generating funds to reinvest in services that benefit everyone.”
“This strategy provides a thoughtful framework for managing our parking assets. Expanding paid parking to high-demand lots creates a sustainable funding source that captures revenue from users of parks and facilities, including visitors from outside Vancouver who enjoy our recreational amenities.”
The report estimates that the pilot project spanning the five expansion locations could result in net additional parking revenue of up to $1.5 million across the year.
Langara Golf Course. (Vancouver Park Board)
According to the Park Board, it operates 180 parking lots across Vancouver, including just over a dozen lots with pay parking, such as at Stanley Park, Queen Elizabeth Park, and the western beaches. The most recent expansion was pay parking for the lots at Spanish Banks Beach starting in the summer of 2024.
Do you support the implementation of pay parking at Vancouver community centres? Will you or someone you know be impacted by the new Park Board Parking Strategy? Let us know in the comments or get in touch at vancouver@dailyhive.com.