Park Board Meeting
March 9, 2026 · 07:30 pm
Summary
- QE Park Attractions: Approved a proposal from Green Heart, the Nature Agency, and Triple Bottom Line to introduce a tree canopy walk (300 m, largely year-round) and a seasonal zip line (120 m, 2–3 months/year) at Queen Elizabeth Park, along with a visitor centre, mobile food and beverage services, and a seasonal tour bus connection to Granville Island and Van Dusen Garden. The $2.5 million capital investment is fully borne by the proponent with no public funding. Staff will negotiate a five-year agreement with an optional five-year renewal. Community speakers were split: proponents cited educational and ecological benefits; opponents raised concerns about noise, commercialization, inadequate public consultation, bird habitat impacts, and the absence of a completed QE Park master plan.
- Recreation Management System: Renewed the contract for the park board's recreation management software with Active Network following a competitive RFP process. Commissioners had previously requested additional information about the evaluation methodology; the revised report addressed transparency concerns. Data ownership confirmed as remaining with the City of Vancouver, stored in Canadian data centres. Transition to an alternative supplier estimated at $8 million over three years.
- Meeting structure: The committee recessed after the first two agenda items and will reconvene the following evening (March 10) to hear the Lost Lagoon Tidal Reconnection concept endorsement, followed by the regular board meeting.
Minutes approved
- Adopt Committee Minutes – February 23, 2026
Motions
QE Park Attractions – Business Opportunity
Queen Elizabeth Park Carried Details
- Proposed a nature-based attractions program at Queen Elizabeth Park developed by Green Heart, the Nature Agency, and Triple Bottom Line.
- Phase one includes a 300 m tree canopy walk (year-round), a 120 m zip line (2–3 months/year), a modular visitor centre, mobile food and beverage, and a seasonal electric tour bus linking Granville Island, Van Dusen Garden, and QE Park.
- Full $2.5 million capital cost borne by the proponent; no public funding required. Park board would receive a revenue share, with a portion directed back into QE Park via an amenity improvement fee.
- Arboricultural assessment by Diamond Head Consulting reviewed 73 trees; 10 selected to support the canopy walk using a non-penetrating cable tension system. Three trees recommended for removal due to existing structural failure risk. Park board urban forestry team reviewed and accepted the approach.
- Proponent has operated the Green Heart Tree Walk at UBC Botanical Garden for 17 years without incident; ran the 2015 QE Park zip line. Vancouver Botanical Garden Association, UBC Botanical Garden, Destination Vancouver, and several BIAs endorsed the proposal.
- Community opposition centred on: inadequate public outreach before the vote, potential harm to bird nesting habitat (181 migratory species recorded in the park), noise from the zip line, commercialization of passive green space, conflict with the still-incomplete QE Park master plan, and cost barriers for local families.
- Staff and proponents committed to ongoing bird surveys, invasive species removal (including Himalayan blackberry), Indigenous engagement for educational programming, and accessibility measures including a custom trail-rider device for the canopy walk.
Recreation Management System – Contract Award
Carried Details
- Renewed the recreation management system contract with Active Network following a competitive RFP issued August 28, 2025; Active Network achieved the highest overall score across a three-phase evaluation.
- Contract required because the incumbent agreement reached its maximum allowable term under procurement policy.
- Commissioners had deferred approval at the February 2 meeting pending a more detailed report; the revised report included evaluation scoring methodology, appendices on technical requirements, and a letter of support from the Community Centre Association all-presidents group.
- Concerns raised: limited visibility into how proposals were scored; no direct public or end-user consultation built into the evaluation process (public-facing needs addressed through operational staff input and existing feedback channels); data storage confirmed as Canadian data centres with ownership retained by the City.
- Estimated transition cost to an alternative supplier: $8 million over three years, noted as context for total cost of ownership but not used as an evaluation criterion.
Lost Lagoon Tidal Reconnection – Concept Endorsement
Lost Lagoon, Stanley Park Carried Details
- Endorsement of the Lost Lagoon Tidal Reconnection concept deferred to the reconvened meeting on March 10, 2026, due to the length of the agenda.
Agenda documents (18)
Documents
- MINUTES_PB-20230626-Board.pdf
- Printable Agenda
- Meeting Highlights
- Minutes of this Meeting
- Board Committee Meeting - Monday, February 23, 2026
- Queen Elizabeth Park Attractions – Business Opportunity
- Presentation
- Recreation Management System – Contract Award – Report Back
- Lost Lagoon Tidal Reconnection – Concept
- Presentation
- Regular Board Meeting - Monday, February 23, 2026
- Presentation
- Presentation
- General Manager's Report
- Presentation
- Invitation to Office of Auditor General
- 2030-2038 Barclay Street Rezoning Impacts on Stanley Park
- Enquiry Summary
Vote matrix
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scott Jensen🥜 | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Brennan Bastyovanszky🥜 | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Laura Christensen🥜 | Y | A | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Tom Digby🥜 | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Marie-Claire Howard🥜 | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | |
| Jas Virdi🥜 | Y | A | N | Y | Y | Y | |
| Angela Kate Haer🥜 | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y |