QE Park Attractions – Business Opportunity

Statement Watch

Okay, so my name is Ian Green. I'm representing Green Heart, and my position on the matter is in support of the project. I'm here, you know, not only on my own, but obviously Rob Saffrata, Triple Bottom Line, Sonny Wong, the founder of the Nature Agency, Van Dusen Botanical Gardens, Chantel Martin. We've got Zara over there, who's from UBC Botanical Gardens, where we've been working for 18 years. How old are you, Zara? So my daughter Ohana and my brother David and Max, who is the arborist from Diamond Head. What I wanted to have the time to stand up and explain to you is Greenheart, we've grown up and we've had the ability to work around the world. I can completely blame the park board for who I am because I was a beach lifeguard. And, you know, if you leave me out in Spanish banks long enough, you're going to fall in love with nature. The important part for what we're trying to do, and I'd like to thank John because we did drop a seed in 2015. John was a key part of giving us the opportunity to put up the zip line and see how people responded. When we did the zipline, we also built the monarch butterfly exhibit temporarily at Van Dusen to give us the idea to engage people with nature in a different way. And it also gave us the chance to look at Queen Elizabeth Park. Queen Elizabeth Park is spectacular. And what we're really seeing is that as a park board and facing these challenges, the more we look to work with nature and to see nature generate revenues, the better we all do. So our hope with Van Dusen Botanical Gardens, with the nations, the Coast Salish, the TTsleil-Waututh, the Squamish, the Musqueam, and with our partners and the members of the community is to help grow a healthier park. And the reason, you know, behind all of this as we talk about what is the recipe for a healthy forest, when we have a healthy forest, we literally will get back to that big green umbrella. so given your support that's our our overall intent is a much healthier park and ideally we will see this forest come back and we will take baseline studies and we will continue those studies so that we can improve and we can demonstrate and we can modify and we can adjust When it came up about where has this system been tested, we've had the good fortune to work in Guyana, Rwanda, Nigeria, Brazil, Peru, all over the world. And to have the chance to be part of Queen Elizabeth Park, which is a feature park in Vancouver, really gives us, and I think all of us, the opportunity that shows making an investment in nature, as we say in this with triple bottom line and sunny two and a half million, which we know now isn't a great deal of money, but it's one of the best investments we will ever make. If you guys and I don't get to answer questions, but I know I've missed things, and I apologize for anyone who supported the project. Ashley, I completely forgot, but we have some fantastic people.

Statement Watch

Hi, everyone. My name is Zahra Chan Khan. I'm representing UBC Botanical Garden, and I am in support of this. So I work on the education team at UBC Botanical Garden. I've worked there for almost three years now, and I've delivered almost 200 tours on the Green Heart Tree Walk for schools and camps and corporate groups and students in K through 12 and at UBC. I'm currently studying my master's Masters of Education in Sustainability, and through that have been learning about the key drivers for action for conservation and eco-conscious decision-making. And a lot of that is based on building strong relationships with nature. And through that, breaking down the perceived separability we have between humans and nature, right? So kind of bringing that into one holistic system. So through initiatives like the Tree Walk, It's helping at an individual level build those personal connections to nature to funnel that into collective change and a community eco-ethic or an environmental ethic. What I've seen is that the Tree Walk is a multifaceted, multidimensional entry point into building that connection with nature. So people connect through ecology, hydrology, birds, insects, through the engineering aspect, through green economy if they're interested in ecotourism, through forest succession, through the history of the land that we're on. And it's engaging for all kinds of audiences. I've had preschoolers come on. They're super excited. I've had really bored teenagers that finally take out their little AirPods And I've had corporate groups that have come on, they start and they're kind of shaking. And then by the end, they're laughing and high-fiving each other. It's building those relationships between each other as well. So it's a lot about relationality. And senior groups and tourist groups that come from out of town to come to the tree walk at UBC. And it's a perspective change from being on the ground as well. And it's breaking down that plant blindness or plant bias that we see most of society these days and yeah it's that like demeanor shift that we see from the beginning to the end that I've seen over a hundred times and it's it's pretty impressive it's it's quite amazing and beyond the structure of the tree walk itself it's been really amazing working with a tree walk team they have an energy that makes it such a welcoming experience for everyone they meet people where they're at which is really amazing and I think them working with the VBGA team would create something super impactful that will build community support to support our human world and the more than human world through this transformative experience. And yeah, support lifelong learning. That's something we all would like to be doing more of. Okay, that's it for me.

Statement Watch

Good evening. My name is Max Rathburn. I'm an arborist from Diamond Head Consulting. I've been an arborist, certified arborist, since 1992, and I've worked throughout the city my whole entire career. When Ian came to us for a fee proposal for our assessment, I was really excited about the project because the majority of my early career I was spent as a tree climber. And the benefits of seeing the forest from an aerial perspective is something that you can't really explain until it's been done. And so giving people that opportunity to do that is amazing. And so I got really excited about the project.

It was great. We went and assessed the trees. We undertook the study looking at what trees would be impacted by the walk, by the attraction. We looked at the health and the structural condition of the trees. We went out to UBC. We inspected the system. I was really impressed on the detail that they took to ensure that the trees were not harmed by the system. And that was one of the things we were really concerned about was, you know, I know a lot about trees. That's been what I've been doing my whole life. But to learn about their system and how it interacted with the trees, that was something new for us. And to learn that and to see that it wasn't impacting the trees and that this could... be done without harming the trees, that was great. And my intentions for speaking tonight are to answer any questions that people have regarding the trees.

Statement Watch

Good evening, Park Board Commissioners, Park Board staff, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Sonny Wong. I am a lifelong Vancouver resident and a founding director of the Nature Agency. Along with Green Heart and Triple Bottom Line Investment, we are proponents of this project at Queen Elizabeth Park. At the Nature Agency, we are agents for nature. We are a non-traditional communications agency that uses the power of marketing to give nature a voice. In the same way that marketing has been used to create a culture of consumerism, we use marketing to create a culture of environmentalism. Nature is our only client. Some of you may think it's silly how nature is our client since nature has no money. But a reminder, she has all the riches. Everything we have comes from nature. Everything in this room, everything you're wearing, everything you eat, all of it comes from nature. But in the course of industrialization and modernization, we've forgotten that. We have come to believe that nature is out there. A 60-minute drive outside the city or a 15-minute walk away from our apartment, perhaps in the trails of Stanley Park. Today, we are in a boardroom in a building in a city, but that city is in nature. Therefore, we are in nature. But we have come not to think like that, decoupling nature as separate from humanity. And this project is an opportunity to bring that back, to bring greater alignment between people and nature right here in the city, especially those who rarely find themselves on a hiking trail or on an overnight camping trip. This project is a great example. of urban nature. Over the last 20 years, migration to cities or urbanization has seen a massive global shift where over half the world's population now lives in cities. This project is a bold expression of modern urban nature, where ecotourism, education, and recreation meet. This initiative offers immersive high elevation access to the forest canopy, allowing residents and visitors to reconnect with the natural world without leaving the city. By reaching people where they live within Vancouver's Weibner Urban Core, the project helps foster a deeper awareness and empathy for the ecosystems that sustain city life. It transforms a familiar landmark into a living classroom and a place of wonder, encouraging active, healthy lifestyles while inspiring a renewed sense of responsibility for the environment that surrounds us all. As David Attenborough says, saving our planet is now a communications challenge and no better time and place than a project like this that attracts people to a destination and while they're there, creates awareness, educates, and moves them to understand nature better. In a world bereft of nature information and full of misinformation, this project just works, offering a path for restorative nature-based solutions. And if bringing people out to a park is needed to do this, then it's probably the right thing to do. Thank you.

Statement Watch

Good evening, commissioners, and thank you for the time to speak with you tonight. My name's Chantal Martin. I'm the Director of Education and Research with the Vancouver Botanical Gardens Association, which is also known as the VBGA. I'm sure you're all familiar with us, but we're the joint operating partner with the Vancouver Park Board at both Van Dusen Botanical Garden and Bloedel Conservatory. And tonight I'm speaking on behalf of Stephen Shapiro, our executive director, as well as the whole VBGA organization. The VBGA is in support of the Tree Canopy Walkway project at Queen Elizabeth Park. We intend to be collaborating partners with Green Heart, the Nature Agency, and Triple Bottom Line in delivering quality environmental education programs on the Tree Canopy Walkway. Building on our successes as environmental education program experts, this opportunity will serve as an extension to our already very popular nature camps for children, school and community group field trips, and adult classes and workshops offered both at Van Dusen, Bloedel, and Queen Elizabeth Park. We value the role of ecotourism and we actively promote biodiversity and the importance of healthy ecosystems, stewardship and sustainability in our programs. And we believe Green Heart has given careful consideration for the impact of the tree canopy walkway, the impact on nature and it being non-invasive. and that this nature-based attraction will result in new connections being formed and a new care for nature. The VBGA and Park Board have a joint strategic plan for Van Dusen and Bloedel. As you all know, this was unanimously passed in 2021 by both boards. That includes the joint value of reconciliation through recognizing the local nations of Musqueam, Squamish, and TTsleil-Waututh. And in addition, we have a joint transformational goal of strengthening understanding and appreciation of the relationship of Indigenous peoples to land through action and reciprocity. We feel confident from our discussions with Greenheart that they will consult with and work in a good way with Musqueam, Squamish and TTsleil-Waututh Nation members and with the VBGA's own Natural and Cultural Heritage Educator who will work closely with the team on the project. In closing, we confidently support this proposal as a valued community partner and as a joint operating partner of the Park Board at both Van Dusen and Bloedel. We urge support for this proposal. Thank you, commissioners, for your time.

Statement Watch

Okay.

Thank you, Commissioners. You received a letter and a number of comments from our organization. I represent, I chair the Riley Parks.

Sorry, Alan, before you start, could you state your name, who you're representing, and your position on the matter?

Alan Hume. Thanks. And the pronunciation was very close. Thank you. I represent the Riley Parks South Canby Community Advisory Group, which was formerly known as Riley Parks South Canby Community Visions. We'd like to thank the staff that we met with and the proponents as well, and we appreciate the discussions that we had. We felt they were very fruitful, but we do have the concerns and reservations regarding the proposal. You have all of this, hopefully, in front of you. I'll just highlight a few items because there's only three minutes. A question is, really, is a civic arboretum really a need, is it supposed to be a generator revenue? Is the Zipline really part of a project to just attract people to the park, or is it really a money, again, a money generator, and how will it really support the arboretum? Excuse me, we already know that Queenie is the number three tourist attraction in the city. Increased density within the Canby corridor and beyond is a major issue for the community. And what do the present and future residents really want in community amenities? Well, one that has come up from tourists as well as people in the community is one of a playground in the park. And we do not see any evidence of that ever coming or in the immediate future coming to fruition. Is there, excuse me, is there no emphasis on passive green space and calmness within the sector? And that has reflected in some of the conversations we had. And if the tree canopy walk did not take place, then a significant capital expenditure would not be shown. And one resident in the area had sent this picture along of a barred owl, and how will the tree canopy really affect that is the walk, affect the birds in the park itself. And although we've heard one side of the story, we received a number of comments from other side, from wildlife biologists and the like, who question the benefit of the tree walk for the avian population. We also are very concerned about the finances and the average family and the income there, the cost to visit the park once you have these attractions. And in addition to that, let's not forget the parking that is implemented there, and the rates go up during the summer. And we're looking at more than an hour of parking. And just a couple of other things here, very quickly. Our group really didn't come to an overwhelming consensus to support the project. In fact, we have... No support whatsoever for the zip line and some minimal support for the canopy the way it is being presented at this time. And another important factor is... Park Board in 2021 talked about a master plan for Kweeney. It was put aside. We feel that that plan should be brought forth now and then look at this business opportunity, and I know I'm over time. Thank you. Thank you, Alan. Any questions from commissioners?

Statement Watch

My name is Sheila Lewis. I'm a local resident, and I'm in opposition to the proposal, mostly due to the lack of messaging engagement previous to this meeting, which few Vancouverites are even aware is happening. TripAdvisor rates Queen Elizabeth Park as number 10 of things to do in Vancouver. It's fifth on the list when you search top things to do in Vancouver. this park is already tremendously popular in its current format without making it into a thrill seeker or other destination. On Saturday in the rain I went up and walked around and many people were braving the weather taking selfies facing north. You've claimed that the views will not be impacted but I have not seen any visual format to see what will really look like from the ground. I keep seeing cute drawings and maps but there's no visual guide to let us see what will that zip line actually look like from the top, from the side, not just a drawing, but let's get a Photoshop or an AI version or something to have a real idea what this will look like. Visual impairment aside, it will also lead to zip lines. Every time someone's on a zip line, they whoop. You hear the whoop every time they go. That will be very audible as it echoes north, west, and east through the park. It's not conducive to listening to birds or beneficial to nature or peace. Even if the tree walk is approved, I believe the zip line is a detractor from nature due to the noise and visual impairment from visual sight line. Queen Elizabeth Park is a birding hotspot, and I hear you guys are looking to address some of that, which is great. According to the Canadian Psychological Association, nature is essential for mental well-being. Acting is powerful, scientifically proven tool to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression while boosting mood, cognitive function, and creativity. People in Vancouver may not have their own peaceful yards. This is where we go to relax. As far as the canopy walk goes, I'm not sure it's actually furthering nature in the park. If someone isn't enjoying nature by walking here, raising them up higher into the canopy is not actually going to make them enjoy nature any differently. This is entirely aimed at tourists and thrill seekers, not local people who pay for parks via taxes and rely on these spaces for peace of mind. Less beloved by others are criats of the park who will have less area in their range if we make this into an amusement area. They control rats and other pests in our area and are vital to the ecosystem. The claims that locals have been consulted about this, I'm a little uncertain, I believe. The Riley Park South Canby group is only 200 strong. I'm the administrator for a Facebook group in the area with 3,300 plus members. And when I posted this last Thursday when we heard about it via media, almost no one had heard about this. My biggest ask is that you properly survey the surrounding areas, maybe 16th to 41, Fraser to Oak, as potentially further afield. This is our backyard. Please give us time to at least review this fully and provide feedback officially rather than rushing to a decision that I think the majority are unaware is even being discussed at this moment. There have been some great comments made this evening by proponents, but I do beg you to please share the project more publicly with locals and include a survey via your Shape Your City online system before proceeding. Thank you for your time.

Statement Watch

Thank you very much. I'm John Cooper and I'm speaking for myself. Had some things I want to talk about, but I've been... Are you in support or opposed? I'm in support. I've been enlightened a little bit. Now, one of the things that I wanted to mention to commissioners, going back to 1965, there was a proposal to the Park Board to create the Bloedel Conservatory Forestry Education Centre, tower on the top, the planetarium, which is now in Vanier Park. All of those things were built, but they were built in different locations. Also a restaurant, which was built. So the Park Board was thinking big in 1965. There was always a realization that Queen Elizabeth Park is a central park in the city. It's very accessible from all sides of the cities. It's basically in the geographic center of Vancouver. And now that we have the Canada Line, it's extremely accessible, more so really than Stanley Park. The other thing that I wanted to mention to you is that it really hasn't been mentioned too much that it's an arboretum. And what that means is that every tree that is native to Canada has been planted in Cleveland Park. There's a tremendous ability for education. And I think this tree walk... really helps us get there in a very big way. The other thing is the component of the Bloedel Conservatory. Because it's a tropical rainforest, it's right next to a temperate rainforest. The ability for us to educate youth about the connections across the planet that the tropical rainforest and the temperate rainforest represent are absolutely incredible. And I think I'm so pleased that Van Dusen... And their docents that now work at the conservatory, help to educate youth and people that are going through, can have that same impact with the tree walk. I'd also point out that I've known Mr. Sofrata for a long time. And he, the guy, breathes green. He had the first carbon neutral transportation company in North America. before anybody was even talking about this stuff. So this is an individual who has the best interest of the park and the environment in his mind. The other thing is, I'd like you to think a little bigger than your proposal because there is this temporary kiosk. For a long time, we've been talking about building atrium on the front of the conservatory, which would be an education centre, and it will also create an airlock, another airlock. That's been tried to be pushed forward in a number of capital plans. It's never made it. Maybe this is the thing that ties it all together. And so I'm excited about what the potential is. I could talk a lot longer. I'd also like to thank the park board staff for the work that they've done. on the plaza with the new fountain with the walkways inside the conservatory with the new steps down into the quarry and they've done a really tremendous job and the other thing is we now have You know, no GHGs coming out of the conservatory because we've rectified that. Thank you, John. Thanks to staff, and thanks to all of you, and I appreciate your time tonight.

Yes, any questions? Yeah, one question. Mr. Digby has a question for you, if you could just hang tight. Mr. Digby, go ahead.

Just one question. We did up on the top of the hill reinvigorate the Dancing Waters Fountain. Are you aware that we are also activating the quarry waterfall this summer? We're hoping to have that up and running again after several years.

Yeah, that was one of the last things that we were working on in my last term here, and I'm very pleased to see that happening because the moving water, tremendously relaxing for people. It also tends to mask sound. And I think that some of those concerns about sound, I think, are mitigated by the fact you have running water in both those locations, and they create a bit of a barrier.

Thank you. Commissioner Bastavansky also has a question. Go ahead, Ms. Wilk.

Thank you for your comments. And I love the idea of the education, as you pointed out, between the different types of rainforests. But you didn't say much about the zip line. Are you going to take the zip line?

Yes, I will. I actually took the, when the zipline in 2015, I took the first ride on it. It was a lot of fun. It was over the quarry garden and I was the chair at the time and I know my father probably would have rolled in his grave because he had a lot to do with the park, having it over the quarry. But the idea, it was always meant to be temporary. It was passed as a temporary thing for the 75th anniversary of the park. Always thinking that, and I think the park board actually voted to say, If we did it again, we'd do it in a different location. So I support it. I think the more, and the other thing that I missed was the bus connection. We've always been missing that bus connection between Van Dusen and the Conservatory and downtown Vancouver. This is a really important part of this component. When Friends of Lodell were trying to save the Conservatory, one of the big things was we weren't able to get enough, we weren't able to get people up to Queen Elizabeth Park. This is a tremendous part of this proposal.

Wonderful. Thank you.

Statement Watch

My name is Melissa Hafting, and I'm a member of the Board of Directors of the Wild Bird Trust of BC, and we oppose this proposal. We have serious concerns regarding the assessment of the competing business and commercialization of Vancouver green spaces, and our concerns are supported by ornithologists, wildlife biologists, and Vancouver residents who come to different conclusions than park board staff regarding the zip line, the tree canopy walk, the food trucks, and Ferris wheel within Kiwi Park. While we understand the intention to enhance recreational opportunities and financial gain to the park board, we are deeply concerned about the potential impacts these large-scale attractions will have on local bird populations and wildlife and their habitats. Kiwi Park serves as critical habitat for nesting birds, 181 migratory bird species, pollinators and mammals such as coyotes and other wildlife. The introduction of elevated noisy structures attached to the trees, increased foot traffic, bright night lighting, which will affect migrating songbirds, and mechanical environmental noise, which will disrupt nesting and breeding patterns and migration of the birds. Many of the birds that nest, roost, and forage at Kiwi Park do so at the mid and upper canopy levels of the trees, fragment sensitive habitat areas for coyotes, including from dens and adults from their pups, increase stress on wildlife due to noise and human activity, creating fear, and reduce the ecological integrity that makes Kiwi Park unique. It will also promote park and green spaces as accessories to urban life instead of respecting their unique role upholding biodiversity. And the zip line will be in the park during the prime breeding season for birds and the tree canopy year long so there's no reprieve for birds. We have noticed that although Kiwi Park sits on the traditional territories of the TTsleil-Waututh, the Musqueam and Squamish nations, there has been no mention of consultation with our communities in your proposal. We urge you to be respectful and engage meaningfully with the indigenous stewards of this land. Kiwi Park, like many of the parks in this Coast Salish region, is recognized not only for recreation, but also for biodiversity and natural wildlife preservation. If you were to approve the installation of amusement-style infrastructure, you'll be prioritizing entertainment and monetary commercial gain over ecological stewardship. It would be much better to increase foot traffic in the park by promoting scientifically proven activities that help reduce stress, such as guided walks and forest bathing. educational signs and geocaching and not put more fees and expensive activities on families who are struggling just to put food on their plates we respectfully ask the park board to conduct a comprehensive environmental impact assessment and make public the diamond head report consult independent wildlife biologists and conservation experts regarding the impacts this will have on the birds and wildlife within the park and engage in meaningful public consultation that is publicized because we believe this issue is not widely known by the general public Consider lower impact recreation alternatives that align with climate and biodiversity goals and protect nesting birds and wildlife and do not cause increased stress in an already urban and stressful environment for them. We urge the park board to prioritize long-term ecological protection over short-term attraction development and monetary gain.

Statement Watch

Hello, my name is Ashley Roy. I'm representing myself, and I am for the proposed project. Forgive me, I'm not a public speaker. And while I don't have an exuberant amount of facts and documents to share about the project, like some of the other speakers, I do have the perspective from a community member standpoint, specifically regarding education opportunities and its affordability. To understand my perspective, I'm a working class community member and I'm the guardian of my 11-year-old sister. So you can assume local educational opportunities is something of interest to me. Additionally, I have been a volunteer occasionally for the Green Heart Tree Walk at UBC over the last three years or so. Before volunteering at the Green Heart Tree Walk, I can honestly say I didn't know a thing about conservation or the local plant and animal species or the vast Vancouver history of the tree regrowth due to logging and fires. During my time volunteering, I was able to be educated about those topics and additionally my favorite, about the infrastructures used at the tree walk that create low impact on the trees. Sorry, smallest amount of impact on the trees. I was able to get educated about these topics through my volunteering and just by visiting the tree walk at UBC, and it has truly been a memorable and magical thing for me since doing that, as well as getting to share that with my younger sister. As most parents and guardians might know, getting kids to focus on important topics such as the environment and conservation can be quite a struggle. especially nowadays with low attention spans. But when you pair education with something like the tree walk experience, which create lasting core memory with those educational aspects, it sticks. And it's hard to get something like that to stick with kids, as well as other kids I've seen in the tree walk and adults alike. It's one of the most brilliant ways I've seen to actually engage kids in their futures and see the world around them by actually experiencing something. So for this proposed project to open in such open up such a vast amount of opportunities for education through experience about the environment and conservation, while also being at affordable rate that someone like myself, from the middle to lower class, can actually afford and give that kind of educational enrichment to their kid, I think it would be foolish to pass up. So, thank you.

Statement Watch

My name is Monique Choptuik. I represent myself. I live across the street from Queen Elizabeth Park, and I am in opposition. This proposal is a revenue-generating project. I believe that we must carefully balance the commercialization of the park to its detriments. It is important to balance the needs of occasional users with that of the local residents, as well as balancing public space with making money for its upkeep. Revenue-generating activities in the park already include the Boudelle Conservatory, pitch and putt golf course, seasons in the park restaurant, special events and weddings, and parking fees. The park is designated as... as a destination park with focus on horticultural and botanical excellence, as well as passive recreation and quietitude. In 2020, the discussions began with the community regarding the need for new fully approved comprehensive master plan. The approach established nature and horticulture as its primary pillars with a stated intent to enhance ecological integrity and horticultural excellence. In 2023, there was a procedural progress report that stated the official master plan was still under development and not expected to be completed until 2026 this time the park board adopted the think big strategy this explicitly directed staff to integrate commercial revenue opportunities like permanent attractions into the forthcoming master plans for major parks this undermined the integrity of the ongoing master plan progress by mandating a revenue generating lens to be applied to all operations and future master plans Unfortunately, the Big Think strategy specifically targets passive or underutilized areas for revenue-generating activation. The Zipline and the Tree Walk Route represent a non-conforming use that directly violates the Van Play Master Plan as well as the new 2026 Master Plan. It violates Van Play Goal 2, protecting existing parks from encroachment in a designated botanic garden which encroaches on the park's primary function of horticulture excellence and passive recreation and van plate gold seven restore well spaces and vital biodiversity introducing high decibel human activity into a treetop cannon canopy known as bird nesting habitat and displacing feeding or migratory birds undermines the ecological integrity pillar promised in the 2026 master plan approach by approving this proposal you would be essentially doing a procedural end run locking in the land use before the 2020-26 master plan is even finished. This can be viewed as a breach of procedural fairness, proving a five-year and potentially longer traction before the master plan is completed bypasses meaningful public engagement and promises to residents and the establishment of community-led conservation priorities. This operational mandate is being used to preemptively zone the park for commercial use without a transplant a transparent planning process. If the park board is truly interested in attracting more locals and tourists, a children's playground should be built.

Monique, I'm so sorry to cut you off, but three minutes is up. Apologies.

Statement Watch

Absolutely. Thank you. My name is Connor Trahar, and I am a resident of the Rowley Park area, and I have been for the past five years. For the record... I am representing myself, and my position on this topic is one of firm opposition. In addition to being a local resident, I'm also an everyday user of Queen Elizabeth Park. It is the place that I go to walk, disconnect, and appreciate our city's wonderful bird life, all things that are becoming increasingly difficult to do in this urban corridor. In a neighborhood that is going through many changes, Queen Elizabeth Park is one of the few constants that the local community has. It is a place where people can step out of the noise, be present in nature and find a semblance of calm in the middle of the city. For many of us who use it regularly, the park is not just an attraction, it is a refuge. In much the same way, the park is also an important ecological refuge, serving as a haven for many forms of wildlife, particularly birds who reside, nest and migrate through this habitat. I have personally witnessed almost 100 different species inside the park boundaries within the last 12 months, with many of these encounters happening in the direct area of the proposed canopy walk and zipline. I find the idea of using a zipline to educate people about birds in flight incredibly misinformed and misguided, especially since those same birds will be busy in their sensitive breeding and nesting season when this is live. To this point, I have not seen any form of environmental impact assessment that has spoken to the effects that proposed changes would have on the habitat or the wildlife that uses it. An arborist report alone, while useful, does not provide enough evidence to show that this would be a positive development for the local ecosystem. In the absence of objective surveys and assessments, I do not see how an informed and nature-focused vote can be made this evening. doing so after park board approval is simply not good enough what's more since stumbling upon these proposed changes by chance a short while ago i have found myself having more conversations about this with dozens of park users and local residents the reaction i get is always the same why don't we know about this and why is this happening queen elizabeth park is already one of vancouver's most iconic and beloved green spaces people are not asking for it to become an amusement destination or a way to turn nature into a business opportunity both users and wildlife alike come here because it offers something precious and restorative a quiet nature-focused space to reset in short its value lies in what it already is thank you for your time thank you connor um do any commissioners have questions

Statement Watch

Robert Saffrata Good evening. Robert Saffrata with Triple Bottom Line. I'm speaking on behalf of Triple Bottom Line and our wonderful partners, Green Heart and Nature Agency, and of course, Banduzan Botanical Gardens and others. I'm speaking in support. My first job was as a tree planter for three years. And I have spent a lot of time in the forest in the west and really believe that we can start to bring that back within this city here. I've also, for the last 25 years of my professional career, been promoting and diligently assiduously working on the triple bottom line, measuring people in our business and positive impacts and programs and plan it, the environment, all in support of a better business. We wouldn't do it any other way. So that's what triple bottom line stands for. There was an objective survey in 2015 done, and it showed 92% support for continuation of Zipline, which I think is strong support there. The addition of a canopy walk is important, very important. We've also had many robust and expert planning meetings with park board staff. and our very special partners and key associates over the last few years, and to create a balanced and additive proposal and a healthier forest. So we're very proud of that, very excited. Building on my past ownership of West Coast Sightseeing, which is a tourism business, we spend, we send most of our people, that company sends most of its people to Butchart Gardens in Victoria, all the way there. And yet we have Van Tuzin, Tonicle Gardens right here in Queen Elizabeth. So that to me makes a lot more sense. And part of this plan is to include a connecting, an electric only, connecting bus between Granville Island, Van Dusen, Oak Ridge probably, because of the people, to bring the community there, to really focus on the community. So thank you very much.

Statement Watch

Good evening, chair and commissioners. Thank you for the opportunity to speak this evening. My name is Tracy Moyer. I have the privilege of speaking on behalf of Oak Ridge Langara area residents, often referred to as OLR. I am the chair. OLR is in our 16th year. It was formed in 2010 because of the massive changes coming to our area and all of the Canby corridor and protecting what is important to us. This includes Kiwi Park. To this proposal, we are firmly opposed. We are surprised by how short the staff report is, but yet there's room for 15 occurrences of the phrase, quote, nature-based, and 10 other occurrences of the word nature. If this was truly a profound nature experience, we suggest it would not have to be said a total of 25 times in an eight-page report. We consider this an oversell. A zipline at Kiwi Park would not significantly differ from a zipline at Robson Square in a concrete environment. A canopy walk, like Capilano, is not the educational opportunity in the air. The biggest opportunity for education is on the ground. The short report, staff report, begs the question what is missing. First, we noticed arguably the best view in Vancouver, the one looking north across the park, looking at downtown and our three local mountains. That viewpoint is not even indicated on the map in your report, the staff report. That is very important information to include. That best view in the city for locals and tourists would, if this proposal proceeds, people wanting to enjoy the view would be looking over and hear from the canopy walk and the zip line. Also, there is not even a compass on that diagram to help give the orientation of the proposal and understand the true impact. Second, the methodology of stakeholder engagement with high levels of support was not explained. Were these people mostly that just got off the fun zip line and were asked how supportive they are? Third, there was no details about how this will be an educational opportunity, and as I've already suggested, the best educational opportunity is on the ground. Fourth, we are still waiting for the QE master plan, and that is the type of planning and prudence required to direct the park's future and allow for proper planning. Fifth, there's no information about noise and excited canopy walkers and zipliners. That will have a profound effect on anyone you see in the park and in the area, whether visiting or even just traveling through the neighborhood. Sixth, there are only six words about birds in the report. Quote, education related to birds in flight and zero comment about our magnetary birds. I'm so sorry to cut you off. We've hit our time limit. Also shows that Mother Nature knows best.

Statement Watch

Good evening, commissioners. Aaron Jasper. I'm just here speaking on my own, past commissioner from 2008 to 2014. It was actually during my second term that Park Board invested the money, also with some other funding sources, to renew the Bloedel Conservatory, with obviously the advocacy of John Cooper and many others in Vancouver. So I am here tonight to speak in favour The canopy walk, I guess, is what caught my interest. I've taken my kids out to the UBC one, up to Capilano. And I definitely, from my own personal experience, seen the impact it's had on my children and with other families that we've been with. So I think there's a real value there. The zip line, I guess, I was a little... less enthusiastic, but I think knowing your staff and the sensitivity that everybody has around the multiple uses of that space, I'm willing to put my trust in the proponent and your staff to try and make sure that's aligned appropriately. If I understood the presentation, the zip line's gonna go for what, two to three months? So not a year-round thing. But I think from what I heard here, what I've read and heard from the opponents, the opportunities for partnership, for education, to work with local First Nations, I think there's a lot more pluses than negatives. It is a highly programmed park, as many people have indicated. The restaurants, the Blodell, the wedding venue. all of the pitch and putt. So there's a lot of activity, and I think it's always a balancing act to try and find the right fit. I think one gentleman brought up the dual sort of priorities of activity but also revenue, and that's always going to be your struggle. It's always been the struggle. The park board will always be your struggle is to find that balance of generating some revenue. and also making sure that the spaces are being used appropriately and that everyone feels that they have access and feel welcome in the space. So I think it's worth giving it a shot for this five-year term. And I'm confident that, again, knowing your staff over the years, that they understand your sensitivities, they understand the sensitivities of the residents of that area. And as a past tour guide, I used to be a tour guide for 15 years in this city, and I took thousands of people up to Kewi Park over the years and not just from out of town, but people from around British Columbia and other Canadians, it really is the jewel. And I think that the more we can do, if we can highlight the horticultural excellence of Vancouver, but also the ecological excellence and help young and old appreciate the ecology and the nature, I think it's a win and it is worth giving it a shot. So I think your staff are always great at hearing the feedback and the concerns from the public. And I think they'll integrate that in with the proponent And I think it's worth giving it a shot. So thank you for the opportunity.

Statement Watch

Hello. My name is Nicholas Loberg. I'm representing the Campy Village Business Association, and we are in support of the Queen Elizabeth Park. The Canby Village Business Association, for those who don't know, represents the commercial area spanning from Canby Bridge to King Edward. About 180 business licenses. These businesses, especially the ones closest to the King Ed Canada Line Station, have the capacity to serve both shoppers and diners who make the trek to Queen Elizabeth Park. And conversely, these shoppers and diners are asking about Queenie Park and what it offers, especially the out-of-town visitors. In the past five years, Campie Village has activated spaces with additional music and other programs. There was initial hesitation with fears of increased noise and garbage. The extra activities gave people a reason to gather, a reason to get out, a reason to explore, and a reason to communicate with others. In an age where everyone shelters at home, attaches electronics, and orders everything online, it is important that more options are available for families to get out and explore their city. We support the meaningful developments by Queen Elizabeth Park to get more people outdoors. We believe that the more people that know about the park, the more they will help maintain it.