good evening commissioners thank you for having me here to speak to you my name is darren perera i am the ceo and co-founder of circle fairies since last year when the vancouver city council passed a motion for city staff to work with us with many thanks to council bligh um for the past one year we have been working with city staff engineers naval architects to reconfigure the harbor green dock not just for our ferry service but also for the public as well to make it welcoming for them with my background in the marine industry i'm a former captain of bc ferries i'm a current ship inspector as well i brought the operational lens to what we were doing I analyzed the configuration to make sure that the dock from the north to south works in the weather conditions. We talked about wakes, we talked about all weather, we talked about wind conditions, tidal effects. I look to make sure that the vessel coming into the dock will be optimal for operations. I also wanted to make sure that passenger safety management is integral to what we do. I'm looking at their safety. I'm looking at the security. I'm looking at accessibility. I looked at everything from an operational point of view, and the configuration really works. I'm very pleased with what we've come up with. And we also engage with First Nations. We've engaged with Musqueam. We've engaged with . We've engaged with Squamish. And they've been very supportive in what we are doing. And we're very grateful for their support and guidance. And we will continue to engage with them as we go along. The idea behind what we're doing is to introduce a zero emission vessel into Vancouver. Being zero emission, you reduce greenhouse gases. You reduce the carbon footprint of people who are coming in from Bowen Island and Gibsons. You're giving them a different option where they're not stuck in traffic jams. This is going to improve connectivity, not just for Vancouver, but for the region all over BC as well. So I look forward to your decision, and I'm very grateful for being here. Thank you very much.

allows for a ferry landing, but just importantly maintains and improves public access to the dock. It's safer, it's more accessible, and it has a new viewing platform connected to the seawall, helping to revitalize the space for the public. More broadly, this decision tonight helps create more a connected city while offering real benefits for local residents. Through an all-electric passenger-only ferry service, we can introduce new connections from Coal Harbour to Gibsons and Bowen Island, building on a transportation network that Vancouver has developed over the past two decades and extending it over the water. We're proud of the work that we've done with staff to get to this point, and we appreciate the opportunity to be here tonight. And we're excited about this very service, tailor-made for Vancouver. Thank you.

Yeah, thank you for the question. So we need to run some electricity cable lines from the BC Hydro grid through the park to the charge barge. The charge barge itself is essentially floating stored energy. It's a barge filled with batteries. So you can trickle charge those batteries 24-7 from the grid so that when the vessel comes alongside, you take that charge from the barge to the vessel. So essentially what that does is it minimizes the amount of power that we need from BC Hydro. sorry, minimizes the amount of power we need at any one time. So BC Hydro is very supportive of the project because for them, they're selling electricity at a steady rate. They always know it's going to be the same rate.

Thank you for, Commissioners, for hearing my comments. My name is Neil Prakash and I'm here on behalf of the rowing section of the Vancouver Rowing Club. I'll just start off by saying that we are not opposed to this proposal. We recognize the importance of water-based transportation but we do have a few key considerations that we'd like you to take into consideration. For those of you who don't know, the rowing club sits on the northwest end of Coal Harbour, and we're celebrating our 140th year this year. So we've been using the waterway for quite a long time. It's a part of Vancouver's community, and it supports recreation, health, and community participation across a wide range of users, all the way from juniors to para-rowers to seniors. We currently row up to the west end of the Harbour Green Dock, which marks our one-kilometre training course. And so, of course, we're concerned that any changes in configurations may alter that course. The first opportunity that we've had to see the plan was tonight, and it doesn't look like that's going to happen, so we're quite happy about that. We would, however, like to be consulted on the process moving forward so that we can basically give our map of how we use that area to the proponents so that they can take us into consideration. As well, we would also like to understand how the ferry traffic may affect wake conditions. We have, you know, our boats are really low to the water, and so... surprise wake can cause safety concerns for us and so we would just like to get a better understanding of how they intend to operate and whether or not that will affect us or not so we can continue to provide a safe rowing environment for our members. And we are happy to work with staff to map out our course and identify any constraints early on in the process to make sure that we don't have any conflicts. And, yeah, we've been here for a long time, so we hope you'll hear our concerns. Thank you.

Uh, no, I don't. I mean, like, I think, um, maybe, maybe like clear demarcations of, of where the public dock boat traffic can go and where the extent of the course, uh, for, for ourselves is would be probably a good thing to, to help in everybody's safety, essentially.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Chair and commissioners. I've written to you before about accessibility. This place is not accessible. It took me nine minutes to walk from the bus stop at Denman and Pendle to here. And after the civic election, you'll get a letter from the parliamentary secretary for accessibility asking you to move the meetings to accessible place. And now Harbour Green Park is also being... taken away accessibility. The city and TransLink just took away the bus stops at Pender and Butte and Pender and Tolo. So how are the passengers going to get to the dock with suitcases or who knows what they're carrying on when we have people who don't understand what accessibility is? And I mean, the city has a bylaw number 13323, which is not in your package for some reason, but that's the rough bylaw. And section 319 read, an owner of a seaplane, commercial vessel, or charter boat must not cause, permit, or allow loading or unloading of passengers to and from that seaplane, commercial vessel, or charter boat on a city wharf. So... You know, the city is, well, the problem is that we want public transit. We don't want private transit. And we, I mean, most of the people, the problem in BC that it's operated halfway. Some things are public and some things are private, which makes a whole bad connections between between the different companies and there's no fair integration, there is all kinds of problems and that's something that the provincial government will have to mandate and even though you might think otherwise, it's really the province that decide what's private and what's public and how transportation system in the province operate. You know, like I did an audit about four years ago of all the Parks Board facilities regarding the bus service, and there was nothing done because only Commissioner John Ervin was interested. But that's what should be done because accessibility is very important. Thank you very much.

13323, yeah. Okay. It's the bylaw, yeah.

Well, it's the whole system. We can't have both private and public companies in our transportation system. It just doesn't work. And we have lots of proof of that. And the P3 model doesn't work for transportation, for example. And, you know, so there's been reports written about it. There's videos on YouTube about privatization of transportation and how bad it is for the public.

two bodies you know some people live on bone well in washington states for example they have the orca card the smart card and you can use it everywhere on the ferries on the buses on the trains we don't have that here you know okay thank you yeah

Yeah, sorry for my name. Not easy to sort of get out on the fly.

Yeah, I'm Shane Oleksiuk. I'm here maybe in three kind of capacities, sort of citizen, architect, and on the sort of design team for the proponent here. So I want to talk about maybe all three of those things. Also, thank you for your time tonight, and I'm personally quite happy to be here. I've never been in this building. I've always been looking for an excuse to come out to this part of the park and enjoy this beautiful room. So thank you, and I know you have a long night ahead of you, so I'll try to be as brief as I can be. Our company, actually, our office is actually just around the corner from this on the seawall. It's kind of serendipitous the way it all sort of... showed up in our world, but we, two of our partners, the B and the P in our company, live on Bowen, talk a lot about ferries, talk a lot about planning, talk a lot about the seawall. Always kind of hoped that someone would come up with this idea, and then all of a sudden Circle came up with this idea, and we immediately wanted to kind of be involved in that. So we saw it as an opportunity for a really nice public and private amenity that could emerge on the seawall that... I think Vancouver's really lucky, and it has this beautiful continuous seawall that goes all the way around. But in many ways, it's kind of uniform. It's not that differentiated. So this is for us a really nice way for us to see a new way for us to participate with the seawall and parks. I think in our world as architects, busy is good. This could make things busier. Change is good. Like our office is sitting on the seawall in a building that was built 20 years ago that feels like it was there forever, but it's kind of amazing how quickly these things kind of change. And variety is good. So we think this produces all of those things. Yeah, and I think the way that I frame it in my head is this is the kind of thing that if it got taken away and it wasn't there, everyone would be really, really disappointed. So so why not like find a way to sort of make it happen there anyways, so That was it.

So I won't be able to speak to, I think, the financial model, but I would expect that they would need to be competitive to their competitors.

and it's on them as a private enterprise to make sure that they can operate their business within those confines.

Yeah, thanks.

Very nice to be here with you all, colleagues and commissioners. And I'm pleased to speak tonight about the Circle Electric Ferry proposal and the opportunity it presents, not just for Vancouver, but the broader coastal region. One year ago, I was very pleased, and kudos to Darren and Callum for bringing this project forward. To my attention, actually, I guess it was October of 2024, and then later, February 7th, a joint press conference, actually, with commissioners here in the room. I was just trying to remember who was all there. I'm pretty sure Bastiavansky, Commissioner Christensen... You did not make it there, Commissioner Jensen. Okay. Well, anyways, it was the coldest press conference, I think, ever on record. And it was an exciting moment for our city. We shared a vision. A regular all-electric passenger ferry connecting downtown Vancouver, Bowen Island and Gibsons was service proposed to depart from Coal Harbour with Harbour Green Dock as a key landing point and a landing point that has before been a landing point for a Bowen Island ferry many years ago. So that vision was grounded in a simple reality that our region is growing and our transportation system is not keeping up. We are seeing increasing congestion, especially at key bottlenecks like Lionsgate Bridge, Secondary, Stanley Park Causeway. And right now, those connections are strained. And we know that there's been more people who have moved away during the pandemic from the center of downtown, but are getting called back into work, not to mention from an economic development perspective. entertainment, recreation, doctor's offices, appointments, access to healthcare, and things like that. And so what it is, driving more traffic to the roads, to the existing transportation network. So this is why this proposal becomes so important from a city building perspective. An all-electric passenger-only ferry offers a clean, efficient, and reliable alternative, one that aligns with our climate goals while improving daily life for thousands of people, and the projected impact is significant. So this is real progress on congestion, on emissions, and on affordability. And from a city perspective, this matters deeply. So as Commissioners Bastiovansky and Christensen noted at the time, I did go back and watch, this is a potential win-win-win, supporting commuter service, expanding recreational use, and improving the overall functionality of the waterfront. And it's important that it comes at no cost to the city and the park board with vessels and infrastructure funded by the proponent and his partners. Vancouver is a coastal city, and yet our transportation system has not yet fully embraced that identity. And this proposal helps to change that. It supports a future where getting around our region is cleaner, faster, and more connected. And of course, we need to proceed thoughtfully and there have been some opportunities identified. But this really is an opportunity to rethink how we move. It's more than a ferry. It's how we connect across the region for all. And I'm very grateful to be part of a project, having brought the motion forward and worked with commissioners and worked with the proponent as demonstration of how the city and park board can work collaboratively for the benefit of all residents. Thank you.

Well, I'll say this without, thank you for the question, and you're absolutely right. And I say this without any direct decision-making power in. Circle Ferries or West Vancouver or North Vancouver or YVR or Sanok or Granville Island, these are all independent entities and jurisdictions and stakeholders that I think could be part of a broader transportation network. And in speaking to previous mayors of the city, it was really interesting to me that while a lot of work has been done over the many decades, one of the things we've never managed to do is properly activate our marine transportation system like other major cities. metropolitan cities, harbour cities globally, Singapore, Australia, San Francisco. And Vancouver really, other than our wonderful and beloved aqua bus and aqua ferries, is really limited. And the sea bus that for 40 years has just gone back and forth without any innovation in technology. Now we see the hollow ferries, right, very, very well. sort of used, and also a good example of where private and public can come together and work very well. And there's huge popularity around the Hello Ferries, so this is another option for marine transportation that's going to connect very close communities in Gibsons and Bowen And for the city of Vancouver, it's about reducing traffic, increasing economic development, and accessibility to our central business district in the downtown core.

Thank you, Director. Good evening, Commissioners. My name is Hanako Amaya. I'm a senior landscape architect at the Park Board. I'm pleased to present Ballard Slopes Park concept plan this evening on behalf of the project team.

OK, sure. The purpose of tonight's presentation is to provide an overview of the proposed concept plan, to share the results of the public engagement process, to seek decision on the proposed concept plan to advance the project to detailed design followed by construction.

Ballard Slopes Park is 0.83 hectare of new permanent park located on the boundary of Fairview and Kitsurano neighborhoods. It will be one of the only new parks in the high-growth Broadway Plum area. The current and future active transportation project adjacent to the park will complete the major bike and pedestrian network, including Abudas Greenway, Seaside Greenway Connection, and then Granville Bridge Connector. According to Park Board's equity initiative zone analysis, the Ballard Slopes Park site currently has a deficit park access and an urban forest canopy, which are two of the three indicators. By completing the park, park provision for residents within a 10-minute walk will increase from 0.53 hectares to 0.76 hectares per 1,000 people. The proposed concept plan for Ballard Slopes Park is supported by multiple city documents, including Bump Ray, Broadway Plan, Park Washroom Strategy, Lane City Strategy, Skateboard Amenity Strategy, and an Arbuda Screenway Design Vision.

This is the concept plan for Burrard Slopes Park. Surrounded by First Street, Pine Street, West 6th and then West 6th Avenues. The large, curved pathway in the middle is the Arbutus Greenway. The central lawn is located in the middle of the plan. The densely planted trees on the south side create buffer from Arbutus Greenway. Picnic tables and then benches are placed under the three canopies. Skateboarding in a small wheel spot is located north of the central lawn, just above the central lawn. In addition to the skateboarding, it can be used for BMX biking, lowline and inline skating, and then scootering. The features are accessible for a wide range of abilities and genders. Dog off-leash area is on the right, northwest corner of the plan. It supports the current and future needs for dog owners in this densifying neighborhood while promoting that dogs remain on leash in the rest of the park. Small fitness area is tucked between central lawn and densely planted trees near washroom building. It offers outdoor exercise opportunities for older adult users. The new accessible washroom will serve parkours and then people walking, cycling, and then rolling through the area, including Abudas Greenway users. Playground expansion is just next to the existing playground. It's south side of the Abudas Greenway on the bottom right hand of the plant. This expansion has three new pieces of play equipment, rubberized surfaces, and then a new planting. These new features will make the play area more accessible and inclusive to children of all ages and abilities and to caregivers. Meadow Walk is the western edge of the park on the left-hand side next to the Pine Street. It's a reconfiguration of the very popular existing Hibson and Pine pop-up park. The diverse selection of native and adapted flowers and grasses will provide seasonal interest, habitat sensory interest, and a place for respite. In collaboration of City of Vancouver Engineering Green Infrastructure Team, rain gardens throughout and around the park will offer continuous environment and social benefits while capturing rainwater from the park and adjacent streets. Meadow walk and rain gardens will be planted with similar plant species to seamlessly blend into each other. Social spaces, including variety of seating and gathering areas, are planned throughout the park, including community table and a multipurpose mini plaza adjacent to the central lawn. The park board collaborated with city of engineering departments to plan integrated amenities in and around the park site. Avila's Greenway will be upgraded to have separated walk-in and cycling lanes, as well as widening paths to meet future needs.

Extending green space on Pine Street will include street trees, lane gardens, and shared micro-mobility stations. Four accessible street parking spots and a pedestrian crossing upgrade at 6 and 4 will improve accessibility, safety, and inclusivity. The temporary bike paths through the park will be replaced with permanent bike connection on 4th Street before park construction starts. This active transportation upgrades and then completion of the park will contribute to the major active transportation networks. Phased construction is anticipated for this project due to the recent acquisition of the parcel. Majority of the park will be constructed in phase one, and Dock of Rich Park and then in north east pathway will be constructed after building removal and then in soil remediation.

Oops. This is the view of the person standing on the southwest corner of the plan on a beautiful screenway looking into the central lawn, rain gardens, and then a pollinator garden, a meadow walk in between with the community table.

This is the skateboard and small wheels spot looking from the east side. The spot is tucked under the treed slope, which provides place to relax and then observe activities under the tree canopies. Trees and shrubs around the spot provide visual buffer from other activities. All skate features will be accessible for a wide range of ages, abilities, and genders.

This plan shows existing playground and extended play areas. The existing playground includes sand play area, a play structure, and then a rope tower on the engineered wood fiber surface. The new expansion converts existing lawn area to rubberized surface with a swing set, universal spinner, and then seesaw based on the feedback staff received in round two engagement. These new features will enhance accessibility and inclusivity for children and caregivers with a wide range of abilities.

Two comprehensive public engagement events and then one information report out were undertaken to ensure wide range of perspectives and interests were considered. The events were successful with over 75,000 visits to the Shape Your City project page and then 1,917 responses to the online surveys and then 335 attendees to the pop-up and then open house events.

Feedback was very positive, with over 80% of survey respondents supported the overall park concept plan, and then nearly 85% felt that the design will meet the needs of the community for a welcoming and safe park. Key areas of feedback included skate park sound, washroom safety, and then dog or fish area size. As far as skate park feedback, from round two engagement survey, 44% responded that the skate park will meet the needs of the community, and then 29% said it will not. The main concern was sound with some comments on the large areas of concrete. Feedback guided design refinements, including reducing the size of skate park to approximately 70% of the skate park shown in the draft concept plan. shifting it further to northeast to maximize the distance from the residential and commercial buildings on West 6th Avenue, which is the south side of the park, adjusting the configuration and site grading. Additional refinements include the introduction of landscape bombs to act as a visual and sound buffer. Lastly, staff conducted acoustic study, which confirmed sound level from the skate park facility are anticipated to be comparable with existing sound in the . For the washroom safety, staff will follow septic principles to ensure that the washroom is constructed with durable materials located adjacent to active spaces for good visibility, is well-lit, and enclosed at night. And then for the dock off-reach area, round-to-engagement feedback identified interesting large dock off-reach area. The final design uses a recently acquired area to expand dock off-reach area almost 40% bigger than the one shown in the draft concept plan. Engagement with local First Nations was initiated through the intergovernmental referral process from the beginning of the project in 2020 and then continued throughout ongoing updates, discussions, and then meetings. They provided significant input, including cultural visibility, culturally significant plans, and an equal opportunity for all three nations. Staff is committed to engage all three nations in the future phases to incorporate their inputs into the project.

The estimated capital cost for Ballard Sloth Park is 13.1 million based on Class D construction estimate, including soft cost, project management fees, permitting, and then contingencies. 8.8 million is anticipated to be funded through 2027 to 2030 capital plan. Reminder funded from previous capital plan.

The initial estimate for the operating impact to capital budget is 5% of the estimated project construction cost, or 400,000 per year starting in 2031.

Following the soil remediation, site will be fenced and then seeded with temporary metal, which will be in place until construction begins. Subject to both decision on the recommendation outlined in this report, detailed design for Ballard Slopes Park will commence immediately. Construction is anticipated to start in Q4 2027 in two phases. The majority of the park will be completed in Phase 1, and the new parcel and associated areas are completed in Phase 2.

The recommendation tonight is that the Vancouver Park Board approve the proposed concept plan for Ballast Roads Park as described and shown in this report. that concludes our presentation for tonight. We're happy to take any questions you might have. Thank you very much.

feature within this park This neighborhood is Sorry, I'm trying to remember the demographies. I think it was mostly European descent followed by Chinese Populations we're looking at the language spoken at home and but Broadway Plan is adding a huge number of people in this neighborhood, and there is no specific number for Fairview and in Kitsurano neighborhood, but it is overall, they're adding, I think it's 64,000 people, maybe I can confirm.

So this area has biggest population for single or people living in, not big population for the family members or senior or children, but it is the single professionals are the biggest population of the area.

1982 to 1993, four properties were acquired by Property Endowment Fund. That was the beginning of the land acquisition. And then the last parcel was acquired last year. So between that time, we acquired entire city block, including Arbulus Greenway.

Sorry, forgive my ignorance, but I just want to know what a circuit for wheeling is.

And then I just want to know what's there now because it says it's an expansion of an existing playground.

Perfect. Thank you.

Thank you. When you talked about engagement, like outside of three comprehensive development zones, this neighbourhood is zoned for industrial. The surrounding neighbourhood is zoned for commercial. Did you get a sense of the neighbourhood, like the... the residents that are immediately surrounding this park. Did you get their sense of what they think of this park from that engagement, or was it mostly from the residents that are potentially in these three comprehensive developments?

Would you say that the you know again with the current industrial zoned individuals that they see a huge benefit of this park space being a multi-purpose style park?

Hi, my name is Ray Simpson, and I'm a local skateboarder. I'm a member of East Van Skate Club. We need more skate parks because... Kids can learn and also adults. I like to skate with my friends. We need more and more skate parks because we can learn, try our best, and to have fun. Also indoor skate parks. Thank you. Thank you.

Well, you can see truly we're involved here.

So thank you for giving the public an opportunity.

Good evening, Chair and Park Board Commissioners and staff. Thank you for giving the public an opportunity to provide advice on the proposed concept for the Burrard Slopes Park. I support the proposed concept and staff's recommendation. My name is Michael Gordon. I live nearby. And having had the Burrard Slopes Park for a number of years, I've really been enjoying the sunshine in the afternoons and certainly would welcome the addition of the proposed facilities and landscaping. I also have been a volunteer with the Vancouver Skateboard Coalition for several decades. And we provide advice on the design and maintenance of skateboard facilities. And also in the winter, we partner with CMHC, the federal government agency that manages Granville Island, to have, at least for a couple of months, a covered skateboard facility in Vancouver during the wet weather. I support how the recently amended concept plan shifts the location of the skateboard park so it is facing an area-zoned industrial commercial. I'm a little disappointed it's a little smaller, and certainly it would be wonderful if it was covered, but nonetheless I understand you've just got a block to work with. As a Westside skateboarder, it's disappointing there's only one skate park west of Canby Street. There are about four in East Vancouver, and we're getting another one. Thank you very much, Park Board. It takes me about 25 minutes on my bike. or on transit to get to the only park we have, which is in Quilchenna Park, which is quite a lovely park. Thank you very much. We do have a lot of fun there as well. My friend and fellow volunteer, Cameron French, He and I initiated a politician just a few weeks ago, sort of a petition just a few weeks ago. So since late March, more than 600 people have signed our petition supporting a skateboard facility in this park. We really appreciate the excellent work. that your staff have done, and the inclusion of a modest-sized space for skateboarding. We'd really appreciate your approval of staff's recommendations and moving forward with the Broad Slopes Park. Thank you very much.

I was just going to say one thing about demographics, because I'm a community... Sorry, just come to the mic. I'm going to say one thing about demographics. I do follow how these central areas are evolving. Let's notice there's a new school going in Olympic Village, and where do we see the schools packed but in the central area of Vancouver?

No, no, no, I just misspoke. I was talking about a petition. Okay, thank you. Sorry about that.

Hi, my name is Nico Simpson. I'm a local skateboarder and also a member of East Van Skate Club. I love skateboarding because I can make new friends and learn more tricks. We need more skate parks for people that want to try and learn. Skateboarding and learn. And I also think the community is the best because we help each other and everybody needs this. Skateboarding, skateboard, wait, no. We also need indoor skate parks because when it rains, we can't skateboard. We will just slip and we won't be able to learn tricks. And this is why I think we should have new skate parks. Thank you.

Yeah, can you hear me?

Yeah, you bet. So my name is Oliver Tennant. Pronouns are he, him, and I am... the secretary of the vancouver skateboard coalition and i've been volunteering for with the skate coalition for the last about uh five years down or so and uh privileged to be part of the team there um for tonight's motion i am uh voting in favor of it and that's why i wanted to speak tonight and i just want to start off by saying a huge huge thanks to parkport staff um specifically uh jason and michelle lariakis because all these parks that are coming up into fruition um are all part of the 2022 skateboard amenities strategy so back in june of 2022 uh the park board at the time unanimously approved the skateboard amenity strategy at that took about two years of full-time work from staff and hundreds if not thousands of volunteer hours and what's really really exciting about the skateboard amenities strategy is now we're obviously starting to see it come to fruition when opportunities like this come up For a little bit of context for the commissioners who may not be familiar with the skateboard amenity strategy, between 2005 and 2025, there was no new skate parks really built in the city. So there was a large glut there when no skate parks were built, but skateboarding hugely grew on the rise, not only due to COVID, but also larger kind of sports contexts like the Olympics and whatnot. So it's just really exciting for me to see plans like this come to fruition, again, that represent the unanimously passed 2022 skateboard amenity strategy. And I'm happy to support it, and I hope you do as well. So thank you for your time.

ALL RIGHT. HI, EVERYONE. MY NAME IS CAMERON FRENCH. Thank you for everyone for being here tonight. Thank you for the broad slopes concept plan. Vancouver skateboard community is also very grateful for this plan. And we appreciate the inclusion of a skate park in the space. As Michael mentioned before, just to show support for the motion itself, we created a petition on March 23rd when the concept plan was released. This is just kind of a poster that we were distributing to local skate shops and what have you. We did generate... just over 600 signatures, so there's like 14 pages of people's names here. Most of them are Vancouver residents, probably about 85%, and then as well as a lot of people from surrounding areas like Coquitlam and North Vancouver and what have you. A lot of the people that supported the petition also left comments as well, outlining things like just an urgent need for more skate parks, spaces for kids and families, Vancouver's iconic skate scene, as well as the lack of facilities past west of Canby Street. As Michael noted, there is only Quill Channel Park.

As a member of the Vancouver Skateboard Coalition as well, I just want to... talk about the gap in the infrastructure west of Canby Street. This is all outlined in the 2022 City Skates Skateboard Amenities Strategy. Close to this space as well, the Vancouver Skateboard Coalition has put the Green Ramp on Granville Island, a covered skate space, every winter since 2019, which is incredibly well used as well. And then the Burrard Slopes Park is also awesome for a skate park as well because it's not only located along bus routes on West 4th Avenue, but also being at the end of active transportation network is just amazing as well. As a Kitsilano skateboarder, I think it would be amazing to see something in our community that echoes the positive impact of the China Creek and Collingwood skate parks that were recently redesigned and built. I think that these facilities have really exemplified that some of the stereotypes that people associate with skate parks are largely outdated. I think that when most people go to these facilities now, they see a lot of families, a pretty widespread demographic of people using the spaces, including kids, families, people my age, older people as well, which I think is great.

I'm also happy with the plan because it addresses some of the sound concerns with a hill and some planters and moved the park away from residents on 6th Avenue, which I think is awesome. And yeah, as a Kitsilano resident, I want to maintain that we as Kitsilano skateboarders hope to be good neighbors and support this plan.

I see this park plan mirroring kind of the Mount Pleasant skate park, which I think is a little in the west, if we are. But it's a space where there is a skate space and this quiet kind of gathering space where families come together in a playground. Do you have any recollections or experiences of seeing any sort of negative interactions between this skate park and the families and the users of that park besides Simon Fraser Elementary School? So I'll say a couple things. I don't personally use the Mount Pleasant Skate Park that often because like a lot of skateboarders in the area, I don't love that park for a couple of reasons. The first of which is the fence with the tarp that's around it. That was... placed for um sound other concerns makes the skate park dry a lot fast a lot slower which sucks um and then it's also kind of a small skate park so when you have more than three or four skaters at a time it can be hard to use that park um so of course We advocate for as large of a space as we can possibly get. And I think that one of the great things about the proposed concept plan is the use of a hill as well as plants instead of a fenced off area. As a skateboarder, as a social person, I love being able to use a skate park that is well integrated with the rest of a park. Like at Quilchena, for example, there's a couple benches around the skate park and I've had so many lovely conversations with local seniors and people that don't necessarily skateboard just because they love observing the space. And I think it would be a shame if this park was built in a similar way to the Mount Pleasant Park where you couldn't have that interaction with the other

So I live kind of in between Quilchena and UBC in terms of skate parks. I don't go to the UBC park too often just because it's a little bit inconvenient to get to. I'm mostly a biker and it's just like up a big hill. I'd rather go to Quilchena. The UBC park also, for those who do drive, which I don't personally drive, you can't find free parking there. And then, of course, it being on a university, some people don't necessarily feel as welcome as they would in a city space as well. So, yeah, just because it's a different area, I think.

Thank you, Jeremy.

Thank you, commissioners. Thank you, staff. And thank you, committee speakers, for your time. My name is Jeremy Nann. I am the vice president of the Vancouver Skateboard Coalition. As previous speakers have already said, the Vancouver Skateboard Coalition has worked with the Parks Board to help develop the Skate and Mini Strategy Plan, which is adopted in 2022. The Skate and Mini Strategy recognize that Vancouver is fairly lacking in terms of total skate space in regards to the population when you compare it to neighbor cities such as Seattle, Calgary, and even Surrey. In the 20-year plan, it recommended building seven new skate parks and ten new skate dots. And four years in with the plan, we've only seen one new skate spot built in Collingwood as well as one coming up, one new park coming up pending build in Slocum Park. The strategy also identifies the severe lack of skate amenities in the west side of the city, as previous speakers have mentioned.

Broad Slopes is within that area of Kitsilano, which is identified in Phase 1 of the plan as a potential spot to put a skate park. It's on a bike path, which promotes skate travel to the park, as well as transit. We have shown the need for skate space in that area in the last eight years. through our All Aboard Weekend event, as well as the seasonal green ramp program at Granville Island, which sees upwards of 1,000 users throughout the weekend, as well as the two-month span that the pop-up ramp is up. Yeah, as previous speakers have said, we've also showed through our petition that 600 people have supported an interest in putting a skate park at the Broad Slopes Park. And then just speaking as a resident of Vancouver and a Vancouver Parks user. I support the mixed-use park that's proposed by Hanako and other park staff because it brings a mixture of demographics and users into such a small space for free recreation in the city.

No, I don't.

I would say about 15 minutes away.

I would say speaking as a representative of skateboarder users across the city, I would like to have equity across the city of where spaces are put.

Well, the strategy has shown a lack of skate space in that area. I would also point out to South Vancouver and yeah. Okay, thank you. Those are major areas in the skate amenities strategy that's been pointed out.

Good evening, Commissioners. Thank you for letting me speak today. My name is Jesse Owe. I'm a resident of the area. I've been going to skate coalitions for about 30 years on and off now, and I'm very excited to see this proposal, and I support it completely. I echo that the west side is underserved, and I think this is quite a good spot for local skaters in the area.

The nearby block on West 4th has been home of board culture for, I don't know, 30-something years. Before there was West Beach and now there's Pacific Border and there's the boardroom and there's Cal Streets. If you're gonna be buying a board short of some of the other skateboard shops, I'd say go to West Forth. It's what originally drew me to the area and led to me making that my home. I also see that it's an area with a lot of young people, and it always has been. Kits draws a lot of young people, and so I think it's a great spot for it. As much as... i enjoy green space and i think everybody does i also think that there's a real need for active space and active use of parks so this park looked like there's a lot of stuff going on there which i think would really add to the area uh i spent a lot of time in skate parks and i'd say that there's a very broad range of people that use them but it definitely has young energy so i think it's a great spot i support it i hear a lot of the concerns about noise this is very common early on in terms of the apprehensions usually after You know, they generally subside. And so I think that this is a great spot for it. Thank you.

My name is Cathy. Let me make sure. Thank you. Here we go. My name is Cathy Ho-Chach-ka. Oh, I was close. Commissioners, staff, everybody here, thank you for allowing me to speak. So I want to first thank staff for taking the initiative to buying the lot at the southeast side or northeast side. That is phenomenal. Excellent, excellent idea. I'm glad we have the whole space. I know it's taken a long time and it's cost a lot of money, $53 million I think you had mentioned, but that is great. The second thing I want to address is I want to appreciate that the project team listened to some of the residents who are there, and I understand that there wasn't a delineation between residents and non-residents. There are a lot of people who showed up, but there is a contentious issue. It's a huge contentious issue with this park. When it comes to the proposal before you, I actually love the majority of it, but I spoke in opposition only on one specific item, and that is the Skateboard Park. I could say that the Skateboard Park, there are certain things, if you take a look at page 14 of 50 on the January 18, 2022 Skateboard Data Engagement Report that you guys did, You can see that the general populace who uses skateboard parks is a certain demographic. Therefore, although we heard that a lot of people enjoy watching and in communicating with people, it isn't necessarily as equitable. Another thing is that there is a bit of an incongruency in the design. Why would you have a tranquil section of a park adjacent to a skateboard park that is concrete? Doesn't really make some sense. But you know what, let's just get straight to the point. The point of the park, and that is contentious, is noise. Mount Pleasant had that covering because of noise. The residents in our building, and I'm actually speaking for myself, although I am part of a community association. but I'm not going to speak for them specifically today. But noise is the issue. I can speak to one other business directly across the park, which is called Lady Bugs. They are a wedding engagement business. They utilize the park for receptions and for photographs. they are opposed and that you can speak to her directly of having the skateboard park there because it too is incongruous with their business but i want to talk to the noise noise has been documented um in some of the vancouver parts board reports february 2007 april 2015 june 2022 And to go to say the opposite of something that was happening today, I feel badly because I feel like this is a slight lose-lose. Lose for the skateboarders and lose for the residents. What do I mean by that?

No, because the First Street exit actually is typically one lane, possibly two. It's been closed for a long period of time. Secondly, it's light industrial area. So what does that mean? That means that the majority of those businesses are actually, there are more customers come and go inside. It is not heavy industrial businesses like the Molson site or even like where Sanak is taking over. So no. And in fact, the reason that there's a point in the report that talks about acoustic noise and it wasn't that loud is is because they know that noise is a large issue for the residents, multiple residents, both renters, seniors, and owners in that whole area. It's also, I'm the person who sent a proposal through to say utilize the buildings. For a win-win situation, utilize the buildings that are currently there. Repurpose them. Don't knock them down. Get your schedule faster, your finances lower. Repurpose them for the bathrooms and for the skateboard park. Skateboarders want a covered park that they can utilize all year long. Residents don't want noise. Utilize the buildings for that.

Okay, good evening, commissioners. Thank you for having me. My name is Stone Friesen. I am the treasurer of the Vancouver Skateboard Coalition, and I'm speaking in support of the Burrard Slopes Plan and the inclusion of a plaza-style skateboard park in the final design. From an economic and cultural standpoint, I believe that the skate park fits seamlessly into the neighborhood, one with a rich skateboarding history and skateboarding businesses surrounding it. West Forth currently has at least four skateboarding or board sport-related shops within a five-minute walk, and it's been home to skateboard shops and the culture for over 30 years. including the old West Beach location that hosted an iconic halfpipe that served our community, including skaters like my dad for many years before its closure. Today, the surrounding neighborhood has no permanent skateboard amenities. However, it is activated by our organization for about two and a half months per year. During our winters, we do all aboard our skateboarding pop-up in partnership with Granville Island. This small ramp serves skateboarders from not only the neighborhood, but has attracted over 1,000 visitors annually from around the Lower Mainland since it started in 2019. As of now, as mentioned, there's only one skateboarding amenity west of Canby Street, and that's also including the West End. So for people who want to quickly hop over the bridge, this is a potential option for them rather than going to the downtown core. I think that, as mentioned in our skateboard amenities strategy, this aligns with our goal in connecting some underutilized areas as part of this capital plan. And I was, along with many others, incredibly excited to hear that this design is intended to be a plaza-style skate park. It's something I think that skateboarders in this city have been asking for for a long time since the completion of the plaza downtown that was incredibly successful. and actually is globally recognized as the first plaza-style skate park in the world, and has been replicated all over the place. And while we haven't made another skate park like this since, many other cities like Montreal, San Francisco, and Malmo, Sweden, have taken our groundbreaking idea and improved upon it. Malmo's newest skate plaza that opened last year was recently named one of the world's greatest places in 2026 by Time Magazine for a progressive design that captured a rich cultural history. And I think that we deserve to be back on top as leaders in this space as the people who originated this idea. It's projects like this that give me hope for the future of skateboarding Vancouver and being a leader in these types of public amenities. And I'm excited to hopefully continue working alongside you in the implementation of this project. Thank you for your time.

Thank you, Chair. Good evening, commissioners and staff and guests who are here. My name is Ian Adam, as you heard. I'm a resident of the building at the corner of 6th and Pine. I'M ALSO A MEMBER OF THE STRATA COUNCIL FOR THAT BUILDING. FIRST LET ME SAY I THINK THIS BOARD DESERVES HUGE CONGRATULATIONS FOR MANAGING TO ASSEMBLE THIS BLOCK SIZED PARK. I MEAN THE FACT THAT IT TOOK 40 YEARS TO COMPLETE THE WORK IS JUST AN INDICATION OF WHAT A CHALLENGE IT WAS AND I THINK FUTURE GENERATIONS WILL LOOK BACK AND SAY FIRST WE GOT THE GREENWAY AND NOW WE GOT THIS PARK. WHAT FANTASTIC THINGS AND THEY'LL BE HUGE ASSETS FOR THE FUTURE. Broad slopes, as you've heard, was originally an industrial area. It's been in the process of converting into a residential area for almost that long. But it still has a very industrial feel, and I think this park will go a long way towards improving the feel of the neighborhood. Having said that, the one concern we have, and you've already heard it, is the skateboard park and primarily the noise it would generate. And it's not the noise from delightful little girls like this that we're worried about. It's the big kids who... tend to make a lot of noise, banging the skates around and singing out various expressions to each other, and are often there late at night. Now, I know your staff say it's not really going to be any noisier than ambient noise, but it's in the evening, really, that we're worried about it. When people want to come home from work or from school, they want to have quiet enjoyment at home, and they want to settle their kids, and they're hearing all this noise in the skate park. So that's our biggest concern. We're also concerned about graffiti, which tends to accumulate in and around skate parks, and I think looking at any of the existing skate parks, you'll see that's the case. So, what I would like to do is I would like to present to you a petition, or politician, it might also be called, I understand. We assembled this in less than one day and only one building, and there's 61 names here. To put that in perspective, there were 61 people who signed it. There were five people who declined to sign it, which suggests that the neighbourhood at least is at least 90% opposed to the skateboard park. They want the rest of the park. It's fantastic. I'll supply that to your clerk. I don't want to sound negative. I mean, we're in favour of skateboards, we're in favour of skateboard facilities. underneath a bridge somewhere, underneath a bridge ramp. You can say that's engineering. I can talk to engineering for you if you like. Or Kathy's very innovative idea of putting it inside the building, which you just recently acquired. Then you'd have a facility that could be used in all weather and 12 months out of the year, and it would be seen as a very innovative creation by this board to go with your... great achievement in assembling the park. So that's essentially what I have to say, and I see my three minutes are up. I was expecting five. I do have more to say, but I'll stop there. Thank you.

Okay, yeah, I'm sorry I can't be there in person, but I was there when you approved the demotion of the buildings a couple of years ago, and I... I had some concerns. I spent five years at a university to get a degree in landscape architecture. And I was a university instructor and a great landscape architecture student. So I have a couple of things to say actually about the design itself. And I love the whole idea that the park has been assembled. And that's a great initiative. But I am going to speak opposed to the current concept plan in its current form because it's not a particularly good design. One of the speakers mentioned that you could keep one or two of the existing buildings on the site that you just acquired. The smaller building could be actually converted into a field house. You could put the washrooms there, and so on. You'd save a lot of money by repurposing one or two of the buildings there. In terms of the locations of what you're proposing, it's actually a very problematic design for many things. You'd probably want to put the skate park next to the dock part, and you'd probably want to put that in the north. east corner around, in the northeast corner, because for many of the reasons that other speakers have outlined, I don't favor taking away the lawn because during the consultation, there was no proposal to keep the lawn at Sixth and Fir Park. And actually making any changes to Sixth and Fir Park or to the pollinator park at Pine and Fifth are big mistakes. You're just throwing away money that's already been spent. If you want to expand the playground, expand it towards the west, then you can replant those small trees. There's plenty of space there to make those changes. In terms of the need for a huge meadow and so on, you probably need better use of open space like you have in Jonathan Rogers Park. Jonathan Rogers Park is an entire full block and it's a much simpler design. It's actually a much better design than what you have in front of you. And I have some serious issues with the cost involved. It's like $53 million. And we should expect excellence. We could have had a design competition. We could have involved local universities. We could have been co-created there. But we've had none of this. And the staff process that they showed one design in a pop-up in one day is insufficient. And it was already essentially a done deal. And they've really redone the design. to something completely different and the entire park has changed by the addition of the two corner lot. So I think it's premature to actually approve this and you really deserve, you know, we deserve better. This could have been excellent. In terms of skate park, yeah, you could make it covered and it should be covered. You could look at the off ramps and work with engineering to provide some space there. And yeah, I would urge you to just hit the pause button and also to seed the current unused space with grass and let people use it already. So, yeah, please don't pass it.

The first street off ramp, right? So that's covered and there are actually people who overnight they're in tents and the tents are gone. So I'm actually not concerned about that. I'm just more looking at usability if you're spending all this money get some value for the money and i think you do a much better skate park if that's the desire if you redesign the current concept okay thank you but i'm not i'm not concerned because there are covered spaces all around as well

Okay, Peg McAndrews, and I'm a resident in the neighborhood where the park is going to be. And when I moved in there or bought my place in 2019, I was super excited because I overlooked the park. And I thought, oh, this is going to be so nice because what's there now are all these old buildings and they look dilapidated. Then they got taken down, and I was still excited. And then I found out news that there was going to be potentially a skateboard park, which I'm not opposed to skateboard parks. It's the noise factor. It's an acoustic noise. And my concerns are, have there been studies done to measure the readings of what the noise is? There's not just the noise from the park itself, but there's also noise from... The people with the skateboarders coming down the streets, like from Pine and Fir, there's a slant, like sloping in down to the park. And I hear that without a park even being built. And it's loud. And that's going to be amplified much more. by having a park there. The other thing that I know is I know some people that work at Glotman Simpson. They're right where this ladybug place is. They didn't know anything about this happening, and they all have single-paned windows, and I'm pretty sure Ladybug Place does too and I can't imagine like they've moved the park or the skateboard portion over there and I can't imagine that it's going to be great for them but I'm happy that it's further away from where I am however I wonder like that area is it going to be developed more so for residential for mixed use because it's prime real estate and if that happens there'll be like a ricocheting of noise off of all of the buildings around there, and it'll be terrible. So those are my concerns, and I know that in Mount Pleasant, it's more for smaller children, and so they tend to not go at it as quickly and aggressively in the park, and there's probably a little less problems there that have been spoken about by some of the people that are opposed. So I don't feel that that's a fair representation of what is planned for this one. And I heard a speaker mention that, you know, this is, you know, a great opportunity for skateboarders. And I agree that they should have more facilities. I really feel that utilizing the existing building that is covered, not sorry, not covered, but enclosed would be ideal. There is a concern about graffiti potentially on the building. You'd mentioned that, but... If it was painted up beforehand, it's like the city and the electrical boxes all over town, they'd put artwork on it or artists do something so that it's pleasing and then no graffiti happens. I think that could be an option. Then I'm an avid cyclist, so I... see different skateboard parks. There's one that's under the bridge over by Science World, the viaduct, that one. And I know that's not going to be there forever because there is going to be eventually some development done. But there was some tents there and there were some homeless people.

Seeing none.

Good evening, everyone. A RESPECTFUL CHAIR, COMMISSIONER, AND PARK BOARD STAFF. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, LET ME SPEAK TODAY. MY NAME IS BALWINDER SINGH VARAK, PRESIDENT OF SUNSET COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION, AND A PROUD RESIDENT OF SOUTH VANCOUVER. I WANT TO BEGIN BY SAYING I DEEPLY APPRECIATE THE VISION BEHIND THIS REVITALIZATION. OUR COMMUNITY IS GROWING. MORE FAMILIES, MORE CHILDREN, MORE SENIORS ALL RELY ON THE SAME SHARED PUBLIC SPACE. SO, YES, I SUPPORT THIS PROJECT. Today, I stand here on behalf of the Ross Park and Mobile Park communities. The Park Board and Sunset Community Association jointly operate Mobile Yards and Craft Center. As a frequent visitor to this park, I hear directly from the people who rely on this space every day. And at the same time, I want to point out the Sunset Queen Association was never approached about this program, this plan, and I'm disappointed by that. Seniors have spoken to me clearly. They are concerned, they are worried, and I'm here to make sure their concern is heard. It's not just about plan or studies or infrastructure. It's about peoples. At Ross Park, there is an old field house. It may not look like much on the paper. It may not meet today's standard, but every day it serves our community. I have witnessed it myself. seniors sitting together, connecting and sharing stories, playing cards, watching over their grandchildren as they are playing in the park, and waiting to pick up their grandchildren from nearby schools. For many, this is a part of their daily life, their routine, the sense of belonging. And in diverse community like Sunset, Mobilee, and Ross Park, these small informal spaces matter even more. In a new revitalization plan, Fieldhouse is missing. And they have told that these activities can be accommodated somewhere else. This was told by the committee who was doing the surveys. Elsewhere, for the seniors, means too far, too cold. More importantly, safety matters these days, and we know what's going on on the streets. Necklaces being snatched in Vancouver South. I don't want my elders to be facing those. What it may seem like, if we remove this space completely, we are not just replacing a building, we are removing a place of comfort, a place of connection, a place where people feel they belong. And that is why I'm here today. not to oppose, but to strengthen this plan. My request is simple, practical, and achievable. Please include a small indoor game or gathering room, approximately 150 square feet, as part of a new facility at Ross Park. This is not going to break the bank, because building that probably won't cost you more than $45,000. I do not need to be large. It does not need to be expensive. But it will mean everything to the people who use it. It will give seniors a place to sit, to talk, to stay connected. It will support grandparents who care for the next generation. We often talk about building inclusive spaces. This is what inclusion looks like, not just in the world, but in the real world, everyday life. I'm sorry to cut you off, but that's the three minutes. I'm sorry to cut you off, but we have to move on to the next speaker.

Yes.

Well, why wasn't he contacted then?

Can I speak to that, please?

Yeah, I'm here. Can you hear me?

Thank you. My name is Paul Beasley. I'm representing the Casa de Juan Society as the vice president of KDS. KDS is a longstanding South Island organization. with approximately a membership of over 12 000 folks and established back in 1906 i'm a resident of sunset which is on Musqueam lands i'll try to keep it as concise as possible as requested i want to thank arc board staff for working on this so diligently and for asking or rather answering all the great questions by the Park Board Commissioners. I want to thank the entire board for supporting this important investment in infrastructure. I want to validate the concerns of the previous speaker, Mr. Vorach, in the sense of we need to ensure that when we're giving something to the community, we're mindful of what we may be taking away. And so I would only ask that staff look at provisions. If provisions can be made, to ensure that future development can occur for any needed infrastructure that is currently not in the concept plan. For example, a gathering space for seniors. Again, I wanna just thank everyone for all their hard work on this. I support this concept plan and I'm looking forward to seeing it come to completion. Thank you for your time.

commissioners. My name is Preeti Friedkot. I'm here to express my strong support for the South Vancouver Park amenities concept plan for Moberly Park and Ross Park. This investment has been waiting for a very long time and it's important that we recognize the value of space that supports seniors, ensuring opportunities for connection, recreation and accessibility that help foster health and a strong sense of belonging within our community i would like to also emphasize that the community has been waiting far too long for these improvements now they're finally moving forward it is essential that they are built the right way we must ensure the turf is fully supportive of field hockey even if that means considering a water-based field so it meets the highest standard and serves athletes and future generation effectively. This is our opportunity to get it right and deliver a lasting, meaningful investment for South Vancouver. So I respectfully urge all the commissioners to please approve these concept plans. Thank you for your time and your consideration.

Hi, everyone.

I support and accept the concept plan. sure there is a gathering space for seniors at both locations. And I'm going to go off the script for just a minute here. It is so crucial and integral to the well-being of our elderly population and our seniors to have a common space, to have a shared social place where they can come together, much like back home or back in India as well. where there were common gathering places or there were areas designated for our seniors to go so that they can socialize and just for their overall health and wellness and the betterment of their mental health as well. The second point is I am requesting that you make the turf fully supportive of field hockey, even if that means a water-based field as well. So thank you so much.

Hello. Can you hear me?

Hello. My name is Gurdit Bisla. Thank you for having me. I'm representing myself, and I'm calling to support and accept the concept plan. Similarly, I am requesting that this location be suitable for seniors, for them to gather. I have family members that personally do use these areas now as well. So I'm hoping that it can be a space that is made suitable for seniors to gather as well. I'm requesting, I was listening to Councillor Verney there, his experience with field hockey. I think he's got a wealth of knowledge there based on his experiences in playing at an elite level of field hockey. And based on what he said, I am hoping that we can, I'm fully supportive that we can request the field hockey, the field to be supportive of field hockey. And even if that means a water-based field. And that's all I have for tonight. Thank you very much for having me.

Good evening, everyone. My name is Tristan Burgoyne. I'm a member of the Vancouver Hawks. I'm a player for the Vancouver Hawks, but I'm representing myself. I'm also a past national team athlete. I played on the men's national field hockey team for about seven years. And I'm here because I support the Moverley Park field hockey field. I'm excited for it. But... I'm here to advocate that it should be a water-based turf and not a dry turf, so a Category 2 or Category 1 turf, just the turf, not a Category 3 as it's currently being proposed. I've travelled the world playing field hockey. I've played at the Commonwealth Games, the Junior World Cup in India, decrepit stadiums in Mexico City, as well as drought-stricken places like San Diego, LA, and Phoenix. And what's consistent is there are water-based turfs and the quality of turf. And not all turf is the same. Unfortunately, field hockey is a very fast game. It's a very precise game. And even a small change in lower quality turfs dramatically, dramatically impacts the quality of play, the speed of play, and changes the game very dramatically. There are turfs out there that, you know, I would make the comparison to soccer where you're playing on turf versus gravel. That can be the difference in turf qualities to try to make it an analogy, if you will. Finally, I would just say that while I'm a national team athlete, I've played at a very high level. This is a community sentiment. My mom, she's 68. She still plays recreationally. My sister just started playing recreationally as well in the last two years on her team. They would say the same. So I would advocate that you go the extra mile with this investment. Have a water-based turf and do it right the first time. Thank you so much.

Yeah, great question. As I said, turf is kind of precarious. There's turf that is approved and is used, but it's not the same quality. It does change the game quite dramatically. And that's why they listed the cost being... no different to have a different quality turf. And we would advocate, I would advocate for a category two or category one level turf, uh, given that, um, to give you an example, Eric Hammer, we're very lucky to have that field in Vancouver, but it is a completely different, completely different turf than at Rutledge or, um, In Surrey, at Tamanois Park, completely different. The game is night and day different. Bouncy ball, it doesn't track the same way. You can't hit the same way. It's very firm, too. It's kind of harder on your body. Actually, we've had injuries from national team players when we played there too much, just from the firmness of it. So, yeah, the point being that all turf is not the same, and for the same investment costs, go to category two would be what I'd advocate for.

That's the pivot point we are stuck at. What's the time delay and the cost difference?

Was the cost difference not the same? I believe that's what the staff said for Category 2 versus Category 3 level turf.

Hello, everyone. Thank you so much. I remember all of you for the last time. I think that was a couple years ago, so sorry, I'm really tall.

Right there? Okay. Yeah, sorry, my name's Chris Reuthaus. I saw everyone two years ago, so I just want to say thank you for pushing forward the... The field hockey field, old teammate of Tristan here. Actually, we're on the junior national team together. Just want to clarify from the last speaker's point. I believe that there's no budget difference between a dry turf and a water-based turf. So if from a community aspect, if we want like full rental usage, it would be. more beneficial to the city of Vancouver to go with the higher level or the category one or category two turf. If there's no budget difference, I'd recommend moving forward with the proposal, but also just clarifying that the category three would not be the more ideal turf for field hockey users. I recently joined as the Vancouver Hawks club head coach. I'm responsible of programming from a U5 to a senior level. dry turf would just not meet the needs of all of those users we'd be looking at renting field elsewhere air camber ubc we use crofton house but having moberly park as a category one or two would allow all of our users to rent it which would mean more money back to the city of vancouver One thing I love about hockey is just the tournaments that we can bring in. The city of Surrey does an amazing job at Tamanuis Park. They have three water-based pitches. Regardless of the orientation, regardless of... I think there was a couple of like different variations within the categories. As long as it's water-based turf, we will bring in the majority, if not all field hockey users, which makes me just say again, I think that it should be a water-based pitch, not a dry turf. Again, I want to reiterate, it sounded like there is no budget difference. So moving forward with that water-based pitch would make most sense for the city of Vancouver. I got a minute left. So I want to say water-based pitch two more times. I'd love to see a water-based pitch instead of a dry turf. Thank you.

It's not a requirement. I used the full like five minutes last time. So maybe I want to get back.

My name is Patrick Oswald. I'm a longtime member of the local field hockey community. I think I started playing in 1968, and I'm still playing. And some members of the people I play with, they're in their 80s. So this is a sport for life, and the surface that we play on really makes a difference. We started on grass back in the 60s and 70s, and then we went to sand-based, which is a It's probably why most of us have terrible knees these days. And now we're playing on, you know, beautiful cushioned turf. So the surface makes a difference. And this business of whether or not it's east-west oriented or north-south oriented or even if the lights meet category one, the surface is so important. Tristan mentioned that just before. And I'd like to echo that. I'm personally training to go represent Canada. We're representing Canada in over 65 Masters tournaments in Holland, the Netherlands, sorry, in August. And we're training as best we can. And we need to train on the kind of turf that we're going to be playing on when we're representing Canada. It doesn't matter what age. Juniors, Nationals, Masters. It's just a great sport. Give us, if you're going to put this turf in, which I'm delighted about, it's absolutely fantastic, great location too. A lot of field hockey families live in the area, and they're going to find it so easy to get to this park. So we're all very excited about it. Please, please, a fully Category 1 equivalent level, fully water-based turf, please. Thank you. Any questions? Are there any questions? You got me.

Yeah, thanks.

Thank you. Hi, everybody. Also, second or third, I don't know, we were here a long time the last time, so just thank you so much to all of you. It's delightful to see this project coming to fruition. I live in Sunset in that community area. I'm fully supportive of this project, and I just reiterate what Everybody else said, we need a water-based turf. I have four children that play. My daughter's going to speak next. She'll speak better than I will. National team level, junior national team, one daughter in Chile right now. My son plays, my daughter plays, my husband's playing for the Masters. Water-based turf is the gold standard. It's what we need to develop the sport, and grassroots-level development on the right surface makes a difference. So thank you, and water-based turf.

on the national team for 13 years and represented Canada at two Olympic Games. I'm here today to echo a lot of the things that have already been said in the room and on the line. And one thing that I wanted to highlight was how international players, how they grow up and the facilities they have access to. makes a world of difference. I know that I was lucky enough to grow up near two water-based turfs that were within a five-minute drive from my house. I was very privileged to have that opportunity where I had world-class facilities at my doorstep. That meant that the unstructured play of getting to a field that was at the highest level and at the standard that international players played at made a world of difference. Having Facilities like that in my community meant that I had the ability to go out and do things in an unstructured way, work on different skills. As Tristan talked about, this is a very precise sport, a sport that is not the same on different levels of turf. I really liked his analogy of grass to gravel. It really is like that until you play and until you watch it at the international level. It's really hard to really understand why we like having a water-based turf, but it makes a world of difference and it makes it one of the most exciting games out there. So I just want to advocate for thinking about this, not just from the national team level and the ability to host international tournaments, but providing a world-class facility for community members to use in an unstructured way and allowing them to have access to a water-based turf. And it's delightful to hear that it's a similar budget price to bring in the Category 1 or Category 2 turf because it really does make a big difference. And it's how a lot of players get to be able to represent the country and play internationally is by having access to good facilities and playing international tournaments in their own backyard. So with that, I fully support this project, and I'm thankful for all the hard work from those involved and fully support the Category 1 field.

Hello, my name is Michaela Stelling, and I'm a Canadian national team field hockey athlete representing my teammates all across the country. I just want to say thank you all for your work thus far, and I totally support this project. I'm here to speak about the need for specifically a water-based AstroTurf for field hockey in our community, as mentioned. Field hockey is a precision, speed, and skill-based sport, and the surface it's played on directly determines the quality and safety of the game. Ball speed, stick handling, passing accuracy, and the overall flow all depends on this consistent water-based AstroTurf. On any other surface, the game fundamentally changes. The ball bounces unpredictably, slows down, and increases the risk of injury. One example is the dry turf that I played on at the University of Toronto. My knees are always destroyed as I'm diving for tips on net. because it's just not the same surface. High-performance sport also doesn't start at the national team. It starts at the grassroot level. Infrastructure is the foundation of that pathway. Young athletes grow up learning the game on the surfaces available to them, and when that surface isn't right, they develop habits that don't carry into the international game. As an athlete and coach, so I coach from age five to age 65, I've seen this firsthand. It limits athletes from executing the skills they train for and puts them at a competitive disadvantage compared to countries training on the proper surface. As I mentioned, I play for the Canadian Senior Women's National Team, and I represent not just myself, but an entire community striving to compete at the highest level and compete with the rest of the countries that we play against in various international competition. Field hockey is one of the most widely followed sports in the world, and investing in a water-based turf is not just about building a field, it's about supporting athlete development, creating equitable access to high-performance sports, and giving our community the opportunity to compete on the world stage. Thank you.

Good evening. I just wanted to talk quickly about some of the concerns, the class one, that was the east-west, north-south issue. Vancouver has one of the two north-south running fields, the other one being UBC that's for hockey. There's one in West Van that's east-west, and all of the fields in Surrey at Timanavos are east-west. Both Rutledge in West Van and the Timanavos fields have held FIH qualifications, and they were junior Pan Ams last year, and so they've all held top-level FIH points, and senior ones out in Rutledge on the east-west running fields. While FIH and everywhere else prefers that, they also accept that. I was just quickly looking. I'm hoping to represent Canada with the over 55 Masters team, and they're building a brand-new field in Belgium to go with the other three, and two of them are east-west. I was just looking at the fields, and two are north-south. So, again, they're holding international tournaments, but all of those ones are on water-based fields. That was all I've got.

Okay, thanks. Thank you very much for the opportunity to speak. My name is Angela Bate. And I note that I am a member of the Vancouver field hockey club, Vancouver Hawks field hockey club, but I had meant to state that I'm speaking for myself today, not as a representative of the club. So within the field hockey community, I'm a hell of many hats. I'm the parent of a player who played through her preteen and teen years. I've been a team manager, age group coordinator, tournament team coordinator. I'm also a player myself. Field hockey is not a sport I grew up playing. I only started playing six years ago at the age of 49. So it's a sport you can start playing rather late in life. And I follow the footsteps of my daughter in this case. So the sport offers community and team space for youth and adults. It's played by people of all ages and genders. It can be played year-round in Vancouver with junior, senior leagues, training, skills, and informal drop-in. So we do need more spaces to play so we can grow the game. I'm very happy to support the concept plan for Mobile League Park, certainly for the field hockey. elements but also for friends in the community that are very excited about the upgrades so like the other field hockey players tonight i support the inclusion of a water-based field hockey option the category one or two for field hockey certainly for the elite level players as you've heard or any of our club members who are pushing for high performance development it's just a better standard and it helps build better players but even for a very amateur recreational player such as myself playing on a water-based turf improves safety and performance. The water-based pitch allows for more consistency in play, more consistency in the balls, and greater facility of movement. I'll note I had the unfortunate experience yesterday of tripping over my own foot as I dragged across the dry Hamburg turf since we hadn't watered it for training. And while I'm fine, it did remind me of how better facilities support better and safer play. Thank you again.

Thank you. I'll try to answer this question referring to Amendment C above. So just want to clarify that the turf we are installing, currently proposing to install, would meet these requirements and for the room's benefit as well. What we are proposing to install is actually the same turf that was used in the last Olympics in Paris, which is the best product available. It can be used wet or dry. It's the same as the one that is being installed in Surrey at the Tamanoa site on their field number three. So I hope you appreciate this can be used wet or dry. And to do it wet or dry is an operational approach. And we are... heading into times of severe and getting more severe droughts in the summer. So this gives us the option to have a field that's always playable should we get into extreme watering restrictions, which is a possibility in the future. And we pay for water as well now. There's a water bill that comes with this. So what the staff are currently proposing really protects all of the options for us here. The user group's desire for a wet field and a potential environmental crisis down the road. Who knows? Hope that helps.

It doesn't change it, but I guess it reconfirms the interests of the board.

I might go back to staff if they provide any other information.

Call them back to the table. Thanks.

No, my question was to the previous one, and it was ignored.

I, too, want to thank the Commissioner for moving this amendment, including the fact that this area is also utilized by seniors, and it is a gathering place. It's a safe space. It's a place that they're able to connect with one another, and with everything that's happening in the world, I think this is even more important than ever, and I will be supporting this. Thank you so much.