Skateboard Facility Amendment – Add E (Keep Open During FIFA)

Statement Watch

Great. Thank you. My name is Liv Yu, and I am a longtime resident of Vancouver and professor at UBC with the Center for Climate Justice. I co-authored a report about the need for a right-to-cool framework in BC, as well as a report about cooling centers across Metro Vancouver. I currently co-lead a research project about how extreme and chronic heat hits harder for those who are already marginalized. I'm speaking on behalf of our research team in support of this motion to proactively protect residents from dangerous heat. What our research consistently shows is that heat in Vancouver is an indoor, chronic, and deeply unequal matter. It is not just outdoors, and it is not just a thing of the past of the 2021 heat dome. In our work on extreme and prolonged indoor heat in SROs in the downtown east side and low-income housing in other parts of the city, we found that indoor temperatures can exceed outdoor temperatures for weeks at a time, often not dropping below safe thresholds even overnight. This means that for many residents, especially those in older or poorly ventilated housing, there is no relief from heat. People are exposed not just for hours during heat waves, but for days and weeks on end. This kind of prolonged exposure significantly increases the risk of heat-related illness and death. This is why the first part of this motion, expanding access to cooling centers beyond declared extreme heat events, is so critical. Heat risk is not contained to the duration of a heat alert. Our data shows that dangerous indoor conditions begin earlier in the season and persist even after official heat warnings have ended. At the same time, our research on cooling center use across Vancouver shows challenges with access. Many described barriers such as limited hours, long travel distances, inaccessible or infrequent transit, and a lack of culturally appropriate or welcoming spaces. Some told us that they had to choose between enduring the heat at home or undertaking physically exhausting and sometimes unsafe journeys just to cool down. Additionally, when cooling centers aren't open extended hours consistently, people can't trust that if they make the journey to a cool space that it'll actually be open. Our research shows that in order to keep people safe, cooling spaces need to be more reliable and comfortable to meet users' needs. This is why this motion's focus on extended hours, cooling transit, and mobile outreach is so important. These are absolutely necessary to make cooling infrastructure actually usable for the people who need it most, as well as increasing people's trust in city services to actually be available when they are needed. We also found that many people rely on informal and community-led solutions, such as checking in on neighbors, sharing fans, and creating ad hoc cooling spaces. These efforts are vital, but they are currently under-resourced and unsustainable. When communities and community organizations respond to these events, they need stable, ongoing funding as proposed in this motion. Finally, the commitment to collect disaggregated data is key. Without it, there's no way to fully understand who's being left out of current systems, nor can we design effective and equitable responses that cover everyone. This motion reflects what the evidence has been telling us, that in order to protect... Sorry, Leif.

Statement Watch

Good afternoon, Mayor and Council. My name is Bharat Gupta. I'm a Vancouver resident living in a high-rise apartment in downtown Vancouver. I'm here in support of Motion 8, brought forward by Councillor Maloney. I moved to Vancouver from India in 2021. I took my oath as a Canadian citizen not long ago. I chose this city because of its natural beauty, its values, and its temperate weather. But I also know the heat. Growing up and living in India, I experienced extreme summers that are deadly. Not headlines, but lived reality. I volunteered with NGOs distributing water, rehydration stores, and cool spaces to daily wage workers, elderly, and the families without the means to protect themselves. I've seen what happens when a city isn't repaired. Honestly, I did not expect to carry those same worries here. We are in early May, and it is already noticeably warmer than historical averages for this time of the year. Like Councillor Maloney said, ECC projects to be one of the hottest years on record, consistent with the long-term planning of warming summers across British Columbia. As a renter and a high-rise, I know firsthand what Councillor Maloney's motion describes. Indoor temperatures in older buildings exceed health authority guidelines as early as June. And maybe this year, it'll be much earlier. And they stay dangerously high overnight because there's no ventilation and prevent the body from recovering. For seniors, people with disabilities, and families, engaging them to talk is not a comfort issue. It is a matter of survival. This summer, the world's eyes will be on Vancouver for FIFA 2006. While we celebrate this global moment, I urge the mayor and the council to ensure our most vulnerable residents are not left behind. of the measures uh called for in the motion extended us for cooling centers mobile outreach for those who can't come cooling kits and air conditioned transits are these bad practical life-saving steps i also want to speak to the power of community Many grassroots organizations in the city have the trust, the relationships, and the ideas to deliver meaningful heat relief, but they lack reliable funding and the permissions to act. The city can be a force multiplier. Partner with them. Fund them. Remove barriers so they can do what they do best. And finally, I fully support the motion's call to collect disaggregated data from heat relief services. We cannot fix what we cannot see. Better data means more equitable outcomes for everyone. Councillor Maloney has put forward a motion that is proactive, evidence-based, and compassionate. I respectfully urge this Council to vote in full support of it. Thank you for your time.

Statement Watch

Hi, John.

It's on now. Okay, great. Thanks. Yeah, good afternoon, everybody. I'm John Irwin. I'm speaking for myself. Basically, 20 temperature records were broken across BC last Sunday, some of them in our region, and it's only the start of May. Added to that, in 2021, 619 heat-related deaths occurred during the heat wave. that happened that year that we all know about was quite shocking because we never expected heat to do that in our city. And that took place from June 25th to July 1st that year. With hotter temperatures hitting our region much earlier, likely due to climate change, a UBC study found that longer summers are occurring... uh between the tropics and the polar uh circles by about six days longer per decade so they tracked it over decades and our summers are getting longer the heat period's getting longer um when i was on the park board we learned about um through presentations uh that there are areas where people are most vulnerable to heat, and they're, of course, concentrated in the downtown east side. These vulnerable residents require extra supports to maintain their health and lives during the recurring heat events. And, you know, I agree with the motion that cooling centers need to be added and their operation extended to periods that aren't quite extreme heat, just to make sure people don't overheat. The SRO residents often share one bathroom per floor. I know because I've canvassed in them many times at different levels for elections. And if you think about it, like myself, I don't have air conditioning. When I get hot during the heat waves, I'll pour a cold bath and I'll get in it for a bit and I cool down. They don't have that option, right? So they need these extra supports. Another thing I'd like to add is that, you know, incentives should be put in place for building owners to replace the rooftops with lighter, whiter, you know, finishes. Where does this idea come from? From Phoenix, Arizona, where they do that just regularly because we've really created a heat island paradise there for heat to just reflect off all the pavement. We also need to plant more street trees, but that's challenging. budgetary concerns and things like that. So there's many things we can do to improve the conditions of the people who are most vulnerable in our city. Thank you.

Statement Watch

Counselors, my name is Suki Sahota, and I live in East Vancouver. This motion is fundamentally about protecting lives. We know that extreme heat is no longer a rare event. It is becoming a defining feature of our summers. Projections show that this year will be amongst the hottest on record, continuing a clear and dangerous trend. And we also know that heat is not just uncomfortable, it is deadly. And what's especially concerning is that many residents, particularly seniors, low-income individuals, and those in older buildings, are facing indoor temperatures that exceed safe levels, often even overnight. For them, there is no relief throughout the summer. And right now, our system is largely reactive. Cooling centers and supports are often tied to extreme heat alerts, but people are getting sick before those thresholds are even reached. And this motion moves us towards a more proactive, preventative approach. It addresses real barriers, limited hours, lack of transportation, and unequal access to cooling spaces. It expands what we already know works, longer hours, mobile cooling, better outreach, and sustained funding for supports like cooling kits. But this is also about equity. The people most affected by extreme heat are often those with the fewest resources to adapt. If we are serious about climate justice, this is where we act. And importantly, this is a smart investment. Preventing heat-related illness reduces pressure on emergency services and healthcare systems. It saves both lives and public dollars. At its core, this motion is about climate. dignity no one in our city should be left without a safe space to cool down during increasingly dangerous summers i urge all on council to support this motion thank you thank you um next speaker is bobby lee taylor thank you I am Bobbie Lee Taylor, a longtime Vancouver West End resident, and I'm speaking in support of this motion. In Vancouver's Heat Study 2021-2023, a team of health and climate professionals from Vancouver Coastal Health, the BC Centre for Disease Control, and the City of Vancouver identified indoor temperature as a data gap, with their primary call to action as introduce or expand programs that facilitate passive and active cooling options in existing buildings through information and financial support. Further, in the 2025 study, Staying Cool, Experiences and Challenges Using Cooling Centers in Metro Vancouver, its primary recommendation was... explore the right to cool for residents in existing buildings. And it further states there has been progress on mandating cooling within buildings. The BC Building Code was changed in 2024 to ensure that there's at least one cool space that doesn't exceed 26 degrees Celsius in new buildings. And the City of Vancouver is mandating mechanical cooling in all new buildings from 2025 onward. But nothing is said about the existing buildings where 99 deaths occurred in Vancouver in June 2021. I participated in these important studies, and I also understand the predictions are for a hot, dry weather this year. Water restrictions are already in place. Finally, the recommendations of the 2022 BC Coroner Service Report state in part, ensuring vulnerable populations are identified and supported during extreme heat events, implement prevention and longer-term risk mitigation strategies. So I ask you, my esteemed mayor and city council, in light of the removal of funding for the cool kits and the air cleaner programs, How do you reconcile that action against these recommendations made to prevent the loss of more lives, our human capital? Please support this motion. Thank you.

Statement Watch

Hello. My name is Dawn Lessoway, and I am a Vancouver resident. Today I'm speaking to you from the unceded territories of the Hong Kong Minim speaking people. I am speaking today in support of Councillor Maloney's proposal that money for cool kits and air cleaner programs being reinstated and that measures to ensure cool spaces are available outside of extreme heat events. I'm also phoning to demonstrate to my students that being part of a program like this where I can speak to city council is an important part of democracy. We were hoping to be speaking during the school day. And my students have three comments. They're wondering how the counselors sit for so long. They wonder where the mayor is sitting and how come their recess is longer than theirs. And they wanted me to pass on a joke so that you can focus better on the issues at hand by taking a bit of a break. And the joke is, why don't bakeries let their employees shave? And the answer is because they need their whiskers. I think the previous speakers in front of me have spoken extremely well, but I would like to add one more component to the conversation, and that's the forest fires that are occurring around the province and indeed around the world. Small particulate matter entering the lungs causes cancer and huge costs to our health care system. We not only need cooling spaces, but we need clean air filtration to protect all members of our society. And as people have pointed out, older buildings, including the building my mother lives in, do not have this infrastructure, including the electrical ability to run such systems. I would like to reinstate and promote funding for cool kits and add on even more protective measures such as the cooling centers outside of extreme heat events, trans-link buses, and clean air kits. If night times and evenings are hot, this is when most deaths occur, and we all know better than that. I would like you to know that the sensors on my porch held up, sent me an alert that yesterday they were at 28 degrees Celsius for four straight hours, and it's only the beginning of May. In conclusion, Councillor Maloney has my trust and support with this motion, and I would like to see other caring councillors step up to the plate as well. Thank you for your time.

Statement Watch

Hi, can you guys hear me?

Yes, please go ahead.

All right, so good evening. I know it's been a long day. With regards to this motion, I do not have a position, so you can classify it as other. It's a mixed bag because while I agree with the intentions of saving lives, especially with especially with um there's still a lot of older buildings where um where the cooling isn't adequate for safe living or even safe to be indoors i am concerned about this thing being a license to hunt puts the football or puts the responsibility of other things that would address the more fundamental causes of these incidents. For example, many buildings aren't adequately equipped with the electrical wiring to power air conditioners. While I do know the finances dictate especially whether it's going to be getting torn down for a taller denser building it could affect whether the building owner is willing to retrofit the electrical electrical outlets and the systems um i think that there are measures that could be done with not just portable, not just portable cooling inside the units, but also with different blinds and other measures, although the installations are pretty hit or miss. Also, I think the city, while it doesn't look related on the surface, and I don't know how much power the city has, but I think the city could flex even more muscles on enforcing certain bylaws related to heat and indoor safety. So not really sure I'm making much sense. So I can't really say I agree with the motion, I support the motion or oppose the motion. But I am just concerned about the unintended consequences here either way. But thank you for letting me speak.

Statement Watch

Yes. All right. Good evening. My name is Katie Hawking. I live in Vancouver and volunteer with and coordinate the X Community Bus, which is a community-run warming and cooling bus. And one of the grassroots initiatives this motion suggests could benefit from reliable ongoing funding. I absolutely support this motion because what I've witnessed this past year is clear. A community-run mobile warming and cooling bus that quite literally meets people where they're at works. A mobile cooling bus matters because the folks most at risk often can't make it to a community center or designated cooling space. They need responsive, flexible solutions. I want to urge council to think about their responsibility to ensure there are as many preventative measures in place as possible to avoid a repeat of the 434 deaths in Vancouver during the 2021 heat dome, when the majority of victims were elderly, low-income, isolated women who couldn't access cooling centers or air conditioning. What I can say from my experience with the cooling bus is that we know this model works because it's built on the meaningful involvement of community members. specifically people with lived experience of living outdoors in encampments, and to use substances who actually know their neighbors, who actually know the neighborhoods they work in. The workers on the X bus know where to look for their most isolated neighbors. They know what spots their friends and neighbors hang out in, and they go find them and remind them to drink water, to have a freezie, or to sit in the shade. Community-designed and led solutions are not quick or easy to implement. They take more time, more energy, and more trust. But they are far more effective than top-down approaches that miss the mark, go underused, operate at inconvenient hours, like not overnight, when the risk doesn't disappear, as this motion acknowledges, and ultimately waste time and money. LAST SUMMER THE EX-BEST PARTNERED WITH ORGANIZATIONS TO DISTRIBUTE COOLING KITS. LOSING THAT PROGRAM THIS YEAR WOULD BE DEVASTATING. REUSABLE WATER BOTTLES AND INSTANT COOL PACKS ARE ABSOLUTE LIFELINES ON EXTREME HEAT DAYS AND DEFINITELY STOPPED QUITE A FEW ER VISITS FOR HEAT STROKE. I'M ASKING YOU TO SUPPORT THIS MOTION AND COMMIT TO SUSTAINED INCLUDING COOLING KITS AND MOBILE SUPPORTS AND FOR THE COMMUNITY DESIGN SOLUTIONS THAT ARE ALREADY WORKING.

Statement Watch

Hello, Mayor and Council. Thank you for the opportunity to speak today. My name is Claire, and I'm a resident of Vancouver, and I'm also a board member of Women Transforming Cities, who work to make our cities places where everyone can belong, participate, and thrive. I'm calling in today in support of the motion proactively protecting residents from dangerous heat. First of all, I want to recognize there's been many positive steps towards heat preparedness already taken by this Council, including passing motions on expanding tree canopy as advocating for climate-resilient housing standards and ensuring that tenants cannot be prevented from installing air conditioning. The momentum of this work must continue to ensure that our city is doing everything within its power to protect the lives of the most vulnerable, as we head into what is set to be another exceptionally hot summer. Five years ago, we witnessed the devastating tragedy of the heat dome that claimed hundreds of lives. It is undeniable that the majority of these deaths would have been preventable with more climate resilience and responsive infrastructure and policy. While in the long view, I would love to see some really big and bold climate action, what I appreciate about this motion is that it proposes a number of very simple, practical, and easy-to-implement actions that could have an outside impact on the most vulnerable people's experience of extreme heat this year. I know that this council don't want to see a repeat of what happened in 2021 and will make the right proactive decision today to take steps that could save lives this summer. Thank you for your time.

Statement Watch

Thank you, Chair Meisner and committee members and folks on the phone. My name is John Irwin. I'm a resident. I'm speaking for myself. As Alleyside dwellers for all of our 31 years when we've lived in Vancouver and we've lived with extra noise and high particulate emissions from waste removal vehicles, I was just coming to me. I don't want to take up too much time. It just came to me. that some good things we've done as a city have added to that, like the composting waste, the food waste stream, and more recycling. So that adds to the picture, right? They also add to the CO2 emissions of the city. Numerous trucks roll up and down the lanes to pick up waste from one or two residences per block, usually one or two units, apartment blocks per block. In a former time, many neighborhoods had less of this kind of traffic because there was less density, actually, I'd argue. Perhaps the city could explore different zones for different waste removal firms so the firms could compete for the zones and then go through and pick up the waste once a week instead of every day, literally. And we could look at doing this mainly in the densely populated areas of the city because... We know that the single-family zones are serviced by city trucks, right? So anyway, thanks for your time, and good luck with the rest of your evening.

Statement Watch

Good evening. I know it's heading into the homestretch, so I'm not going to take too much of your time. Can you hear me clearly? I'm outside before I'm heading on a drive. Okay, I take it that I am speaking clearly enough. While I appreciate the intentions of collecting more data on garbage truck collection trends, I cannot in good spirit support this motion because I am concerned about the potential downstream effects of having more data to justify and request for even more densification on top of the ODP, although THANKS, STANLEY.

THAT COMPLETES OUR SPEAKER'S LIST.