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BC Hydro backs away from its rushed offer to build substations under Vancouver parks

March 17th, 2017 · 1 Comment

This was a strange one that no one could understand the timing of. BC Hydro, in the last week of January, suddenly announced it wanted to build new electrical substations under a couple of downtown Vancouver parks — but it needed an agreement from parks, school board, and the city by March 31. CEO Jessica […]

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Hillcrest centre weirdness: 1. Lawsuit 2. Members meet without board 3. Board members still not talking

May 7th, 2014 · 1 Comment

For those following this drama, the latest: 1. Park board launches a lawsuit again Riley Park-Hillcrest community centre to get them to turn over financial information 2. At last report, board member Ken Charko said he has been unable to get president Jesse Johl to communicate with him or organize a meeting 3. Irate resident […]

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Hillcrest community centre sees battles erupt inside and outside board

April 15th, 2014 · 18 Comments

What a mess. The two groups of board directors from Hillcrest Riley Park were at B.C. Supreme Court most of yesterday (somewhat to the bemusement of Judge Anthony Saunders, who had been called in from New Westminster to deal with this pressing case) with tales of directors being ousted from the board, unexplained spending, charges […]

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Killarney CCA president: Additional info on many points, and “we are hoping the park board will enter into genuine, transparent negotiations”

February 9th, 2013 · 14 Comments

Ainslie Kwan, president of the Killarney CCA, sent me this letter to help clarify some points I had raised in an earlier post. Thought it would be helpful for everyone to see this, as it does provide helpful new information. Hi Frances, Thanks for continuing to cover the story about community centre associations. I appreciate […]

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Message from park board chair Sarah Blyth: No final changes approved, we want a model that “maintains independence of associations”

February 9th, 2013 · 15 Comments

This was posted as a comment on another post. I’ve pulled it up to make sure everyone gets a chance to see it. Some of you who posted comments in response may want to cut and paste those also into here. I know many of you are concerned about future changes of the Joint Operating […]

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13 community centre associations of 20 ready to negotiate with park board to figure out a way to share revenue

February 6th, 2013 · 33 Comments

Just to say it one more time for everyone who has had a hard time understanding who is where in this rugby game of park board versus community-centre associations: There is actually a group of community-centre associations that has been ready to negotiate with the park board and that did not take to the streets […]

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Community centre associations wrestle with changes park board is proposing. Park board: We need equity among centres. Centres: We serve our neighbourhoods best.

January 29th, 2013 · 250 Comments

Vancouver’s community centre associations are the closest thing to participatory democracy the city has. We don’t have the kind of neighbourhood independence that exists in Portland, which gives out grants to neighbourhoods to spend as they choose. But, failing that, the centre associations have operated as the neighbourhood councils. Now the park board is acting […]

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News today: Foreclosure on Millennium’s West Van development; shelter opens; the other Robertson blasts park board

November 26th, 2010 · 71 Comments

Quick links to news today. – The lenders for Millennium Development’s Evelyn Drive project have gone to court to start foreclosure proceedings, according to the CBC. A real blow for Millennium, even more than the village receivership in a way. It came the morning after Bob Rennie praised them for all the work they’d done […]

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New park board chief plucked from Ontario

July 19th, 2010 · 13 Comments

I just had this internal notice from the city passed on to me: From: COV Broadcast Server To: All Staff (COV) – DL Sent: Mon Jul 19 14:16:17 2010 Subject: COV Broadcast: Announcement of New General Manager of Parks and Recreation (from Park Board Chair, Aaron Jasper and City Manager, Penny Ballem) The Chair of […]

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The decision on ranking new community centres (and outdoor pools) starts tomorrow

July 7th, 2010 · 25 Comments

Community centres are among the most popular social centres in the city. They’re all packed to the rafters and the park board/city can’t seem to build them fast enough. Every three years, the park board gets the unlovely job of deciding which one or two centres will be replaced in the next three-year capital plan. […]

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