Although the Trout Lake Community Centre received an unexpected $23-million boost from Vancouver city council September 15, other crumbling centres and park-board infrastructure didn’t fare as well. The park board originally requested $107 million in funding in the 2009–2011 capital plan—which will be on the ballot in the November 15 election—but council approved only $69 million. That’s after 56 delegations spoke at the meeting, which lasted until 10 p.m.

The biggest pot went to Olympic-related projects. Together, the curling venue next to Nat Bailey Stadium, and the Killarney and Trout Lake ice rinks got $10 million. Another $11 million went to Riley Park for the new facility, which will include a centre, ice rink, and pool.

Ellen Woodsworth, a candidate for a COPE council nomination, said she’s concerned that the Britannia and Marpole community centres are deteriorating.

“The East Side of town consistently gets a lesser chunk of the pie,” Woodsworth told the Straight. “If the base of your voters are people who can afford private gyms and centres, maybe they don’t think they’re important.”

Woodsworth suggested that funding for a new dog pound and for the new 311 city-services phone service should have been cut in favour of community centres.

But NPA park board chair Korina Houghton said that she’s “extremely pleased” that Trout Lake was included in the plan. “Within one of the pockets in the capital plan is $6.2 million we can spend on some of several projects, so we can choose between them,” Houghton said.

That $6.2 million must be divvied up between projects axed from the plan, including a $5-million building renewal at VanDusen Botanical Garden, $2 million in improvements to Nat Bailey Stadium, and renewal projects at Renfrew Pool ($800,000), Hastings Community Centre ($200,000), and the Roundhouse Community Arts and Recreation Centre lobby ($2 million).