B.C. Supreme Court grants injunction to Vancouver community associations

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      The B.C. Supreme Court has granted an injunction to six community centre associations that are suing the park board.

      According to a statement issued by the Hastings, Kensington, Kerrisdale, Killarney, Riley Park Hillcrest and Sunset community associations, the injunction will prevent the park board from terminating its operating agreements with the groups until a full court case takes place on the legal action.

      “With the injunction now granted, it is business as usual for patrons of all six community centres,” the groups indicated in a statement issued today (January 17). “The six non-profit volunteer associations will continue to provide services and programs, to have memberships, and to manage the centres they built and have jointly operated for decades.”

      Park board chair Niki Sharma said in a news release that the Supreme Court decision “delays” the board’s ability to terminate agreements with the six associations “until a more fulsome trial on the matter can be heard by the Court”.

      “Park Board will be reviewing the decision,” Sharma said. “Park Board remains committed to implementing its system-wide public policy goals to provide quality programs and ensure all Vancouver residents have universal access to the full network of taxpayer-funded recreation facilities and programs in the city, regardless of income level and location.”

      The legal action was filed in the B.C. Supreme Court in August 2013. The park board responded by announcing it would be terminating its joint operating agreements with the six community associations launching the lawsuit by December 31, 2013. 

      Comments

      7 Comments

      Trevor

      Jan 17, 2014 at 1:13pm

      Park Board says it's committed to providing programs and services for all income levels, but it wants to kick out community groups like Kerrisdale that provide FREE lunches to low income seniors, Hastings that runs a $2.50 drop-in program so mums can take their kids for play time and take a yoga class or training course. Killarney runs one of the least costly fitness centres in the city.

      Their committment rings hollow. But this is a good day for local communities!

      Stephen

      Jan 17, 2014 at 2:25pm

      Park board chair Niki Sharma said in a news release that the Supreme Court decision “delays” the board’s ability to terminate agreements with the six associations “until a more fulsome trial on the matter can be heard by the Court”.

      Fulsome: gross, disgusting by excess (Pocket Oxford Dictionary of Current English).

      When will people stop using the word fulsome when they mean to say more thorough or extensive?

      Ann

      Jan 17, 2014 at 3:36pm

      Sharma's waiting for "a more fulsome trial"! I wonder what the Parks board has planned.

      Webster's definition of fulsome: offensively insincere or excessive.

      I had been using Britannia

      Jan 17, 2014 at 4:31pm

      But stopped going because I was uncomfortable with the pervy older guys who flock to the Aqua Fit classes and ogle the women from the side of the pool. After a year of this, the last straw was when some guy in the gym that overlooks the pool took photos of us in class. Not cool. Granted, he was removed from the premises, but I don't want to fork over my strictly budgetted money to feel uncomfortable. I'm all for including everyone at community centres, but not at the cost of comfort/privacy/respect of other patrons. I realized for what I was paying each month to do Aquafit and use the community gym facilities, for a few bucks less, I could get more bang for my buck with a monthly membership at Sparticus that would include classes and feedback from a trainer, even if it meant giving up Aquafit. With no uncomfortable ogling.

      Granted I do not know if Britannia has finally done something about their creeper problems, but they did have to put in gender segregated saunas because of harrassment. My other neighbourhood option is to use the Mt. Pleasant gym, but it too is costlier than some other gyms that offer memberships. I am on federal disability (plus LTD benefits from work), but not provincial, and I do not qualify for low income status or perks that the province offers to their disability recipients. Fitness is an extra cost while being on a fixed income, but for me, a worthwhile one. I really hope the centres that do have affordable options to those who need it are allowed to continue to offer them. The fitness and community options available in Vancouver are surprisingly good, but if you're like me and fall in the category of not being poor enough to qualify for breaks, but too stretched to afford what are deemed regular fees, what the city offers is not really the most affordable option once you shop around.

      Bill

      Jan 17, 2014 at 4:40pm

      A more "fulsome trail" would be the civic election of November this year!

      Mad

      Jan 17, 2014 at 11:54pm

      Ms. Sharma said Park Board issued 90,000 one card to the residents. Do you know all the residents are not just from Vancouver. Some of them are from Richmond, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Burnaby, Surrey, Coquitlam, New Westminster... The one card is only good for 3 free fitness centre, swimming or ice rink. It costs the Vancouver Property Tax payers over 1.3 million dollars for the residents to use the one card. I am just wondering how much more $$$ the Vision is going to spend from the Property Tax payers.

      Save Vancouver

      Jan 18, 2014 at 8:17am

      Poor Vision Vancouver, now this issue will be yet another albatross clinging to their neck in this year's election.