Brent Granby: Inclusive community centres and great parks are key to achieving the Greenest City

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      I am seeking a nomination with Vision Vancouver to participate in creating great public spaces in Vancouver for people, habitat, urban wildlife, and our pets. From creating more inclusive community centres to developing great parks, public space is integral to making Vancouver the Greenest City by 2020. Public space is where our children play, where we make new friends, and enjoy the pleasure of nature.

      I want to be an elected Vancouver park board commissioner to ensure that the priorities of local government adequately address issues of sustainability and livability for residents and business in order to make our city better for everyone.

      We need to continue to make progress on mitigating the effects of climate change through reducing the causes of greenhouse gases. It is critical to obtain the ambitious goals of the Greenest City Action Plan given that climate change is the challenge of our generation.

      The park board oversees important elements in Vancouver such as its community centres, parks, and green spaces that are central to developing a happier and healthier city.

      I am a past president of the West End Residents Association, past board member of the West End Community Centre, and vice chair of the Save St. Paul’s Coalition. As a volunteer activist I have participated in the construction of community gardens, art projects, and celebrations while advocating for active transportation infrastructure.

      I know from my personal experience of raising my children the importance of community centres and services that they offer. I also fully appreciate the significance of shared responsibility and respect between the park board and community centre associations.

      The challenges that face Vancouver require broad-base consensus on what the solution will be. My experiences have provided me with perspective that I wish to use to constructively participate in the process to make Vancouver better for everyone.

      Comments

      7 Comments

      Mark

      Jun 5, 2014 at 5:36pm

      I laughed so hard when I read this, I actually fell off my chair. I've seen quite clearly who Vision caters to: developers building units for offshore investors.

      Vision has continually allowed developers to modify plans for planned green spaces, and in some instances, to remove them completely.

      Feel me once Brent!

      Lee L

      Jun 6, 2014 at 12:19am

      Agenda 21 zealots.

      I weep for my birthplace.

      Westcoastboi

      Jun 6, 2014 at 8:28am

      Vision cranked up fines for dogs, tried to reduce the size of the dog park at Trout Lake (probably will reduce it after the election), have stalled development of the proposed park for Smythe and Richards. Vision council has approved a giant tower to loom over Emery Barnes park. None of this fits with what is written above.

      What about Langara Golf Course?

      Jun 6, 2014 at 1:05pm

      1) We haven't heard from Vision about their plan to close Langara Golf Course for at least a couple of years, not since they promised to "study" the issue: what did the "study" propose? What is the Vision position on Langara?

      2) Will the Vision candidates for Parks Board promise the voting public that a closed LGC would have no encroachment upon the current green space when changed to a park? ie no additional parking lots or structures.

      3) Failing 2, will Vision candidates promise the voting public that there will be no "land swaps" or other deals with developers permitting development of LGC or current City owned land adjacent to the course? ie the current location of the YMCA which is moving to 57th & Cambie.

      The "Cambie Corridor" is a favourite of the Mayor and his friends in the development world. The city has made it clear in their their kowtowing to developers who simply change what the public was told "the plan" was that they want clusters of towers around the Canada Line stations. The proposed station at 57th & Cambie makes no sense without the development by Coastal Health of the Pearson land and additional high rises within a few blocks. The station at 49th sees lots of Langara students but the rush hour numbers could be higher if only there were more towers around the station: extending towers south from Oakridge down Cambie to 59th is the future of the "Cambie Corridor."

      The only apparent obstacle to losing the green space on the east side of Cambie from approximately 51st to 58th is the VPB and it will likely be controlled once again by Vision. We have already seen them make cuts to field & facility maintenance to save developers money to create Emery Barnes Park, cuts they blamed on the Olympic bogeyman. Given the centralized control of Vision it is difficult to imagine the VPB, packed with newcomers, opposing "suggestions" from the Mayor & staff eager to appease important donors.

      Realist

      Jun 6, 2014 at 6:22pm

      Brent will make an excellent Vision Vancouver park board commissioner - to date he appears to have everything Vision Vancouver has told him to do, including selling out the West End for "affordable rental housing" and ugly development through a sham "residents' association" that serves as the Vision Vancouver farm team.

      Where is. Brent?

      Jun 7, 2014 at 12:12pm

      Many authors choose to respond to comments but it appears this Vision candidate has already adopted the party attitude: only donors get answers.

      Walter White

      Jun 11, 2014 at 12:16am

      A Vision majority has not been good for our parks. They have taken the community out of community centres, not fought for the long promised False Creek Park, paved over green space, and in and changed the Board's mandate from creating more green space per capita to a park within a 5 minutes walk (and then celebrated the creation of a "park" the size of a car parking spot). This candidate is just more of the same.