Letters to The Province: Hold our parks and leisure services within the fingers of those that care essentially the most

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As a former park board commissioner and Canada’s first elected Inexperienced occasion member, I stand in sturdy opposition to the proposed modification to the Vancouver Constitution that might abolish the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation because it at present exists.

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The board supplies direct citizen involvement within the operating of inexperienced areas and leisure services, that are of profit to all. The parks and inexperienced areas present a few of the solely houses to the opposite species we share the world with, and the safety of the present park board permits the myriad dwelling beings we share the world with to have a house, households, meals and water. With out our parks, many species of wildlife would don’t have any dwelling, starve, and die from thirst.

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The stunted view of the present mayor ignores the various ecosystem companies parks present, not solely to different species, but in addition people — a spot to take pleasure in nature, play, meet family and friends, picnic, bicycle, stroll, swim, and breathe contemporary air.

If any modification was to be thought of, the federal government ought to amend the Constitution to direct a selected share of the tax base in direction of the functioning of the park board, in order that the elected members do not need to defer to council on funding selections that have an effect on the functioning of parks and services. This could considerably enhance the functioning of parks and services, and maintenance would enhance.

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Mayor Sim doesn’t have the suitable to run roughshod over generations of neighborhood members and volunteers who’ve devoted their efforts to the true jewel of Vancouver, our parks and leisure services. With out them, this metropolis could be nothing greater than cement and asphalt.

Hold our parks and leisure services within the fingers of those that care essentially the most, the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation, and out of the fingers of the short-sighted mayor.

Roslyn Cassells, park board commissioner 1999-2002, Inexperienced Celebration.

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