Park Board works with community associations to address 2010 budget challenges

March 29, 2010 (No. 14) - The Vancouver Park Board and its community association partners have together found a solution to close a significant operating budget shortfall in the area of community centre programs for 2010. The local associations, who jointly provide recreation services at Vancouver's 22 community centres, will be providing more than $600,000 of funding for staffing support including eight community centre programmer positions that had earlier been identified for layoff.

"We are very pleased that, with the contributions from our community association partners, we will be able to protect the recreation service levels for the coming year and maintain the programmer positions where working notice had been issued," said Park Board Chair Aaron Jasper. "We want to recognize the collaboration of the associations and the hard work of staff in very challenging times."

Layoffs for two additional Park Board recreation programmer positions have also been averted through relocation to vacancies in the system.

The Park Board and its community associations have agreed to enter into discussions in early April 2010 to update their long-term operating relationship.

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For more information contact Barb Floden, Communications Coordinator,
at 604-257-8438 or cell 604-992-5646.

The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation maintains 220 parks and 40 major facilities throughout the City of Vancouver. The Park Board's mission is to provide, preserve and advocate for parks and recreation services to benefit people, communities and the environment.