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| Vancouver Park Board CommissionersThe Vancouver Park Board is one of the only elected bodies of its kind in Canada. Starting out as an appointed body at its inception in 1888, it evolved into an elected committee in 1890 with three elected Commissioners, expanding to five members by 1904. The number changed to seven Commissioners in 1928 with a City Councillor sitting on the Board in an advisory capacity. In 1966, the Councillor advisory position was discontinued. The seven elected commissioners are responsible for the policy direction of the Park Board within the legislative framework called the Vancouver Charter. They set the vision and policy that guides the organization’s services and programs and help staff deliver on the Park Board mandate to ‘provide, preserve and advocate… to benefit people, communities and the environment’. They listen to residents and act as their voice to ensure Vancouver parks and recreation remains accessible and sustainable. As with all other civic elected posts in the City of Vancouver, Park Board Commissioners are elected every three years. The last civic election took place in November 2008 and the next election will be held in November 2011. The elected nature of the Park Board and the strength and focus of its mandate have resulted in an urban parks and recreation system that today holds an enviable and esteemed position world-wide. Board RemunerationBoard members are compensated with both a stipend and allowance according to the following schedule:
The Chair and Vice Chair are elected by the Board for a one-year term. The stipend for the Commissioners is taxable. The allowance is in lieu of reimbursement for receipted expenses and is non-taxable. 
Aaron Jasper, CHAIRPrior to his current career in real estate with Royal LePage, Aaron worked as a tour bus operator for 14 years with Grayline West. His dedication to client services earned him a reputation for excellence as well as numerous nominations for the Vancouver Tourism Award. Active in his community for many years, Aaron was a Director with the West End Residents Association as well as a founding member of the Save St. Paul's Hospital Coalition and Renters at Risk Campaign. He was involved in the Nelson Park redevelopment and helped organize the first Car-Free Festival in the West End. In 2007 Aaron was voted "Unsung Hero" by readers of the Westender. Aaron is a member of the Mole Hill community gardens and enjoys hiking on the North Shore Mountains. He and his wife Arminder are long time residents of the West End. This is Aaron's first term on the Park Board. 
Sarah Blyth, VICE-CHAIRThrough her work advocating for youth, Sarah found herself among other people in Vancouver who were deeply passionate about issues affecting the community. She has been employed as a Youth Outreach Worker with SPEC (Society for Promoting Environmental Conservation), and in Ecuador with the Environmental Youth Alliance. She was also a founding partner of the Vancouver Skateboard Coalition and helped secure the declaration of Skateboard Week, the relaxing of the ban on skateboarding on city streets, and the development of five new skateparks. Sarah has been a contributor to Momentum magazine and has written for many publications, including Snowboard Canada, Skateboard Canada, EXPN, and Terminal City. She was also a contributor to beyondrobson.com, a popular Vancouver blog. As the mother of a four-year old boy, Sarah makes good use of Vancouver's parks and community gardens. This is Sarah's first term on the Park Board. 
Constance BarnesConstance is a single mother, supporter of the Arts, community activist and not-for-profit leader. Her passion lies in the cause of restoring and improving existing community centres and recreation systems throughout Vancouver and bringing back programs that once served families and communities. As a Park Board Commissioner Constance is focused on working hard to create inclusive, healthy communities and youth and senior programming that everyone can enjoy. In the face of global ecological change, Constance will be an advocate for the environment and work with all levels of government to create a more sustainable city for future generations. Constance serves on the board of the Canadian Special Events Society, was Operations Manager for Storyeum and has contributed hundreds of hours to grassroots community initiatives throughout the city. This is her first term on the Park Board. Community Liaisons 
Raj HundalRaj grew up in the Vancouver neighbourhood of Collingwood, where he and his immediate family still reside. He is married to Rajpreet, who has embraced Vancouver as her home after emigrating from the UK. Raj is a graduate of both the University of British Columbia and the University of Manchester's School of Law with a life-long involvement in politics. He is a political activist who has participated at the local level in community policing, immigrant support services and as a liaison between Vancouver's various cultural communities. A strong believer in creating consensus in municipal politics, Raj is an advocate for uniting residents across the city to work together for progressive change. He will work to ensure parks and recreational facilities meet the needs of people across the city, as well as for future generations. This is Raj's first term on the Park Board. He served as Chair in 2009 
Stuart MackinnonStuart is a Special Education teacher at Killarney Secondary school. He is active in parks and green space issues, with a focus on access, preservation and conservation. He has sat on the boards of many non-profit organizations including Axis Theatre, China Canada Education Association, Follow Dr. Norman Bethune to China, the BCTF Assistance Society, the Western Canada Wilderness Committee, and the Society Promoting Environmental Conservation. This is Stuart's first term on the Park Board. 
Ian RobertsonIan was first elected to the Park Board in 2005 and served as Chair in 2007 and Vice Chair in 2006 and 2008. During his term Ian has advocated strongly for improved sports facilities with particular emphasis on increasing the number of artificial turf fields in Vancouver. He led motions to build two new artificial turf fields on Trillium lands, a new artificial turf field at Van Tech High School and new artificial turf at Andy Livingstone Park. Ian has been involved in the Vancouver community as a volunteer and advocate. He served as PAC President at his sons' elementary school, spent four years as President of Dunbar Little League, and was a volunteer with the Dunbar Neighborhood Patrol. In 2008 Ian was awarded a BCIT Distinguished Alumni Award for Public Service and Service to the Community and was also admitted to the BC Little League Honour Roll for his service to Little League in BC. 
Loretta WoodcockLoretta works in the travel/tourism industry and has served on the Park Board since 2002. She has worked on environmental issues at a national, provincial and municipal level since 1990 and has served on the boards of many non-profit organizations including Wildlife Rescue Association of BC, BC Spaces for Nature, Pacific Spirit Park Society, Outdoor Recreation Council, Society Promoting Environmental Conservation and as Chair of the Canadian Auto Workers Union Environment Committee for Canada. A nature enthusiast, Loretta has spent over 20 years hiking in the most remote areas of the world. She served as Vice-Chair in 2009 |
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