Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim drops plan to dissolve city's park board

Ken Sim, mayor of Vancouver, speaks during a press conference after the federal government announced plans for three large-scale AI data centre project in British Columbia including two in Vancouver during a press event in Vancouver on Monday, May 11, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Rich Lam

Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim is dropping his plan to dissolve the city’s Park Board, saying his ABC party will instead run candidates for board spots in the municipal election later this year.

Sim says in a statement released Monday that while the park board is “simply not working” his party will be putting forward a team with a mandate to deliver parks and services that are both affordable and accessible.

In December 2023, the city council with its ABC majority voted to request legislative amendments from the provincial government to allow it to get rid of the independently elected board that manages parks around the city.

Initially the province pushed back, tabling legislation to require a referendum to make those changes, but that was put on hold last year when the housing minister said the city had more work to do with First Nations on the topic.

Sim has previously said that a report found putting the work of the board under city council would save taxpayers a minimum of $70 million over the next decade by reducing duplication and streamlining services.

The next municipal election takes place this October.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 13, 2026