VICTORIA — British Columbia’s Housing Ministry says dissolving the Vancouver park board will require a referendum.

The ministry says new legislation to amend the Vancouver Charter would give city council the authority to dissolve the park board after holding an “assent vote,” should a majority of Vancouverites vote to approve the plan.

It says if a simple majority — 50 per cent plus one — votes to dissolve the board, Vancouver city council can pass a bylaw to dissolve the board, giving jurisdiction over designated city parks to council.

The province says the legislation will also require a referendum and a unanimous council vote if the city wants to remove a permanent park designation, unless the lands are being transferred to First Nations.

Vancouver city council under Mayor Ken Sim moved to dissolve the park board in December 2023, and Sim says the ministry’s announcement could provide “clarity” about moving ahead with the plan to dissolve the board.

Sim says in a statement that a working-group report about dissolving the elected park board found the city would save at least $70 million over 10 years by “reducing duplication,” but didn’t give a timeline on when a vote would be scheduled.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 9, 2025.

The Canadian Press