VANCOUVER Mayor Ken Sim on Tuesday said in a statement regarding the Province’s Park Board referendum legislation announced last week: “In a press release last week, the Province stated that the City of Vancouver requested an exemption from the “assent vote” (referendum) for any park land transfers to First Nations. To be clear, neither I nor City Council have ever formally requested any provincial changes of this nature. Had the Province shared with us this legislation in advance, we would have made our position clear.”

He added: “Our commitment remains the same: to modernize how parks and recreation are governed so that more resources go directly into improving our facilities and services, while upholding and strengthening the safeguards that protect Vancouver’s parks for the people now and into the future.

“We value our strong relationships with the Musqueam Indian Band, Squamish Nation, and Tsleil-Waututh Nation, and remain committed to working together on shared priorities in the spirit of reconciliation. At the same time, I will not support, nor will I bring forward, a referendum that would allow any park land to be transferred without the direct consent of Vancouver residents.”

Sim also stated: “From day one, our focus has been on enhancing protections and improving Vancouver’s parks and recreation system for generations to come. Our parks are at the heart of who we are as a city, and Vancouverites rightfully expect them to be safeguarded with accountability and transparency.”