PIBC email to Jordan Lypkie, the project lead on the paid parking pilot, sent Sun Jan 25
Thank you for your email. It is good to get concrete details about the parking pilot project.
We would like to have a meeting with you, and other decision makers, about this pilot. Despite our requests, we were not consulted about the impact that the implementation of the paid parking pilot will have on our members. Paid parking may also lead to significant challenges to our club’s viability.
We would like to know why PIBC is being treated differently from other groups that occupy city buildings in Riley Park. On the face of it, it seems inequitable that members of other non-profit amateur sports clubs like ours which happen to be based in the Hillcrest Community Centre receive 3 hrs of free parking while we who lease space in the adjacent city owned Millennium Sports Facility do not.
We would also like some clarification about the subsidized parking passes. We have no paid staff, so we rely completely on volunteers to take on all the tasks of managing our facility and running the many programs we offer. You’ve stated the cost is $30 plus taxes – what is the additional amount of those taxes? What information would you need from volunteers if we submit a list of them to you? Our volunteers will need this information so that they can make an informed decision.
One further point of concern. We are the only internationally certified indoor lawn bowls facility in Canada. On an annual basis we host provincial and national championships, an international tournament, and, when required, we also host Team Canada training camps. The report on the parking pilot project said that some provision would be made for competitions such as these and we would like to discuss that with you.
In 2025, the city of Vancouver launched with much fanfare an Older Persons Strategic Framework, with a key goal being “to ensure that aging Vancouverites are engaged in our community and to enhance their quality of life.” The decision to require PIBC members – the overwhelming majority of whom are seniors – to pay to park while they engage in an activity that meets this goal certainly raises questions about the seriousness of the city’s commitment to this strategic framework.
I look forward to the opportunity to meet with you at your earliest convenience to discuss these and other concerns about this pilot program.
best
Mary Ann