PROTECT THE WILDLIFE HABITAT AT VANIER PARK DUCK PONDS
PROTECT THE WILDLIFE HABITAT AT VANIER PARK DUCK PONDS FROM A BYOB GARDEN
SIGN THE PETITION: Protect our Quiet Natural Wild Spaces at Vanier Park + Kits Beach From BYOB Gardens.
SIGN THE PETITION: Protect our Quiet Natural Wild Spaces at Vanier Park + Kits Beach From BYOB Gardens.
On July 27, 2020, the "Alcohol in our Parks Pilot Program" was approved by the Vancouver Park Board Commissioners. (The Vanier Park designated area map is on Pg 11 of Appendix A of the Report. The Kits Beach Old Grove is on pg 4.) The good news is that the program is delayed until next year as the BC Gov doesn't have room on their agenda to change the Liquor Control Act until the summer of 2021. The bad news is that they approved 22 parks, including the quiet more secluded old grove of trees at Kits Beach and the Vanier Park Duck Pond. The staff in fact expanded the BYOB Garden at Vanier to include and SURROUND THE 2 DUCK PONDS, in spite of them being home to teeming wildlife including beavers, ducks, geese and many birds who roam that area. This is their territory and habitat. Putting a legal drinking zone here would be a travesty and goes against everything the Park Board stands for. They should be protecting our natural quiet wild areas, not destroying them! Why does drinking in our parks takes precedence over protecting our green space, quiet spaces and wildlife? We're asking the Park Board to reconsider the Vanier Park location as well as the quiet old grove of trees at Kits Beach, where people go to escape the craziness of the crowded main beach. If they insist with going ahead with this misguided program they should instead put the Kits BYOB Garden on the popular green space, beside Cornwall, southeast of the pool, where people already congregate to socialize and drink. This space is also near the concession stand, washroom, Boathouse and the restaurants on Yew St., for takeout. Why pick the quietest most natural spots instead? As someone commented on a Keep Kits Beach Wild Facebook post "It's like they picked the introverts places rather than the extroverts spots". There's still time to change the location prior to next May 2021 when the "Alcohol in our Parks Pilot Program" is likely to begin. KEEP KITS BEACH WILD
MAR 21, 2021 update:
There's been some confusion as to the location of the final Vanier Park designated drinking zone, approved at the July 27, 2020 park Board meeting. The map above was included in the Park Board revised report "Liquor Consumption in Parks By-law & Pilot Program - Report Back" (pg 11 Appendix A) dated July 24 and approved on the 27th. As you can see it runs beside and in between the 2 duck ponds and this wildlife habitat is bound to be impacted. The ducks and beavers frequently cross back and forth over that area between the 2 ponds to get from one to another, so crowds of humans hanging out here drinking will interfere with their natural roaming. They don't just swim in the pond, but they roam the whole area all year, and, in the summer, with their chicks. Unlike geese, the ducks and beavers tend to avoid humans and scurry away if you get too close. The beavers won't appear at all if there are too many people around, and are a rare sight. It's not even that people will be drinking, so much as the crowds that designating this a drinking area will attract that will disturb and scare off the wildlife. But with the drinking there's bound to be an increase in the noise, disturbance and disruptive behaviour. While most people can drink responsibly there are always those who cannot and this is an out of the way location for the park ranger and police buggy patrols. In addition, the northern area of the designated zone is quite windy and is a popular kite flying area, so turning that section into a BYOB zone will displace the kite flyers. Furthermore this whole area is quite soggy and there are lots of geese turds, so it's not an ideal spot for a drinking zone anyway. There’s also the problem of people bringing more dogs with them to the area and allowing them to run after the wildlife, unleashed or even leashed. And don't forget the noise problem of illegal buskers and other amplified music disturbing the wildlife.
KEEP KITS BEACH WILD
There's been some confusion as to the location of the final Vanier Park designated drinking zone, approved at the July 27, 2020 park Board meeting. The map above was included in the Park Board revised report "Liquor Consumption in Parks By-law & Pilot Program - Report Back" (pg 11 Appendix A) dated July 24 and approved on the 27th. As you can see it runs beside and in between the 2 duck ponds and this wildlife habitat is bound to be impacted. The ducks and beavers frequently cross back and forth over that area between the 2 ponds to get from one to another, so crowds of humans hanging out here drinking will interfere with their natural roaming. They don't just swim in the pond, but they roam the whole area all year, and, in the summer, with their chicks. Unlike geese, the ducks and beavers tend to avoid humans and scurry away if you get too close. The beavers won't appear at all if there are too many people around, and are a rare sight. It's not even that people will be drinking, so much as the crowds that designating this a drinking area will attract that will disturb and scare off the wildlife. But with the drinking there's bound to be an increase in the noise, disturbance and disruptive behaviour. While most people can drink responsibly there are always those who cannot and this is an out of the way location for the park ranger and police buggy patrols. In addition, the northern area of the designated zone is quite windy and is a popular kite flying area, so turning that section into a BYOB zone will displace the kite flyers. Furthermore this whole area is quite soggy and there are lots of geese turds, so it's not an ideal spot for a drinking zone anyway. There’s also the problem of people bringing more dogs with them to the area and allowing them to run after the wildlife, unleashed or even leashed. And don't forget the noise problem of illegal buskers and other amplified music disturbing the wildlife.
KEEP KITS BEACH WILD
Petition Comments
"This is a habitat for many species. This will harm many of them. I am shocked frankly."
"Not a good place. Busy with bird life, and a rare, peaceful, quiet spot to get away. Please preserve this and don’t spoil it with a bar."
"This BYOB spot was not thought out properly before being approved. Every home of wildlife within our city needs to be protected before it is too late."
"I am signing this petition because I think this a very quiet and peaceful area for Wildlife! I feel you move this BYOB to another area closer to Kits Beach."
"This is a habitat for many species. This will harm many of them. I am shocked frankly."
"Not a good place. Busy with bird life, and a rare, peaceful, quiet spot to get away. Please preserve this and don’t spoil it with a bar."
"This BYOB spot was not thought out properly before being approved. Every home of wildlife within our city needs to be protected before it is too late."
"I am signing this petition because I think this a very quiet and peaceful area for Wildlife! I feel you move this BYOB to another area closer to Kits Beach."
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