VANCOUVER, B.C. – The Green Party of Vancouver has responded with action at all three levels of municipal government garnering support and bringing much needed attention to the plight of Britannia Renewal.

Vancouver was stunned in October with the announcement by City Hall that the long planned Britannia Community Centre Renewal had been placed on hold indefinitely due to financial constraints. 

Green City Councillor Pete Fry’s November 2nd motion at City Council received the unanimous support of all councillors and the mayor.  “Britannia provides essential services to some of the city’s most at-risk communities. The Grandview Woodland and Strathcona/Kiwassa neighbourhoods have some of the lowest median incomes in Vancouver, as well as high rates of early childhood vulnerability, a significant number of low income seniors, refugees, and new Canadians, and both the city’s largest urban indigenous population and its largest arts and culture workforce,” stated Fry, “Abandoning this project now would be deeply detrimental to this high-need community”.

At the School Board, Green Trustee Lois Chan-Pedley received strong support for her November 27th motion which recognizes that provincial funding is needed to unfreeze the financial deadlock.  “We cannot make progress on Britannia Renewal, or meet the needs of the wonderful, precarious, Grandview-Woodlands community without senior government financial support,” said Chan-Pedley.

Also on November 27th, Green Commissioner Tom Digby received unanimous support at Park Board for his motion urging immediate investment in the Britannia Skating rink and Britannia Pool and Fitness Centre.  “Since 2014, voters have approved over $20 million for Britannia Renewal, yet little visible progress can be seen.  My motion recognized that we need to release this initial funding for immediate improvements and seek funding for the bigger capital projects included in the renewal,” said Digby.

The Green Party of Vancouver wishes to thank the Britannia Community Services Centre Society and the Grandview-Woodlands Advisory Committee for their dedicated advocacy of Britannia Renewal over more than 15 years

“We won’t let you down; the stakes are too high,” said Fry.

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Related Motions:
City Council:  Advancing Britannia Renewal
School Board:  Advancing Britannia Renewal
Park Board:  Advancing Britannia Renewal