*** SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT FOR ALL WESA MEMBERS REGARDING 2027 FIELD PERMITS ***
a call to action!
On Monday, July 27th, the Vancouver Park Board Commissioners will be meeting to hear, discuss and vote on recommendations from the Director of Recreation Services regarding their proposed Affiliation and Allocation Policy, which, if approved at this meeting, will likely go into effect Spring 2027.
These proposed policies seek to change the manner in which annual field permits are allocated to the various sports groups across Vancouver – from the current historical approach to a “needs based” approach.
Under the current historical approach, WESA retains the right of first refusal for our annual field permits (basically, we are asked “do you want the same as last year?” We say “yes please” and it’s done.)
The new Affiliation and Allocation policies seek to rank the various sports groups from #1 (high priority and receiving 1st choice of field permits) to #8 (lowest priority, getting whatever is left over after all higher-ranking groups have chosen).
If the Park Board Commissioners vote in favour of these two new policies, WESA’s field permits next season will be directly affected and will likely mean playing at various fields across the city at different times and days of the week.
We are encouraging WESA Members to show their opposition to these new policies by attending the Board Committee Meeting on Monday, July 27, 6:30 pm, at the Park Board Boardroom (2099 Beach Avenue).
Several WESA Members will be speaking at the meeting and we encourage anyone who would like to attend to wear their team jersey.
A copy of the full report being put forward by the Director of Recreation Services can be found here:
WESA needs the help of the Membership!
The Vancouver Park Board Affiliation and Allocation Policy is the core framework of the massive shift the Park Board is making from a "historical use" booking model to a structured, "needs-based" framework. [1]
Because this directly threatens historical holds on Sunday permits, mobilizing WESA members to speak and attend the July 27th meeting at 2099 Beach Avenue is highly strategic and can influence how staff design the final operating procedures.
Core Mechanics of the Proposed Policy
The Park Board is consolidating permit lines into a universal formula to manage field shortages. The specific points of the framework include: [1, 2]
- The 75% Formula Cap: Affiliated groups (including adult leagues that secure "affiliated" status) are pooled into a formula that distributes up to 75% of total facility time. []
- The 25% Discretionary Pool: The remaining 25% is evaluated based on the strict prioritization list you provided, leaving unaffiliated adult groups or lower-priority requests highly vulnerable to losing historical time slots.
- The Core Paradox: While the policy explicitly states a desire to support "emerging sports and equity-deserving communities," its strict tier system rigidly prioritizes youth/minor sports ("Affiliated minor") over adult groups ("Affiliated adult"), regardless of whether that adult league represents a marginalized community.
Why WESA’s Presence Matters on July 27th
Park Board commissioners routinely approve policy frameworks but give staff the authority to write the specific Operating Procedures, User Guides, and Handbooks. Attending this meeting allows WESA to highlight why a strict mathematical formula ignores human impact. [1]
1. Formally Requesting "Equity-Deserving" Exemptions
Under the draft principles, the Park Board vows to create an "equitable, inclusive, and safe" environment. A strong presence allows your speakers to argue that "safety" for an LGBTQ+ league means consistency and community visibility. If the formula scatters WESA's Sunday slots across different fields and times throughout the city, it fundamentally breaks the "safe space" the league provides. [1]
2. Visual Impact (The Jersey Strategy)
Showing up in WESA jerseys turns a bureaucratic policy discussion into a human issue. It signals to the Commissioners that the policy will disrupt hundreds of tax-paying residents who rely on Sunday league play for mental health, physical fitness, and social connection.
3. Shaping the "Affiliation" Rules
Since the framework states that the "Affiliation process [is] completed to determine which groups receive priority allocation," WESA needs to influence what criteria will be used to qualify for "Affiliated adult" status. Your speakers can explicitly demand that equity-deserving, non-profit adult leagues be given special weighting within the capacity adjustment phase.
Action Plan for the July 27th Meeting
- Register to Speak Early: The speaker request form typically opens on the
Vancouver Park Board Board Meetings page during the week leading up to the meeting. Ensure multiple members sign up to speak immediately when it opens. [1] - Coordinate Key Messages: Do not just complain about losing fields. Use the Park Board's own language to hold them accountable. Focus on:
- How historical scheduling is tied to player safety and community well-being.
- How WESA fits the definition of an "equity-deserving community" that requires protection under the new policy.
- A request for explicit clauses in the operating procedures that protect long-standing community spaces from being completely automated by a formula.
- Submit Written Positions: If members cannot attend 2099 Beach Ave in person, they can submit written comments directly through the Park Board Meetings portal to ensure their feedback is added to the official public record. [1]
Here is a template letter that members can customize and email to the commissioners, followed by structured talking points for our speakers.
Part 1: Member Email Template
To: pbcommissioners@vancouver.ca
Subject: Opposition/Feedback: Proposed Park Board Affiliation and Allocation Policy – Protect WESA's Safe Space
Dear Vancouver Park Board Commissioners,
My name is [Your Name], and I am a resident, taxpayer, and proud member of the West End Softball Association (WESA). I am writing to express my urgent concerns regarding the proposed Affiliation and Allocation Policy coming to a vote on Monday, July 27th.
While I support the goal of a fair permitting process, the proposed rigid formula threatens the survival of long-standing community institutions. For [Number] years, WESA has relied on consistent Sunday field allocations to provide a safe, inclusive, and predictable space for the LGBTQ+ community and our allies to gather, play, and build resilience.
The new framework prioritizes demographic brackets strictly by age (youth over adults) without considering the unique needs of equity-deserving groups. Under this policy, WESA's ability to keep hundreds of members together on Sundays could be dismantled by a mathematical formula. For the LGBTQ+ community, sport is not just about physical recreation; it is a vital mental health lifeline and a safe haven from discrimination.
I urge the Park Board to adjust the policy framework to:
- Include explicit protection and priority weightings for non-profit, adult leagues that serve equity-deserving communities.
- Ensure that "public benefit, inclusion, safety, and equity" are measured by human impact, not just hourly capacity numbers.
Please do not automate away the safe spaces that define Vancouver’s vibrant community culture.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Postal Code / Neighborhood]
Part 2: Speaker Talking Points (3-Minute Limit)
Note: Park Board speakers are strictly timed (usually 3 minutes). These points are broken into three distinct sections to ensure a clear opening, middle, and closing argument.
1. The Hook: Introduce Who You Are and the Human Stake
- "Good evening, Commissioners. My name is [Name], and I am speaking tonight on behalf of the West End Softball Association. Look around this room at the jerseys; we represent hundreds of Vancouver taxpayers."
- "For decades, Sundays have been a sacred, predictable anchor for our league. We are not just booking dirt and grass; we are anchoring a community."
2. The Core Argument: Use Their Language to Expose the Flaw
- "The proposed policy states its goal is to advance 'inclusion, safety, and equity' for 'equity-deserving communities.' However, the actual mechanics of the policy do the exact opposite."
- "By placing a rigid mathematical formula over the system and strictly prioritizing minor sports over adult sports, you are treating an equity-deserving LGBTQ+ adult league the same as a casual corporate rec league."
- "For marginalized communities, safety is tied directly to consistency and visibility. If this formula scatters our Sunday slots across random fields and times across the city, you are effectively breaking our safe space."
3. The Call to Action: What You Want Them to Do
- "We are asking you tonight not to pass this policy without strict, legally binding amendments to the operating guidelines."
- "Staff must be directed to include a specific mechanism that weights and protects long-standing, non-profit, adult equity-deserving leagues."
- "Do not let a pursuit of administrative efficiency dismantle a vital social and mental health lifeline that our community has built and paid for over decades. Thank you."
Part 1: Strategic Speaker Plan (The 3-Angle Approach)
Having too many speakers repeat the exact same message can cause commissioners to tune out. It is highly effective to select three distinct speakers to present different angles of WESA's core argument.
This multi-perspective strategy prevents redundancy and forces the Board to look at the human cost from every angle:
Speaker 1: "The Pioneer" (Focus: History & Continuity)
- Who should speak: A long-standing league member, past board member, or league historian.
- The Angle: Establish WESA's decades-long footprint in Vancouver's West End. Remind the commissioners that long before there were formal equity policies, WESA built a safe space out of sheer necessity when no other sports leagues were safe for queer residents.
- Key Message: Continuity is what keeps our vulnerable members coming back. Scattering our field times across the city breaks the generational community fabric we built over decades.
Speaker 2: "The Healthcare Professional / Community Advocate" (Focus: Safety & Mental Health)
- Who should speak: A member who works in healthcare, mental health, or social work (or someone with a powerful personal story).
- The Angle: Focus entirely on the Park Board's phrase: "public benefit, inclusion, safety, and equity."Define what "safety" actually means for an LGBTQ+ person in sports.
- Key Message: For many members, Sunday softball is their primary mental health lifeline and the only place they feel entirely safe being themselves. This policy treats adult leagues like corporate entertainment, completely ignoring that WESA functions as an equity-deserving wellness network.
Speaker 3: "The Policy and Logistics Guru" (Focus: The Structural Flaws)
- Who should speak: A current WESA Board executive or someone familiar with logistics.
- The Angle: Dissect the mechanical flaws of the proposed 75/25 split and the rigid tier system.
- Key Message: The current draft ranks groups strictly by age brackets. An automated formula will wipe out non-profit adult equity leagues in favor of minor sports without assessing the true social impact. We need a specific "Equity Weighting" clause built into the final user handbook to protect marginalized adult spaces.
Part 3: Step-by-Step Sign-up Instructions
To speak at the upcoming Committee meeting at 2099 Beach Ave, you must officially register with the City.
1. Deadlines and Timing
- Agenda Posting: The official agenda and speaker request forms are typically posted online exactly one week prior to the meeting date.
- Sign-up Deadline: You must complete your registration before noon on the day of the meeting.
- Time Allotted: Each speaker is traditionally granted 5 minutes to speak to the Committee (note that City Council meetings limit this to 3 minutes, but Park Board Committee guidelines allow up to 5 minutes unless shortened by the Chair due to a long speaker list). [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
2. Registration Methods
You can choose from three different ways to sign up:
- Online (Preferred): Visit the
Vancouver Park Board Board Meetings Page. Locate the July 27th meeting on the schedule, click "Request to Speak", and fill out the form. - Via Email: Send an email directly to pbmeetings@vancouver.ca.
- Via Phone: Call the Park Board Meeting Line at 604-257-8158. [, 2, 3]
3. Information Required Upon Registration
When submitting your request to the clerk, you must provide the following details:
- Your full name.
- The specific Agenda Item Name/Number (e.g., Affiliation and Allocation Policy Report).
- The organization you are representing (West End Softball Association).
- Whether you will be speaking in person at 2099 Beach Ave or via telephone. [1, 2, 3]
Questions or comments? Please email the Commission at Commission (at) WESA.net.