Who should be allowed to use school fields?

Should they just be for school use? Or should the public, many of who live in apartments without yards, be able to use them?

What happened: The Vancouver School Board’s (VSB) decision to close down fields to the public is facing criticism from members of the public who are losing access to the already little green space in the city. 

The issue: In recent years, the school board has fenced off fields from public access, they say, in order to protect the fields from damage and maintain them for school usage. This includes Templeton, Lord Nelson, Charles Tupper, Lord Byng, Lord Roberts, Lord Tennyson and Bayview, according to CBC. 

East Vancouver residents are speaking out, saying that the school board did not consult with the community, with many people using the fields, and families saying they took their kids there to play often. Some families attempted to speak with VSB trustees but were told that it was not a policy issue and were rejected, according to Global. 

  • VSB says that dogs have been digging holes, that the use of the fields by the public is a privilege, and that under the school act, the emphasis is on their usage for schools not for the public. 

Looking ahead: As the city builds more and more apartments and condos, there is an issue of equitability. When green space is shut down, it privileges people with single-family homes with backyards who can accss green space compared to others. 

What’s next: The school board has not said what fields would be reopened to the public or when that might happen.