A community event to celebrate the official opening of a new playground in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside was scuttled Friday after protesters in Oppenheimer Park encouraged people not to pack up their tents in compliance with the overnight sheltering bylaw, Global News has learned.
Playground renewal at Oppenheimer Park began in the summer of 2022 and the new safe and inclusive space for kids recently re-opened to the public following construction.
The city’s mayor and council were invited to attend the gathering, which had been planned for noon on May 16.
Ahead of the event, Ryan Sudds, a vocal opponent of decampment efforts including tent removals on Hastings in 2023, issued a ‘media advisory’ claiming the Park Board was escalating decampment at Oppenheimer Park on the morning of the new playground opening.
“It’s simply not accurate,” Vancouver Coun. Sarah Kirby-Yung told Global News in an interview Monday. “To suggest that opening a playground has anything to do with the park sheltering bylaw is completely false.”
Sudds, who was not available for an on-camera interview Monday, told Global News that residents of Oppenheimer Park asked him to send the media release, and he was helping them.
Sudds said he doesn’t consider himself an activist and no one is paying him to do this.
“It’s just one bylaw, one bylaw after another, after another, after another,” Gary Humchitt told Global News in reference to the efforts by park rangers to enforce the city’s overnight sheltering rules.
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Humchitt, who doesn’t live at Oppenheimer, said he supports those sleeping in the park – including elders – and wants them to get off the streets and into proper housing.
Under city bylaws updated in April 2024, overnight sheltering is allowed in public parks but tents must be taken down by 7 a.m. the following morning.
Kirby-Yung confirmed there have been no changes to the overnight sheltering rules, and nothing has changed in terms of requirements and procedures.
A handful of individuals are currently staying in tents at Oppenheimer overnight and as the weather gets warmer, more people are seeking shelter in the park.
On Friday morning, park rangers were conducting normal bylaw compliance work.
Global News has learned two protesters were in the park encouraging new people to not pack up their belongings and/or to not follow the rules.
“We’re no threat, we’re just trying to make a statement,” Humchitt told Global News.
When asked what happened and if it was his goal to disrupt the playground opening, Humchitt responded: “My goal was to try to compromise with the mayor to see what he’s trying to prove. I mean it was our opportunity to actually to talk to him.”
Mayor Ken Sim’s office declined an interview request from Global News, “so as to not have multiple spokespeople talking to the topic”.
Sim’s press secretary, Taylor Verrall, said a representative from either the City or Parks Board would be reaching out regarding why the playground’s grand opening was cancelled – and whether the event was hijacked by activists.
A City of Vancouver communications manager said no one from the city or Park Board was available for an on-camera interview Monday, but sent a statement attributable to the Park Board.
“The playground had already opened to the community earlier this month and the celebration planned for Friday was intended to be a casual gathering to recognize the playground renewal,” said the emailed statement. “Unfortunately, on Friday, we were not ready to hold the event because of a variety of unforeseen circumstances including the poor weather and unavailability of key staff.”
The city statement did not elaborate on the “unforeseen circumstances”.
“These are kids that don’t get access to a lot of opportunities, again one of the poorest neighbourhoods in our city,” said Kirby-Yung. “I think it’s really unfortunate, it’s sad honestly and frustrating to see that disrupted on what should be a happy day for kids and for families.”
Area residents Global News spoke with Monday were disappointed.
“It should be about the kids, I’m sorry,” said Dianne Mary Thérèse Brisson.
“It’s bothersome that that went down like that, I’m sorry to hear that,” added Martin Hill.
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