Briefly: A $37 million budget, but no public consultation before July’s announcement of Memorial South and Killarney parks for FIFA World Cup 26 training.
Bob Mackin
The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation voted unanimously behind closed doors in October 2023 to turn Memorial South and Killarney parks into FIFA World Cup 26 training sites for $37 million.
Civic officials conducted no public consultation and they kept the decision secret until July 16. The public announcement was supposed to happen during 2024’s first quarter.
From a report to the Oct. 30, 2023, closed-door Park Board meeting (Park Board)
That is according to heavily censored, confidential reports and in camera meeting minutes the board decided to release ahead of the Park Board’s Dec. 9 meeting. At that meeting, staff want commissioners to approve $25 million in early works contracts at the two parks with Canadian Turner Construction Co. Ltd.
The Park Board originally shortlisted Memorial South, Trillium, Empire Fields and Jericho parks before the NDP government called time out on the bid in March 2018.
When B.C. re-entered the picture in 2021, Killarney, Strathcona, Empire Fields and Jericho West became the proposed training sites.
FIFA named Vancouver one of the 16 North American host cities in June 2022. Four months later, civic officials told a visiting FIFA delegation that they preferred Killarney and Strathcona. FIFA gave the city until mid-December 2022 to reconsider. So 2018 candidate Memorial South replaced Strathcona.
Commissioners voted unanimously on Oct. 30, 2023 to approve Memorial South Park. Comm. Tom Digby abstained. A staff report said neither parks meet tournament standards and would need “extensive and accelerated” upgrades, including natural and synthetic turf hybrid pitches with irrigation and high mast field lighting
To get the fields ready for June and July 2026, large portions of both parks are scheduled to close to the public in January 2025 and not reopen until fall 2026.
FIFA will get exclusive use 14 days prior to the start of the tournament until the last match, for a total 45 days. Flat, day-rate rental fees were censored from the documents.
Park Board also agreed behind closed doors last Jan. 22 to hire VDZ+A Consulting Inc. for a three-year, $2.4 million design services contract.
Training site requirements include exclusivity, quality of pitch, ancillary facilities and privacy. FIFA will not allow the public to watch the visiting stars practice.
“Privacy is important,” said a March 7, 2022 in camera presentation. “The field of play shall not be visible in main parts from any public or private buildings in the surroundings of the training site. Additionally, a security perimeter fence with 100% view obstructing scrim will be installed.”
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