At last night’s Park Board meeting, Commissioners approved the Amenity Improvement Fee Framework (AIFF), an innovative, multi-year pilot aimed at generating new revenue to support upgrades and infrastructure improvements.
The AIFF will introduce modest fee increases on select admissions and permits at VanDusen Botanical Garden and Bloedel Conservatory, Stanley Park Train, Burrard Marina and on park use permits for special events. The incremental revenue generated by the AIFF will be reinvested directly into maintenance and improvements within the same service areas.
“The AIFF is part of our broader “Think Big” Revenue Strategy, which focuses on developing new revenue streams to maintain operational and financial sustainability without compromising affordability,” says Vancouver Park Board Chair, Brennan Bastyovanszky. “Through Think Big our focus is on reinvesting directly in high-demand facilities and attractions to enhance services, increase visitor experiences and satisfaction, and address deferred maintenance.”
The AIFF proposes the introduction of a 3% increase on select admissions and permits, and a per-ticket fee ranging from $1 to $2 starting in January 2025 for certain special events to ease the pressure on increasing property taxes and alleviate the cost burden on Vancouver taxpayers. Staff expect the new proposed fee structure to generate between $500k-$700k in its first year.
Benefits for service areas
Some examples of the potential benefits of the AIFF multi-year pilot include:
- Stanley Park Train: Helping fund efforts to electrify locomotives to reduce emissions and improve safety
- Bloedel Conservatory: Adding a permanent generator for operational resilience
- Burrard Marina: Upgrading water systems and head floats to enhance service
- Special events infrastructure: Installing lighting, water connections and clean power kiosks in key event locations to lower event production costs and reduce organizers’ reliance on temporary generators
These improvements align with Think Big’s focus on increasing commercial revenue and bringing more vibrancy to public spaces.
For more information about the AIFF, please view the complete report.