VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA – A report presented by City staff to the Park Board commissioners at the October 7, 2025 Committee Meeting failed to disclose two contracts with B.A. Blackwell & Associates for forestry services and tree removals in 2023 and 2024.
On June 16, 2025, City staff pitched a proposal to the commissioners to increase the dollar amount that the city could spend on outsourced contracts without Board approval, from $750,000 to $3 million. Included in the proposal was a purported itemization of contract awards brought to the Park Board since 2022. Presumably, the City anticipated that the commissioners would want historical context as to the consequences of a change in delegated authority.
Commissioner Brennan Bastyovanszky stated that the Board has oversight responsibility and wanted to limit the threshold increased to $1 million. Commissioner Tom Digby successfully moved for a compromise of $2 million.
However, public speakers Michael Robert Caditz (08:11 PM) and Mary Etey (08:31 PM) alerted the commissioners that two Blackwell contracts — $1.58 million in September 2023 and $2.759 million in June 2024 — were missing from the contract itemization. The Board directed staff to report back with a revised itemization.
On October 7, 2025, the City presented its report back. However, the two contracts were again missing. Michael Robert Caditz, on behalf of Stanley Park Preservation Society, sent the commissioners copies of the contracts prior to the meeting, and in his talk (51:10) informed the commissioners that the contracts were omitted from the report. He additionally pointed out that both contracts had been improperly executed by City employees without approval of the Park Board as required by the Park Board Procurement Policy.
The commissioners offered no response to Caditz, nor did they inquire from City staff as to why the contracts were omitted. They speedily approved the City’s changes to the procurement policy over one “no” vote by Commissioner Angela Haer.
Of further concern is $11.1 million in funds from the general revenue stabilization reserve that were secretly secured from Vancouver City Council in May 2024 for Blackwell contracts.
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Text of Caditz’s statement before the Park Board commissioners on October 7, 2025
On June 16, 2025, Park Board directed staff to report back with details of all past contracts above $750,000 from 2018 to present. I will now show that staff did not fully comply.
On September 11, 2023, without approval or commitment from the Park Board, City employees entered into a non-competitive with B.A. Blackwell & Associates, worth $1.58 million, for tree removals. Pursuant to the Park Board Procurement Policy, Board approval had been required because the contract amount was over $750,000. Board approval was required notwithstanding that the contract was sole source. I sent the commissioners a pdf copy of this September 2023 contract attached to my meeting comments.
This September 2023 contract is omitted from appendix B of tonight’s report back.
On June 21, 2024, City employees, without approval or commitment from the Park Board, entered into a competitive contract with B.A. Blackwell & Associates, worth $2.759 million for “forestry consulting and related management services.” Pursuant to the Park Board Procurement Policy, Board approval had been required because the contract amount was over $750,000. I sent the commissioners a pdf copy of this June 2024 contract attached to my meeting comments.
This June 2024 contract is omitted from appendix B of tonight’s report back
As I have shown, tonight’s report back contains multiple substantive omissions. Therefore, City staff have failed to fully comply with this Board’s June 17, 2025, directive. Tonight’s motion should not be approved and rather should be referred to staff to correct all omissions.
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Stanley Park Preservation Society will be appearing before the Supreme Court of British Columbia in November 2025 to help preserve Stanley Park by block further unnecessary and destructive logging. We are in need of financial support for this legal effort. Please contribute.
Donating on this change.org page helps promote the partition but cannot be used for our legal costs.