South Memorial Park pond has been a mainstay and refuge for our community and wildlife. This area is a Migratory Flyway and songbirds rely on this pond to rest and refuel. 

Two years ago at great expense, the Vancouver Parks Board reconstructed the pond to make it more wildlife friendly and a beloved destination for the neighbourhood. Our community uses this pond for relaxation, memorials, celebrations, school field trips, photography, art classes and viewing wildlife. Part of the reconstruction involved using heavy earth moving equipment in the pond to widen it and remove invasive plants. Thousands of water plants were installed around the perimeter, giving shelter and places to forage for ducks and songbirds.  Huge boulders were brought in to line the edge and give wildlife a place to perch and rest.

The heavy equipment used by the Parks Board cracked the impervious layer of clay at the bottom of the pond causing it to leak. Rather than fix the damage they caused, the Park Board has decided to let the pond run dry. The Parks Board has renamed it a "seasonal wetland" meaning they're leaving it to naturally fill with rain water during the winter and dry out each summer. Despite the heavy rain that we've had,  the pond is running dry and is covered in green slime. As long as the leak remains unrepaired no amount of rainfall is going to fill it. 

The thousands of newly installed water plants have died and the wildlife, birds and ducks that called it home have fled.  Once the pond dries up the hole left behind will quickly fill with garbage, discarded mattresses and the huge boulders will be graffitied with spray paint. The degradation and vandalism is inevitable.

Last summer, the Parks Board was topping up the pond to mitigate the leaking. They have decided not to continue this and to let it run dry. Yet they continue watering the playing fields for sports teams that don't even live in the area while neglecting our corner of the park.

 The Parks Board doesn't have the right to waste thousands of taxpayer dollars and walk away from their responsibility to our neighbourhood and it's wildlife. Ask the Parks Board to hold themselves accountable by repairing the damage caused to our pond, or to turn the taps back on.

Here is the contact information for you to write and ask they turn the taps back on until they mend what they broke.  pbcommissioners@vancouver.ca     tara.bromberger@vancouver.ca

Please sign this petition if you want to save this much loved pond and get our wildlife back and share. Many thanks.