Vince Ready, British Columbia’s majordomo of mediators and duke of dialogue, has agreed to step into the dispute between six Vancouver community centre associations and the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation. Nov. 5 and 6 are reserved for talks. The sides had to pay $5,000 each to Ready for his retainer.
Ready is credited with ending the B.C. teachers and Richmond Ikea workers’ disputes. Tasks that some thought were impossible. Can he bridge the gap between Park Board and the “Group of 6” amid the civic election?
On Nov. 3, Park Board accepted the associations’ invitation, on condition that there be no lawyers for either side in the room.
But, and there’s a big but…
It also sent the community centre associations notice of a Nov. 20 date in B.C. Supreme Court where the Park Board wants to ask a judge for authority to issue three-month eviction notices to each of the associations.
Nov. 20 is just five days after the civic election.
This would be the second attempt. Park Board delivered evictions on Aug. 29, 2013, effective Dec. 31, 2013, but Hastings, Kensington, Kerrisdale, Killarney, Riley Park Hillcrest and Sunset community centre associations won a Jan. 17, 2013 injunction to halt the evictions.
On one hand there is an olive branch, on the other hand there is a hammer.
Read the Park Board’s application below. Mobile users click here -> Notice of Application, Nov. 3, 2014