Vancouver Park Board approves pilot for 'designated smoking areas' at select summer events

For nearly two decades, it's been illegal to smoke in Vancouver's parks and beaches — but that hasn't stopped people from lighting up anyways.

Realizing that some will start a-puffin' regardless of what bylaw is in place, the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation has taken a proactive step to at least try to limit and control where substance use takes place.

On Monday, the board narrowly approved the launch of a pilot project that will allow attendees of select summer events to circumvent the rules by sticking to "designated smoking areas."

The events include the 2026 Rosé Disco and Country Club at Jericho Beach in July, and the 2026 Great Outdoor Comedy Festival in Stanley Park, which takes place a month later.

Commissioners Haer, Virdi, Bastyovanszky, and Christensen voted in favour, while Digby, Howard, and Jensen were opposed.

"I'm not a big fan of smoking," Jensen said, adding that as someone who assists with beach cleanup, he's "appalled by the number of cigarette butts."

He noted that at venues such as Rogers Arena, people "do their smoking somewhere else," then enter and enjoy the event without disturbing others.

Bastyovanszky echoed his colleague's sentiments on the harms of smoking, but argued that realistically, "people smoke" even when they're not supposed to.

"What we're talking about here is looking at the behaviour of the audience and trying to change it in a way that minimizes risk and minimizes risk to other festival-goers," he said. "I don't think making it against the rules to smoke is actually stopping anybody."

Among those from the public who spoke on the issue was Aaron Jasper, who served as board commissioner when the bylaw prohibiting smoking in Vancouver's parks and beaches was adopted.

"We heard from a lot of medical experts that there's no such thing as safe exposure to second-hand smoke, and it really left an impression on us," he said. "So I have mixed feelings — I can certainly understand, from a practical perspective, the hope with this recommendation, but as they say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions."

Jasper urged commissioners to ensure compliance was monitored throughout the pilot to quantify its impact and see if people actually make an effort to smoke only in the designated areas.