Friends,

Park Board Commissioner Spencer Herbert sent me a note today regarding the
enclosed motion at the Parks Board on Monday, May 29.

Spencer wrote:

"I wanted to let you know that this motion will be coming to us Monday May
29th. It's a double whammy - both opening the doors to an expansion of the
Aquarium by 30% by getting rid of the public's right to vote on any
expansion which had been passed by a previous NPA board, and getting rid of
the whales plebiscite. The Aquarium will have plenty of supporters out, so
must we."

I spoke with Spencer and I am in total agreement. We must get as many people
as possible to sign on to the speakers' list and to have a strong presence.

The motion by Commissioner Zlotnik is blatantly anti-democratic. It aims to
limit public input into two fundamental issues affecting Stanley Park: one
the expansion of the Aquarium (with an apparent plan to incorporate the
former zoo lands in order to build another zoo like entity without actually
referring to it as a zoo); and (b) the continued cruelty of incarcerating
intelligent sentient beings... whales and dolphins.

The public should have a right to a plebiscite on both of these issues. The
promise of a plebiscite on the first issue was actually passed by an NPA
Park Board.

We need to sound an alarm and mobilize as many as we can.

Best regards,

Janos Mate
jmate@telus.net

MOTIONS
1. The following motion is being put forward by Commissioner Zlotnik,
Whereas the Vancouver Aquarium has a lease until the year 2015;
Whereas the Vancouver Aquarium has been in business for 50 years and now
feels it
necessary to upgrade and expand their facilities and will be so requesting;
Whereas any request for expansion will require the full and appropriate
public discussion of all interested citizens and stakeholders prior to any
approval;

Whereas any such request and investment by the Vancouver Aquarium requires
certainty for their operations until the year 2015;

Be It Resolved that the following two resolutions passed by previous Boards
be rescinded:
³THAT any request by the Vancouver Aquarium for an expansion of the area
currently occupied by the Vancouver Aquarium under its lease with the
Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation be referred to a public referendum
to be held during the next general civic election.

FURTHER, THAT the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation defer
consideration of any such request for expansion until such time as the
public of Vancouver have voted in favour of such expansion in a public
referendum.²

³Be It Resolved that the Park Board recommend to City Council that a city
wide plebiscite be held during the 2008 civic election on the question of
whales and dolphins being kept in captivity in Stanley Park, with a goal of
testing public opinion in the interests of long term planning for the next
lease renewal with the Vancouver Aquarium, in 2015;

Be It Further Resolved that the plebiscite ask the following yes or no
question, ³Are you in favour of phasing out the containment of whales and
dolphins in Stanley Park?²²