By PHILOMENA OKOLO & VALENTINA BARRERA

More than half a million dollars was spent on building renovations by the Langara Students’ Union (LSU) in 2023. Yet torn couches line the student lounge. A hot water dispenser has not worked for more than two years. And a café space that could offer affordable food remains closed.

Spending vs. student reality

The gap between spending and student experience is raising questions about how more than $6 million in annual student fees from roughly 11,000 students is being used.

Students contribute mandatory fees to the Capital Trust Fund, which in 2025 collected about $874,000 in levies and nearly $200,000 in interest. Financial statements show more than $500,000 was spent on renovation costs in 2023, but the statements do not say what work was completed.

Records also show about $120,000 invested in furniture and equipment in 2025. Students interviewed by the Voice said the LSU’s ground-floor lounge still has limited seating and worn furniture. They also said they have not seen some services commonly available at other colleges, including recreational amenities and electronics repair. 

“The staff office looks amazing,” said freedom of information researcher Stanley Tromp after touring the building. “But in student spaces, the couches are torn with little to no amenities provided.”

His comments reflect the gap between how spending is recorded and how it is experienced by students on campus.

Rajesh Vijayaraghavan, assistant professor at the Sauder School of Business at UBC, said this gap points to a known limitation of financial reporting.

“They [financial statements] show how much was spent, but not necessarily what was delivered or how it was experienced,” Vijayaraghavan said. “To understand how the money was actually used, one would typically look for additional documentation such as asset listings, purchase records, or project-level summaries.”

Vijayaraghavan said that kind of detail would normally sit outside the audited financial statements. 

“The finance division should have that information,” he said.

In a written statement sent to the Voice, the LSU described the spending as part of a planned investment.

The LSU said the 2023 renovation expenditure “reflects a significant, planned capital investment into the LSU building funded through the Capital Trust Fund.” The union said the work included improvements to student-facing spaces and infrastructure upgrades. It added that such spending “is not incurred annually but rather occur periodically based on operational needs and long-term asset planning.”

According the 2024-25 financial statement, an additional $51,474 in renovation costs was withdrawn from the Capital Trust Fund in 2025, again without any detail. The LSU said this was “not a new renovation project, but rather a year-end accounting adjustment made by the auditors to recognize deferred contributions related to prior capital expenditures.”

Rising costs, limited detail

Renovation spending is one visible use of the Capital Trust Fund. Financial statements also show rising costs in other LSU spending categories, though the records do not always show what those increases produced.

Graduation expenses rose to about $117,400 in 2025 from roughly $78,200 the year before, a 50 per cent increase, even as students pay separate graduation fees to the college.

The LSU said the increase reflects “both scale and enhanced student experience,” including more than 2,000 graduating students across a three-day event and the provision of higher-value graduate gifts.

Graduation spending is not the only student-life category where costs have increased. Campus life and events spending reached about $192,300 in 2025, up from about $130,400 the previous year.

Membership development and promotion spending rose to nearly $293,800, an increase of about $117,600 in a single year. The financial statements do not break down what that spending funded.

The LSU said campus events are “not discretionary spending; they are a core part of the LSU’s mandate.”

“They play a critical role in supporting student mental health and well-being, building community and a sense of belonging on campus, and ensuring equitable access,” the union said.

Based on previous reporting, six events were held in 2024 with a budget of about $130,400, averaging more than $21,700 per event. 

Oversight and accountability gaps

In B.C., student unions generally fall under the Societies Act, not direct college or university control. That means they are primarily accountable to their members through bylaws, elections, records and general meetings. While they must file annual reports and keep financial records, there is no student-union-specific oversight body under the Act. When disputes arise, members often have to rely on internal votes and meetings or pursue remedies through the Civil Resolution Tribunal or the courts.

In March 2026, B.C. Finance Minister Brenda Bailey ordered a formal investigation into the Kwantlen Student Association under the Societies Act to determine whether funds were misused or other problematic conduct occurred. While the probe is underway, the province has frozen the association’s assets except for approved operating expenses, saying the move is meant to protect the organization and its members. 

According to the association’s financial reports, the KSA spent $947,848 on wages and benefits for elected representatives in 2025. By comparison, UBC’s Alma Mater Society paid its student directors $231,888 that same year, the Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS) spent $210,667 on its seven elected student representatives, and the University of Victoria Students’ Society (UVSS) paid its directors $239,635. 

According to its 2024-25 financial statements, the LSU also paid its board of directors and other elected personnel $185,108, while wages and benefits for six staff that year were $843,335. 

Questions about student-union oversight are not new in B.C. Accountability challenges across student unions trace back to a 1999 policy change that made fee collection mandatory while limiting institutional oversight. Today, student unions receive guaranteed funding through mandatory fees, with accountability relying largely on internal governance.

In 2006, Douglas College withheld more than $1.5 million in student union fees after the student union failed to produce audited financial statements for three years, prompting a forensic review of the union’s finances and a lawsuit that sought to place the union into receivership.

More recently, in 2024, Kwantlen Polytechnic University administration raised concerns about proposed bylaw changes by the Kwantlen Student Association, saying they could restrict student oversight, limit the ability to call meetings and create financial risks.

The LSU told the Voice that all expenditures are guided by “a strong framework of governance, accountability, and transparency.”

“As a not-for-profit organization, our objective is not to generate or retain large surpluses, but rather to responsibly allocate resources in ways that maximize student value and impact.”

Vijayaraghavan said audits are designed to show whether financial statements are fairly presented, not to assess how effectively money is spent.

Its audits, conducted by Tompkins Wozny, follow standard accounting practices but do not assess how effectively money is spent.

By ZOE LI

Vancouver food truck vendors are facing difficult choices as they struggle to keep up with the rising cost of gas and fuel.

Fateh Lekcir, the owner of Disco Cheetah Korean Bowl, has operated his food truck business for five years downtown.

His food truck runs on diesel and costs him around $30 every day to run the generators. He said he spends approximately $10 for transportation.

Vancouver has one of the highest gas prices in Canada. According to GasBuddy, the average price for gas is $2.11 per litre, and $2.25 per litre for diesel in Vancouver. Food trucks use approximately up to 27 litres of fuel for cooking and generators in one day.

High gas prices are a “burden” 

Lekcir said the rising cost of gas is causing a burden to his business and said he tried to cut costs to a minimum to sustain the business.

He said before the recent gas price spikes, he operated the business every day.

“We are trying to operate only on the days where it’s guaranteed and busy,” he said.

He considered switching to an electric truck but said it’s challenging to secure electricity and a plug in the vending location.

Increased gas prices are not only a burden to vendors using gas for their generators, but also operators who travel long distances every day.

Muhammad Naseem, the owner of Mo’s Premium Hot Dog, has run his food truck for almost 18 years downtown.

While he uses an electric generator for his business, he said the rising gas price is a burden for him to drive from Surrey to downtown every day.

“Nothing I can do,” Naseem said. “I don’t have any option, right?”

While he is not increasing his menu prices, he hopes the city can work on bringing down gas prices to ease the financial crisis.

Support from out-of-province 

Gavin Johnson, a tourist from Edmonton, said he always get a hot dog from a food truck every time he visits Vancouver.

He said he noticed the increase in gas prices driving from Alberta to British Columbia.

While he observed the rise in menu prices of different food trucks over time, Johnson said it’s understandable.

“I don’t see anything wrong with it,” he said.

Johnson said food trucks are an important culture that supports businesspeople and students.

“You don’t want to see them disappear,” he said.

By RHEA SINGH

Vancouver’s oldest community centre is one of 13 projects across Canada to receive money from a new federal government fund intended to support community growth.

On Tuesday, the federal government announced it will distribute $51 billion across Canada over 10 years to support community infrastructure. Of that, $2.2 billion will be allocated toward B.C., with $2.16 million towards the construction of the new Marpole-Oakridge Community Centre.

The new federal fund is meant to help the construction of hospitals, recreation centres, universities and colleges.

Veterans Affairs Minister Jill McKnight, announced the funding Tuesday at the site of the new community centre.

“This centre will offer childcare after school, programming, a gymnasium, a sensory room and flexible multi-purpose spaces for sports, arts and cultural activities. By serving youth, families, seniors, it will bring generations together and strengthen the bonds that make community strong,” she said.

McKnight said the federal government has been engaging with provinces and territories to tailor funding agreements under the new initiative.

Construction on the new Marpole-Oakridge Community Centre began in 2023. The $91-million project, expected to be completed this year, will replace the area’s original community centre that has been in operation since 1940.

The 42,000-square-foot facility will serve approximately 40,000 residents in a fast-growing part of the city and is one of the Vancouver’s largest community centre investments in recent years. It is notable for its timber construction and its intention to be an inclusive facility operated entirely by electric power and featuring minimal carbon emissions.

“It is a very significant investment for the City of Vancouver to support vital programs for residents of all ages,” said Coun. Sarah Kirby-Yung, who is also present at the funding announcement.

She said there are projects the city is hoping to work on in the future and that this current project is supporting the working community in Marpole.

“The new facility is going to deliver 74 new childcare spaces that will help support families and make a real difference in people’s lives,” said Kirby-Yung.

The Voice contacted Marpole Community Centre regarding this story, but no comment was made in time for publication.

By AVERY ST. GERMAIN

Granville Street will become a pedestrian-only zone this summer to celebrate the FIFA World Cup and some local businesses and commuters aren’t happy about it.

Based on past experience, some business owners on the main downtown artery worry that the transformation will lead to chaos.

As someone who spends a lot of time on Granville Street, Nathan Buchinger, manager of Leo’s Clothing Supply, fears the large number of people coming for the international soccer tournament, whoaren’t from Vancouver, will disrupt and disrespect the city.

He remembers when more than 200 masked anti-Olympic protesters smashed windows, vandalized cars, trashed newspaper boxes and intimidated pedestrians in downtown Vancouver, one day into the international sporting event.

The following year, a riot broke out almost immediately after the conclusion of the Boston Bruins’ victory over the Vancouver Canucks in game seven of the Stanley Cup finals.

“There is the underlying kind of thing when you do have such a large crowd of people, all these different types of people from all over the world coming,” Buchinger said. “And then you mix it with alcohol and drinking and partying. It’s kind of like a volatile mix at most times.”

The City of Vancouver is in partnership with the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association that is working to transform Granville Street into a pedestrian zone during June 11 and July 20 for the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Buchinger feels the city is approaching initiatives incorrectly.

“In my mind, it’s like prepare for the worst, hope for the best,” Buchinger said, adding he hopes the “boom of tourism” will benefit local businesses on Granville Street.

Denis Agar with Movement YVR, a Vancouver transit advocacy group, said the move was also eliminating a major bus route.

“They’re only willing to sacrifice transit riders’ experience,” Agar said. “They’re not willing to sacrifice a car street.”

Agar worries that the city hasn’t taken into consideration the narrow sidewalks. He added that they are poorly lit and without benches.

In an email to the Voice, TransLink said buses that normally operate on Granville Street will be re-routed to Seymour and Howe streets.

“Bus lanes will be available on Howe and Seymour streets to handle the additional bus capacity.” TransLink said in its email.

They will also add signage to Granville Street bus stops to direct customers to the closest stop on Howe or Seymour streets.

The five-block pedestrian zone will be accented with additional public seating, patios, food vendors, live music and more.

Not everyone is mad about the transformation.

President and CEO of Golden Age Collectables, Patrick Shaughnessy said he’s looking forward to seeing people from out of town who collect comics.

The comic book shop, Golden Age Collectables, has been open since 1979 and has experienced a wide array of sporting events.

Shaughnessy said he has noticed that police officials and people working with the city are working to clear up the streets.

He said they have a difficult task in front of them, but they’ve done a good job trying to make things better.

“So, it’s just trying to live with the situation we’ve got, you know,” he said.

By LIAM ROBERT SCOTT

At a board of governors meeting last month, the Langara Faculty Association and college administration once again disagreed over staffing numbers, turning the meeting into a dispute not just over priorities but over the credibility of the numbers themselves.

At the March 26 meeting, the Langara Faculty Association used data obtained through a freedom of information request to demonstrate how the college has expanded administration while cutting courses and laying off staff. Senior leaders, meanwhile, pushed back on how the data they submitted to the LFA should be interpreted.

The LFA said the data revealed that administrative staff headcount and compensation rose sharply between 2014 and 2025.

According to Raged Anwar, vice-president of the Langara Faculty Association, salary and benefits at the college rose from $9.3 million in 2014 to $39 million in 2025 — a 322 per cent increase.

According to the LFA’s interpretation, the administrative headcount rose by 218 per cent. By comparison, LFA faculty headcount increased by 40 per cent.

Anwar said the college is being counterproductive in its stated efforts to mitigate the enrolment crisis by bolstering administrative positions while cutting faculty and courses.

“Administrators continue to talk about the importance of recruitment and retention at this important time for the college, and lowering barriers to access for students,” Anwar said. “Yet, we have to cancel courses with 20-plus students.”

However, Michael Koke, Langara vice-president, administration and finance, told the board those figures were drawn from payroll instead of the general ledger.
Because of this, college administrators said, the LFA’s interpretation of the data was inaccurate.

“The information that we ended up providing to satisfy a request created scenarios where headcounts were duplicated,” said Parveen Mann, vice-president, people and culture at Langara College. “So anytime you had any person be in two positions in one year, they would be double counted.”

Mann said had the administration known the intended purpose of the FOI request, it would have provided information “in a different way.”

The discussion appeared to expose a breakdown in consensus over the staffing numbers provided by the college.

Paula Burns, president of Langara College, said the college does have “a bit of a bubble, there’s no question” but that was likely related to Workday staffers.

Burns said the college is reviewing its organizational structure, examining staffing levels in relation to student numbers and acknowledging that rapid growth may have led to an inefficient structure.

“We really need to look at that structure because we have some concern about the proportion of administrators to the teaching, the people that are supporting students,” Burns said. “So, we’re in agreement that there needs to be some look at that.”

Koke asked Anwar why the LFA had even requested that information through FOI, saying the college would have gladly provided it.

“There’s no need to go through that whole FOI process,” he said. “If LFA had come directly to us, we certainly can provide that information.”
Anwar told the board the union has been frustrated with the quality of information provided by the college.

“We have been requesting information and the information that comes back is not necessarily the information that we believe we’ve asked for,” Anwar said. “Then that information is characterized as somehow misleading or inaccurate.”

He added that the union is calling for an external audit of the college’s operations to identify ongoing issues and clarify a path forward.

Burns said the college aims to run as many courses as possible to meet student demand.

BY DANIEL BUMANGLAG

For many kids, being unsupervised without a parental figure is like winning the lottery and living life without rules.

But for Wiley Wei-Chiun Ho, the only rules she lived by as a kid was to “study hard and stay out of trouble.”

Ho, a writer whose family  migrated to Vancouver in the early 1980s when she was nine, has just published a memoir. She recounts her experience as an “astronaut child” in a new country when her parents returned to Taiwan three years later, leaving her alone with her four older siblings.

In her memoir, The Astronaut Children of Dunbar Street, she explains what that experience meant for her and her siblings through the years.

The book goes into detail about her parents making the decision to leave Taiwan because of the political uncertainty and the long-term safety to send her and her siblings to Canada.

Ho spoke with the Voice to discuss her experience.

Why did you write the book?

It took me a long time to write this book, and now I recognize that I’ve written it for my 12-year-old self, which is when my parents left to go back to Taiwan to work. I started off writing it as fiction and short stories.

What was it like to be an astronaut kid in Vancouver?

I grew up in Vancouver in the ‘80s, when it was still very white and the neighbourhood I was in especially Dunbar, there were no other Asian families around, let alone other astronaut families. So, I felt like an alien. I remember pretending that I was like everybody else like, “oh, our parents are just travelling.” I also remember lying a lot. I would lie to my neighbours and my teachers.

Can you describe the emotional challenges of being unsupervised as a child in a new country?

I do have four older siblings. The oldest was my brother who was 21 at the time and he was trying to get into university and having a tough time because there’s all this expectation that we should do well in school. The unspoken pact was the parents would work really hard while the child’s job was to study hard and to do well in school. It really was this idea that I knew that my parents were working hard and that they were doing everything possible for us, but from far away. There was this feeling of like, very jumbled up, fear, confusion and resentment. I think it was just like this complicated grief of knowing that they were doing everything for us, but they couldn’t be there for us.

How did you approach balancing personal storytelling with historical and political context?

I landed on facts, rather than opinion. I think all the things that I put in the book ended up being factual. I pulled out my personal commentary as much as I could because I want the reader to decide what it means for Taiwan to be in this place, much like its astronaut children.

Were there any specific memories or moments that you knew had to be in the memoir?

Yes, I did think that I needed to write the scene about at the airport when they were leaving, and the eavesdropping scene where I’m listening to my neighbours have dinner because those were moments that were seared into my memory of longing and wishing things were different.

What do you hope readers, especially other astronaut children take away from your story?

I hope that if it’s the children who are reading, I hope that they see themselves and that they’re definitely not alone and perhaps it’s okay to start the difficult conversations with their parents earlier because I think I left mine too late.

BY AJ WATT

The City of Vancouver says that street performers will have to apply for permits to perform in designated areas during the FIFA World Cup event starting May 13.

Currently, there are designated “free zones” for performers throughout the city, but during the FIFA event period the city said these places will be restricted.

Permit designated places are still available, but performers who rely on the “free zones” will have to pay a fee to play.

Sho Matsumoto, a street performer who plays regularly outside SkyTrain stations, says the FIFA restrictions for street performers will affect him but that he is also grateful for the spot he plays regularly on Granville Island.

“Here is kind of a unique location,” Matsumoto said. “Almost like the Vatican. I hope the FIFA restrictions will draw more people to see me play here.”

The city says the fees required of buskers will not be higher than normal.

“In terms of street performers being impacted, I can tell you that fees for street vendors, including food truck operators and street performers, will not have any FIFA-related fee increases,” said Elayne Sun, with the city’s media relations department.

Performers must fill out an application form to acquire a permit to perform.

The form contains information for performers such as amplification volumes and penalties for being “too loud.”

It also includes information such as where the permit-free areas are located within the city, as well as all of the FIFA 2026 temporary restrictions.

The free-to-play area’s will be restricted until July 20, when “all locations will return to their regular status.” High-traffic SkyTrain stations downtown like Waterfront and Burrard Station will also be temporarily restricted during the event.

Matsumoto hopes the FIFA games are a benefit to him.

“Here, recently, it’s been really slow, so in a sense… It’s good if it brings more people.”

By LIAM CLARKE    

Vancouverites say the city’s popular parks and community centres need attention, as the city’s public amenities and outdoor spaces and show signs of wear.

Joseph Macapili, a Yaletown resident, says that he has noticed signs of deterioration along the seawall, a place where he walks almost every day.

“Whenever it rains, or there’s a storm, that’s when you can see the damage,” said Macapili. “Parts of the seawall look worn down. It’s definitely something that needs more attention from the city.”

Macapili’s concerns echo Vancouver park board commissioner Brennan Bastyovanszky’s recent call for a $1.3 billion investment to address a growing backlog of maintenance and aging infrastructure across the city’s parks system. The proposed funding aims to repair parks, community centres and public pools. An audit of the city’s recreation facilities found 72 per cent were in poor or very poor condition.

Scott Jensen, a park board commissioner, says Vancouver city council needs to be aware of the need to renovate the city’s parks.

“We want to invest in them, not tomorrow, not 10 years from now, but we want to invest in them today,” Jensen said.

Jensen said that parks become like a resident’s backyard and community centre gyms become like their fitness studio.

One of the city’s most iconic public amenities is Kitsilano Pool, which has faced periodic closures and costly repairs in recent years. The outdoor pool was closed for the entirety of the 2024 season due to structural damage and water leaks.

Anna Palmer, a Kitsilano resident, says she hopes the city prioritizes repairs to “well-used places like Kits Pool.”

“It’s such a big part of the community in the summer,” said Palmer. “When it’s closed, you can actually feel the loss … it just shows how important it is to keep places like these maintained.”

The pool is closed for the season, with no opening date announced for this year.

Britannia Community Centre has also faced issues with its aging infrastructure. Bastyovanszky’s motion proposed a $300 million renewal of the arena in partnership with the Vancouver Canucks.

The facility has long been rumoured to be the new location of the Canucks’ practice facility, which would replace the community centre’s ice rink.

Jon Santiago, a Commercial Drive resident, agrees that the community centre could “use a few upgrades,” but would be disappointed if upgrades came at the cost of residents losing access.

“The community centre is for everyone, not just the elite athletes,” said Santiago.

Mike Newall, an urban planner and manager of development services at UBC, said city planners must weigh the costs of keeping facilities running against the benefits of building new, safer, and more efficient structures.

“They’ll make a judgment or analysis about how much it costs to keep the facility running, and then compare that to the cost of a new facility,” Newall said.

By RIDWAAN ADAS

Local skaters will find out next week whether a new, highly anticipated skatepark at Burrard Slopes Park is approved.

On April 13, the Vancouver park board will vote on the final design and funding for the development. The neighborhood has no skatepark nearby, and its approval would mean a place to gather for the large local skateboard community. 

Many local skaters, businesses, and residents are voicing strong support.

The idea has been years in the making. 

Oliver Tennant, secretary of the Vancouver Skateboard Coalition, said the project grew out of the city’s 20-year skateboard strategy, City Skate. 

“The strategy identifies where new skateparks should be built and which areas need upgrades,” Tennant explained. He said the Burrard Slopes Park project is a major milestone in that plan, with volunteer efforts, petitions, and advocacy helping bring it to this stage.

The one-hectare park proposal, planned between Fairview and Kitsilano, is designed to combine a skatepark for riders of all skill levels with open green space for the wider community. 

“This is considered a park-deficient area,” said Hanako Amaya, a senior landscape architect on the project. “There aren’t enough accessible green spaces nearby, and this location meets multiple criteria where new parks are needed.”

Amaya added that the skatepark addresses a gap in youth recreation. 

“Vancouver has playgrounds for children and facilities for adults, but fewer dedicated spaces for youth,” she said. “This skatepark helps fill that gap, especially in this area.”

For local businesses, the park could be an important piece to the community, with the areas’ strong skate culture but no central facility.

Teagan Armitage, a customer experience associate at Boardroom skate shop, said current options like UBC and Kitsilano are far away, especially for those relying on transit. 

“Having something right in the heart of where all the skate and snowboard shops are would be awesome,” Armitage said. “A lot of kids come in buying their first setups. It would be great if there was a park nearby where they could go practice right away.”

In the Burrard Slopes Park: Concept Plan Update, common concerns included in the document was noise being in close proximity to residential buildings. 

Graham Peat, co-owner of Boarder Labs and CalStreets said, the location is already quite loud, being mostly commercial and industrial. 

“Honestly, it won’t be any louder than kids on swings,” he said.

Raj Gill, a local skateboarder, praised the park’s design, which aims to be more accessible than other city skateparks. 

“A lot of the previous skateparks have been built more for skilled riders,” he said. “This one seems like it’ll be more usable for families and beginners.”

Supporters say it represents more than a skatepark and it’s a step toward expanding public space, supporting youth, and strengthening community interactions in the Fairview area.

“It’s close to transit, bike routes, and a lot of skate shops along Fourth Avenue,” Tennant said. “It’s also planned as a medium-sized park, which allows for more features and accommodates a wider range of users.”

A petition advocating for the skatepark has garnered over 350 signatures.

By GUILHERME MÜLLER

Gary Johnson is still fighting to bring horse racing back to Vancouver. His horses, however, are in Edmonton.

This spring, for the first time in 133 years, there are no horses at Hastings Racecourse. The stables are empty and the track is silent during what would normally be the start of the racing season, which typically runs from April to October.

The provincial government announced on Nov. 27, 2025, that it would no longer share slot machine revenue with the horse racing industry, ending a funding model in place for more than 20 years. One week later, Great Canadian Entertainment, the track operator, shut down racing effective immediately. The industry had no warning.

“They asked us for a budget, we reduced our ask, and then on Nov. 27 we got told that not only were they not going to give us any additional money, they were cutting out all slot income as well,” said Johnson, vice-president of the Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association of B.C. “We were in absolute shock.”

The government justified the cut by citing declining attendance and falling revenues, but Johnson disputes that.

“The government was fed a bunch of misinformation about declining attendance,” he said. “Attendance was going up. Betting per race was going up.” 

Johnson said he is in discussions with the City of Vancouver about leasing facilities at Hastings Park for a 10-day race meet in September or October. He is not ready to call it the end.

“If we have to move from Hastings Park, I think we would find a place to race in the future,” said Johnson, whose horses are now training in Edmonton.
Denise Praill, a longtime horse-racing fan, said the loss extends far beyond the track itself.

“It just has been so cruel that the doors have been closed,” Praill said. “We had no warning this was happening.” 

The closure directly affected more than 300 workers at Hastings and an estimated 1,500 across the province. 

“Every horse represents a full-time job or a job and a half,” Praill said. “We have very skilled workers from veterinarians, vet techs to our race officials, right down to really low skilled work. 

“If you can move a broom, you can work at the racetrack, and you can earn a living.”

Praill said she and about a dozen regulars still gather every Saturday at Jerome’s, a race book at the base of the Hastings grandstand, to watch races broadcast from tracks across North America.

“People will keep showing up on Saturdays and hope for the best for the industry.”

For some, who saw the writing on the wall, staying was not an option. 

Tara Neigel, a horse trainer and former Horsemen’s association board member, left Vancouver for Toronto two years ago, before the closure was announced.

“I love BC. I love Vancouver, and I had to move over to Toronto if I wanted to stay in an industry that I’m passionate about,” Neigel said. “They just slowly took it down so they could say, oh, this is not a viable industry. But they made it that way.”

She now works at Woodbine Racetrack in Ontario, where government grants and infrastructure investment keep the sport running. She has not given up on home.

“If they could ever have a viable industry again, I would come back in a heartbeat,” she said.