Mark Halyk is running for Vancouver Park Board Commissioner because he believes Vancouver deserves parks and recreation services that are well-run, financially sustainable, and centred on community needs—not bureaucracy.

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After spending more than a decade working inside the Vancouver Park Board as a senior leader in Commercial Services, Mark brings something increasingly rare to civic politics: real operational experience and firsthand knowledge of how the system actually works.

He has seen the challenges facing Vancouver’s parks from the inside—aging infrastructure, budget pressures, growing service demands, and the increasing need to balance environmental stewardship with affordability and accessibility. He also knows what is possible when public services are supported by practical leadership, smart governance, and responsible financial management.

Mark is passionate about maintaining an independent and financially viable Park Board, while modernizing how it operates to better serve residents across Vancouver. He believes Vancouver can protect beloved community assets while also creating new, thoughtful revenue opportunities that reduce pressure on taxpayers and improve recreation services for families.

One of Mark’s proudest accomplishments during his tenure with the Park Board was helping transform the concession portfolio into a more financially sustainable model. Projects such as the partnership with Batch at Kitsilano Pool demonstrated how creative thinking and responsible public-private partnerships can revitalize public spaces while generating meaningful revenue to support parks and recreation programming. These partnerships have helped turn underutilized spaces into vibrant community destinations while supporting long-term sustainability goals.

Prior to joining the Park Board, Mark built a successful career in hospitality and entrepreneurship. He owned and operated a large catering company, partnered in one of Victoria’s respected dining establishments, Saveur, and developed his culinary expertise with the renowned Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts hotel group. That journey taught him something invaluable: whether you are managing a kitchen, a business, or a city service—details matter, budgets matter, and people matter.

That combination of public-sector experience and private-sector discipline gives Mark a unique perspective on how Vancouver can do better. He understands the realities facing both large organizations and small businesses, and he believes good governance means listening to frontline workers just as much as senior leadership.

Mark believes the Park Board can be both financially responsible and deeply community-focused—a system that maintains pools, fields, community centres, and green spaces while ensuring families in every neighbourhood have access to modern, affordable recreation. Vancouver’s iconic amenities, including beloved destinations like Kitsilano Pool, deserve practical long-term planning that balances fiscal responsibility, climate resilience, and community access.

Outside of work and politics, Mark is a husband, father, foodie, and enthusiastic believer that some of life’s best conversations happen over good food (and occasionally while trying to convince kids that vegetables are exciting). He enjoys teaching his children to cook, growing vegetables, biking Vancouver’s seawall, walking the city’s parks and beaches, and taking advantage of the incredible recreational spaces that make Vancouver one of the best places in the world to live.

Mark and his family regularly enjoy the very services he hopes to help strengthen—from parks and playgrounds to community recreation and waterfront spaces. Because for Mark, the Park Board is not an abstract institution—it is woven into the everyday lives of Vancouver families.

A long-time member of the community at Christ Church Cathedral, Mark serves as both a Trustee and Rector’s Warden, roles that reflect his commitment to service, accountability, and bringing people together.

As part of the Vancouver Liberals team, Mark is running to help make Vancouver more affordable, more accountable, and more connected. He believes civic government works best when it focuses on practical solutions, empowers frontline staff, and keeps residents at the centre of decision-making.

His approach is simple: strong parks, smart spending, thriving communities—and maybe a little less bureaucracy along the way.

Because great cities are built not just by big ideas—but by people willing to roll up their sleeves and make things work.

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Mark's Launch Video