Marketing Park Board attractions…what a novel concept!

Barnes has emerged nicely from her personal issues.

Park Board Commissioner Constance Barnes has had a rough ride – literally and figuratively – with her personal problems that unfortunately crossed into her life as an elected official

It is already a harrowing experience to admit that you have a problem with addiction and seek help for your problem, never mind having to do it in such a public fashion.

And, of course, Constance’s detractors went into full attack mode, writing her off as someone who wouldn’t be able to make any kind of significant contribution to the Park Board.

But it is amazing what a little common sense can do to prove critics wrong.

Promoting Park Board attractions much like a business?  Far from revolutionary, but when you consider the fate of the Bloedel Conservatory under successive NPA dominated Park Board’s that severely neglected their assets, it is a huge step forward.

Consider this…in spite of road closures associated with the construction of the Canada Line, where marketing could have dramatically helped interest and attendance with the Conservatory, the most attention that the attraction ever generated was with its unsurprising closure – when it was far too late (although a reprieve might be coming soon, from what I am hearing through the grapevine).

Bringing on Tourism Vancouver and other Metro Vancouver attractions as part of her efforts is a very shrewd move, demonstrating that understanding the Park Board’s internal voids and moving aggressively to fill in those gaps is not a sign of weakness, but rather one of forward thinking.

There is a reason Barnes’ motion passed unanimously this past Monday.

I am looking forward to future contributions by Barnes, as I suspect that I nor anyone else truly has a grasp of her full capabilities.