An East Side community centre didn’t wait for the Vancouver park board to install an Internet hotspot.
On Aug. 23 and 24, Shaw crews installed the company’s Go WiFi product at Kensington Community Centre for free, a job that community association president Milan Kljajic said is worth between $10,000 and $15,000. Previously, the community centre had wireless Internet in one room.
In April, the Vision Vancouver majority park board voted to “develop a strategy” for free public Wi-Fi at parks, beaches and other spaces under its jurisdiction. The motion ordered general manager Malcolm Bromley and chief digital officer Jessie Adcock to report back with a project outline and estimated installation and operation costs, but it didn’t set a deadline.
Terry Walton, the park board manager of recreation services, unsuccessfully attempted to stop the Kensington installation. When contacted, Walton referred the Courier’s query to the city’s corporate communications office.
On Aug. 25, park board communications coordinator Daria Wojnarski claimed Walton was unavailable for an interview and sent a one-sentence statement instead.
“The Kensington Community Association had Shaw install a Wi-Fi hot spot at the Kensington Community Centre without obtaining permission from the Vancouver Park Board, which owns the facility,” said the prepared statement.
Pressed further, Wojnarski said: “At this time, we’re exploring options available to us.”
Kljajic said no formal complaint has been received. “I’m hoping there isn’t a complaint. I see this as a petty thing to go after,” he said.
Regardless, Kljajic said, the park board cannot interfere. “Kensington is within its rights. There is nothing in the joint operating agreement between Kensington and the park board that would prevent Kensington to enter into any service contract.
“I clearly do not understand why the park board and Vision Vancouver would resist expanding Wi-Fi in the community centre, it benefits the whole community.”
Kljajic said the association spends about $100 a month on TV and Internet with Shaw. Shaw customers get unlimited use of the hotspot, while community centre guests who are not Shaw customers can use the hotspot three times a month for up to 15 minutes per session. He said the association will consider a second phase to expand the hotspot to the surrounding park.
Kensington and five other volunteer, not-for-profit community centre associations won a B.C. Supreme Court injunction last January to block their eviction after they resisted the park board’s imposition of the OneCard.
Wi-Fi is the latest battleground in the telecommunications war and Western Canada’s main combatants are targeting municipalities.
Shaw backtracked on its planned entry into mobile phones and instead installed 40,000 hotspots from B.C. to Ontario. New Westminster, Victoria and Summerland are among the municipalities that have signed on.
Telus is playing catch-up and recently announced a trial of free Wi-Fi on three TransLink buses, including one the 99 B-Line.
In 2007, city hall estimated the cost of a citywide Wi-Fi network at $10 million.
