Vancouver Park Board runs adaptive sports from aquatics to Para Ice Hockey

What is the background?

Disabled athletes in Vancouver have access to adaptive sport options across three separate organisations rather than a single programme, spanning water, land, ice, and snow sports. Adaptive sports Vancouver provision covers both city-run recreation programs and independent nonprofits filling in specific sports the city doesn’t run directly.

What happened?

The Vancouver Park Board’s adapted and integrated programs serve children, youth, adults, and seniors with disabilities through adaptive aquatics, adaptive sports sessions, day camps, kayaking camp, and an annual Summer Sports Festival. Volunteers support these programs directly alongside paid staff.

Two independent organisations extend the range of sports on offer: SportAbility runs adapted programs including Boccia, Power Soccer, and Para Ice Hockey for athletes with and without disabilities, while Vancouver Adaptive Snow Sports (VASS) runs skiing, snowboarding, sit-ski, and adaptive ski-racing programs at Grouse, Seymour, and Cypress Mountains, from beginner through advanced levels.

How did it happen?

Splitting provision across the Park Board and independent nonprofits lets each organisation focus on what it does best: the Park Board covers broad-based recreation across age groups and seasons, SportAbility specialises in ice and court-based adapted sports, and VASS focuses specifically on snow sports at three North Shore mountains. Together they cover a wider range of sport types than any single organisation running everything itself would likely manage.

The 2026 Winter Paralympics gave the wider network of programs additional visibility, with Whistler Adaptive Sports Program joining Sea to Sky Community Services to bring hands-on adaptive sports experiences to students in nearby Squamish around the Games.

Why does it matter?

A disabled athlete in Vancouver who wants to try ice hockey, skiing, and swimming does not need to find one programme that offers all three — they can move between the Park Board, SportAbility, and VASS depending on the sport and season. That range matters because adaptive sport interest, like any other sport, varies by individual, and a single narrow offering would leave many athletes with no matching option.

Volunteer involvement across these programs also keeps costs lower than fully staffed delivery would allow, extending how many sessions and sports can run within available funding.

What were the key results?

• Vancouver Park Board runs adaptive aquatics, sports, day camps, kayaking camp, and a Summer Sports Festival
• Programs serve children, youth, adults, and seniors with disabilities
• SportAbility offers Boccia, Power Soccer, and Para Ice Hockey
• Vancouver Adaptive Snow Sports runs programs at Grouse, Seymour, and Cypress Mountains
• VASS programs span beginner through advanced adaptive ski racing
• 2026 Winter Paralympics visibility extended reach to Squamish students via Whistler Adaptive Sports Program
• Three separate organisations together cover water, land, ice, and snow adaptive sports

What happens next?

The Vancouver Park Board plans to continue running its Summer Sports Festival and seasonal adapted programs through 2026.

SportAbility and VASS are expected to report participation figures following the heightened interest around the 2026 Winter Paralympics.

Sea to Sky Community Services said it will assess whether the Squamish student outreach around the Paralympics continues beyond the Games.

Vancouver-area adaptive sport organisations are expected to coordinate more closely following the shared visibility the Paralympics brought to the wider network.