A Vancouver parks official turned heads when he arrived at a press conference wearing only a black Speedo, using the stunt to wade into a heated dispute with the mayor over access to the city’s public pools.
Vancouver Park Board Commissioner, Brennan Bastyovanszky, rolled up to the impromptu press conference outside of Kitsilano pool in a black Speedo and nothing else, a photo posted to X showed.
Still wet from swimming laps, the commissioner said he had paid the $8 drop-in fee at Kitsilano Pool to demonstrate the point at the center of the Parks Board’s clash with Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim.
Sim, who belongs to the municipal party ABC Vancouver, had pushed to abolish the elected Parks Board, the body responsible for 14 pools along with hundreds of parks, beaches, sports fields and other public amenities.
“This current park board is broken, and Vancouverites deserve better,” Sim said during a separate press conference outside the same pool. He has since backed away from his pledge to dissolve the board if he wins reelection.
At the center of the fight is the reservation system introduced at Kitsilano Pool during the 2020 era. Under the setup, 70 percent of capacity is reserved for people who book online — a system some residents say leaves spots snapped up days ahead of time.
Through his “Free the Pools” campaign, Sim has argued that the six-year-old booking model should be scrapped.
The Parks Board has pushed back, saying many swimmers support the current approach. Officials also note that 25 percent of spaces are held for drop-in users and say it is uncommon for someone who shows up in person to be turned away.
Park Board Commissioner Brennan Bastyovanszky arrived at the impromptu press conference outside Kitsilano Pool wearing only a black Speedo, arguing that Vancouver’s pool reservation system does not need an overhaul because he was able to use the drop-in option himself.
Mayor Ken Sim has been trying to dissolve the board, but he dropped the campaign after Monday’s press conference
Bastyovanszky, the founder of the Vancouver Rogues Gay and Inclusive Rugby Club, did just that. Before the afternoon press conference, he slipped into his Speedo, and went for a swim as a drop-in.
‘I’m a bit flabbergasted as to why the mayor would suggest that drop-ins aren’t allowed,’ he said on Monday.
‘I just did it. It was $8 or something. I paid as an adult to do a drop-in. I did my laps, came here. I’m going to go back because it gave me a window until three o’clock.’
The parks commissioner was then saddened to learn that it was past 3pm and he would not be able to return to finish his laps afterward.
‘Ah, I just missed. I would rather be swimming,’ he said.
Park Board Chair, Thomas Digby, criticized the mayor for being the ‘first mayor in 140 years that has failed to meet ever even once with the elected Park Board.’
‘Maybe because of that it’s surprising that he got some of his information wrong,’ Digby said at a press conference. ‘It is not true that you must book online to come to Kits pool.’
Digby said Sim had asked them to allow drop-ins again, which he said he was happy to do so as it’s already in effect and has been for three years.
Some compared Bastyovanszky to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (far left), who recently jumped into a pool fully clothed in a suit
‘I’m a bit flabbergasted as to why the mayor would suggest that drop-ins aren’t allowed,’ he said on Monday. ‘I just did it. It was $8 or something’
‘There’s absolutely no line,’ he said, as he gestured behind himself toward the large pool. ‘You have both options.’
He said there’s only a small population of people who want to do away with the reservation system, which he disagreed with doing, as some families travel a long way to use the pool and want to know they’ll be able to get in when they get there.
Digby went on to claim that two-thirds of guests are drop-ins at the Kitsilano pool.
‘We have hundreds and hundreds of people that walk in,’ he said.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Bastyovanszky, Sim, and the Park Board for comment.
Despite Bastyovanszky’s unconventional press conference attire, many got a kick out of it, with some comparing him to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who recently jumped into a city pool in a whole suit.
‘We’ve all seen Mayor Mamdani in a pool with his suit on, but have you seen Vancouver Parks Commissioner [Brennan] Bastyovanszky in a Speedo during today’s press conference?’ one joked.
‘The commissioner in a Speedo is the local government transparency we were promised,’ another wrote.
Many commented about his swimwear choice and his attractiveness
‘Very handsome man!’ a third wrote.
‘Why can’t more politicians hold conferences like this?’ a fourth joked.
‘Totally normal Vancouver press conference,’ a fifth quipped.
