A hunky Commissioner for the Vancouver Board of Parks & Recreation has set the internet’s heart racing after turning up to a press conference wearing just a Speedo.
Besides his city work, Brennan Bastyovanszky is also the founder of the Vancouver Rogues Gay and Inclusive Rugby Club.
On Monday, Bastyovanszky dropped in on a press conference concerning swimming pools. He’d just paid a drop-in fee to use the city’s Kitsilano pool, and it coincided with the nearby press event in which the Mayor was criticizing the board’s policies regarding swimming spaces. Bastyovanszky cut short his swim to add his opinion on access the pools.
The number of gay guys around the world who are about to take a sudden interest in Vancouver Parks projects https://t.co/fZkB4wz1rK
— I’m 6’5 Btw (@6Attitude) July 14, 2026
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Totally normal Vancouver press conference pic.twitter.com/CxBUig9NqS
— Jarryd Jäger (@JarrydJaeger) July 13, 2026
We’ve all seen Mayor Mamdani in a pool with his suit on but have you seen Vancouver Parks Comissioner Brendan Bastyovanszky in a speedo during today’s press conference? https://t.co/8KxCef131z pic.twitter.com/2CjnVFmOto
— Rodney (@_ChanFace) July 14, 2026
Board at loggerheads with mayor
Swimming sessions are just one of several points of contention between the Vancouver Board of Parks & Recreation and the city’s mayor, Ken Sim.
Sim, a member of the liberal conservative ABC Vancouver party, has been trying to get rid of the board since 2023.
Vancouver is the only large city in Canada with a separately elected park board. While council is in charge of setting the parks budget, oversight of the city’s 240-plus parks and dozens of recreation facilities falls to seven elected park commissioners.
“This current park board is broken, and Vancouverites deserve better,” Sim said outside Kitsilano pool on Monday.
Sim is also opposed to how Vancouver pools allocate spaces for swimmers, with 70% of slots available to those who reserve online in advance. A smaller percentage are available to those who just want to turn up on the day. Some locals say the reserved swimming slots fill up well in advance.
In response, Sim launched a ‘Free the Pools’ campaign. Bastyovanszky and other board members believe the current system works well.
“I’m a bit flabbergasted as to why the mayor would suggest that drop-ins aren’t allowed,” Bastyovanszky said during his impromptu appearance. “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.”
Switching sides
Bastyovanszky was formerly a member of ABC Vancouver. He won his election to the Vancouver Park Board in 2022 as a commissioner under Sim. However, when Sim unveiled plans to abolish the board in December of 2023, Bastyovanszky and two colleagues opposed the plans.
The party subsequently kicked them out and they became independents.
Earlier this year, Bastyovanszky joined the Vancouver Liberal Party. He is running for re-election under that banner later this year.
Sim is also up for re-election. The Mayor announced Monday that he is officially dropping his attempts to abolish the Board of Parks and Recreation, but instead wants to fill it with ABC Vancouver candidates.
@ZohranKMamdani, if you’re in Vancouver this summer, come for a swim at Kits Pool. I’ll get you the right ‘suit’ for the occasion.
We can book a spot in advance or just drop in if you’re feeling spontaneous. https://t.co/fmj0IVzHsb
— Brennan Bastyovanszky – Safe Sports Advocate (@BrennanBastyo) July 15, 2026
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