Elizabeth Ball

Elizabeth Ball is a Canadian politician, actress, and founder of several theatre companies.

First elected to Vancouver City Council in 2005, re-elected in 2011 and 2014, Ball has worked successfully as an arts, culture, and heritage advocate in Vancouver. Her special interest in the needs of children and seniors has served the community well. A graduate of The Playhouse Theatre, she taught Theatre in Education at UBC for many years. She founded the renowned Carousel Theatre Company and School and co-founded the Waterfront Theatre on Granville Island. Known for her modern-dress Shakespeare productions, Ms. Ball’s productions on First Nations, AIDS, eating disorders and youth violence were groundbreaking. She led her company to receive the City of Vancouver’s Cultural Harmony Award.

Ball has served on the advisory committees for Seniors; Women; Children, Youth, and Families; the Arts and Culture Policy Council; the Hastings Institute; and Vancouver Civic Theatres. She is vice-chair of the Standing Committee on Planning, Transportation, and Environment. She established the Poet Laureate Program for Vancouver. She helped to found and serves on the Metro Vancouver Cultural Committee.

She has dedicated many years of service to numerous community organizations including the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame, the Vancouver Heritage Foundation, the Mavor Moore Theatre Company, and the Minerva Foundation for BC Women. She has been recognized for her accomplishments by the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame StarWalk, the Granville Island Outstanding Contribution Award, YWCA Woman of Distinction nominations, the Union of BC Performers Sam Payne Award for Humanity and Integrity, and the Vancouver Theatre Alliance Lifetime Achievement Award. She was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Medallion Award by the American Children’s Theatre Foundation.

Ball has supported many leading initiatives through her past appointments. These have included: Vancouver Public Library Board; Co-Chair, Mayor’s Task force on Children and Childcare; Vancouver Heritage Foundation Board; Co-Chair, City of Vancouver Film Task Force; Co-Chair, City of Vancouver Creative Task Force; Director, Greater Vancouver Regional District Metro; Director, Metro Labour Relations Bureau; Director, Metro Parks Committee; Vice-Chair, Metro Regional Cultural Task Force and Inaugural Committee; President, BC Entertainment Hall of Fame; and Executive, Minerva Foundation for BC Women.

Appointments to Council committees, advisory boards and committees and regional, provincial and national bodies include: Vice-Chair, Standing Committee on Planning, Transportation, and Environment; Member, City Council Nomination Sub-Committee; Hastings Institute Board; Vancouver Civic Theatres Board; Vancouver Athletic Commission; Greater Vancouver Regional District Board (Metro Vancouver); Metro Vancouver Inter-government and Finance; Regional Culture Sub-Committee; Federation of Canadian Municipalities; Policing & Public Safety Committee; and the Women in Local Government Committee.

She has received the Lifetime Achievement Medallion Award from the Children’s Theatre Foundation of America, the Sam Payne Award for Humanity and Integrity from the Union of BC Performers (ACTRA), and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Vancouver Theatre Alliance.