The death of a baby beluga whale last month has reignited the whales-in-captivity debate, and the Vancouver Parks Board has taken notice.

Park Board commissioner Stuart Mackinnon plans to bring forward a motion at Monday’s board meeting that would see a plebiscite be held during the 2011 civic elections asking Vancouverites whether they "are in favour of ending the containment of cetaceans in Vancouver parks."

"I believe I already have the support of three commissioners so I’m hoping it will pass," the Green party commissioner said. "It’s simply asking a question to see what the public thinks. For me, [Monday] isn’t about the debate on whales, it’s about democratic process. The debate will be left to the public."

Mackinnon said the Green Party has long maintained the whales should not be kept in captivity. The motion still requires approval by the rest of the board.

The Parks Board itself has toyed with the idea of a referendum since 1996, depending on the party in power at the time. A planned referendum was scuffed by an NPA-dominated board in 2006.

The proposed plebiscite was met with approval by advocates who have been lobbying the city to review its captivity by-laws for decades.

"We look forward to having this conversation with the citizens of Vancouver and trust that the majority of voters understand that these intelligent animals suffer greatly in captivity," said WhaleFriends spokesperson Annelies McConnachie-Howarth in a media release.

On June 21, Nala – who was two weeks from her first birthday – died at the Vancouver Aquarium. An autopsy revealed that she had "a unique pocket" in her airway, where a penny and several rocks became lodged and blocked the whale’s breathing.

Under the current agreement with the aquarium, the city cannot review the policy of keeping whales captive until 2015.

Matt Kieltyka reports for 24 Hours Vancouver.