Vancouver Park Board commissioner Constance Barnes has taken a medical leave of absence after being charged with driving a vehicle under the influence of alcohol in May. (CBC)

Vancouver Park Board commissioner Constance Barnes announced Wednesday she has taken a medical leave of absence from her city position but will not resign over an incident involving drinking and driving.

Barnes was charged with three offences related to a drunk-driving incident, the single mother of three said at a news conference on Wednesday.

She said she was arrested by Vancouver police at about 11 p.m. on May 23 after her vehicle hit a house on Ross Street in South Vancouver. Although nobody was injured there was damage to the property.

She said she had spent that afternoon at Iona Beach in Richmond, a suburb of Vancouver, and had erred by driving home under the influence of alcohol. The accident occurred after she fell asleep at the wheel.

"To be honest, I don't know exactly how much I had to drink — I had a couple of ciders and made the mistake of getting behind the wheel," said Barnes, who is serving her first term as a commissioner.

'With the recovery and getting the assistance that I need, I feel I can come back stronger, and that I am definitely able to do the job.'— Constance Barnes

Barnes said she had been going through a period of "deep personal struggle" and is now involved with Alcoholics Anonymous.

"I have made a serious mistake, and I take full responsibility for my actions and acknowledge my lack of judgment," Barnes said.

"I would like to apologize to my family, friends, colleagues and to the citizens of Vancouver for this serious mistake. I am ashamed by my actions and the embarrassment it has caused my family and friends."

Barnes is the daughter of the late Emery Barnes, who was one of the first two black MLAs elected in B.C. in 1972, and the first black elected Speaker of any provincial legislature in 1994.

Her father's accomplishments were seen as a key element in Barnes's campaign as a Vision Vancouver candidate in last November's civic election, which also chose park board members.

Barnes said her father would be proud that she admitted to her mistake.

She said she would take the next few months to tackle her "personal challenges," while getting professional support, but she won't step down from her position as a commissioner on the park board.

"With the recovery and getting the assistance that I need, I feel I can come back stronger, and that I am definitely able to do the job."

Barnes said she will plead guilty when she appears in court on June 29.

Mira Oreck, an executive member of Vision Vancouver, said Wednesday her party is still behind Barnes.

"We will support her in the future assuming that she gets the support she needs to come back in a healthy way," Oreck said.