We’re back and this time intend to stay back as this election is shaping up to be chaotic with Ken Sim seeking re-election, Pete Fry launching a bid for mayor and the Vancouver Liberals getting their first caucus members in 90 years. Sim is praising his zero percent property tax increase budget but city employees are not happy. Council can agree on one thing: Headlights are too damn bright. Housing looks shaky but we are building on industrial land. And the dump will continue to take your trash.

Links

Ranking how much Vancouver councillors have distanced themselves from Mayor Ken Sim

Ken Sim ‘pivots’ from park board and bitcoin, pushes safety and affordability in re-election bid | CBC News

Could Pete Fry soon announce a mayoral run?

Green Party of Vancouver endorses Pete Fry for Mayor or Council in 2026 Municipal Election

Ex-ABC Vancouver politician joins new civic party to seek re-election

School Board chair to run for Vancouver City Council in civic election | Urbanized

New civic Liberals party propose amalgamating University Endowment Lands with City of Vancouver

Vancouver City Council approves 2026 Budget with 0% property tax increase

‘Deceitful and unfair’: Vancouver municipal workers’ union files complaint alleging bad-faith negotiation

Vancouver council votes down living wage motion three years after scrapping policy

Vancouver city council calls on feds to address headlight brightness | CBC News

Vancouver mayoral candidate pitches $200-million traffic signal coordination plan | Urbanized

B.C. home prices at risk of 27% jump by 2032 due to delayed construction | Urbanized

Vancouver city council approves massive 2-tower VGH expansion

Going against advice of city staff, Vancouver council approves residential tower on industrial land

City eyes federal and provincial loans to demolish downtown Vancouver viaducts | Urbanized

Vancouver Landfill to stay open until 2050 under new regional agreement 

Vancouveratta

Everett Crowley Park – Wikipedia

Vancouver’s Forgotten Monuments TikTok video

OneCity Vancouver is in the midst of their mayoral nomination contest, so we spoke to the two candidates: William Azaroff and Amanda Burrows about why they want to lead the city.

Learn more:

• William Azaroff
• Amanda Burrows

Just one year to go until voters across Metro Vancouver go to the polls to elect their next mayors and city councils. New Westminster Mayor Patrick Johnstone joins Ian to preview the races to watch across the region, and whether Vancouver is facing a referendum or not.

• Life After Cars event on Nov 8
• Vancouver residents will have say on park board’s future
• Mayor Ken Sim provides updated statement on Park Board referendum legislation
• Vancouver mayor cites ‘Indigenous title issue’ in fight to abolish park board

Image via Wikimedia

Did you miss us? We’re back to talk UBCM, the preponderance of parties that will participate in next year’s election, the war of the Langleys and the wizard in the park.

Links

UBCM convention shows drift from ‘compassion fatigue’ to concern over crime and disorder | CBC News

Codes of conduct and transit: UBCM convention sees municipal priorities pitted against provincial power | CBC News

Vancouver city councillor kicked out of ruling party announces mayoral bid | CBC News

Vancouver mayor’s former chief of staff starts new political party

Vancouver Liberals

B.C. Conservatives launch new municipal party before 2025 elections | Vancouver Sun

Former federal Conservative minister to steer B.C. municipal party – Castanet.net

Register of Elector Organizations

Former Vancouver mayor launching court challenge of B.C.’s ‘at-large’ electoral system

Former Vancouver mayor to challenge B.C.’s voting system in court | CBC News

Fix City Hall

War of the Langleys: governance tensions between township and city mayors spills into the open | CBC News

Langley township mayor sues political rivals over social media accusations | CBC News

This B.C. mayor promised to use $55M in real estate for charity. Now he’s ignored an order to open the books

Richmond, B.C., Mayor Malcolm Brodie won’t seek re-election after 25 years in the role | CBC News

Terrace-born Donny van Dyk is Vancouver’s new city manager

Up to 24 months of full pay for Paul Mochrie, Vancouver’s departed city manager: Documents

Vancouver mayor and ABC councillors broke code of conduct, city integrity commissioner rules | CBC News

Integrity Commissioner Report COVIC-010: Complaint against Mayor Sim and Councillors Sarah Kirby-Yung, Lisa Dominato, Lenny Zh

Concerns over secret meetings ‘politicized,’ Vancouver mayor says

Proposal to suspend work of Vancouver’s integrity commissioner quietly fizzles out | CBC News

Third-party report recommends more independence for Vancouver’s integrity commissioner | CBC News

Release of City of Vancouver Code of Conduct By-law No. 12886 Review and Recommendations

B.C. says it will strengthen oversight of municipal governments | Vancouver Sun

Vancouver park board commissioner under fire for repeated absences: ‘Do you really want this job?’

Why Vancouver’s decision to host a Harry Potter attraction quickly became controversial | CBC News

Bright Nights leaves Vancouver for Surrey, as Stanley Park train remains sidelined

Vancouveratta: The X-Files, Vancouver, and a Legendary Backlash | MONTECRISTO

What’s in: Finance reports and new parties.

What’s out: Speeding, garburators, disabled housing, Pride, Stanley Park Train and the Mayor’s Gym

Links

Byelection finance reports

Administrative Monetary Penalties Posted Online | Elections BC

Vancouver has a new civic party — the Vancouver Liberals

Vancouver Liberals

30 km/h speed limits coming to local streets in Vancouver

Garburators will officially be banned in Vancouver for a pricey reason

Metro loses legal bid in feud over millions of documents in North Shore poo plant trial

Housing for residents with disabilities put on hold due to lack of parking

Vancouver Pride in peril? Parade will proceed despite losing nearly half its sponsors

Stanley Park Train will be off the rails for 2025 | CBC News

Ken Sim’s gym closes

Vancouveratta – Vancouver’s fractured left cracks again

An emergency motion for a Lapu Lapu Day tragedy memorial event surprises even Filipino BC. The Kitsilano Coalition is happy to see the city concede on the planned supportive housing project. The Vancouver Renters’ Office also isn’t coming back anytime soon. Metro Vancouver and the Langleys debate governance and policing. But with luck, we’ll see a new worker-owned co-op news outlet in the Tri-Cities, Burnaby, and New West

00:55 Strange Developments: Lapu Lapu Day Tragedy Memorial
06:35 Kitsilano Coalition’s Victory Against Supportive Housing
09:20 Vancouver Park Board Controversy
12:44 Vancouver Renter’s Office Debate
15:47 Ken Sim’s Defamation Lawsuit
17:24 Granville Street Entertainment District Plan
27:43 Langley Policing Dispute
32:09 Worker-Owned Co-op News Outlet
34:42 Vancouveratta – Invasive Wall Lizards

Links

Community Update l Tuesday, June 3 — Filipino BC

B.C. Filipino community group upset with Vancouver city council’s sudden Lapu Lapu Day memorial event decision

Have the Doors Closed on New BC Supportive Housing? | The Tyee

Dissolution of Vancouver Park Board on pause: City

Motion to bring back Vancouver renter office defeated in tie vote – CTVNews

Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim launches defamation lawsuit against former chief of staff and local businessman

Car-free revival plan for Granville strip approved by Vancouver City Council | Urbanized

Photo ready: City votes to install giant $1M Vancouver sign along waterfront | CBC News

Metro Vancouver has 41 directors. After a governance review, will that change? | CBC News

Under fire for wasteful spending, Metro Vancouver touts award for ‘excellence in financial reporting’

Former Premier Mike Harcourt calls for big changes at Metro Vancouver

Policing ‘divorce’ going ahead between City and Township of Langley – BC | Globalnews.ca

Save Our Local News

Axed local reporters aim to launch first worker-owned co-op news outlet in Western Canada, covering Tri-Cities, Burnaby, New Westminster

Vancouveratta

The wall lizard invasion of Vancouver Island – Macleans.ca

BC Bob | Oopsies | Instagram

We mourn with everyone who lost friends and loved ones at the recent Lapu Lapu tragedy. In the coming months, we’ll be sure to follow the ongoing political fallout of the failures that led to this event. In the meantime, support the Kapwa Strong fundraiser.

Looking back at the byelection, it should probably have been quite clear what was going to happen but few (besides Peter Meiszner) would have predicted Vancouver’s elections to be run so poorly. Plus we have a trove of fundraising data from the 2024 annual reports and the VPD are in the news for all the wrong reasons.

Plus we remember the McBarge.

Links

Filipino BC – Kapwa Strong fundraiser

‘Hard to accept’ festival attack suspect was under mental health care: Vancouver mayor – CTV News

City of Vancouver’s Lapu Lapu festival planning called into question compared to other events

High interest and 62% cut in staffing lead to major lines in Vancouver byelection | CBC News

Chief Election Officer declares candidates elected | City of Vancouver

By-election results

Anonymous ballot marking — City of Vancouver Open Data Portal

Vancouver mayor to reflect on resident satisfaction following party’s byelection defeats | CBC News

Vancouver’s byelection a story of big lines, big passion, and ABC coping with a big loss | CBC News

‘We got our butts handed to us:’ ABC Vancouver pledges to learn from byelection defeat – Dan Fumano

What can we learn from the 2024 annual reports – Cambie Report

VPD whistleblower alleges ‘Task Force Barrage’ arrest quotas – BC | Globalnews.ca

Unredacted email from alleged anonymous VPD officer

Vancouver Police Department to be over budget by millions: report

Former Vancouver Police Board member questions budget approval process for $5M crackdown on DTES crime – CTVNews

Vancouveratta – McBarge

Iconic Expo 86 ‘McBarge’ capsizes in Fraser River | CBC News

Justin McElroy : “i had to say goodbye with one drawing and one song” — Bluesky

Abandoned BC Ferry on fire in Mission

“I’m sorry” – Ken Sim about five times in the last month.

Also featuring Annette Reilly of the Vancouver Green’s statement.

Links

Vancouver byelection: Seven candidates from five parties make their pitch

Vancouver sees 2,876 ballots cast on first day of advance voting for byelection

Byelection candidates question ABC Vancouver’s debate absence

‘Oops’: Vancouver mayor apologizes for series of recent slip-ups

Vancouver municipal council by-election candidate forced to apologize for e-mail outreach to police officers

A Police Union Leader’s Controversial Run for Vancouver Council | The Tyee

Audio leaked of Vancouver byelection candidate discussing running mate – BC | Globalnews.ca

Ken Sim Bitcoin video (Bitcoin)

ABC Vancouver’s ‘repudiation of the rule of law’ shows gap in B.C.’s municipal oversight, Ombudsperson says

Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim gets booed at Juno Awards | News

Candidates for Vancouver Municipal Party Say They Attended Multiple Events with Conspiratorial Far-Right Groups By Accident

Policies/platforms

• ABC Vancouver
• COPE
• Vancouver Greens
• OneCity
• TEAM

Vancouveratta

Bure once helped pull off the ultimate Vancouver Canucks April Fools’ prank | Sports

We turned the mics over to the candidates for the Vancouver byelection so you can hear directly from them.

Featuring Lucy Malone (OneCity), Colleen Hardwick (TEAM), Sean Orr (COPE), Jaime Stein (ABC) and Theodore Abbott (TEAM). Unfortunately, we didn’t receive clips from Ralph Kaisers (ABC) or Annette Reilly (Greens) by our deadline.

With 38 days until the Vancouver by-elections, we delve into the DUI allegations against Mayor Ken Sim, which were reportedly dismissed by police investigations. We discuss Task Force Barrage, a new initiative targeting organized crime and public safety. As well: Rebecca Bligh and is out of ABC, Adam Palmer is out of the VPD – the latter by choice. ABC announces its byelection candidates. And, Surrey withdraws from the Metro Vancouver Regional Growth Strategy, community newspapers close and our Vancouveratta.

Links

• Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim, police, cleared of ‘baseless’ DUI allegation – BC | Globalnews.ca
• OPCC says allegations against Vancouver mayor ‘baseless’ but won’t publish report
• Vancouver mayor, police to roll out plan to tackle crime, public safety concerns
• After four decades of policing in Vancouver, Chief Adam Palmer retires
• ABC Vancouver Introduces By-Election Candidates
• VDLC Endorses Vancouver City Council Byelection Candidates
• Vancouver Coun. Rebecca Bligh kicked out of ABC caucus | CBC News
• Leaked document shows new plan by Vancouver city council to alter the Downtown Eastside – The Globe and Mail
• Vancouver council gets update on efforts to ‘uplift’ Downtown Eastside – BC | Globalnews.ca
• ABC Vancouver park board politicians violated policy on open meetings, watchdog finds
• Integrity Commissioner Report PBIC-003: Complaint against Vancouver Park Board Commissioners Bastyovanszky, Christensen, Haer, H
• City of Surrey to withdraw from Metro Vancouver’s Regional Growth Strategy
• Tax dollars subsidized IKEA, The Brick electric vehicles, Metro Vancouver board hears – BC | Globalnews.ca
• Burnaby Now, New Westminster Record, Tri-City News to close
• Vancouveratta: The Vancouver Daily World – Wikipedia

Byelection candidates, supportive housing pause, Metro Van boycott and the Delta Police spark an international incident.

Links

• OneCity candidate – Lucy Maloney: OneCity Vancouver By-election Candidate
• COPE – COPE Nominates Local Housing Activist and Writer Sean Orr as By-Election Candidate — COPE Vancouver
• Greens – Annette Reilly – Green Party of Vancouver beats Pamela Dudas – Green Party of Vancouver
• TEAM – Colleen Hardwick and Theodore Abbott
• Vancouver mayor rejects new supportive housing projects, promises ‘crackdown’ on gangs – CTVNews
• Two ABC Vancouver councillors question Ken Sim’s plan to ‘freeze’ new supportive housing
• B.C. housing minister says Vancouver’s plan for Downtown Eastside could increase crime | CBC News
• Downtown Eastside at ‘tipping point’ as London Drugs considers leaving Woodward’s building
• Vancouver mayor to boycott Metro Vancouver meetings over ‘broken’ governance – BC | Globalnews.ca
• B.C. fires Victoria School Board over ban on police in schools | CBC News
• End to public access at some Vancouver school fields has neighbourhood group frustrated | CBC News
• This is the proposed car-free transformation of the Granville Entertainment District
• Summer boozing allowed at 7 Vancouver beaches on ‘permanent basis’ – CTVNews
• Shelter is Survival – BC Civil Liberties Association
• Kelowna blows past provincial housing target
• 30 metre-long B.C. fence along stretch of U.S. border sparks international investigation | CBC News
• Border fence erected along stretch of Canada-U.S. border now taken down – BC | Globalnews.ca.
• Revelstoke city council votes to rescind 1985 policy forbidding nuclear weapons – Salmon Arm News – Castanet.net
• Here’s why Vancouver has ‘nuclear weapons free zone’ signs
• ‘It’s not a fight we’ve won’: Vancouver’s iconic nuclear war activists renew calls for peace | CBC News