VANCOUVER ELECTION 2026
Reporting on Vancouver’s 2026 election for Mayor, City Council, Park Board and School Board. Every story links to its sources. Times are Pacific.
Last updated
269 stories so far
Environment Canada has issued a rainfall warning for Metro Vancouver as an atmospheric river brings heavy rain and wind. A second, more powerful pulse arrives Saturday evening.
Three governments are spending C$78 million on a planning study that will outline route options for a high-speed rail line linking Metro Vancouver, Seattle and Portland, with a public survey open until November 13.
Traffic around Victory Square will be blocked off on the morning of November 11 for Vancouver's annual Remembrance Day ceremony and parade along Cambie and Hastings streets.
The City of Vancouver says 8,600 of its 32,000 catch basins have been adopted by community volunteers who clear leaves to prevent flooding. More are needed in Downtown, Mount Pleasant and Kitsilano.
The Squamish Nation's Sen̓áḵw development in Kitsilano has leased 257 of 333 units in its first tower, with one-bedroom suites in the 497-unit Tower 2 starting at $2,475 a month.
Pete Fry's first week in office has set the tone for his term: a 2027 budget due in December, a Nov. 18 council meeting, and a push to restore programs the previous council cut.
The Korean fried chicken restaurant at 1101 Denman Street in Vancouver's West End is closing its doors on Sunday, November 8, 2026, with the owners citing rising rent, wages, and food costs.
The Residential Tenancy Branch fined two Vancouver landlords after an inspection found a century-old home near Commercial Drive had been split into 21 rooms without permits.
Canadian Tire Corporation confirmed the Southwest Marine Drive Sport Chek will close on January 3, 2027, citing a decision to reshape its store network.
Vancouver Police confirmed a paramedic was struck on the head near West Hastings and Abbott on November 3 while treating a patient. It was the second unprovoked stranger attack in the downtown core in less than a week.
Environment and Climate Change Canada has issued a heavy rainfall warning for Vancouver and the North Shore, with up to 80 mm expected at higher elevations from Friday morning.
Rentals.ca and Urbanation's November 2026 rent report shows Vancouver average asking rent reached $2,735 in October, up 0.2% year-over-year for the first time since late 2023.
Mayor Pete Fry says he wants to see the full budget document before deciding on a 2027 property tax increase, signalling the end of ABC Vancouver's zero-per-cent freeze.
The discount grocery chain opens a 29,000 sq ft store in Fairview on November 12, the first FreshCo location in the city.
Air Canada will end its non-stop Vancouver to Singapore service in January 2027 after its quarterly fuel bill rose to $2.118 billion, up $906 million from a year earlier.
The BC Court of Appeal's interim order halting work at the Vancouver Aquatic Centre expired November 3. The Park Board confirmed demolition will go ahead with a 25-metre pool plan. One commissioner said the board will seek a separate 50-metre pool in East Vancouver.
St. Paul's Foundation opens its 29th annual holiday light display on November 12 with a free public event at the hospital, including fireworks, food trucks and Santa photos.
A large LED screen approved by Vancouver City Council in September 2025 is now operating at the northwest corner of Granville Street and Smithe Street.
Vancouver Mayor Pete Fry addressed each of the 10 city councillors by name at the new council's first meeting, nominated Sean Orr as deputy mayor, and promised to reduce his office's budget.
The four parties that hold seats on Vancouver City Council have each made specific housing commitments. The Realist newsletter compiled them party by party.
The Greater Vancouver REALTORS reported 2,024 residential sales in Metro Vancouver in October 2026, 22.5% below the 10-year seasonal average, as a Bank of Canada rate increase and two elections pulled buyers back.
The City of Vancouver's annual holiday light display at VanDusen Botanical Garden runs from November 27 to January 3, with a 20% ticket discount available today only.
A fire near Gilmore Station forced TransLink to close three Millennium Line SkyTrain stations on the morning of November 4. Extra bus service replaced trains on affected sections.
St. Paul's Foundation released images on November 4 of a redesigned emergency department with 70 private treatment spaces and a dedicated mental health zone, as it launched a campaign to raise $40 million.
The full inaugural address Mayor Pete Fry delivered on November 2, 2026, and what it means for the four-year term now underway.
A study of 235 unhoused people in Vancouver found those whose belongings were taken by city workers were housed at a third of the rate of those who weren't.
The person charged in connection with the April 2025 festival attack near Fraser Street denied all 42 charges on November 2. Trial is scheduled to begin April 19, 2027.
Vancouver Park Board commissioners will hold their regular and committee meetings at Vancouver City Hall instead of their Stanley Park headquarters, starting with the board's first working meeting on November 30, 2026.
Vancouver Police say a group of 25 riders on e-scooters, e-bikes and motorbikes drove dangerously through Kerrisdale on Halloween night, injuring a 15-year-old on an e-dirt bike.
Seven newly elected Park Board commissioners took office on Monday. Tom Digby of the Green Party was elected chair and Sacia Burton of COPE was elected vice-chair. Board meetings will move to City Hall starting November 30.
Fry was sworn in on November 2 with 10 new councillors and named budget balance and a new non-police response team as the two things he will tackle first.
After being sworn in as Vancouver's 42nd mayor, Pete Fry told reporters that balancing the city's budget in December and setting up the CROW community response team are his first priorities.
Pete Fry became Vancouver's 42nd mayor on November 2, 2026, with COPE councillor Sean Orr set to be confirmed as deputy mayor at the first council meeting that same evening.
Pete Fry was sworn in as mayor and 10 councillors took their oaths of office at the Orpheum on November 2, starting a four-year term through 2030.
The nine trustees elected on October 17 take office at a ceremony at VSB offices at 1580 W Broadway on November 2 at 5 pm.
Rennie and MLA Canada report a record-low sales pace for new condominiums across Metro Vancouver, with no concrete tower presales launched in all of 2026.
The family-run Vietnamese restaurant at 1613 Nanaimo St. has announced its closure after operating since 1996. The Burnaby location stays open.
The Broadway Subway Project is shifting traffic and closing Maple Street at Broadway starting November 2, with changes to Arbutus and Cypress streets as well.
Vancouver business owners are stocking up on lower-priced items and seeing fewer corporate bookings as a Deloitte survey finds Canadians plan to spend 14.2% less this holiday season.
A civic group is asking the new Park Board to pass an emergency motion at tonight's inaugural meeting before a BC Court of Appeal order pausing demolition expires at noon on November 3.
CityHallWatch's monthly snapshot shows 68 active rezoning proposals and 131 approvals in the past year, with five applications published since October 1.
Zealty.ca data shows 18,168 of 24,426 homes sold between January and late October closed below their BC Assessment valuation, as new Vancouver councillors prepare to take office.
The outgoing Metro Vancouver board put off its $1.7 billion budget and its garbage plan. What each costs a household, who decides now, and how to speak to the board.
Vancouver Police are increasing patrols in Granville, Gastown and other neighbourhoods Saturday night, and E-Comm says 911 calls rose 14 per cent last Halloween compared with a regular Friday.
Crombie REIT and Wesgroup have applied to rezone a full city block at 3410 Kingsway, replacing a Safeway and BC Liquor store with five rental towers of 19 to 29 storeys.
The Lights of Hope display on Burrard Street will run one final year, with a lighting ceremony on November 12, as the hospital prepares to move to a new building in early 2027.
The City of Vancouver says 8,600 catch basins are now adopted by residents, out of 32,000 available, as the program turns 10 on October 31.
B.C.'s tenancy enforcement unit imposed the penalties after City of Vancouver inspectors found 21 makeshift rooms in a single-family home zoned for residential use.
The 1.2-million-square-foot development at 375 East 1st Ave. will include 485 rental homes, 639 condos and 32 social housing units across four towers ranging from 35 to 40 storeys.
The Vancouver Police Department ran the first province-wide sex crimes symposium for officers this October and reports its women's personal safety workshops have now reached over 15,000 participants since 2012.
The Metro Vancouver board voted Friday to hand its 2027 budget decision to the incoming board, which includes the new mayors and councils elected on October 17.
Vancouver Police pulled over a registered vehicle owner near 33rd Avenue and Victoria Drive after his car still appeared as stolen because he had not reported recovering it.
The Vancouver Police Department is asking the public to help identify a potential witness seen at CRAB Park on September 23, 2026, when Victor Charles McIntyre was killed near Columbia and Keefer streets.
The Independent Investigations Office found no connection between police actions and a man's death at the Granville Street Bridge on October 18, while advocates and residents renewed calls for suicide-prevention fencing on the crossing.
At the first City Council meeting of the new term on November 2, councillors are expected to confirm COPE's Sean Orr as deputy mayor through January 2027 and appoint seven members to the Metro Vancouver Regional District board.
New market data shows 59.5 per cent of purpose-built rental units released in Metro Vancouver are already leased, with Vancouver leading the region with 23 actively leasing buildings.
Mayor-elect Pete Fry has named Dominique Damian-Wallace as chief of staff and longtime city employee Cheryl Rowley as deputy chief of staff, the Vancouver Sun reported October 30, breaking with the practice of recent mayors who staffed the mayor's office with party insiders.
Vancouver Police say 80 additional officers will patrol the city from October 31 to November 1, focusing on the Granville Entertainment District and Gastown, and are warning residents not to carry imitation weapons.
The Globe and Mail reports that the new council, dominated by COPE and Green Party members, plans to focus its first months on tenant protections and renter policies.
CMHC Granville Island says the site has a $250 million repair backlog and a $10 million annual revenue gap. A public consultation is open until November 6.
The City of Vancouver sold a 10-year bond on October 22, drawing more investor demand than the $175 million available, with repayment due in 2036.
A development team that received City approval for a 20-storey mixed-use rental building in Kitsilano has applied to amend the proposal, adding six storeys and 99 hotel rooms while keeping 121 rental units on site.
Klassen secured the 10th and final council seat with 57,922 votes and says ABC failed to communicate its record while becoming too partisan.
Robert Weeks, who spent more than two decades with Vancouver Fire Rescue Services, will take over as Fire Chief on November 2, 2026, the City announced Thursday.
Mayor-elect Pete Fry has appointed COPE councillor-elect Sean Orr as first deputy mayor and Rebecca Bligh to lead his transition team, with the new council sworn in on November 2.
The order to follow when a City of Vancouver service or decision goes wrong: Van311, the department, the BC Ombudsperson, the Integrity Commissioner for councillor conduct, and how to reach 10 councillors elected at large.
The seawall between Lumberman's Arch and Third Beach is fully closed from October 26 to November 14, 2026, while the Vancouver Park Board removes speed gates and carries out maintenance.
Vancouver Fire Rescue Services is reminding residents that fireworks remain banned in Vancouver and asking drivers to avoid residential streets between 5 and 9 pm on October 31.
Crombie REIT and Wesgroup have submitted a development proposal for 3410 Kingsway that would replace the current Safeway, liquor store and parking lot with five towers ranging from 19 to 29 storeys.
Mayor-elect Pete Fry spoke to reporters at city hall about his first week, naming his deputy mayor and outlining his plans for housing, the police board and the plebiscite results.
Vancouver mayor-elect Pete Fry is backing a push to postpone the Metro Vancouver regional board's annual budget vote, saying newly elected councils should have a say.
A Portland Loo at Main and Powell Streets in the Downtown Eastside went out of service in late October 2026 due to a lock malfunction, less than five months after it opened.
BC's teacher regulator ruled that Nathaniel Patrick Hyde engaged in boundary-crossing behaviour with a Grade 7 student during the 2025/2026 school year.
The Vancouver Police Department is asking drivers and pedestrians to be careful after a second pedestrian was struck and killed in three days.
Vancouver police are investigating a potential link between two October incidents in which seniors were tricked out of cash and jewellery at bus stops.
COPE City Councillor Solomon Yi-Kieran, who turns 21 the day before taking office on November 2, told Daily Hive Vancouver their first priorities will be a SkyTrain extension to UBC, covered bus stop benches, and dedicated bus lanes.
Vancouver Mayor-Elect Pete Fry named his former rival Rebecca Bligh to head his transition team on October 28, one day after the outgoing City Council held its final public meeting.
The seven newly elected Park Board commissioners meet for the first time on Monday, November 2, 2026 at VanDusen Botanical Gardens to be sworn in and elect a chair.
Ken Sim told Mayor-Elect Pete Fry to knock it out of the park at the last session of the 106th Vancouver City Council on October 27.
Any resident can ask the City of Vancouver, the Park Board or the Vancouver School Board for records under BC law. How to file, the $10 fee, the 30 business day limit, what can be held back, and how to ask the Information and Privacy Commissioner for a review.
Vancouver's mayor-elect says housing, shelter spaces and health care are his top priorities for the new provincial government, and he has already contacted the incoming MLAs for four Vancouver ridings.
The new Park Board meets on November 2 and the new School Board on November 9, 2026. How each board picks its chair, when it meets, how to sign up as a speaker or delegation, and where agendas and video are posted.
The current council holds its last regular meeting on October 27 with By-law 5, which would cut the required share of three-bedroom units across 37 tower sites, on the consent agenda.
COPE's campaign manager and newly elected Councillor Sean Orr spoke with Daily Hive about how the party won all four of its council seats and joined a left-progressive majority on Vancouver City Council.
CityHallWatch analyzed the City of Vancouver's official 2026 election results, finding both public safety plebiscite questions passed at about 68% Yes and all three capital borrowing questions passed in every neighbourhood.
The City's chief election officer runs the vote and declares the results. Elections BC enforces the money and advertising rules. Two courts handle recounts and challenges. What each one does, and what each one still has to do after October 17.
A seat can become empty during the 4-year term through a resignation, a death or a court ruling. The Vancouver Charter and the School Act set different rules for each board, an exception near the end of the term, and an 80-day limit. With the 2017 and 2025 by-elections as examples.
The City of Vancouver has published official results at the voting-place level. CityHallWatch mapped how each of the city's 22 local areas voted in the mayor race and how many ballots were cast per 100 residents.
Vancouver voters answered 3 questions on borrowing $790 million for the 2027-2030 Capital Plan. What the Vancouver Charter lets Council do after a yes, what it rules out after a no, and the other ways the City pays for roads, community centres and parks.
The first large task for the council elected on October 17 is the City's 2027 budget. The legal steps and deadlines, what happened with the 0% tax increase for 2026, how the tax rate relates to your BC Assessment value, and how to have your say.
QuadReal and Westbank have filed an application to reduce transit pass credits, shrink the car-share fleet, and remove minimum parking requirements at the Oakridge Park development.
A developer has applied to replace a house in Arbutus Ridge with a 6-storey rental building, the first application under a framework Vancouver City Council approved in December 2025.
The City declared the official vote count on October 21, reversing the 9th and 10th council seats: Bridget Burns (Green) finished 2 votes ahead of Mike Klassen (ABC).
The City of Vancouver released the results of the two plebiscite questions added to the October 17 ballot. A majority of voters said yes on both.
Vancouver's Council meets on Tuesdays, its standing committees on Wednesdays, and public hearings start at 6pm. How a motion is moved and voted on, how a bylaw is enacted, what a rezoning hearing requires, and where the agendas and minutes are posted.
The City of Vancouver released the official count of its two public safety plebiscite questions on October 21, 2026. Both received 68 per cent Yes support, but the results are non-binding.
In a CityNews interview, mayor-elect Pete Fry said the two public safety plebiscite questions are non-binding and a gimmick to drive turnout, and named his first priorities: a full budget, reversing the supportive housing ban, and reversing the supervised consumption site ban.
Campaign manager Khadoni Pitt Chambers describes the volunteer network, social media strategy and inter-party co-operation that carried Pete Fry to the mayoralty and elected every Green candidate.
Any resident can ask to speak to Vancouver City Council on an agenda item. The sign-up deadlines, the 3 and 5 minute limits, the separate rules for a public hearing on a rezoning, how to send a written comment, and where to watch.
Sean Orr, Annette Reilly, Lucy Maloney and Mike Klassen spoke to CTV News about what they plan to do when the new Vancouver council takes office in November.
In his first major interview after the election, Pete Fry says the new council will reverse the pause on supportive housing, launch the CROW non-police response team, and keep the property tax increase above zero.
Green Party of Vancouver councillor Annette Reilly received the second-most council votes in the October 17 election and told the Georgia Straight what she plans to do once in office.
Daily Hive spoke with Vancouver voters about why they cast a ballot for ROLLERGIRL, an independent candidate who finished ahead of 10 others in the City Council race.
Jewish organizations in Vancouver are watching the new council's direction on public safety and Middle East issues after Pete Fry's election as mayor and Sean Orr's high-vote finish on October 17.
What the Vancouver Charter says about money interests, gifts and inside information, what the City's Code of Conduct By-law adds, and what Vancouver's Integrity Commissioner can and cannot investigate.
The TEAM for a Livable Vancouver mayoral candidate reflects on finishing third for the second time, with a final count of 18,105 votes.
Mayor-elect Pete Fry has told Vancouver's business community he will create a permit concierge, speed up change-of-use approvals, protect small businesses from property tax spikes, and expand a non-police crisis response team.
Mayor-elect Pete Fry says the new council's first order of business will be to reverse Vancouver's ban on new supportive housing projects, and that the new council will be sworn in on November 2.
Pancouver compiled the arts and culture platform commitments of COPE, the Vancouver Greens, OneCity Vancouver, and ABC Vancouver after the October 17 vote.
Preliminary results from the City of Vancouver show COPE's Sean Orr led all 10 newly elected city councillors with 83,038 votes on October 17.
In 2026 a Vancouver councillor earns $106,159.74 and the mayor $214,442.67, each plus a $3,048 supplement. School trustees move to $41,600 from November 1, 2026. The Park Board's published rate dates from 2022. How each figure is set, adjusted and reported.
COPE climate scientist Devyani Singh won one of the ten Vancouver city council seats on Saturday's preliminary count, becoming the second COPE councillor elected in 2026.
COPE won four seats each on council, the park board, and the school board. Councillor Sean Orr, who received the most votes of any councillor, said his first priority is repealing the city's pause on new supportive housing.
Pete Fry has been elected mayor of Vancouver, the first person to hold the office under a Green party banner in a major Canadian city. He has named community safety and housing as his first priorities.
The City of Vancouver says it will publish the results of both plebiscite questions from election day on Wednesday, at the same time as the official vote count.
Preliminary figures from the City show turnout topped 43 per cent, up from 36.3 per cent in 2022, with official results expected October 21.
With 148 of 149 voting places reporting, the unofficial tally shows four COPE, four Green and one OneCity councillor winning the ten elected council seats. Only one ABC councillor was re-elected.
Preliminary results show Vancouver voters backed $790 million in capital borrowing across three questions on the October 17 ballot, with support ranging from 78 to 81 per cent.
The City of Vancouver put 2022 turnout at 36.3%, with 171,494 ballots from 472,665 registered voters. The figures for 2008 to 2018, where each one comes from, what the City divides by, and where the official 2026 figure is published.
Preliminary results from the Vancouver civic election show left-wing parties won all seven Park Board seats and all nine School Board seats. ABC Vancouver won no seats on either board.
With 59 of 149 polls counted late Saturday, COPE's Sean Orr led all council candidates and ABC Vancouver faced a sharp reduction from its 2022 sweep.
Global News projected Pete Fry as Vancouver's next mayor on election night, October 17, 2026, after results put him ahead of incumbent Ken Sim. The official result is due by October 21.
The City of Vancouver counted candidate ballots by machine on election night, but the plebiscite forms will be scanned and tallied over the following days.
theBreaker published FOI video today showing Mayor Ken Sim promising to visit six Chinese cities after the October 17 election, a commitment made twice to Chinese diplomats but absent from ABC Vancouver's public English platform.
A Vancouver Sun analysis of Meta ad data found ABC Vancouver spent more than $62,000 on social media ads in the 90 days before October 11, while the Green party spent $355 over the same period.
A one-page guide to voting in Vancouver on Saturday, October 17, 2026: 8am to 8pm at any of 85 voting places, the ID to bring, the 27 seats in 4 races, the 5 ballot questions, and when results start.
Bob Mackin published FOI video and audio from a February city hall meeting on election day, including Sim's admission that he falsely accused COPE candidate Sean Orr.
The City of Vancouver spent more than double the 2022 election budget this year, with the expansion of advance voting to 60 locations and two plebiscite questions among the main cost drivers.
All voting stations are open today from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters choose a mayor, 10 city councillors, 7 park board commissioners and 9 school board trustees, and answer five ballot questions.
The Vancouver School Board and Vancouver Police Department are both investigating reports that male students created AI-generated images of female classmates at Sir Winston Churchill Secondary.
Daily Hive Vancouver asked the five main mayoral candidates where they stand on extending the SkyTrain line to the University of British Columbia the day before the election.
A Canada Pulse Insights poll conducted for CityNews and OMNI TV finds most Vancouver residents want a new mayor, but with support divided among the challengers, Ken Sim could win a second term.
Council pays for the Vancouver Police Department, but a 9-member police board runs it, and the Province names up to 7 of those members. Since 2024 the law has left the choice of chair to the board. How the budget works, what happens when council says no, and where complaints go.
Vancouver city hall told journalist Bob Mackin that its access-to-information law does not apply to Mayor Ken Sim's X account, which taxpayers pay $9.55 a month for, according to a report published October 16.
TEAM for a Livable Vancouver says a TEAM majority City Council would cancel the Park Board's land use agreements that would allow BC Hydro to build a substation in Nelson Park in the West End.
The ABC Vancouver mayor told Daily Hive he will build a 50-metre pool despite staff saying it cannot fit, and he explained why he put two public safety questions on the Oct. 17 ballot.
The Tyee surveyed every party running for the Vancouver School Board on seismic upgrades, student mental health, school land, police in schools, AI chatbots, and board transparency.
The Vancouver Liberals published a housing commitment on October 14 saying the party would replace individual lease negotiations with a single 25-year agreement for all housing co-operatives on city-owned land.
Nobody votes for the Metro Vancouver board directly. Vancouver's new council appoints 7 of its own members, who carry 34 weighted votes on water, sewage, garbage, regional parks, housing and the growth plan. The mayor also sits on TransLink's Mayors' Council.
With election day Saturday, the City of Vancouver is advising voters who already have a mail ballot to drop it off at city hall or an advance voting location rather than mailing it.
Green Party mayoral candidate Pete Fry gave his explanations for three council votes that ABC Vancouver has used in attack ads targeting his record.
Kareem Allam, Rebecca Bligh, and Colleen Hardwick each said they are not splitting any vote as the Vancouver municipal election closes in on Saturday, Oct. 17.
Vancouver set a new advance voting record this election, with 103,000 ballots cast over four days at 59 locations, up from about 65,000 over five days in 2022.
Mayor Ken Sim turned down a challenge from Green Party mayoral candidate Pete Fry to debate on the steps of Vancouver City Hall on October 14.
Vancouver city staff denied two freedom-of-information requests for records about Mayor Ken Sim's FIFA World Cup Final trip, saying the records "do not relate to the business of the city," journalist Bob Mackin reported October 15.
The province will not allow the Vancouver Aquatic Centre footprint to expand because First Nations land claims on the foreshore land have not been settled, Park Board chair Tom Digby said October 14.
Vote Vancouver published a childcare plan on October 14, committing to set space-creation targets and mandate childcare in new public-land housing.
No campaigning within 100 metres, one scrutineer per candidate at each ballot box, and a secret ballot that everyone in the room must protect. The rules at Vancouver voting places, read from the Vancouver Charter, with the penalties for voting twice or intimidating a voter.
Vancouver voters will receive a second ballot on election day with two non-binding questions on drug use enforcement and involuntary treatment. Here is what each question says and what a yes vote would mean.
In a profile published by The Ubyssey, the Vote Vancouver candidate outlines what she would do on supportive housing and small business if elected mayor on October 17.
The Ubyssey asked each Vancouver party to lay out its positions. Vote Vancouver's council and park board candidates say city-owned land should be used for affordable homes and that the park board must stay independent.
Four consecutive record-breaking advance voting days brought Vancouver's early voter total to 103,810, which is 38,847 more than the entire advance voting total in 2022, with election day still to come on October 17.
B.C. Court of Appeal Justice Dickson granted an interim injunction on October 13, stopping all demolition work at the Vancouver Aquatic Centre until the day after the new Park Board takes office.
The Tyee interviewed Ahmad, a BCGEU member and Marpole renter who started a new party after talking to workers on the 2025 strike line and finding no existing party matched his priorities.
Mayoral candidate Kareem Allam told Daily Hive he would revive the Vancouver Economic Commission, protect 6 per cent industrial land, and bring free Wi-Fi to the Downtown Eastside.
The Vancouver Liberals published a policy on October 13, promising to declare intimate partner violence a public health and public safety crisis and work with the Vancouver Police Board on a response plan.
Kareem Allam backed former mayor Kennedy Stewart's criticism of Ken Sim on October 13, saying Sim inherited a funded planning process and did not move it forward.
The 2026 council ballot lists 56 candidates for 10 seats. You may mark up to 10, and fewer is allowed. A step-by-step way to build your list from official sources and from the candidate, compare and party pages on this site.
The CRA revoked the registration of Virtual Vancouver Foundation on October 13 and listed Richardson as an 'ineligible individual,' four days before voting day.
The Tyee surveyed four years of housing decisions by Vancouver's ABC-led council and collected housing commitments from each of the six main parties running in the October 17 election.
Vancouver elects its whole council across the entire city. Voters were asked about wards in 1996 and 2004 and kept the at-large system both times. The exact results, what the 2004 commission proposed, and the arguments on each side.
Mike Harcourt, Peter Ladner, and Geoff Meggs say they backed Rebecca Bligh over Pete Fry based on her council record and experience leading a national federation of cities.
74,714 people voted in Vancouver's first three days of advance voting, topping the 64,963 counted across all five advance voting days in 2022.
Vancouver allows election signs on private property and on City poster cylinders, and removes them from boulevards and medians. Signs must come down within 48 hours after voting closes. The rules from the Sign By-law, the Vancouver Charter and the Local Elections Campaign Financing Act.
Mayor Ken Sim told a Vancouver Sun interview series that he will hold property taxes at zero per cent increase and cited violent crime falling to a 23-year low.
A profile in the Philippine Canadian Inquirer reports on Lina Vargas, an ABC Vancouver candidate for Vancouver School Board trustee, covering her background, nonprofit work, and campaign priorities.
TEAM for a Livable Vancouver published its position on artificial intelligence on October 10, calling for a moratorium on AI data centre development, a pause on Microsoft Copilot in secondary schools, and a formal city AI policy.
OneCity Vancouver's five school board candidates published a solidarity statement on October 10 supporting IUOE Local 963 workers after the union voted 96.9 per cent in favour of strike action against the Vancouver School Board.
What the City of Vancouver offers voters with a disability or limited mobility in 2026, and what the Vancouver Charter guarantees: step-free voting places, curbside voting, a helper you choose, 5 assistive ballot marking devices, home and hospital voting, and mail ballots.
The Vancouver Greens' mayoral candidate told the Vancouver Sun on October 9 that cost of living, good governance and community safety are his top three issues, and that he wants to shift away from concrete tower construction.
OneCity Vancouver says it would push to redevelop the 3.2-acre Kingsgate Mall site at East Broadway and Kingsway into a mixed-use complex if its candidates win seats on October 17.
A Leger survey of 1,207 Metro Vancouver residents conducted September 23 to 30 finds Pete Fry ahead of Ken Sim in the mayoral race, with 62% of Vancouver voters saying the city is on the wrong track.
The Green Party of Vancouver published a challenge on October 9 asking Mayor Ken Sim to meet Pete Fry in a one-on-one debate on the steps of City Hall before the October 17 election.
The Coalition of Progressive Electors says a Sun Wah Centre property manager broke Vancouver's election rules by offering refreshments to seniors she urged to vote ABC.
The Georgia Straight is hosting a public event on October 13 where editor-in-chief Nathan Caddell will question Mayor Ken Sim on housing, public safety, the budget, and his 2022 promises.
The Vancouver Liberals say they will fund an accelerated sewer separation project to keep sewage out of False Creek and Vancouver's beaches, targeting completion by 2040 instead of 2070.
A poll done for CityNews and OMNI TV shows Green Party candidate Pete Fry at 28 per cent and incumbent Ken Sim at 27 per cent among all respondents, within the poll's margin of error.
The mayor chairs Council and is the city's chief executive officer, but carries 1 vote of 11. What the Vancouver Charter and the Procedure By-law give the office, what Council keeps, and how the 2024 Police Act changes moved the police board chair.
The Philippine Canadian Inquirer profiled Armor Valor, a cook at Children's and Women's Hospital running for Vancouver City Council with the Vancouver Liberals on October 17.
Vancouver's advance voting drew a record 46,966 ballots over the first two days, more than double the 17,882 cast in the same period four years ago. Two more advance voting days remain before October 17.
ABC Vancouver wants a yes vote on the October 17 plebiscite to convert the old St. Paul's Hospital into a secure facility with 100-plus involuntary care beds. Vancouver Liberals mayoral candidate Kareem Allam is asking voters to say no.
Four mayoral candidates question the timing of Thursday's VPD news conference, which reported the city's Crime Severity Index fell to its lowest level since Statistics Canada began tracking in 1998.
25,142 people cast ballots on Oct. 8, the highest single-day advance voting total in Vancouver's history, according to the City. Two more advance voting days remain before election day Oct. 17.
The TEAM for a Livable Vancouver mayoral candidate told Daily Hive on Oct. 7 that the city prioritized developer fees over basic services starting in 2008 and outlined her plan to reverse that.
The city set a new single-day record on the second advance voting day, surpassing the record it set just four days earlier. Two more advance voting days remain before October 17.
Bob Mackin reports that Trevor Ford, who became ABC Vancouver's campaign director in May 2026, entered B.C. Place with the Vancouver police chief and two senior officers on June 18, 2026, displaying a City of Vancouver employee pass.
TEAM for a Livable Vancouver released its complete 2026 election platform on October 8, setting out nine areas of commitment including a property tax cap, neighbourhood planning reform, a ward system, and a new lobbyist registry.
Ken Sim, Kareem Allam, Rebecca Bligh, Pete Fry, and Colleen Hardwick face questions in a live Vancouver Sun debate at 5 p.m. Pacific time on October 8.
Council sets zoning, the budget and the property tax rate, and writes the bylaws for streets, business and buildings. Rent limits, transit, the police and parks sit with other bodies. The sections of the Vancouver Charter behind each power.
The City of Vancouver says 25,142 people voted on October 7, the second day of advance voting, setting a new single-day record that breaks the one set just three days earlier.
Vancouver Magazine lists every City Council candidate by party, with brief platform summaries from each group, nine days before the October 17 election.
Seven seats are on the ballot October 17. Parties differ on how much to spend and how fast to build, with a $438-million borrowing question also on the ballot.
Kareem Allam, Colleen Hardwick and COPE all say Vancouver should elect councillors by neighbourhood rather than city-wide, according to the Vancouver Sun.
Vancouver Is Awesome compiled economy platform positions from all seven mainstream parties ahead of the October 17 election, covering property taxes, small business, permitting, and job creation.
Vancouver Is Awesome compiled housing platform positions from all seven mainstream parties ahead of the October 17 election, covering affordable homes, supportive housing, renter protections, and zoning.
Vancouver Is Awesome compiled public safety positions from all seven mainstream parties ahead of the October 17 election, covering policing, drug use, mental health response, and crime prevention.
Vancouver police confirmed they received a report on October 6 of multiple ABC Vancouver campaign signs damaged by what they describe as a suspected arson fire at a campaign volunteer's residence.
Mayoral candidate Kareem Allam announced on October 7 that the Vancouver Liberals would create a dedicated task force to study and address the city's rat problem.
The Vote Vancouver mayoral candidate told Daily Hive she would build affordable homes on city land, extend free transit to youth under 18, and drop the public safety plebiscite.
Vancouver's last 3 advance voting days are October 7, 10 and 13. The hours, the 59 voting places you can choose from, what to bring, registering on the spot, and how the law keeps advance ballots sealed until the count.
A report published October 7 says Lina Vargas, an ABC Vancouver candidate for School Board, posted an Instagram video that shows her talking on camera behind the wheel. The ABC campaign gave no response.
TEAM for a Livable Vancouver published a democratic reform plan on 6 October that commits the party to beginning the process of adopting a ward system, with the aim of replacing at-large council elections by the 2030 civic vote.
ABC Vancouver released its Keep Building Vancouver housing platform on October 5, outlining plans to build rental homes on City-owned land, reform supportive housing oversight, and set 100-day commitments if re-elected.
Vote Vancouver published an announcement on 5 October saying Mike Harcourt, Peter Ladner and Geoff Meggs have backed Rebecca Bligh for the October 17 mayor's race.
The numbers on election night are preliminary. The official result must be declared by 4pm on October 21, a recount can be requested until October 26, and a tie goes to a judge. The dates and rules, from the Vancouver Charter.
ABC Vancouver's Lorraine Lowe posted a prayer on social media as advance polls opened on October 3, drawing criticism from the B.C. Humanist Association and prompting ABC to distance itself from the post.
In a Georgia Straight profile published October 5, COPE council candidate Sean Orr described his top priorities for housing affordability and renter protections if voters return him to Vancouver City Council.
ABC Vancouver published a housing plan on October 5 that sets out building commitments for the next term and asks the province for 100 or more secure-care beds, SRO replacement funding, and a fair-share framework for supportive housing.
Mayoral candidate Kareem Allam's party published its complete platform on October 5, setting out commitments on housing, transit, public safety, and parks.
COPE Vancouver council candidate Sean Orr is questioning where ABC Vancouver has placed campaign signs, and is renewing his party's criticism of a 2023 council vote that returned $3.8 million to developers.
The union representing 900 Vancouver School Board support staff says members voted 96.9 per cent in favour of a strike over the weekend, and could serve 72-hour strike notice at any time.
The Vancouver Liberals published a press release on October 5 saying mayoral candidate Kareem Allam will cancel a second city hall project and redirect the savings to a $1.35B parks funding commitment.
Who can give money to a Vancouver candidate, how much, what each campaign may spend, how third-party ads are policed, and the date in January 2027 when you can see who paid for this election.
Hundreds of people marched from Mount Pleasant to downtown Vancouver on October 3 to oppose AI data centres. CBC News reported on four council candidates' positions on a moratorium: two COPE candidates and a Vancouver Greens candidate say they support one, while one Bright Future candidate does not.
The City of Vancouver's preliminary statistics show 21,824 people voted on October 3, the first advance voting day, a 196 per cent increase over the first advance voting day in the 2022 civic election.
Nine trustees will run an $826 million school district for four years. What the job covers, where the money comes from, why the Province fired the whole board in 2016, and who gets a school board ballot.
OneCity published its housing platform on 2 October, committing to build affordable housing on municipal land and to allow taller buildings in every neighbourhood.
Vancouver voters have until noon on Monday, October 5, to request a mail ballot package by phone or online. Daily Hive published a full guide to voting eligibility, ID requirements and locations on October 3.
Vancouver is the only city in BC that elects a separate board to run its parks. What the 7 commissioners control, who sets their budget, and how a 2023 plan to end the board ran out of time before the 2026 vote.
The City of Vancouver says requests for mail ballot packages have reached more than 18,000, over 70 per cent above the 10,523 packages sent out for the entire 2022 election. Advance voting starts October 3.
Ken Sim, Colleen Hardwick, Rebecca Bligh, Kareem Allam and Pete Fry took questions from the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade on October 2, 2026, with two weeks left before election day.
The TEAM mayoral candidate told the Vancouver Sun that city staff shifted from community-based planning to prioritizing the volume of rezoning approvals.
Kareem Allam and the Vancouver Liberals announced on October 2 that they would eliminate parking fees at beaches and community centres in their first year in office and review two-hour time limits across the city.
You can vote for 1 mayor, 10 councillors, 7 park commissioners and 9 school trustees on October 17. Here is how the ballot is laid out, what the counting machine accepts, and the one mistake that throws out your votes in a race.
The last day to request a vote-by-mail package sent to your home is October 5 at noon. Advance voting opens October 3. Here is what to bring, who can vote, and where the deadlines are.
BC law gives some property owners a vote in the city where they own land, even if they live in another municipality. Who qualifies in Vancouver, the co-owner consent rule, why company-held property is excluded, and what to bring.
Three parties running in the October 17 election are now pledging to reverse the park board's 25-metre pool plan for the Vancouver Aquatic Centre. The Green Party proposes a 50-metre pool at a different site.
Global News asked all mayoral candidates about the ballot plebiscite question on involuntary care beds at the old St. Paul's Hospital site and their broader plans for public safety.
Vancouver lets eligible voters register at the voting place. Who qualifies, which 2 documents to bring, what to do with no fixed address, and where the City's wording and the law differ on the one-ID rule.
OneCity candidates announced a plan on 30 September to rebuild the Britannia community centre complex and convert the Kingsgate Mall site into a new public hub with a pool, library, and rental housing.
Mayoral candidate Kareem Allam says converting the old hospital campus for involuntary care would place a large secure facility in the heart of Downtown Vancouver.
Kareem Allam and the Vancouver Liberals say the ABC-proposed ballot question on open-air drug use should not be on the October 17 ballot because the VPD already has authority to enforce existing laws.
The party's full election platform sets out housing, transport, parks and public safety commitments ahead of the October 17 vote.
CTV News reports that Arezo Zarrabian, a senior Vancouver Police Department crime analyst on leave, is running for City Council under ABC Vancouver for a second time. Political scientists and an academic are raising questions about the close relationship between ABC and the VPD.
Mayor Ken Sim's party released its 'Raising Vancouver' plan on September 28, listing recreation and child-care promises including free introductory swim lessons for children aged 3 to 12 and a larger pool at the Vancouver Aquatic Centre.
OneCity published a culture platform on 29 September proposing two new libraries, funding for the removal of the viaducts and redevelopment of Hogan's Alley, and changes to rules for street performers and late-night businesses.
OneCity published a council platform on 29 September committing to present the city budget line by line and to introduce ranked ballot voting for the mayoral race.
OneCity's three Park Board candidates published a platform on 29 September calling for three new pools, a 40 per cent tree canopy target, and a dedicated funding stream for the Park Board.
OneCity's five School Board candidates published a platform on 29 September proposing to keep Kingsgate Mall and the Britannia site in public ownership and rebuild both as hubs with new schools, childcare, and housing.
A group of businesses and residents is pressing the next city council to follow through on a 2015 decision to tear down the Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts and redevelop the surrounding land.
Jas Virdi is the sole returning ABC Vancouver commissioner on the party's 2026 Park Board slate. The Vancouver Sun reports the other five moved on, with one withdrawing after a criminal investigation was launched into a charity she was once connected to.
GigHound Inc. has filed a civil claim against ABC Vancouver city council candidate Joyce Gillespie, her husband, and a company, alleging misappropriation of funds and unpaid taxes.
Chef's Favourite is hosting a public forum on October 2 at 1250 E Georgia Street where all eight registered Vancouver mayoral candidates will answer questions from the hospitality industry.
Mayoral candidate Colleen Hardwick says the city should stop allowing larger developments on sites with affordable rental housing and require neighborhood-level input on where new homes go.
Business in Vancouver reports that four Indigenous candidates are on the 2026 Vancouver ballot, all running for Park Board or School Board, while ABC Vancouver, the Greens, Vote Vancouver, and OneCity fielded none.
COPE published its 2026 municipal platform on September 28, promising to fully fund city libraries, restore the Renter's Office, triple the empty homes tax, and audit the current mayor's term.
OneCity published a statement on September 27 explaining its position on each component of the Vote Palestine pledge, accepting some parts and declining others.
The Green Party of Vancouver says its City Council, Park Board, and School Board candidates each made distinct commitments to protect trees, replace stumps, and add schoolyard shade, published September 25.
The Vancouver Liberals mayoral candidate gave his first major interview of the campaign to the Vancouver Sun's Conversations That Matter series on September 25, citing city data on traffic, population and building timelines.
A B.C. Supreme Court judge dismissed the Cambie Corridor Neighbourhood Association's challenge to a 229-unit rental project approved without below-market homes, and ordered the association to pay court costs.
A B.C. Supreme Court judge dismissed the legal challenge to Vancouver's plan to demolish and rebuild the aquatic centre with a smaller pool, and two of the society's directors are running for Park Board.
Kareem Allam, Andy Lin and Iona Bonamis (陶思穎) spoke to The Tyee about hateful comments they have received on social media during the 2026 Vancouver municipal election campaign.
Daily Hive examined the published platforms of ABC Vancouver, Vote Vancouver, Vancouver Liberals, Green Party of Vancouver and TEAM for a Livable Vancouver, covering housing, public safety and economic promises.
Kareem Allam's Vancouver Liberals released a five-point 'Vancouver Economic Agenda' proposing UBC SkyTrain, demolition of the Dunsmuir and Georgia viaducts, absorbing UBC and the University Endowment Lands, adopting the B.C. Building Code, and merging 12 permit departments, Daily Hive reported.
Mayor Ken Sim, running for re-election on October 17, released a video saying his wife received a threatening Instagram message, and citing a 2024 bomb threat and Halloween graffiti at their home, The Canadian Press reported through CTV News.
Six candidates in the October 17 Vancouver election took questions on housing, AI, the arts and safety at a queer town hall at The Birdhouse in Mount Pleasant, The Tyee reported.
Pete Fry, elected mayor of Vancouver on October 17, 2026 for the Green Party of Vancouver, is the eldest son of Hedy Fry, the Liberal MP for Vancouver Centre. What each one does and why they sit in different parties.
How an April agreement among three parties, two September withdrawals and a mid-September poll changed the shape of Vancouver's mayoral race, and what it means for how you mark a ballot with 8 names on it.
A sourced profile of the independent mayoral candidate: what he says about his engineering studies and research work, his decade in the Downtown Eastside, his bus, his proposals, and what has not been checked.
A sourced profile of the Vancouver Liberals’ founder: his Richmond upbringing, 40 campaigns, three months as the mayor’s chief of staff, the defamation suit Sim filed against him, his lobbying work, and his 2026 promises.
A sourced profile of the independent mayoral candidate: what reporting says about him, what he has submitted himself, his housing and accountability proposals, and how much remains unverified.
A sourced profile of the incumbent: his Vancouver childhood and business career, the 2018 loss and 2022 win, what happened to the 2022 promises, two integrity investigations, two defamation lawsuits, and ABC’s 2026 platform.
A sourced profile of Bright Future Vancouver’s mayoral candidate: his Lahore upbringing, his campaign-stated career, the party registered in January 2026, the Blueprint platform, and the questions a community group has raised.
A sourced profile of Vote Vancouver’s founder: her New Zealand childhood, her consulting career, why she left the NPA, why ABC removed her, her national role at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, and her 2026 promises.
A sourced profile of the Green Party’s mayoral candidate: his family and design career, three losing campaigns before two wins, eight years in opposition, the criticism of his record, and what he promises.
A sourced profile of TEAM’s mayoral candidate: her family’s civic history, her film and technology careers, four years on Council, 250 abstentions, two election defeats, and her 2026 platform.
