ABC Vancouver spent more than $62,000 on social media ads, far ahead of other parties
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.
Reported. A news outlet found this. voche.me names the outlet and links its report. Read the original report on vancouversun.com.
ABC Vancouver spent more than $62,000 on social media ads in the 90-day period ending October 11, far ahead of rival parties, according to a Vancouver Sun analysis published on election day. The Green Party of Vancouver spent $355 on social media ads in the same period, the Sun reported. The Sun analyzed spending on Facebook, Instagram, and other digital platforms owned by Meta.
Nathan Griffiths reported the findings for the Sun. The full article may require a subscription.
The two main mayoral candidates
Ken Sim is the incumbent mayor, running for re-election with ABC Vancouver. Pete Fry of the Green Party of Vancouver is running against him. The $62,000 ABC total compares to the Green party's $355: a gap of more than 174 to 1 based on the figures the Sun published.
How the numbers fit into the campaign
Social media spending is one piece of a campaign's total costs. Signs, direct mail, canvassing, and other advertising are all separate expenses. Campaign finance records covering all spending are filed with Elections BC under the Local Elections Campaign Financing Act and become public after the election.
The Vancouver Sun's analysis covers the 90 days ending October 11, which includes the full advance voting period that ran from October 3 to October 8 in Vancouver.
Today's election
Polls are open until 8 PM across Vancouver. Eleven parties and many independent candidates are on the ballot across the four races: Mayor, City Council, Park Board, and School Board. Voters choose up to one mayor, ten city councillors, six park board commissioners, and nine school board trustees.
Vancouver's advance voting period ran from October 3 to October 8. Final campaign finance disclosures, which must be filed with Elections BC, will show each party's and candidate's total spending once the post-election reporting period closes.
Find your voting station at voche.me/where-to-vote.
Questions this story answers
How much did ABC Vancouver spend on social media ads?
ABC Vancouver spent more than $62,000 on social media ads in the 90-day period ending October 11, 2026, according to the Vancouver Sun. The Sun's analysis used data from Meta, the company that owns Facebook and Instagram. The full article is at vancouversun.com and may require a subscription.
How much did the Green party spend on social media ads?
The Vancouver Sun reported that the Green Party of Vancouver spent $355 on social media ads in the same 90-day period ending October 11. Green Party of Vancouver mayoral candidate Pete Fry is running against ABC Vancouver's Ken Sim. You can see Pete Fry's candidate profile at voche.me/candidates/pete-fry.
What platforms did the Vancouver Sun analyze?
The Vancouver Sun analyzed spending on political ads on Facebook, Instagram, and other digital platforms owned by Meta, the same company. Meta publishes data about political advertising on its platforms through an Ad Library tool. The analysis covered the 90-day period ending October 11, 2026.
Did ABC Vancouver spend on social media ads in the 2022 election?
According to the Vancouver Sun, ABC Vancouver ran few social media ads in the 2022 election. Despite that, the party won with a large majority in 2022, taking the mayoralty, all six park board seats, and eight of ten council seats.
How does social media spending compare to total campaign spending?
The Vancouver Sun analysis covers only spending on Meta-owned platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. Total campaign spending, which includes signs, mail, and other advertising, is reported to Elections BC under the Local Elections Campaign Financing Act. The social media figures reported are a subset of total spending.
Who is running for mayor in Vancouver?
Vancouver's mayoral race includes incumbent Ken Sim of ABC Vancouver, Pete Fry of the Green Party of Vancouver, Rebecca Bligh of Vote Vancouver, Colleen Hardwick of TEAM for a Livable Vancouver, Kareem Allam of the Vancouver Liberals, and several independent candidates. Polls are open until 8 PM today.
Where can I read the full Vancouver Sun story?
The full story by Nathan Griffiths is at vancouversun.com/news/abc-vancouver-election-spending. The Vancouver Sun is a subscription-supported newspaper. The article was published October 17, 2026, the same day as the Vancouver municipal election.
Does spending more on ads mean a party will win more votes?
The Vancouver Sun reported that money spent on ads does not necessarily translate into meaningful engagement. The outlet found that engagement with COPE councillor Sean Orr's response to an ABC Vancouver social media post was more than twice as high as the original post, which the Sun described as an example of organic reach. ABC Vancouver won the 2022 election with little online ad spending.
Sources
The pages this story draws on. Open one to check a claim yourself.
- Vancouver Sun: ABC Vancouver election ad spending analysisvancouversun.com
- Ken Sim candidate profilevoche.me
- Pete Fry candidate profilevoche.me
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