Vancouver Liberals say Ken Sim stalled SkyTrain to UBC and promise to restart it
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.
Announcement. A campaign, a party or the City chose to say this. voche.me reports it as their claim. Read the original report on vancouverliberals.com.
The Vancouver Liberals said on October 13 that mayoral candidate Kareem Allam is backing former mayor Kennedy Stewart's criticism of Ken Sim for not advancing the SkyTrain extension to the University of British Columbia. The party published a press release saying Allam received transition briefings when Sim took office that confirmed the project had real momentum, with federal and provincial funding already committed to the planning stage.
"I can attest that what Kennedy Stewart asserts is true. I received those briefings during the transition between governments," Allam said in the release. "This is the biggest missed opportunity of Ken Sim's administration. He inherited a project with real momentum, senior level commitments to help fund planning, and a regional consensus that SkyTrain to UBC needed to happen. Four years later, we're still waiting."
The party is publishing the statement four days before voting day on October 17.
What the Vancouver Liberals say happened to the project
The press release says a series of commitments were in place before Sim became mayor. In 2019, the City of Vancouver, UBC and the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Development Corporation signed an agreement to jointly pursue the extension. In 2021, the federal and provincial governments committed to helping fund the next stage of planning and the business case. In 2022, TransLink's Mayors' Council identified SkyTrain to UBC as a regional priority. These facts come from the Vancouver Liberals' press release; voche.me has not independently verified each one.
Allam also said in the release that Sim attended a quarter of Metro Vancouver meetings in 2024 and then announced he would stop attending. The Vancouver Liberals published this figure; voche.me has not independently verified it. Allam said this approach makes building regional partnerships impossible.
"Ken Sim promised to make SkyTrain to UBC a priority when he ran for mayor in 2022. Vancouverites deserve to know what happened to that promise," Allam said. Ken Sim's campaign did not respond to the claims. No response was found reported at the time of writing.
What Allam is proposing
The press release says Allam would pursue a new regional rapid transit agreement with Surrey. The party's position is that SkyTrain to UBC and improved rapid transit on King George Boulevard in Surrey should be advanced together in order to build the provincial and federal political support needed for investment. The press release gives no cost figure for either project.
"We should be working with Surrey, not competing with Surrey. I want to work with Surrey's mayor and council on an agreement that advances both cities' rapid transit priorities," Allam said.
The release also says Allam would bring together the federal and provincial governments, TransLink, other municipalities, First Nations and UBC to rebuild the partnership the Vancouver Liberals say Sim let go.
What this means for voters
Voters comparing mayoral candidates on transit policy can read each party's position at /parties/vancouver-liberals and /parties/abc-vancouver. Voting day is October 17, 2026. Advance voting ended October 12.
Questions this story answers
What did Kareem Allam say about SkyTrain to UBC on October 13?
The Vancouver Liberals published a press release in which Allam said he backed former mayor Kennedy Stewart's criticism of Ken Sim. Allam said he received transition briefings when Sim took office and that those briefings confirmed the project had real momentum, with senior government funding committed to the planning stage. He said that momentum has not been carried forward.
What specific claim did Allam make about Ken Sim and Metro Vancouver meetings?
In the press release, Allam said Ken Sim attended a quarter of Metro Vancouver meetings in 2024 and then announced he would stop attending altogether. Allam called this approach incompatible with building the regional partnerships needed for major infrastructure. The Vancouver Liberals published this figure; voche.me has not independently verified it.
What agreements and commitments existed for SkyTrain to UBC before Sim took office?
According to the Vancouver Liberals' press release, Vancouver, UBC and the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Development Corporation signed an agreement in 2019 to jointly pursue the extension. In 2021, the federal and provincial governments committed to helping fund the next stage of planning and business case development. In 2022, TransLink's Mayors' Council identified it as a regional priority. These facts appear in the press release; voche.me has not verified each figure independently.
What does Allam propose for rapid transit if elected?
The press release says Allam would pursue a new regional rapid transit agreement with Surrey, advancing SkyTrain to UBC alongside improved rapid transit on King George Boulevard. The Vancouver Liberals say both projects would be advanced together to build the provincial and federal support needed for investment. No cost figure is given in the release.
Did Ken Sim respond to Allam's claims?
The Vancouver Liberals' press release does not include a response from Ken Sim or the ABC Vancouver party. Voche.me searched for a response and found none reported at the time of writing. The claims in this press release are Allam's own, made four days before the October 17 election. Voters who want to read Ken Sim's own positions can visit his candidate page.
What is Kennedy Stewart's role in this story?
Kennedy Stewart served as Vancouver mayor from 2018 to 2022. According to the Vancouver Liberals' press release, Stewart gave an interview on the Coastal Front podcast on September 25 in which he described how his administration brought together the City, UBC, First Nations and senior governments on the SkyTrain extension project and criticized Sim for not building on that work. Stewart is not a candidate in the 2026 election.
Why does the SkyTrain to UBC matter to voters?
UBC is one of the largest commuter destinations in Metro Vancouver, with tens of thousands of students, staff and visitors traveling to and from the campus daily. The SkyTrain extension has been a transit planning priority for years and would affect housing density, commute times and development along the corridor. Voters can compare each party's transit commitments at /parties/vancouver-liberals.
When is the Vancouver election and where can I find out more?
Voting day for the Vancouver municipal election is October 17, 2026. Advance voting ended October 12. You can read about each candidate's positions at their profile page, and you can compare party platforms at /parties/vancouver-liberals and /parties/abc-vancouver.
Sources
The pages this story draws on. Open one to check a claim yourself.
- Vancouver Liberals press release, October 13, 2026vancouverliberals.com
- Kareem Allam candidate page, voche.mevoche.me
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