Pete Fry says budget and community response team are first priorities
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.
Reported. A news outlet found this. voche.me names the outlet and links its report. Read the original report on vancouverisawesome.com.
Pete Fry told reporters after his inauguration as Vancouver's 42nd mayor that balancing the city's budget in December is the first major order of business for the new council.
Speaking in a scrum after the ceremony at The Orpheum Theatre on November 2, 2026, Fry said he also wants to set up the infrastructure for community safety. His top stated goal in that area is the CROW team: a 24-hour, non-police, non-medical mobile response unit for calls involving homelessness, addiction and other mental health difficulties. Doing both, he said, will involve reaching out to the provincial and federal governments to find funding opportunities, according to Vancouver Is Awesome.
The CROW team was a central Green Party promise during the campaign. It is tracked at voche.me/candidates/pete-fry.
The ceremony
More than 1,000 people attended the ceremony at The Orpheum Theatre, where Provincial Court Judge Reginald Harris administered the oath of office to Fry and the 10 newly elected city councillors. The Vancouver Fire Rescue Services band played before the ceremony.
In his address, Fry said: "I may be mayor, but I'm also a neighbour, and being a good neighbour means listening carefully. It means showing up, it means working through difficult conversations and staying at the table, even when things get complicated."
What Fry said to each councillor
At the evening's inaugural council meeting, Fry addressed each councillor by name. A few of those remarks, as reported by Vancouver Is Awesome:
To Sean Orr, whom Fry named as deputy mayor: "A steadfast defender of the underdog and a champion for poverty reduction, you've grown into this role while holding on to the punk rock dishwasher blogger spirit that first brought you here. That's why I've asked you to serve as deputy mayor."
To Lucy Maloney: "Your passion for active transportation and safer streets will help this council make meaningful progress towards vision zero."
To Mike Klassen, the only ABC Vancouver councillor on the new council: "You may be the lone representative of your party at this table, but you are not alone."
To Solomon Yi-Kieran: "Despite your age, no one should underestimate the depth of your experience in advocacy and governance."
Yi-Kieran, 21, is the youngest person ever elected to Vancouver City Hall, according to Vancouver Is Awesome. He told reporters he wants to focus on housing affordability, transit and making sure young people can stay in the city.
What comes next
Council's next public meeting is scheduled for November 17, 2026. Residents can find meeting dates and watch sessions at vancouver.ca.
The full tracker of Mayor Fry's campaign promises, including the CROW team and the December budget commitment, is at voche.me/candidates/pete-fry.
Questions this story answers
What did Pete Fry say are his first priorities as Vancouver's mayor?
Pete Fry told reporters after his November 2, 2026 inauguration that balancing the city's budget in December is the first major order of business. His top community safety priority is setting up the CROW team, a 24-hour non-police, non-medical mobile response team for calls involving homelessness, addiction and mental health. He said doing both will involve reaching out to the provincial and federal governments to find funding, according to Vancouver Is Awesome.
What is the CROW team that Pete Fry wants to set up?
CROW stands for Community Response Outreach Workers. It is a 24-hour service that would handle non-emergency calls involving people experiencing homelessness, addiction or other mental health difficulties, without sending police or medical crews. Fry and the Green Party of Vancouver promised to create the team during the campaign. Fry said after his inauguration on November 2, 2026 that setting up this infrastructure is his first community safety goal, according to Vancouver Is Awesome. The promise is tracked at voche.me/candidates/pete-fry.
Who is the youngest person ever elected to Vancouver City Hall?
Solomon Yi-Kieran, elected as a COPE councillor on October 17, 2026, is 21 years old and is the youngest person ever elected to Vancouver City Hall, according to Vancouver Is Awesome. Yi-Kieran told reporters he wants to focus on housing affordability, transit and making sure young people can stay in the city. His page is at voche.me/candidates/solomon-yi-kieran.
What did Pete Fry say to the councillors at the inaugural meeting?
At the inaugural council meeting on the evening of November 2, 2026, Mayor Pete Fry addressed each of the 10 councillors in turn with personal remarks. To Sean Orr, whom he named as deputy mayor, Fry said: 'A steadfast defender of the underdog and a champion for poverty reduction, you've grown into this role while holding on to the punk rock dishwasher blogger spirit that first brought you here.' To Mike Klassen, the only ABC Vancouver councillor, Fry said: 'You may be the lone representative of your party at this table, but you are not alone.' The remarks were reported by Vancouver Is Awesome.
When is Vancouver City Council's next public meeting?
Vancouver City Council's next public meeting after the inaugural session of November 2, 2026 is scheduled for November 17, 2026, according to Vancouver Is Awesome. Residents can find meeting dates and watch sessions at vancouver.ca.
Where was Pete Fry's inauguration ceremony held?
The inauguration ceremony was held at The Orpheum Theatre in Vancouver on the afternoon of November 2, 2026, before more than 1,000 people, according to Vancouver Is Awesome. Provincial Court Judge Reginald Harris administered the oath of office to Mayor Pete Fry and the 10 newly elected city councillors.
Who is Sean Orr's role on the new council?
Sean Orr is a COPE city councillor elected on October 17, 2026. Mayor Pete Fry named him deputy mayor at the inaugural council meeting on the evening of November 2, 2026. The appointment was reported by Vancouver Is Awesome. Orr's page is at voche.me/candidates/sean-orr.
Where can residents follow Pete Fry's promises as mayor?
Residents can follow Mayor Pete Fry's promises and how the new council votes at voche.me/candidates/pete-fry. The tracker covers his campaign commitments, including the CROW team and the December budget, and records how he votes in council.
Sources
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