Pete Fry outlines 6 commitments to Vancouver businesses
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.
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BCBusiness reported on October 19 that mayor-elect Pete Fry laid out six commitments to Vancouver's business community two days after winning the October 17 election. Fry told the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade's pre-election forum that he had spent his career before City Hall "either running or servicing small businesses," according to BCBusiness.
A concierge for business owners at City Hall
BCBusiness reports that Fry proposed a "business navigator," a single point of contact at City Hall to help owners understand which department handles what, what things cost, and how long each step takes. A Greater Vancouver Board of Trade survey found that nearly half of businesses name red tape as their top concern.
Faster permits when a business wants to change how it uses a space
Fry pledged to fast-track change-of-use permits. BCBusiness reports he said owners can spend "months upon months" paying rent while waiting for approval, and that speeding this up would help turn vacant storefronts into working businesses faster.
Tax protection when a City program expires
Fry flagged the coming end of Vancouver's Development Potential Tax Relief Program, which reduces tax bills for properties assessed for redevelopment potential rather than their current use. BCBusiness reports he called this a "big priority" and said a new tool is needed to protect small businesses from property tax increases when the program ends.
A 24/7 outreach team for street crises
Fry proposed CROW, Community Response Outreach Workers, a non-police, non-medical mobile team available around the clock for non-emergency calls involving people experiencing homelessness or addiction. BCBusiness reports half of Greater Vancouver Board of Trade survey respondents said the city is not doing a good job on public safety. Fry said, "Small businesses are dealing with street disorder and vandalism, and they have real worries about staff and customer safety."
A larger, more detailed city budget
BCBusiness reports Fry said the city budget had shrunk from 600 pages to 24 in the last term. "That's not good governance, and that's not how we run a city," he said, according to BCBusiness. He promised to ask staff for detailed line items showing where money goes and how fees change before making further tax commitments.
City purchasing directed to local businesses
Fry announced a "Buy Vancouver, Build Canada" strategy to direct the city's nearly $800 million in annual purchasing toward local and Canadian suppliers. BCBusiness reports the plan includes prioritizing B.C. mass timber in city projects and reinstating community benefit agreements on major developments. "When City Hall spends public money, we should be thinking about the public benefit that money can create," Fry said in an announcement cited by BCBusiness.
Voters who want to follow whether these commitments move forward can track them on this site at /candidates/pete-fry, where Fry's full tracker will record council votes and decisions as the new term begins.
Questions this story answers
What is the 'business navigator' Pete Fry wants to create?
According to BCBusiness, Fry said a 'business navigator' would be a single point of contact at City Hall to help business owners understand what each department requires, what it costs, and how long each step takes. The goal, Fry said, is to let owners know what is ahead before they spend money on applications and drawings. A Greater Vancouver Board of Trade survey found that nearly half of businesses identify red tape as their top concern.
What are change-of-use permits and why does Fry want to speed them up?
A change-of-use permit is the City's permission to use a building for a different purpose, for example turning a former retail space into a restaurant. BCBusiness reports that Fry said owners can spend 'months upon months' paying rent while waiting for approval. Fry pledged to simplify and fast-track this process to help turn vacant storefronts into working businesses more quickly.
What property tax protection did Fry promise for small businesses?
Fry flagged the coming expiry of Vancouver's Development Potential Tax Relief Program, which reduces tax bills for properties assessed at their redevelopment value rather than their current use. According to BCBusiness, he said a 'new tool' is needed to protect small businesses from rising property taxes when the program ends, and called it a big priority.
What is CROW and how would it help businesses?
CROW stands for Community Response Outreach Workers. BCBusiness reports that Fry proposed a mobile, non-police, non-medical team available around the clock to respond to non-emergency calls involving people experiencing homelessness or addiction. Fry said this would give businesses an alternative to calling emergency services when a person in distress is outside their door, and would connect people with support before situations get worse.
What did Fry say about the city budget?
Fry promised greater budget transparency. BCBusiness reports he said the city budget had shrunk from 600 pages to 24 pages in the last term, and called that poor governance. He pledged to request a more detailed budget from staff, with line items showing where money goes and how fees change, before making further tax commitments.
What is the 'Buy Vancouver, Build Canada' plan?
BCBusiness reports that Fry announced a 'Buy Vancouver, Build Canada' strategy to direct more of the city's nearly $800 million in annual purchasing toward local and Canadian suppliers. The plan would prioritize B.C. mass timber and wood-frame construction in city projects, reinstate community benefit agreements on major developments, and update procurement practices to favour Canadian suppliers in technology, food and clean energy.
What is Pete Fry's background with small businesses?
BCBusiness reports that Fry said he spent his entire career before entering City Hall in 2018 'either running or servicing small businesses,' as a self-employed graphic artist. He told the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade forum that this makes him attuned to the pressures small business owners face, including rising costs and complex City Hall processes.
Where can I read more about who was elected in the Vancouver 2026 election?
The full election results for Vancouver's mayor, city council, park board and school board are on this site at the results page. Pete Fry, the Green Party of Vancouver candidate, won the mayor's race on October 17, 2026. His candidate page at /candidates/pete-fry has his background and party links.
Sources
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