Pete Fry names Sean Orr deputy mayor and sets transition team for November 2 swearing-in
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.
Reported. A news outlet found this. voche.me names the outlet and links its report. Read the original report on vancouver.citynews.ca.
Mayor-elect Pete Fry has named COPE councillor-elect Sean Orr as Vancouver's first deputy mayor, appointed Rebecca Bligh to lead his transition team, and reappointed ABC councillor Mike Klassen to the Metro Vancouver Board, CityNews Vancouver reported on October 29.
Fry told CityNews Vancouver he is giving every member of the incoming 10-person council a specific area to work on. "I want the entire council to feel validated and worthy and have an opportunity to lean in on things important to them," he said.
Orr gets a seat at the table he did not have before
Orr, who ran as a COPE councillor against the ABC majority for four years, said the change in atmosphere is clear. "I was on the outside, I felt," he said. "I never had a one-on-one with the mayor, I was never in the mayor's office." He said Fry is working directly with him, sharing plans and wanting to divide the work of governing.
As first deputy mayor, Orr steps in when Fry is unavailable, giving COPE a formal role in city leadership for the first time since the 2022 election.
Bligh crosses the party line
Bligh ran for mayor on the ABC Vancouver ticket and lost to Fry. Despite that, Fry said she is the right person to manage the transition. "I trust her judgment and her various expertise, and she's also a friend," he said. "She has a better understanding of how the mayor's office was operating and what we can do differently."
Bligh said the appointment reflects what voters asked for. She told CityNews Vancouver that Vancouverites want leaders who work together and set aside party lines, and that she and Fry can give the new administration its best start.
Bligh will not hold a seat on the new council.
What comes next
The new mayor and council will be sworn in on November 2, 2026. That is when Fry formally takes over from outgoing Mayor Ken Sim, who presided over the 106th Council's final meeting on October 27. At that meeting Sim told Fry: "You're going to face a lot of challenges and you'll face tough roles." Outgoing councillor Lenny Zhou also made his farewell remarks.
Vancouver residents can see the swearing-in ceremony and follow the new council's work through the City of Vancouver's own meeting schedule and the candidate pages on this site, starting with Pete Fry's page.
Questions this story answers
Who did Pete Fry name as deputy mayor?
Pete Fry named COPE councillor-elect Sean Orr as first deputy mayor of Vancouver. Orr said in the CityNews Vancouver report that he now has direct contact with the mayor and described a more open atmosphere than during the previous council term, during which he was in opposition to the ABC majority.
Who is leading Pete Fry's transition team?
Rebecca Bligh, who ran unsuccessfully for mayor on the ABC Vancouver ticket, is leading Mayor-elect Pete Fry's transition team. Fry told CityNews Vancouver he chose her because he trusts her judgment and she has knowledge of how the previous mayor's office operated.
When will the new Vancouver mayor and council be sworn in?
The new mayor and all 10 city councillors will be sworn in on November 2, 2026. That is when Pete Fry officially becomes mayor of Vancouver and the new council begins its term. The outgoing council held its final meeting on October 27, and city business is being handled by staff in the period between terms.
Which outgoing councillors were at the final meeting?
Outgoing Mayor Ken Sim and outgoing councillors including Lenny Zhou and Rebecca Bligh attended the final meeting of the 106th Council. Zhou thanked residents for sharing their concerns with him during his time in office. Sim told Mayor-elect Fry he would face tough challenges.
What did Sean Orr say about the transition?
Sean Orr told CityNews Vancouver he felt he was on the outside during the previous council term and never had a one-on-one meeting with Mayor Ken Sim. He said the new arrangement with Mayor-elect Fry is more open and that Fry is sharing his plans directly and wanting to share the work of governing.
What role will Mike Klassen have?
Mike Klassen, the lone ABC councillor elected in the 2026 vote, is reappointed to the Metro Vancouver Board. Fry told CityNews Vancouver he is being intentional about giving every councillor a meaningful role, saying he wants the full council to feel they can contribute.
Where can I follow the new Vancouver council after November 2?
Voche.me tracks the people elected and the decisions they make at /candidates/pete-fry and the councillor pages linked from the candidate directory. City Council meetings are also broadcast live on the City of Vancouver's own website.
Did Pete Fry appoint anyone from outside City Council to his transition?
Yes. Rebecca Bligh, who ran for mayor but lost, is joining the transition team even though she will not hold a seat on the new council. Fry said her knowledge of how the previous mayor's office worked makes her the right person to help plan the new administration's start.
Sources
The pages this story draws on. Open one to check a claim yourself.
- CityNews Vancouver: Vancouver mayor-elect names transition team, deputy mayorvancouver.citynews.ca
- Pete Fry candidate pagevoche.me
Found an error? Tell the editors with the corrections form. A correction is noted on the story it changes. Read our standards.
