Pete Fry names Sean Orr as deputy mayor and sets out first priorities
Mayor-elect Pete Fry spoke to reporters at city hall about his first week, naming his deputy mayor and outlining his plans for housing, the police board and the plebiscite results.
Reported. A news outlet found this. voche.me names the outlet and links its report. Read the original report on vancouverisawesome.com.
Pete Fry named re-elected COPE councillor Sean Orr as deputy mayor and named outgoing councillor Rebecca Bligh to lead his transition team, he told reporters at Vancouver city hall on October 28, Vancouver Is Awesome reported.
Fry held a press scrum in the lobby of the council chamber immediately after the outgoing council's final meeting of the term. The scrum, conducted by Vancouver Is Awesome reporter Mike Howell, covered his first week as mayor-elect, his plans for the provincial relationship, the plebiscite results and his role on the Vancouver Police Board.
Bligh, who was Vote Vancouver's mayoral candidate in the October 17 election, will help advance Fry's first 100 days of priorities and provide strategic advice. She will work alongside incoming chief of staff Dominique Damian-Wallace and Cheryl Rowley as deputy chief of staff.
The provincial relationship
Fry told reporters he has reached out to every newly elected Conservative MLA in Vancouver and hopes to meet with Premier-designate Lorne Doerkson soon. He said the two met about a month ago and joked they might be in completely different positions in about a month.
Fry told Vancouver Is Awesome he expects some differences on social policy but said Doerkson's victory speech signalled excitement about more prosperity for British Columbia. He said he wants to work with Doerkson as a partner on housing and infrastructure.
Asked whether Vancouver might be left behind given the Conservative government's promises to Surrey during the provincial campaign, Fry said he was not presupposing that. He said the UBC subway extension has been discussed with the Prime Minister's office and he hopes it remains a provincial priority.
Plebiscite and police board
Fry told reporters his incoming council already planned to address street disorder before the plebiscite, and that the results confirm that direction. He said he will bring the message about secure care beds to the new provincial government in case there is any doubt about what they are proposing.
On the Vancouver Police Board, Fry said he wants to look closely at how it operates. He said he has concerns about transparency based on high-profile resignations and comments from former board members. Whether Fry chairs the board will be decided by board members voting, following 2024 changes to the Police Act that allow local governments to determine their representative and let board members elect their own chair.
What the new council looks like
Fry told reporters he has talked to all new members of council about focusing their efforts on Vancouver's big challenges. He said he does not expect concerns from the business community to be well-founded, pointing to his own small business background.
Pete Fry will be inaugurated as mayor on November 2, 2026, at the Orpheum Theatre, along with the 10 newly elected councillors. Residents who want to follow how Fry and the new council act on their campaign promises can track them at voche.me.
Questions this story answers
Who did Pete Fry name as deputy mayor?
Pete Fry named COPE councillor Sean Orr as deputy mayor, Vancouver Is Awesome reported on October 28. Orr was re-elected to city council in the October 17, 2026 election. The deputy mayor acts in place of the mayor when the mayor is absent.
What is Rebecca Bligh's role in the Fry transition?
According to Vancouver Is Awesome's October 28 report, outgoing councillor Rebecca Bligh will lead Fry's transition team, helping advance his priorities for the first 100 days and providing strategic advice. Bligh was Vote Vancouver's mayoral candidate in the October 17 election and served two terms on council.
Has Pete Fry spoken with the federal government?
Vancouver Is Awesome reported on October 28 that Prime Minister Mark Carney called Fry, and Fry described Carney as excited to work with the City of Vancouver. Fry said he has big plans and found the call encouraging.
How does Pete Fry plan to work with the new BC Conservative government?
Fry told reporters on October 28, as reported by Vancouver Is Awesome, that he wants to work with Premier-designate Lorne Doerkson as a partner on housing and infrastructure. He said he has reached out to every newly elected Conservative MLA in Vancouver and hopes to start on the best possible foot.
What are Pete Fry's plans for the UBC SkyTrain extension?
Fry told reporters on October 28 that the subway extension to UBC remains a priority and that his office has discussed it with the Prime Minister's office. He said he is not assuming Vancouver will be left behind despite the province's promises to Surrey during the provincial campaign.
How will Fry act on the plebiscite results?
Fry told reporters on October 28, as reported by Vancouver Is Awesome, that his council already planned to address street disorder and voluntary and involuntary care before the plebiscite. He said the results confirm that direction and he will bring the message about secure care beds to the new provincial government.
What is Fry's approach to the Vancouver Police Board?
Fry told reporters he wants to take an active role on the police board and will look closely at how it operates. He said he has concerns about transparency on the board based on past high-profile resignations and comments from former members. Whether he chairs the board will depend on a vote of board members.
When will Pete Fry be inaugurated as mayor?
Pete Fry will be inaugurated as Vancouver's mayor on November 2, 2026, at the Orpheum Theatre, along with the 10 newly elected councillors. Until then, Mayor Ken Sim continues to occupy the mayor's office at city hall.
What did Pete Fry say about the outgoing council?
Fry told reporters on October 28 that he genuinely appreciated Mayor Ken Sim's congratulations and that every outgoing councillor has sacrificed a lot in service of the city. He said the sentiment from Sim on election night and at the final council meeting was totally genuine.
Where can I read more about Pete Fry's plans for Vancouver?
You can read Pete Fry's candidate profile and his tracker of campaign promises at voche.me. The tracker shows every commitment he made during the campaign and will record how the new council acts on them once it takes office on November 2.
Sources
The pages this story draws on. Open one to check a claim yourself.
- Vancouver Is Awesome: Q&A: Pete Fry reflects on first week as mayor-electvancouverisawesome.com
- voche.me: Pete Fry candidate profilevoche.me
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