Four of five leading Vancouver mayoral candidates back SkyTrain to UBC
Daily Hive Vancouver asked the five main mayoral candidates where they stand on extending the SkyTrain line to the University of British Columbia the day before the election.
Reported. A news outlet found this. voche.me names the outlet and links its report. Read the original report on dailyhive.com.
Four of the five leading Vancouver mayoral candidates support extending the SkyTrain Millennium Line to the University of British Columbia, Daily Hive Vancouver reported on October 16, 2026, the day before the election. The fifth, Colleen Hardwick of TEAM for a Livable Vancouver, is opposed and wants public consultation before any decision is made.
The extension would run about 7 km from Arbutus Street, where the Broadway subway line is expected to terminate within two years, west to the UBC campus on Point Grey, Daily Hive Vancouver says. The proposed route includes stations at Macdonald Street, Alma Street, the Jericho Lands development site, and the UBC academic core.
What each candidate says
Ken Sim of ABC Vancouver supports the project. His administration backed a motion in October 2025 calling the extension a Project of National Interest, and Daily Hive Vancouver reports he discussed the project with Prime Minister Mark Carney earlier this year. Sim told Daily Hive he prefers the UBC extension proceed alongside the Broadway extension as a single larger project.
Pete Fry of the Green Party of Vancouver says he would set a binding timeline for rapid transit to UBC. His platform refers to it as the UBC subway extension.
Kareem Allam of Vancouver Liberals says he would make securing federal and provincial support for the extension his top priority as mayor. He would press the provincial government to commit funding and establish a construction schedule. He also proposes bringing the University Endowment Lands under City jurisdiction, Daily Hive Vancouver reports.
Rebecca Bligh of Vote Vancouver says the Broadway subway should not stop at Arbutus. Her platform calls for the line to continue to UBC.
Hardwick proposes light rail transit at street level and expanded battery-electric bus service as alternatives. She also calls for reconsidering development plans for the Jericho Lands.
Where the project stands
The federal and provincial governments have contributed $14 million toward planning and business case work, with the province adding $5 million more in 2026, Daily Hive Vancouver reports. Full construction funding is not in place. Geotechnical drilling finished between May and November 2024. Construction is not expected to start before the early 2030s.
The province took project leadership from TransLink in September 2022. Former mayor Kennedy Stewart has said that Sim's administration lost federal and provincial momentum on the project; Sim's administration disputes that claim.
Voting tomorrow
Polls open at 8 am and close at 8 pm on Saturday, October 17. If transit is your main concern, you can compare each candidate's full platform at /candidates and each party's position at /parties. Your polling place is listed at /where-to-vote.
Questions this story answers
Which Vancouver mayoral candidates support the SkyTrain extension to UBC?
According to Daily Hive Vancouver's report published October 16, 2026, four of the five leading candidates support the extension: Ken Sim of ABC Vancouver, Pete Fry of the Green Party of Vancouver, Kareem Allam of Vancouver Liberals, and Rebecca Bligh of Vote Vancouver. Each candidate's approach differs. Sim has been lobbying the provincial and federal governments and supported a 2025 motion calling the project a Project of National Interest. Fry wants a binding timeline. Allam would press senior governments for funding as a top priority. Bligh's platform says the Broadway subway should not stop at Arbutus.
Which candidate opposes the SkyTrain to UBC extension?
Colleen Hardwick of TEAM for a Livable Vancouver opposes the underground extension, according to Daily Hive Vancouver's October 16, 2026 report. Hardwick proposes calling for public consultation on the decision and favours street-level light rail transit as an alternative. She also proposes expanding battery-electric bus service and reconsidering development plans for the Jericho Lands, which are tied to the planned extension route.
What is the proposed route for the UBC SkyTrain extension?
Daily Hive Vancouver reports the proposed extension would run about 7 km from Arbutus Street west to the UBC campus on Point Grey. The four planned stations are at Macdonald Street and West Broadway, Alma Street and West Broadway, the Jericho Lands development site, and the UBC academic core near University Boulevard and East Mall. The route would extend the Millennium Line, which is currently being built toward Arbutus and is expected to reach that station within two years.
How much has been spent on planning the UBC extension?
Daily Hive Vancouver reports the federal and provincial governments contributed $14 million toward planning and business case work. The provincial government allocated a further $5 million in 2026 for ongoing work. Full construction funding is not yet in place and construction is not expected to start before the early 2030s, the article says. The total cost of construction would be in the billions, though no final figure has been set.
What did Ken Sim do on the project during his term?
Daily Hive Vancouver reports that Sim's administration supported a motion in October 2025 calling the UBC SkyTrain extension a Project of National Interest, and that Sim discussed the project with Prime Minister Mark Carney earlier this year. Sim says he has been lobbying the provincial and federal governments and prefers the extension proceed alongside the Broadway extension as a single larger project. Former mayor Kennedy Stewart has said Sim lost momentum on the project; Sim's administration disputes that claim.
What are Pete Fry's and Kareem Allam's specific positions on the extension?
Daily Hive Vancouver reports that Pete Fry of the Green Party of Vancouver wants to set a binding timeline for rapid transit to UBC, which his platform calls the UBC subway extension. Kareem Allam of Vancouver Liberals says he would make securing federal and provincial support a top priority as mayor and would press the provincial government to commit funding and set a construction schedule. Allam also proposes bringing the University Endowment Lands under City jurisdiction.
What is Colleen Hardwick's proposed alternative to the underground extension?
Daily Hive Vancouver reports that Hardwick of TEAM for a Livable Vancouver proposes street-level light rail transit and expanded battery-electric bus service as alternatives to the underground SkyTrain extension. She also wants to reconsider development plans for the Jericho Lands, which are connected to the proposed extension route. She calls for public consultation before any final decision on the project.
What can a voter do with this information before voting on October 17?
Voting takes place across Vancouver on Saturday, October 17, 2026. Polls open at 8 am and close at 8 pm. If transit planning is an issue you care about, you can compare all five mayoral candidates' full platforms at /candidates and their parties at /parties. Your polling station is listed at /where-to-vote.
Sources
The pages this story draws on. Open one to check a claim yourself.
Found an error? Tell the editors with the corrections form. A correction is noted on the story it changes. Read our standards.
