Vote Vancouver commits to city-owned affordable housing and keeping park board independent
The Ubyssey asked each Vancouver party to lay out its positions. Vote Vancouver's council and park board candidates say city-owned land should be used for affordable homes and that the park board must stay independent.
Reported. A news outlet found this. voche.me names the outlet and links its report. Read the original report on ubyssey.ca.
Vote Vancouver's six city council candidates and two park board candidates say the city should build permanently affordable homes on land it already owns, extend SkyTrain to UBC, and keep the Vancouver Park Board elected and independent from city hall. The Ubyssey reported the party's positions on October 13, 2026, as part of a series asking each party running in the October 17 election to lay out what it stands for.
Housing: city-owned land for permanently affordable homes
The party's housing plan centers on publicly owned land rather than the private development market. Council candidate Rebecca Hasdell told The Ubyssey: "We see an enormous opportunity to be using city-owned land to build more public homes on public land."
The party says new buildings on city land should include not-for-profit childcare spaces. Vote Vancouver is running Rebecca Hasdell, John Boychuk, Steve Jedreicich, Keerit Jutla, Bhavna Solecki, and Geoff Teoli for council.
Transit: SkyTrain to UBC and free rides for youth
Vote Vancouver's council candidates say they support completing the SkyTrain extension to UBC, making transit free for riders under 18, and starting a seasonal free bike valet service. They also propose an electric passenger ferry linking Vancouver to Bowen Island and the Sunshine Coast. These positions come from the party's candidates, as reported by The Ubyssey, and have not been independently costed.
Park board: stay elected, stay independent
The party's park board candidates, Stephen Menon and Summit Wannamaker, say they want the Vancouver Park Board to remain an elected body with its own authority. Wannamaker told The Ubyssey: "The Vancouver Park Board should remain independent and should never have to face being cut by city council."
The question of whether to keep the park board came up repeatedly in this campaign after the current council moved to reduce its powers.
Context: Vote Vancouver's origins
Rebecca Bligh founded Vote Vancouver in September 2025, according to The Ubyssey. She had been removed from ABC Vancouver's caucus in February 2025 for voting against that party's positions on natural gas bans and supportive housing. She is now running for mayor under the Vote Vancouver name.
Before you vote October 17
Polls are open from 8 AM to 8 PM on October 17. You can read full profiles of all Vote Vancouver's candidates at /parties/vote-vancouver. If you do not know your voting place, check the City of Vancouver's tool at vancouver.ca before you leave the house.
Questions this story answers
What does Vote Vancouver want to do about housing?
Vote Vancouver says the city should build permanently affordable homes on land the city already owns, and include not-for-profit childcare spaces in those new buildings. Council candidate Rebecca Hasdell told The Ubyssey: 'We see an enormous opportunity to be using city-owned land to build more public homes on public land.' This differs from approaches that rely mainly on the private development market to add supply.
What is Vote Vancouver's plan for transit?
Vote Vancouver's candidates say they support extending SkyTrain to UBC and making transit free for youth under 18. They also propose a seasonal free bike valet service and an electric passenger ferry connecting Vancouver to Bowen Island and the Sunshine Coast. These commitments come from the party's six city council candidates and were reported by The Ubyssey on October 13, 2026.
What does Vote Vancouver say about the park board?
Vote Vancouver's park board candidates say the Vancouver Park Board must stay elected and independent from city council. Park board candidate Summit Wannamaker told The Ubyssey: 'The Vancouver Park Board should remain independent and should never have to face being cut by city council.' The party is running Stephen Menon and Summit Wannamaker for the park board in the October 17 election.
Who is Rebecca Bligh and how does she relate to Vote Vancouver?
Rebecca Bligh is Vote Vancouver's candidate for mayor. She founded Vote Vancouver in September 2025 after being removed from ABC Vancouver's caucus in February 2025. According to The Ubyssey, she was removed for voting against her former party's positions on natural gas bans and supportive housing. She is one of five mayoral candidates in the 2026 Vancouver election.
Who are Vote Vancouver's city council candidates?
Vote Vancouver is running six candidates for city council: John Boychuk, Rebecca Hasdell, Steve Jedreicich, Keerit Jutla, Bhavna Solecki, and Geoff Teoli. Ten seats are available on Vancouver City Council. You can read profiles of each candidate on this site.
Who are Vote Vancouver's park board candidates?
Vote Vancouver is running two candidates for the Vancouver Park Board: Stephen Menon and Summit Wannamaker. The park board has seven seats. Candidates from ABC Vancouver, COPE, the Green Party, TEAM, OneCity, the Vancouver Liberals, and independent groups are also running for the park board.
When is the Vancouver election and how can I vote?
Voting day is October 17, 2026. Advance voting has already closed. On voting day, polls are open from 8 AM to 8 PM. You can find your voting place using the City of Vancouver's tool at vancouver.ca. You need to be on the voters list, which you can join at the polling station on election day with valid ID and proof of address.
Where can I compare all the parties running in the Vancouver election?
You can read about each of the 11 parties on this site at /parties/vote-vancouver and the other party pages. The Vancouver election includes ABC Vancouver, COPE, the Green Party of Vancouver, OneCity, TEAM for a Livable Vancouver, the Vancouver Liberals, Vote Vancouver, Bright Future Vancouver, TrueBlue Vancouver, the Independent Parks Party, and the Affordable Housing party. Voting day is October 17, 2026.
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