--- title: "Fight for a Just Vancouver: the COPE plan | Vancouver 2026 | voche.me" canonical_url: "https://voche.me/parties/cope/2026-platform/fight-for-vancouver/fight-for-a-just-vancouver" last_updated: "2026-10-10T04:00:29.134Z" meta: description: "COPE would press for wealth taxes such as a Mansion Tax, restore the city's living wage policy, bring city contractors in as unionized staff and pass a \"to..." "og:description": "COPE would press for wealth taxes such as a Mansion Tax, restore the city's living wage policy, bring city contractors in as unionized staff and pass a \"to..." "og:title": "Fight for a Just Vancouver: the COPE plan | Vancouver 2026" "twitter:description": "COPE would press for wealth taxes such as a Mansion Tax, restore the city's living wage policy, bring city contractors in as unionized staff and pass a \"to..." "twitter:title": "Fight for a Just Vancouver: the COPE plan | Vancouver 2026" --- ** COPE · Vancouver 2026 # COPE on fairness: a mansion tax, a living wage, a "too hot to work" bylaw COPE would press for wealth taxes such as a Mansion Tax, restore the city's living wage policy, bring city contractors in as unionized staff and pass a "too hot to work" bylaw. It would rename Dunsmuir Street to Ginger Goodwin Street and sign the Apartheid-Free Communities pledge. All 9 commitments [Read page 25 of the PDF ](https://www.votecope.ca/s/Fight-For-Vancouver-COPE-2026-Platform-t7yf.pdf#page=25) [**12**Candidates](https://voche.me/parties/cope/candidates) [**9/10**Issues with published policy](https://voche.me/parties/cope/platform) [**7**Sources on file](https://voche.me/parties/cope/money) **9**Questions answered FIGHT FOR VANCOUVER · PAGE 25 ## Fight for a Just Vancouver: what the Fight for Vancouver says This chapter gathers COPE's commitments on fairness in the city. Its first item is a tax on wealth. COPE would use every option open to the city, and press other governments, to tax wealth in Vancouver through measures such as a Mansion Tax or a property tax that rises with property value. It would also seek new powers to raise money from those who can afford to pay, for public services and affordable housing. On city work, COPE would restore the city's living wage policy, oppose privatization and public-private partnerships, and bring city contractors in as unionized city staff. It would pass a "too hot to work" bylaw setting safe temperatures in workplaces, kitchens included. The platform says the police budget has grown by over $100 million under Ken Sim while green bin pickups were cut and pool line-ups grew, and COPE would put money into pools, recreation and public services. Other items concern rights and recognition. COPE would apply a disability justice lens to city policy, work with host nations and urban Indigenous groups on reconciliation, and rename Dunsmuir Street to Ginger Goodwin Street. It would join Burnaby, which the platform says has signed the Apartheid-Free Communities pledge. The party also states its commitment to global justice and its opposition to transphobia, homophobia, misogyny, antisemitism, ableism, Islamophobia, racism and all discrimination. Council could act alone on the living wage, contracting, street names and city policy. A new tax on wealth would need powers from the Province, which writes the Vancouver Charter. Employment law is set by the provincial and federal governments, so the reach of a city workplace temperature bylaw would depend on what their laws allow. Funding for pools and recreation would be shared between Council, which approves the budget, and the Park Board, which runs those facilities. THE PARTY'S NUMBERS ## Figures in this chapter **$100 million+** Rise in the annual police budget under Ken Sim, according to the platform The party's figure, page 25 9 COMMITMENTS ## What the party says it would do 1. ### Tax wealth in Vancouver COPE would use all options open to the city, and pressure all other levels of government, to tax wealth through measures such as a Mansion Tax or progressive taxation of property values. It would work to establish new powers to raise revenue from those who can afford to pay, to fund public services and affordable housing.
Who has the power
City, with others Council sets the property tax rate, but new taxing powers would have to come from the Province, which writes the Vancouver Charter.
Source
Fight for Vancouver, page 25
2. ### Restore the city's living wage policy The party would restore the city's living wage policy and make sure Vancouver is an ethical employer.
Who has the power
City Council Council sets pay and contract rules for the city's own workforce.
Source
Fight for Vancouver, page 25
3. ### Fund pools, recreation and public services COPE would give pools, recreation facilities and public services the funding they need. The platform says the police budget has risen by over $100 million under Ken Sim while green bin pickups were cut, pool line-ups grew and planned community centre upgrades were halted.
Who has the power
City, with others Council approves the city budget and capital plan, and the Park Board runs pools and recreation centres.
Source
Fight for Vancouver, page 25
4. ### Apply a disability justice lens The party would review city policies, systems, services, funding and structures through a disability justice lens to make Vancouver welcoming for people with disabilities.
Who has the power
City Council Council sets city policy and directs city staff.
Source
Fight for Vancouver, page 25
5. ### Oppose privatization and bring contractors in-house COPE would oppose privatization and public-private partnerships (PPPs), and work to bring city contractors in as unionized city employees.
Who has the power
City Council Council decides how city services are delivered and who the city hires.
Source
Fight for Vancouver, page 25
6. ### A "too hot to work" bylaw The party would establish a "too hot to work" bylaw that sets safe temperatures in workplaces, including kitchens.
Who has the power
City, with others Council would have to pass the bylaw. Employment law is set by the provincial and federal governments.
Source
Fight for Vancouver, page 25
7. ### Join the Apartheid-Free Communities pledge COPE would make Vancouver an Apartheid-Free Community and, in the platform's words, join Burnaby in signing the Apartheid-Free Communities pledge.
Who has the power
City Council Signing a pledge is a Council decision.
Source
Fight for Vancouver, page 25
8. ### A real city of reconciliation The party would build working relationships with host nations and under-served urban Indigenous people, address anti-Indigenous racism and bias in institutions, support Indigenous land trusts, and work with host nations and urban Indigenous groups so their voices are always heard at City Hall.
Who has the power
City Council Council sets how the city works with host nations and Indigenous groups, with their agreement.
Source
Fight for Vancouver, page 25
9. ### Rename Dunsmuir Street to Ginger Goodwin Street COPE would rename Dunsmuir Street to Ginger Goodwin Street and review the city's street names, statues and plazas for names that go against Vancouver's values.
Who has the power
City Council The street, statues and plazas belong to the city, so Council would decide.
Source
Fight for Vancouver, page 25
WHO WOULD HAVE TO ACT ## Where the power sits for this chapter City Council6 City, with others3 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ## Questions about fight for a just vancouver
Does COPE support a mansion tax in Vancouver? Yes. COPE would use every option open to the city, and press other governments, to tax wealth through measures such as a Mansion Tax or a property tax that rises with property value. New taxing powers would have to come from the Province (platform, page 25).
What is COPE's "too hot to work" bylaw? COPE would pass a bylaw setting safe temperatures in workplaces, including kitchens. Employment law is set by the provincial and federal governments, so the reach of a city bylaw would depend on their laws (platform, page 25).
Does COPE want to rename Dunsmuir Street? Yes. COPE would rename Dunsmuir Street to Ginger Goodwin Street and review the city's street names, statues and plazas for names that go against Vancouver's values (platform, page 25).
What does COPE say about contracting out city work? COPE would oppose privatization and public-private partnerships and work to bring city contractors in as unionized city employees. It would also restore the city's living wage policy (platform, page 25).
Why does COPE say the police budget should be spent differently? The platform says the police budget has risen by over $100 million under Ken Sim while green bin pickups were cut, pool line-ups grew and community centre upgrades were halted. COPE would give pools, recreation and public services the funding they need (platform, page 25).
What is the Apartheid-Free Communities pledge in COPE's platform? COPE would make Vancouver an Apartheid-Free Community and sign the Apartheid-Free Communities pledge, which the platform says Burnaby has signed. Signing would be a Council decision (platform, page 25).
ON THE BALLOT ## The COPE candidates behind this ### City Council [111**Sean Orr**Ballot 111 · Vancouver city councillor](https://voche.me/candidates/sean-orr) [121**Devyani Singh**Ballot 121](https://voche.me/candidates/devyani-singh) [124**Chloe Leslie**Ballot 124](https://voche.me/candidates/chloe-leslie) [155**Solomon Yi-Kieran**Ballot 155](https://voche.me/candidates/solomon-yi-kieran) ## Sources Every commitment on this page comes from the party's own material, marked SAYS SO ITSELF. It proves what the party says it would do. Who holds each power is our own addition, from the sources listed after it. 1. [Fight for Vancouver: COPE 2026 Platform (PDF) ](https://www.votecope.ca/s/Fight-For-Vancouver-COPE-2026-Platform-t7yf.pdf#page=25)SAYS SO ITSELFCOPE · pages 25 · checked September 30, 2026 ## Sitemap See the full [sitemap](/sitemap.md) for all pages.