Abolish the Vancouver Building Code
The Vancouver Liberals would eliminate the Vancouver Building Code and adopt the BC Building Code instead.
HOUSING SUPPLY AND RENTAL RULES
Vancouver Liberals on housing
This is one of the sharpest single splits on the 2026 ballot, and it turns on a power only Vancouver has.
Under the Vancouver Charter, Vancouver writes its own building rules. Every other municipality in British Columbia follows the provincial code. The Liberals would give that power up.
The argument for giving it up is that one code across the province is simpler and cheaper for builders. The argument against, which the Green Party makes, is that the local code is what lets Vancouver set its own energy and emissions rules for new buildings.
1 PUBLISHED COMMITMENT
What they say they will do
Eliminate the Vancouver Building Code and adopt the BC Building Code
The party commits to "eliminate the Vancouver Building Code and just adopt the BC Building Code".
- Who has the power
- Council holds this power under the Vancouver Charter and can choose to align with the provincial code.
What is not published
- No housing supply target is published.
- No affordable or rental housing commitment is published.
IN THE FULL PLATFORM
More on housing in the Kareem's Plan for a Better Vancouver
The party's full platform document covers this issue in 3 chapters. Each chapter page lists every commitment with its PDF page and says which government would have to act.
Spending, Services and Housing Approvals
Vancouver Liberals: 400 city workers, no $800m second city hall, one housing office
Public Washrooms and Supportive Housing
Vancouver Liberals: new public washrooms and reversing the supportive housing ban
Jobs, Industrial Land and Small Business
Vancouver Liberals on jobs: an Industrial Land Reserve, maker zoning and a CANZUK bid
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Questions about this
What would change if Vancouver dropped its own building code?
Builders would follow the same rules here as in the rest of British Columbia, which is simpler for anyone building in more than one city. Vancouver would also lose the power to set its own energy and emissions rules for new buildings, because that power comes from having its own code.
Sources
A source marked SAYS SO ITSELF is the party's own material. It proves what the party claims, not that the claim is true.
- Vancouver Liberals home page SAYS SO ITSELFVancouver Liberals · checked
- Pete Fry unveils Green Party of Vancouver housing plan Daily Hive · published · checked
- Who is running: official 2026 candidate list City of Vancouver · checked
- Local elections disclosure statement search Elections BC · checked
- Elector organizations: registration and financial reporting duties Elections BC · checked
- Making a campaign contribution Elections BC · checked
- Kareem's Plan for a Better Vancouver (Issues page) SAYS SO ITSELFVancouver Liberals · checked
- Vancouver Liberals: Our Plan for Parks and Recreation Facilities (PDF) SAYS SO ITSELFVancouver Liberals · checked
- Vancouver Liberals: Intimate Partner Violence Policy (PDF) SAYS SO ITSELFVancouver Liberals · checked