Vancouver Civic Election 2026

[whatnext]

I would assume everyone posting here is aware of what set this off?

ABC Councillor Lenny Zhou posted on the Chinese app WeChat for a Mandarin speaking audience that opposition councillors were drug users and drug dealers. (note that this libel was not confined to Cllr. Orr).

When confronted by English-speaking media he was forced to apologize by Ken Sim., only it turns out L'il Ken had made the same charge to Chinese businesspeople himself and was subsequently forced to issue a terse apology.

Lesson: don't spread lies to your ethic community thinking nobody else will find out.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by MIPS

I'd like the see the photo that apparently set this all off, or if it's simply disappeared.

I'd be genuinely surprised if there is an AI photo and not just another lie by Kenny to try and look less guilty.

[chowhou]

Originally Posted by RedArbutus

100%. The (hilarious, in my mind) irony is that Sean Orr legitimately is the most likely councilmember to hand out free drugs on Christmas Day. That doesn't change the fact that a) doing so is a crime and b) insinuating that it happened is defamatory and c) the person doing the insinuation is a public official, meaning they are held to higher moral standard of conduct and that their words are de facto on the public record.

Yes that's what I'm trying to say. I agree that unless Ken Sim has a good defense argument this is pretty easily proven defamation but it's funny that the principles and activities of COPE members are considered defamatory if you allege someone engages in then.

[mcj]

Originally Posted by chowhou

Yes that's what I'm trying to say. I agree that unless Ken Sim has a good defense argument this is pretty easily proven defamation but it's funny that the principles and activities of COPE members are considered defamatory if you allege someone engages in then.

There's a substantial difference between advocating for something to be legal, and trying to defame someone by accusing them of doing something illegal for political gain with a target demographic that is less tolerant of alternative viewpoints.

[logan5]

I'm not a lawyer, but doesn't defamation consist of someone conspiring to damage you? He said it once and apologized. There wasn't a concerted effort to harm him. And he has to prove he has lost income , so i'm not sure how he can prove that.

[chowhou]

Originally Posted by logan5

I'm not a lawyer, but doesn't defamation consist of someone conspiring to damage you? He said it once and apologized. There wasn't a concerted effort to harm him. And he has to prove he has lost income , so i'm not sure how he can prove that.

My understanding is that on paper Canada has really low requirements to prove defamation. If you say something to anyone and specifically mention another person saying something that could lower their reputation, you might be found liable for defamation. It could even be a true statement, but it's your responsibility in court to prove it's true.

On the other hand, there's basically no punishment in this case for defamation, especially if you make a retraction like Ken Sim and Lenny Zhou both did. I don't think Orr can prove actual damages so it seems like the worst case scenario for Sim is he loses the court case, looks bad, and probably burns his taxpayer funded legal allowance.

[Feathered Friend]

Justin McElroy 🇨🇦 ‪@jmcelroy.bsky.social‬
The Vancouver Greens have announced seven nominees for city council this election.

They include former Park Board Chair Camil Dumont and 2025 byelection candidate Annette Reilly.

They, like COPE and OneCity, say they're still "negotiating" for some sort of combined progressive slate.

Justin McElroy 🇨🇦 ‪@jmcelroy.bsky.social‬
I'll note that one of their candidates also ran last election, and faced repeated accusations of having a burner account that repeatedly insulted many Vancouverites (including myself), which were never addressed by the candidate or the party.

So we'll see what happens this time!
3:56 PM · Mar 24, 2026

https://bsky.app/profile/jmcelroy.bsky.social/post/3mhtocjcowk2d

[Feathered Friend]

Rebecca Bligh's Vote Vancouver has announced their first wave of council candidates

Rebecca Hasdell,
Bhavna Solecki,
Geoff Teoli

https://www.instagram.com/p/DWU-2WwGfLg/?igsh=aTE4NGR4ZHBhdHg0

Solecki spoke at the Pause the Plan rally that sought to overturn the Broadway Plan.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bN6rtlwqZ-Y

[whatnext]

It’s going to be a very crowded field.

[Feathered Friend]

[Justin McElroy ������������ @jmcelroy.bsky.social‬
As expected, TEAM Vancouver has nominated Colleen Hardwick as its mayoral candidate in this October’s election.

Hardwick was also the party’s 2022 candidate, finishing in third place with 10%.

Vancouver now has six high-profile candidates running for mayor, six months before the election.

4:39 PM · Apr 12, 2026

https://bsky.app/profile/jmcelroy.bsky.social/post/3mjdjjia4vs2n

They've also announced Charles Kelley, Peter Tu, and former Park Board candidate Kathleen Larsen as nominees for council

[Chirpythecougar]

It's very on brand for the anti change party to nominate the same loser over and over again

[RedArbutus]

Oh my god go away Hardwick.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Feathered Friend

https://bsky.app/profile/jmcelroy.bsky.social/post/3mjdjjia4vs2n

They've also announced Charles Kelley, Peter Tu, and former Park Board candidate Kathleen Larsen as nominees for council

I'm surprised Hardwick is going to run for mayor again. She'd probably have a better chance of getting on Council through name recognition. By running for mayor she'll just dilute the opposition field and get Sim re-elected.

[WarrenC12]

She'll take the moron vote away from the real candidates.

[csbvan]

Originally Posted by whatnext

I'm surprised Hardwick is going to run for mayor again. She'd probably have a better chance of getting on Council through name recognition. By running for mayor she'll just dilute the opposition field and get Sim re-elected.

Not so sure. I would say that there is more crossover vote between her and Sim than, say her and OneCity.

[LeftCoaster]

What? She is rabidly anti-development. Sim has been the most pro-development mayor we've had in decades.

[mcj]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

She'll take the moron vote away from the real candidates.

Her and Doug McCallum in Surrey... Why can't these crazy boomers just give it a rest?

[csbvan]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

What? She is rabidly anti-development. Sim has been the most pro-development mayor we've had in decades.

But that's not the only thing that people vote on...

They are both conservative-leaning politicians. The pro- versus anti-development stance is where they substantially differ. There are very likely conservative-leaning voters who voted for Sim last time and will not this election, some of whom will find a home with Hardwick, particularly if they are not fond of development (e.g. many on the West Side).

The crossover between Hardwick and OneCity is much more difficult to see.

[chowhou]

Originally Posted by csbvan

But that's not the only thing that people vote on...

They are both conservative-leaning politicians. The pro- versus anti-development stance is where they substantially differ. There are very likely conservative-leaning voters who voted for Sim last time and will not this election, some of whom will find a home with Hardwick, particularly if they are not fond of development (e.g. many on the West Side).

The crossover between Hardwick and OneCity is much more difficult to see.

That's why it makes sense for TEAM voters to vote COPE since their policy decisions are nearly identical.

[csbvan]

Originally Posted by chowhou

That's why it makes sense for TEAM voters to vote COPE since their policy decisions are nearly identical.

I don't see TEAM voters voting COPE....

There seems to be a misread of local electorates here and trying to pin it all down to pro-development or anti-development. Ideology still matters! A centre-right voter isn't likely to vote for the socialist party.