Vancouver Civic Election 2026

[Feathered Friend]

Time flies, and here we are again with another civic election campaign.

As of Nov 22nd, 2025, so far we have:
(In order of incumbent parties, and then alphabetical)


Mayoral

Ken Sim (A Better City) i

TBD - (COPE)

Pete Fry (Green) - incumbent councilor

William Azaroff (One City)

Colleen Hardwick (seeking Team's nomination

Kareem Allam (Vancouver Liberals)

Rebecca Bligh (Vote Vancouver) - incumbent councilor

City Councillors

A Better City

COPE

Greens

One City

Team

Vancouver Conservatives

Vancouver Liberals
Victoria Jung

Vote Vancouver

Incumbents Not Returning
Brian Montague (ABC)

It's still early days for nominations, but I'll do my best to keep this updated, when I'm not busy changing diapers.

[whatnext]

Is the NPA dead and buried then? It doesn’t seem like there’d be much room for them in the landscape above.

[whatnext]

So much winning from Ken Sim & Co. Why wouldn't they be re-elected?

Removing fixtures from some public washrooms pitched as part of cutting Vancouver’s budget
By Lisa Steacy
Published: November 12, 2025 at 5:05PM EST

Removing change tables and hygiene product dispensers from some public washrooms in Vancouver is one of the ways the city’s proposed budget will seek to reduce costs to deliver a zero per cent property tax increase.

Staff presented the draft budget Wednesday, at a meeting that will stretch over several days due to an unprecedented 639 registered speakers who have signed up to weigh in.

Several departments will see their budgets reduced, including Real Estate Environment and Facilities Management. The draft budget calls for a 13 per cent reduction of the department’s $39.3 million budget, which works out to a cut of $4.9 million....

https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/art...ouvers-budget/

[Feathered Friend]

Justin McElroy 🇨🇦 ‪@jmcelroy.bsky.social‬
More 2026 news! COPE officially announces they will also plan for a mayoral candidate

They believe their political moment is now, OneCity believes they have the organizing/fundraising ability, and Greens believe they have Pete Fry, so expect this left impasse for at least a few more months

https://bsky.app/profile/jmcelroy.bs.../3m6x36ml7kk2b

[Feathered Friend]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Is the NPA dead and buried then? It doesn’t seem like there’d be much room for them in the landscape above.

Bob Kronbauer: The NPA is gone and nobody gives a crap
Going out with a whimper, not a bang?
Bob Kronbauer
May 3, 2023 11:54 AM
Updated May 3, 2023 3:21 PM

The website for Vancouver's oldest political party, the Non-Partisan Association (NPA), went dark on May 1 and nobody seems to have noticed.

It's normal for parties to effectively go into hibernation between elections in the city... That does not seem to be the case with the NPA, though the cause for their disappearance could not be confirmed. Their media email is down and my calls - to a line that goes directly to voicemail - were not returned.

https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/o...n-dead-6946308

[Migrant_Coconut]

I suspect that both the backers and voters jumped to the new municipal Cons.

[whatnext]

Merry Christmas from Ken Sim & ABC!

City of Vancouver lays off dozens of staff following property tax freeze
By Isabella Zavarise
Published: December 04, 2025 at 5:36PM EST

The City of Vancouver has notified approximately 30 non-unionized staff members that their roles will be ending, according to an email from the city manager.

It comes after the city’s direction to freeze property taxes next year.

On Thursday, Donny van Dyk called the changes significant, adding, “I know many of us are thinking about our colleagues who are no longer with the organization.”...

...As for unionized positions, van Dyk said they have not confirmed details, but that conversations with the unions have started.

A virtual town hall will be held Dec. 8.

In an email, the City of Vancouver said termination notices were issued to staff across a number of departments, including engineering services....

https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/art...ty-tax-freeze/

[GenWhy?]

Bout damn time

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by GenWhy?

Bout damn time

Should’ve gone after the crews of “six unionized guys to fill a pothole” first.

I guess this is what happens when CACheads have to go cold turkey.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Should’ve gone after the crews of “six unionized guys to fill a pothole” first.

I guess this is what happens when CACheads have to go cold turkey.

How many years have you been on this site, failing to understand CACs? They fund things, not City operations. Often the things are part of the bigger thing that generated the CAC. (like the podium of The Landmark, which is social housing). City staff almost never build things associated with rezonings that pay CACs - maybe a bit of funding helps pay for a stretch of new bike lane built by a City crew - very slowly - just to annoy you.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Changing City

How many years have you been on this site, failing to understand CACs? They fund things, not City operations. Often the things are part of the bigger thing that generated the CAC. (like the podium of The Landmark, which is social housing). City staff almost never build things associated with rezonings that pay CACs - maybe a bit of funding helps pay for a stretch of new bike lane built by a City crew - very slowly - just to annoy you.

So why the "sky is falling" panicked ABC actions? Just the stupidity of their Zero budget increase promise?

One would have thought if they were so concerned about money they wouldn't approve stuff like the $800,000 golden handshake they apparently gave the outgoing City Manager they nudged out.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by whatnext

So why the "sky is falling" panicked ABC actions? Just the stupidity of their Zero budget increase promise?

Yes. And yet there's still room in the budget for $50m to the VPD.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by whatnext

So why the "sky is falling" panicked ABC actions? Just the stupidity of their Zero budget increase promise?

One would have thought if they were so concerned about money they wouldn't approve stuff like the $800,000 golden handshake they apparently gave the outgoing City Manager they nudged out.

What panic? This is the plan. The Mayor, and the remaining ABC councillors following him, seem to think that not putting taxes up might win them votes - unless you can think of another reason. BIV reported that members of business improvement associations, the restaurant industry and the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade all stated their support for the freeze, citing growing costs for businesses in a challenging economy.

A zero tax increase is in effect a cut, because wages and materials will cost more during the next year. It was acknowledged at the Council meeting a zero tax increase would involve about 400 job cuts, with only about a third current vacant positions that won't be filled. The non union staff can be removed quickly. The unionized staff will take a little longer, and probably cost more.

There was an opportunity for public comment before the budget was approved, and the majority of respondents were ok with a 5% increase to maintain existing services. Most of the hundreds of speakers were against a zero increase. The ABC majority ignored those opinion, as was expected.

My assumption was that this might have been the issue that the previous City Manager was 'let go' over.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

Yes. And yet there's still room in the budget for $50m to the VPD.

As we learned under Kennedy Stewart, the City can't actually control the VPD budget. They get whatever they want.

[whatnext]

Not good news for the ABC crew. Though it's kind of funny that a majority seem to think cutting revenue will make the city better..

Most Vancouverites believe city is 'on the wrong track,' poll suggests
'Polling like this reinforces what Vancouverites have been telling us: they want action, not the status quo, on public safety and affordability' — Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim
Author of the article: By Dan Fumano
Published Dec 18, 2025
Last updated 2 hours ago

....The polling found most Vancouver residents are unhappy with the current municipal council and believe the city is heading in the wrong general direction — but a large number also support the mayor’s recent push to freeze property taxes.

Overall, the polling found 63 per cent of respondents agree with Havard that Vancouver is “on the wrong track,” compared with 30 per cent who feel the city is heading in the right direction.

Vancouver residents reported noticeably higher levels of dissatisfaction than their neighbours in Surrey, where only 46 per cent said their city is on the wrong track, and 44 per cent said it’s heading in the right direction....

https://vancouversun.com/news/local-...on-wrong-track

[whatnext]

LOL, I hadn't realized that ABC Councillor Montague had basically fled Metro Vancouver altogether. If he stays on the ABC ticket you'll know how desperate they are.

Vancouver councillor defends attendance record after selling local home, buying property in Okanagan
-Isabella Zavarise

A Vancouver city councillor is defending his attendance record after selling his local home and buying a property in the Okanagan.

CTV News has obtained property records showing Coun. Brian Montague sold his home in North Vancouver in 2024 and purchased a property in Kelowna in March of 2025...

...“I can tell you that I rent a piece of property on the North Shore, and I’m living on the North Shore.”

The former media spokesperson for the Vancouver Police Department has lived in North Vancouver for his entire term on Vancouver city council. Councillors are not required to live in the city to run for or hold municipal office....

...Since April, the ABC Councillor has been recorded absent for 65 votes, according to data published on the City of Vancouver’s website. Prior to that, he had not been recorded absent from a vote at a council or committee meeting or a public hearing in 2025....

https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/art...y-in-okanagan/


If he's now just renting, why doesn't he rent in the city that he's supposed to represent?

[CanSpice]

Originally Posted by whatnext

LOL, I hadn't realized that ABC Councillor Montague had basically fled Metro Vancouver altogether. If he stays on the ABC ticket you'll know how desperate they are.

He's already said he's not running again.

[WarrenC12]

He would definitely be a drag on the party's chances in 2026.

[Feathered Friend]

Originally Posted by whatnext

LOL, I hadn't realized that ABC Councillor Montague had basically fled Metro Vancouver altogether. If he stays on the ABC ticket you'll know how desperate they are.

If he's now just renting, why doesn't he rent in the city that he's supposed to represent?

That article from October that you shared also reports that he's not running again.

[Feathered Friend]

Vancouver Liberals add second ex-ABC politician to campaign roster
School board chair Victoria Jung joins park commissioner Scott Jensen on team headed by Ken Sim’s former chief of staff Kareem Allam
Mike Howell

Jung, who plans to make her announcement official Wednesday, will run for council. Jensen announced Jan. 18 that he will seek re-election as a commissioner. Both politicians had been sitting as independents until making their respective decisions to join the Liberals.

https://www.biv.com/news/economy-law...-jung-11798578