Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim urges province against election amid municipal campaign

Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim is urging the British Columbia government not to call an early election until after municipal voting on Oct. 17 that he says deserves the “full, undivided attention” of residents.

Premier David Eby told NDP legislators last week they need to be “election ready,” and there’s rampant speculation an early vote could be called soon.

Sim says time and attention need to be devoted to municipal issues and his views are consistent with the Union of B.C. Municipalities, which passed a motion last week asking the provincial government to preserve the integrity of local elections by avoiding overlapping campaigns.

Sim was speaking at a press conference on Monday to launch his ABC Vancouver party’s platform.

ABC says it’s three “anchor commitments” involve addressing public safety and street disorder, affordability and accountability at City Hall, and jobs and the economy.

It says it would ban open-air hard drug use in public spaces, commit to a zero-per-cent property tax increase in 2027, and rebuild the Vancouver Aquatic Centre and revitalize the Granville Street entertainment district.

Businessman Sim first ran for mayor in 2018 with the Non-Partisan Association and narrowly lost to Kennedy Stewart, before reversing the result with ABC in 2022.