Vancouver progressives take power as Green Pete Fry is elected mayor
Vancouver's progressive parties have taken control of the city's municipal government, with Pete Fry elected as the first Green mayor. The 2026 elections saw a surge in voter participation, with a turnout of 209,000 - a 36% increase from four years prior.
Pete Fry emerged victorious, securing over 98,000 votes, nearly 31,000 more than his closest competitor Ken Sim, who previously held the mayor's position. Sim's party, the ABC Party, suffered significant losses, only managing to field one councillor for the left-of-centre camp.
The new council, comprised of a mix of Green and Coalition of Progressive Electors (COPE) representatives, along with members from OneCity Vancouver, demonstrates a spirit of cooperation despite not having a majority. COPE's Sean Orr, a socialist council member, topped the vote count with more than 83,000 votes.
The Park Board, crucial in shaping Vancouver's urban environment, will be led by Green and COPE candidates, with all seven commissioners' seats up for grabs. The school trustees also saw this progressive coalition in action, with Green, COPE, and OneCity candidates winning all nine positions.
The inauguration of the newly elected officials is set for November 2.
Written by urgent.news from Winnipeg Free Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
