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Businesses, Jobs, & Affordability
Artificial Intelligence & Data Centres
COPE promises
"Review City AI data use policies, and investigate whether private city information was fed to American tech companies through large language models. We need to ensure that private city information has not been shared by senior staff or elected officials that undermine the data integrity of the city." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Establish AI governance policies for managers, staff, and elected officials to ensure that public data and data about citizens is never used to train AI or LLM systems owned by tech billionaires, and ensure that any partnerships the city enters into with external companies protect the integrity and privacy of personal data." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Oppose the creation and operation of urban data centers for Artificial Intelligence (“AI Factories”) in Vancouver, and fight for robust regulatory frameworks to ensure that any AI data centres are accountable for water use, energy impacts, noise, and public health concerns before any project goes forward." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Business Permitting
COPE promises
"Support business license reforms to make it easier for start-ups to get off the ground, including supporting the ability for businesses with different licensing requirements to share space and save rent." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Economic Growth
COPE promise
"Introduce a Buy Vancouver policy to encourage and promote the development of sustainable circular economic systems in Vancouver and the lower mainland, prioritize local producers for city procurement, build resilience against US tariffs and create jobs." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Food Affordability
COPE promises
"Stop food waste with an edible food recovery law targeting big box stores and chain restaurants. Every day, thousands of pounds of edible food is wasted in Vancouver. We can recover it and ensure it’s distributed to people instead of thrown away." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Protect affordable community grocers from rent hikes, sell-offs, and rising prices, and invest in local economy staples that bind communities together." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Reinstate Vancouver’s Food System Planner roles and ensure the department has adequate staffing and support to carry out this work." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Integrate and coordinate our network of community gardens to grow local food, and increase access to growing space." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Partner with community groups to fund and create public food distribution networks using publicly owned spaces and community kitchens." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Use the buying power of the city to buy in bulk from local farmers and distribute food at a discount to affordable community grocers, non-profits, public grocers, and school meal programs." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Expand existing health and affordable meal programs and establish community kitchens. Expand community gardens, seed sharing, food storage, and facilitate skill sharing and training. Vancouver should be working towards food justice, empowering neighbours to build networks of solidarity and increase food sovereignty and security." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Expand existing health and affordable meal programs and establish community kitchens. Expand community gardens, seed sharing, food storage, and facilitate skill sharing and training. Vancouver should be working towards food justice, empowering neighbours to build networks of solidarity and increase food sovereignty and security." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Government Procurement
COPE promise
"Introduce a Buy Vancouver policy to encourage and promote the development of sustainable circular economic systems in Vancouver and the lower mainland, prioritize local producers for city procurement, build resilience against US tariffs and create jobs." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Small Businesses
COPE promises
"Support right-sized retail by requiring a mix of commercial unit sizes in new developments, limiting oversized streetfront retail spaces on key corridors, and using zoning, incentives and city-owned land to create more affordable storefronts for local businesses, independent retailers, social enterprises, and co-ops." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Support the local economy by offering affordable city-owned commercial spaces to social enterprises, co-ops, and sharing economy initatives (sic)." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Protect local businesses by pushing for changes to commercial tenancy agreements. The current system is not working. We need standardized leases and negotiation rules, landlord responsibilities, and preventing rent hikes that are catastrophic to small and local businesses." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Workers' Rights, Wages, and Safety
COPE promises
"Restore the city’s living wage policy and ensure that Vancouver is an ethical employer." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Establish a “too hot to work” by-law that establishes safe temperatures in workplaces, including kitchens." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Climate Change, Heat, Fires, & the Environment
Artificial Intelligence & Data Centres
COPE promises
"Review City AI data use policies, and investigate whether private city information was fed to American tech companies through large language models. We need to ensure that private city information has not been shared by senior staff or elected officials that undermine the data integrity of the city." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Establish AI governance policies for managers, staff, and elected officials to ensure that public data and data about citizens is never used to train AI or LLM systems owned by tech billionaires, and ensure that any partnerships the city enters into with external companies protect the integrity and privacy of personal data." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Oppose the creation and operation of urban data centers for Artificial Intelligence (“AI Factories”) in Vancouver, and fight for robust regulatory frameworks to ensure that any AI data centres are accountable for water use, energy impacts, noise, and public health concerns before any project goes forward." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Climate Adaptation
COPE promise
"Accelerate Vancouver’s Climate Change Adaptation Strategy into a full Climate Defence Strategy that:
• Gets more with less by investing in tool libraries, circular economy initatives, and zero-waste programs.
• Upgrades our public infrastructure and housing to protect our city and save lives during future climate events.
• Protects our food system from climate shocks by investing in local food production and creating systems to crack down on food waste.
• Help communities prepare for climate events and disasters, whether it’s heat waves, snow storms, or atmospheric rivers."
— Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Green Space
COPE promise
"Prioritize the growth of green spaces and parks, especially in dense areas where the amenity density is not keeping pace with development." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
COPE promises
"Bring back Vancouver’s slashed climate programs. Ken Sim and ABC have reversed the city’s progress on climate change, cut the sustainability department, put the 2026-2030 climate plan on hold, and cut climate safety programs. We’ll make Vancouver a climate leader." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Get Vancouver back on track to meet the 6 climate action targets we’re currently failing including walkable neighbourhoods, active transportation and transit, zero-emission vehicles, zero-emission space and water heating, low carbon materials and construction, and restored coasts and forests." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Lead the country on climate change, meeting and exceeding IPCC climate targets, and using the city of Vancouver as a bully pulpit to push for climate justice provincially, federally, and globally." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Support Wind, Water, Solar energy for Vancouver by encouraging renewable energy production across the city, coordinating climate-conscious energy upgrades at neighbourhood scale, and shifting from a passive consumer of provincial energy towards a community-led and worker-owned green energy grid." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Hold the super-rich accountable for climate change by re-joining the “Sue Big Oil” lawsuit and force big polluters to pay their fair share for the climate crisis they caused." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Oppose the dredging of the Burrard Inlet, and fight fossil fuel infrastructure and tankers in Vancouver’s waterways." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Honour Indigenous rights, knowledge, and voices on climate. Mi’kmaq Elder Albert Marshall coined the concept “twoeyed seeing” as a way to integrate the best insights from both western and indigenous traditions in pursuit of justice and sustainability." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Urban Heat
COPE promise
"Grow the urban forest canopy to 30% by 2050 with a priority for climate-resilient native species."
Walking & Cycling
COPE promises
"Invest in affordable and reliable public transit infrastructure, active transportation, and cycling infrastructure to get drivers out of polluting cars and meet our climate goals." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Giving funding and space to community bike repair and recycling initiatives to make it easy to access affordable bikes." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Expand bikesharing, scooters, and micro- mobility to give people transportation options, and bring them under public community control and ownership." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Push to integrate the Compass Card system with micro-mobility as part of a path to a unified public transit system." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Connecting active transportation networks and micro-mobility to all community centres and public recreation facilities." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Zoning
COPE promises
"Restore the DEOD (Downtown Eastside Oppenheimer District) and end the developer windfall for condos in the DTES." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Plan the city to grow where there are single family homes, parking lots, and storefronts, instead of tearing down affordable apartments."
— COPE Platform, page 6, Retrieved 2026-10-03
Community Centres, Libraries, Parks, and Other Public Spaces
After-School Programs
COPE promise
Community Centres
COPE promises
"Expedite needed Parks, Recreation, and Community Centre upgrades, especially for community centres that have been historically under-maintained." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Connecting active transportation networks and micro-mobility to all community centres and public recreation facilities." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Fitness & Sports Facilities
COPE promises
"Build more public pools across the city and respect the 2022 plebiscite and build a new 50 meter pool in Vancouver." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Train and hire the lifeguards and swim instructors we need to keep pools open and staffed, stop line-ups, offer swimming lessons to meet demand, and keep people safe at Vancouver’s beaches." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Support and expand the Leisure Access Program (LAP) to ensure residents of all incomes can access our facilities and city services." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Green Space
COPE promise
"Prioritize the growth of green spaces and parks, especially in dense areas where the amenity density is not keeping pace with development." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Libraries
COPE promises
"Expand library hours to be open 7 days a week, and give libraries the support they’re asking for, including funding for mental health workers, and better working conditions." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Parks
COPE promises
"Affirm an independent, democratic Park Board as essential in stewardship of Vancouver’s commons, fund and empower them to do their work for the public good, prioritize the long term, and protect our public parks from sell-offs and development." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Ban private entities from collecting profits from the use of public amenities such as tennis courts and fields, and oppose sharing agreements for public amenities that limit participation based on the ability to pay." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Expedite needed Parks, Recreation, and Community Centre upgrades, especially for community centres that have been historically under-maintained." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Make Vancouver friendly to dogs and dog owners by improving tree canopy at dog parks, increasing public access to water and dog waste bags, and creating more off-leash spaces." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Make Vancouver friendly to dogs and dog owners by improving tree canopy at dog parks, increasing public access to water and dog waste bags, and creating more off-leash spaces." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Make Vancouver friendly to dogs and dog owners by improving tree canopy at dog parks, increasing public access to water and dog waste bags, and creating more off-leash spaces." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"End the developer tax break that creates gravel pit dogparks and shoddy community gardens." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Train and hire the lifeguards and swim instructors we need to keep pools open and staffed, stop line-ups, offer swimming lessons to meet demand, and keep people safe at Vancouver’s beaches." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Oppose the co-opting of public lands by private interests and oppose industrial infrastructure in public parks." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Increase biodiversity at public parks, plant native species, and support the growth of healthy local ecosystems." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Playgrounds
COPE promise
"Upgrade playgrounds and parks where children play with a focus on neighbourhoods that are being left behind." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Public Washrooms
COPE promise
"Increase 24/7 accessible public washrooms with permanent infrastructure and sanitation stations across the city." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Public Wifi
COPE promise
"Expand VanWifi across the city to allow for more free and open internet access, prioritizing currently under-served areas." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Sidewalks & Bike Paths
COPE promises
"Closing the gaps in our city-wide cycling network and expanding protected bike lanes."
Zoning
COPE promises
"Restore the DEOD (Downtown Eastside Oppenheimer District) and end the developer windfall for condos in the DTES." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Plan the city to grow where there are single family homes, parking lots, and storefronts, instead of tearing down affordable apartments."
— COPE Platform, page 6, Retrieved 2026-10-03
Culture & Events
Cultural Spaces & Venues
COPE promises
"Reduce speculative pressure on artist spaces and protect Vancouver’s arts through a Cultural Land Trust." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"A Vancouver Arts and Cultural Spaces Strategy that leverages city-owned land for galleries, venues, theatres, and rehearsal spaces, and encourages the use of vacant commercial spaces for performance and arts." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Boost operating grants for Vancouver’s arts sector, and then tie them to inflation. Explore the creation of a municipal arts endowment, or a dedicated tax revenue stream, for long-term stability in arts funding." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Boost operating grants for Vancouver’s arts sector, and then tie them to inflation. Explore the creation of a municipal arts endowment, or a dedicated tax revenue stream, for long-term stability in arts funding." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"End the crackdown on DIY arts venues, and encourage and support independent artist-run nightlife as part of Vancouver’s cultural scene." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Levy an empty business tax for industrial and commercial spaces, with a program to encourage the use of vacant spaces for performance and art spaces." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Bring art and music into public spaces by expanding access to covered bandstands, encourage street-corner performers, and support free and low-cost festivals." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Support the needs of our museums, galleries, civic theatres, and cultural amenities, and offer free access through the Public Library or Leisure Access Pass." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Protect the Arts and Culture Advisory Committee and work with them to advance the arts in Vancouver. We will work to distribute power to the people." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Festivals & Events
COPE promises
"Establish community safety programs to steward protests and community events with public safety captains, without inflating VPD budgets with overtime and overpolicing." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Create a Vancouver Arts, Culture, and Creative City Navigator that can support and aid arts organizations, festivals, and venues, and facilitate Vancouver’s Arts & Culture goals." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Bring art and music into public spaces by expanding access to covered bandstands, encourage street-corner performers, and support free and low-cost festivals." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Place Names & Commemorations
COPE promises
Housing & Homelessness
Building Maintenance & Occupant Health
COPE promise
"Ensure Landlords maintain living conditions in units - or have the city do the repairs and bill them. Tenants have a right to safe living conditions, including temperature control, working amenities, and safety from black mold and pests." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Homelessness
COPE promises
"Urgently address growing homelessness with all available city powers, including a rapid deployment of emergency shelters, supportive programming, meal programs, tiny house villages, respite day spaces to reduce street activity, and storage spaces for unhoused residents’ belongings." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"End tent cities by providing affordable housing. No one wants people to live in the streets, but until they actually have a place to go, we’ll continue to have tents pop up in every neighbourhood." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Stop inhumane street sweeps. During police activity targeting the homeless, people lose their belongings, ID, and other essentials. We need a human rights based approach." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Ban “hostile architecture” in public space, including transit hubs and community centres. The solution to homelessness is homes, not stigma." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Protect the human rights of people without homes. Follow the National Protocol for Homeless Encampments in Canada’s 8 key principles for recognizing human rights of encampment residents. A system that violates the human rights of your neighbours will also come for you." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Housing Prices & Supply
COPE promises
"Support the development of community-led land trusts aimed at protecting land from speculative development and creating permanently affordable housing for public benefit."
— COPE Platform, page 5, Retrieved 2026-10-03
"Support, protect, and expand co-op housing and fight to renew leases for existing co-ops at no charge to preserve affordable homes, prioritize building new co-ops on city-owned land, and push other levels of government to make generational investments in co-op housing. "
— COPE Platform, page 6, Retrieved 2026-10-03
"Protect land held by non-profit community groups from sell-offs to speculative interests. Land owned by faith-based groups and other charitable or non-profit organizations should be mandated to give right of first refusal to another non-market user before selling to the private sector."
— COPE Platform, page 6, Retrieved 2026-10-03
"Stop public land sell-offs that rip us off. For too long, public lands have been given away to the rich and powerful and sold off to make up for budget shortfalls."
— COPE Platform, page 6, Retrieved 2026-10-03
"Preserve, leverage, and expand Vancouver’s public lands for public benefit, and implement a city‑wide public land trust for democratic community control. We need to build permanently affordable public housing for every income level and in every neighbourhood, in partnership with the provincial government, the federal government, host nations, and non-profits."
— COPE Platform, page 6, Retrieved 2026-10-03
"Tax non-resident investors to fund affordable housing for people who live here."
— COPE Platform, page 6, Retrieved 2026-10-03
"Retrofit existing affordable housing for seismic safety and climate preparedness, and work to transfer ownership to tenants, non-profits, or the city"
— COPE Platform, page 6, Retrieved 2026-10-03
"Triple the empty homes tax to put more rental homes on the market and use the revenues to produce affordable housing. When COPE first proposed the Empty Homes Tax in 2014, it was intended to grow over time, but Ken Sim and ABC froze the EHT and created new loopholes for developers to keep units vacant." — COPE Platform, page 5, Retrieved 2026-10-03
"Reverse the cut to the Empty Homes Tax (EHT), and then triple it. The EHT was scheduled to go up to 5%. Ken Sim stopped the increase, and then created a new loophole that’s leaving more homes empty. COPE will enforce the empty homes tax properly, close the loopholes, and phase in increases to 9%." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Negotiate, build, and secure 20,000+ units of affordable housing for Vancouver, including: Indigenous housing, public housing, co-ops, community land trusts, non-profit housing, supportive housing, below-market inclusionary zoning, shelter-rate housing, and modular housing."
— COPE Platform, page 7, Retrieved 2026-10-03
"Fight for affordable housing, including shelter-rate housing for people on fixed incomes, housing affordable for minimum-wage earners, and middle-income housing for people on a living wage.
Make all neighbourhoods welcoming and supportive for people on all incomes, with affordable housing in every neighbourhood and with accessible and affordable retail and services."
— COPE Platform, page 7, Retrieved 2026-10-03
"End the developer tax break that creates gravel pit dogparks and shoddy community gardens." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Reinstate the Community Benefits Agreement policy to ensure that developers are creating local jobs, supporting the local economy, and giving back to to the communities they profit from." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Prioritize housing for families. In public sector housing, or in negotiations with private developers, we need to ensure we’re securing housing that is big enough, and affordable enough, to house families." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Use it or lose it. Vancouver doesn’t need vacant lots. We need housing, public services, and local shops and restaurants. Incentivize development without displacement by placing a penalty on land-banking for profit."
— COPE Platform, page 7, Retrieved 2026-10-03
"Mandate redevelopment fees for deeply affordable housing cover the cost of replacement units, and end the waivers and give- aways of SRA conversion fees to developers.
In one vote alone, Ken Sim and ABC waived over $20 million in SRA fees to a developer. SRA fees pay for affordable housing replacement."
— COPE Platform, page 6, Retrieved 2026-10-03
Indigenous-Led Housing
COPE promise
Property Taxes
COPE promises
"Support taxation on land value, capture the land-owner windfalls caused by proximity to public amenities, speculation, and zoning to use for public benefit instead of private profit."
— COPE Platform, page 7, Retrieved 2026-10-03
"Finance the construction of permanently affordable public housing through taxes on wealth, mansions, and empty lots, bonds, and advocacy to senior governments."
— COPE Platform, page 7, Retrieved 2026-10-03
"Tax mansions to end homelessness. It’s unacceptable that in a city as rich as Vancouver, there are so many people living without safe homes. By taxing the wealth held in mega-mansions, we can rapidly build the housing we need to end homelessness." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Public & Assistive Housing
COPE promises
"Negotiate, build, and secure 20,000+ units of affordable housing for Vancouver, including: Indigenous housing, public housing, co-ops, community land trusts, non-profit housing, supportive housing, below-market inclusionary zoning, shelter-rate housing, and modular housing."
— COPE Platform, page 7, Retrieved 2026-10-03
"Buy apartments and turn them into permanently affordable public housing and co-ops. Create a right-of-first refusal policy that gives tenants, and then the city, first priority in purchasing existing apartments that go up for sale to turn into affordable housing. Create a Multi‑Unit Residential Acquisition Fund to help land trusts, co‑ops, and non‑profits acquire rental housing and prevent displacement."
— COPE Platform, page 5, Retrieved 2026-10-03
"End Ken Sim’s cruel freeze on supportive-housing, and get serious about fighting homelessness. We’ll speed up the affordable and social housing we need by bringing back the social housing initiative, restore the DEOD zoning, and work with non-profits and other levels of government to accelerate stalled projects that would provide real affordability." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Act as a lead negotiator to bring together a portfolio of stalled public, co-op and non-profit housing sites, and use every tool available to negotiate low-interest loans, secure senior government funding, and get affordable housing build."
— COPE Platform, page 7, Retrieved 2026-10-03
"Finance the construction of permanently affordable public housing through taxes on wealth, mansions, and empty lots, bonds, and advocacy to senior governments."
— COPE Platform, page 7, Retrieved 2026-10-03
Rent & Rental Stock
COPE promises
"Close the loopholes that landlords use to jack up rents. We’ll fight to keep rents low by fighting to close the vacancy loophole to ensure that rent controls apply between tenants."
— COPE Platform, page 5, Retrieved 2026-10-03
"Stop demovictions with a city-wide anti-displacement policy that protects tenants rights, converts rentals into coops, and prioritizes development without displacement.
- [...]Take what works from the tenant relocation and protection policy (TRPP) and amplify it city-wide with new protections that ensure that violently displacing tenants is not a viable business model.
- Make developers bear the full costs of relocation and coordinate redevelopments so renters get access to the same sized house, meeting the same accessibility needs, in their own neighbourhood.
- Appoint public workers to support tenants during developments, funded by a fee on developers, instead of relying on “tenant relocation coordinators” hired by developers that sometimes ignore tenants or deny them compensation and support.
- Leverage city-owned land for swing-site housing for tenants which can later serve as co-op or public housing"
— COPE Platform, page 6, Retrieved 2026-10-03
"Buy apartments and turn them into permanently affordable public housing and co-ops. Create a right-of-first refusal policy that gives tenants, and then the city, first priority in purchasing existing apartments that go up for sale to turn into affordable housing. Create a Multi‑Unit Residential Acquisition Fund to help land trusts, co‑ops, and non‑profits acquire rental housing and prevent displacement." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Create a Multi‑Unit Residential Acquisition Fund to help land trusts, co‑ops, and non‑profits acquire rental housing and prevent displacement." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Bring back the Renters Office - with teeth - and give tenants an advocate who is empowered to fight for them. The new Renters Office will track landlords and rents, help tenants to collectively bargain, and intervene in displacement." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Ensure Landlords maintain living conditions in units - or have the city do the repairs and bill them. Tenants have a right to safe living conditions, including temperature control, working amenities, and safety from black mold and pests." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Allow pets in all rentals. Renters should not have to choose between their family and a home." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Crack down on bad landlords who make breaking the law a business model. Track landlord activity through a Landlord Registry, and impose real penalties on wrongdoing for profit." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Track rent history and growth over time through the Renters Office, impose penalties on rent increases beyond the maximum, and inform public policy on rents with real-time information." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Ban rent-price collusion by any means including algorithmic software, collaboration, or third party intermediaries." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Protect the right of tenants to organize into unions, and require landlords to bargain with tenants in good faith." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Zoning
COPE promises
"Restore the DEOD (Downtown Eastside Oppenheimer District) and end the developer windfall for condos in the DTES." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Plan the city to grow where there are single family homes, parking lots, and storefronts, instead of tearing down affordable apartments."
— COPE Platform, page 6, Retrieved 2026-10-03
Human Rights
Disabilities
COPE promise
"Apply a disability justice lens to city policies, systems, services, funding, and structures to make Vancouver a welcoming place for people with disabilities." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Human Rights Abroad
COPE promise
"Make Vancouver an Apartheid-Free Community and join Burnaby in signing on to the Apartheid-Free Communities pledge." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Public Washrooms
COPE promise
"Increase 24/7 accessible public washrooms with permanent infrastructure and sanitation stations across the city." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Sex Work
COPE promises
"• Restore the sex worker safety planning position that was cut by Ken Sim and ABC, and support front-line services that save lives and protect vulnerable people from violence and exploitation.
• Expand support for the safety of those working in the sex trade and create policy that ensures sex workers are able to work in safe environments, including the right to safe exit from the industry."
— Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Local Government, Planning, & Democracy
Artificial Intelligence & Data Centres
COPE promises
"Review City AI data use policies, and investigate whether private city information was fed to American tech companies through large language models. We need to ensure that private city information has not been shared by senior staff or elected officials that undermine the data integrity of the city." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Establish AI governance policies for managers, staff, and elected officials to ensure that public data and data about citizens is never used to train AI or LLM systems owned by tech billionaires, and ensure that any partnerships the city enters into with external companies protect the integrity and privacy of personal data." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Oppose the creation and operation of urban data centers for Artificial Intelligence (“AI Factories”) in Vancouver, and fight for robust regulatory frameworks to ensure that any AI data centres are accountable for water use, energy impacts, noise, and public health concerns before any project goes forward." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Budgeting
COPE promise
"Advance an emergency transitional budget to stop and reverse direction. COPE will take action right away to reverse changes made at the City by Ken Sim and ABC." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Elections & Voting
COPE promises
"Establish a “Democracy Dollars” program to even the playing field and allow poor and middle-income people to have a bigger influence on politics, inspired by a similar program in Seattle, WA. Residents can request a $25 voucher to donate to local political parties or candidates from public funds, and counter the disproportionate power of the super-rich." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Make it easier to vote by making public transit free on election days, and ensure there are sufficient polling stations, including mobile voting stations, and accessibility options for seniors and people with disabilities." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"A ranked ballot for Mayor, starting in 2030. During negotiations between progressive parties around the mayoral race, COPE secured a commitment from all progressive parties to fight for a ranked choice ballot for Mayor, like in New York and San Francisco. We’ll push the provincial government to give cities full control over our own electoral systems." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Fight for proportional representation, ranked ballots, and wards. We need an electoral system that balances regional representation, proportionality, and voter expression. COPE members have endorsed the model used in Portland, OR with multi-member wards in a proportional representation system." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"A citizens assembly on electoral reform. Ultimately, residents should have the final say in our electoral system, not just political parties. We’ll convene a citizens assembly to produce a model for Vancouver that achieves our goal of fair elections." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Expand the right to vote for all residents, but end non-resident voting. In Vancouver, property owners who don’t live here can vote in our elections. But Permanent Residents can’t. We’ll change that, and expand voting rights to everyone above the age of 16." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Good Governance
COPE promises
"Identify and report on what happened and why under Ken Sim’s tenure, and who bore the consequences for the decisions made." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Interview workers, residents, and stakeholders and review records to identify how and why major decisions against the public interest were made at the city, including the layoffs of hundreds of staff, the replacement of the city manager, and the rollback of affordable housing requirements and development fees." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Improve transparency and expose the problems at the city with a worker-led audit, interviewing current and past city workers, city partners, and the public to improve service delivery and cut waste." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Fight waste and bureaucratic absurdities from Ken Sim’s mismanagement. If there’s wasted money at the City on management bloat, consultants, and outsourcing, strange bureaucratic loops, and duplication of work, the frontline workers know it best." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Identify why progress towards city goals of affordability, families, renters, and climate has stalled or reversed under Ken Sim, and get back on course. The city is failing to meet its targets on affordable housing, homelessness, transportation, and climate under Ken Sim. Vancouver’s Healthy City strategy was abandoned without reporting back on how Sim failed. We need to review why these areas are being neglected, and change priorities to get back on target." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Fix the ways that the bureaucracy is broken, by reviewing service and systems performance, patron experience, staff climate, and bringing more voices to the table to transform the City." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Appoint a team to deliver an Affordability Audit for Vancouver, that outlines the places where people’s cost of living is growing, and where the city can use its power to lower costs, and to set new targets and a path to a more affordable city." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Identify and crack down on violations of public trust. Where improper conduct against the public interest is found to have potentially occurred, the city must take definitive action to restore trust, using an empowered integrity commissioner, and if necessary, an investigation." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Empower the Integrity Commissioner to hold politicians accountable, and update the city code of conduct to prioritize breaches of public trust. The integrity commissioner found Sim and ABC councillors broke the code of conduct by coordinating amendment wording and expected votes in private group chats before public meetings. When a separate investigation found Sim misused his office to “objectively harass” Councillor Orr, ABC voted down any accountability for his conduct." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Enhance the independence of the Auditor General, and give them the resources they need to conduct the investigations that are needed. The Auditor General does great and important work, but they are accountable to city council." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Implement the Auditor General’s 10 Recommendations in their 2026 Land Sales Audit to prevent botched land deals that cost the city millions. Ken Sim and ABC received this shocking report outlining $60 million+ in lost revenues and chose not to act. We will." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Ban the revolving door between industry and government. COPE will implement mandatory cooling off periods between appointments in city government, and work in private sector industries that lobby the city." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Bring in a municipal lobbying registry. The public deserves to know how and when the super-rich are influencing decisions made by city governments. The city can take steps on its own, but we’ll fight to strengthen city authority and make sure toxic influence can’t hide from public oversight." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Fight for transparency and accountability at the Vancouver School Board (VSB) by promoting engagement with parents, students, unions, employees and the broader community in VSB decision making through:
• Open, moderated live-streamed, meetings which allow for public questions.
• Town halls, brainstorming sessions, and participatory budget processes."
— Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Transparent and ongoing oversight of the Superintendent as the sole employee of the trustees." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Conducting regular reviews of governance and operational policies to promote the empowerment of elected trustees to make decisions on improving public education." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Fewer private board meetings." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Oppose privatization and public-private-partnerships (PPPs), and work to bring city contractors in as unionized city employees." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Government Procurement
COPE promise
"Introduce a Buy Vancouver policy to encourage and promote the development of sustainable circular economic systems in Vancouver and the lower mainland, prioritize local producers for city procurement, build resilience against US tariffs and create jobs." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Mental Health, Drugs, & Addiction
Mental Health Crisis Response
COPE promises
"Support infrastructure to reduce the risk of suicide, like barriers on bridges and high-risk areas, and programs to intervene and support people in crisis." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Remove mental health calls from VPD priorities, and distribute funding toward community safety programs for acute mental health crises like peer-assisted care teams (PACTs). We can reduce costs and free up funds for vital public service by providing alternatives to police as first responders." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Address mental health and addictions by expanding access to voluntary and compassionate treatment, frontline services, and fighting against stigma for drug use and poverty." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Overdoses & the Contaminated Drug Supply
COPE promise
"Address the overdose crisis by supporting evidence-based interventions including drug testing, safe supply programs, and supervised consumption sites." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Treatment for Addiction
COPE promise
"Address mental health and addictions by expanding access to voluntary and compassionate treatment, frontline services, and fighting against stigma for drug use and poverty." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Public Safety & Policing
Intimate Partner Violence
COPE promise
"Stop intimate partner violence in Vancouver by Implementing the five calls to action for municipalities of the Battered Women Support Services (BWSS), including an Intimate Partner Violence task force, supporting community-based victim services and transition houses, and strengthing (sic) local data collection on intimate partner violence." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Non-Police-Based Public Safety
COPE promise
Police Wrongdoing & Accountability
COPE promises
"Challenge the legal structures which handcuff the city to unelected police boards, and push for democratic community oversight and an audit of the VPD." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Challenge the legal structures which handcuff the city to unelected police boards, and push for democratic community oversight and an audit of the VPD." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Public Services
After-School Programs
COPE promise
Childcare
COPE promises
"Fight for and fund an expansion of public childcare spaces. Negotiate with developers, provide public land, and seek funding from senior governments to secure at least 2,200 new public childcare spaces by 2030." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Establish drop-in spaces at community centres and schools so parents can access affordable, safe, and reliable childcare in public spaces." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Accelerate before-and-after school childcare spaces at elementary schools across the city." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Track and report on childcare spaces, bothprivate and public, to ensure that we’re meeting our targets and producing the childcare we need." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
City Workers
COPE promises
"Restore the city’s living wage policy and ensure that Vancouver is an ethical employer." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Oppose privatization and public-private- partnerships (PPPs), and work to bring city contractors in as unionized city employees." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Reconciliation & Indigenous Nations
Indigenous-Led Housing
COPE promise
Land Title & Governance
COPE promise
Place Names & Commemorations
COPE promises
Roads, Transit, & Getting Around
Sidewalks & Bike Paths
COPE promises
"Closing the gaps in our city-wide cycling network and expanding protected bike lanes."
Street Safety
COPE promises
"Reduce pedestrian fatalities in Vancouver by taking actions that save lives, including:
• Speed limit reductions on high-risk streets.
• Road upgrades and permanent school zones.
• Supporting a protected bike lane on Broadway.
• Improving and re-painting pedestrian crossings, and funding curb cuts.
• Tackling ultra-bright headlights that increase road risk.
• Expand protected left hand turn infrastructure, starting in areas of greatest need."
— Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Traffic Safety Around Schools
COPE promise
Transit Projects
COPE promises
"Invest in affordable and reliable public transit infrastructure, active transportation, and cycling infrastructure to get drivers out of polluting cars and meet our climate goals." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Invest in covered bus shelters and benches across the city to ensure that everyone waiting for the bus can do so in comfort and with cover." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Fight to improve public transit service with rapid transit, more frequent buses, SkyTrain, and infrastructure upgrades that improve reliability and speed.
• Extend rapid transit across the lower mainland, including rapid buses and skytrain, including completing the Skytrain to UBC."
— Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Supporting infrastructure upgrades like bus lanes that prevent bus bunching and transit delays." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Fight to reverse cuts to Translink and restore frequency of bus service, especially in working-class neighbourhoods that have had their service clawed back after COVID." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Push to integrate the Compass Card system with micro-mobility as part of a path to a unified public transit system." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Advocate for worker and rider representation on the Translink Board to ensure that everyone’s voice is heard." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Walking & Cycling
COPE promises
"Invest in affordable and reliable public transit infrastructure, active transportation, and cycling infrastructure to get drivers out of polluting cars and meet our climate goals." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Giving funding and space to community bike repair and recycling initiatives to make it easy to access affordable bikes." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Expand bikesharing, scooters, and micro- mobility to give people transportation options, and bring them under public community control and ownership." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Push to integrate the Compass Card system with micro-mobility as part of a path to a unified public transit system." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
"Connecting active transportation networks and micro-mobility to all community centres and public recreation facilities." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Everything else
Circular Economy
COPE promise
"Support circular economy initiatives and aggressively move towards a zero-waste economy, supporting programs like tool libraries, community repair programs, free stores, and programs like FreeGeek that repair electronics and recirculate them." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Biography
Solomon Yi-Kieran 易行天 is a student organizer and transit activist fighting for better transit, affordable housing, and a more transparent municipal government.
As the VP External at the UBC Student Union, they won $40 million in federal funding for youth climate jobs, defeated a provincial attempt to hike tuition, and led the campaign advocating for the UBC SkyTrain, including passing a city council motion endorsing the project.
Solomon is fighting for a covered bench at every bus stop to protect transit riders from the rain, to extend the bus lanes that Ken Sim promised but never delivered to stop buses from getting stuck in traffic, and to get a low income transit pass so every Vancouverite can afford to get to work.
COPE is pushing for 20,000 new units of affordable publicly owned rental housing, including 4,000 units built on city land, so that we can bring rents down and supply affordable housing to the people who need it. Solomon and COPE will also triple the empty homes tax to bring prices down, and bring back the Renters Office so that tenants in Vancouver have support.
Reason for running
votecope.ca/council www.votecope.ca/council