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Derrick O'Keefe on Facebook 
I’m a parent of two school-aged kids, a renter, a union member, a community advocate, a writer and researcher, a long-time COPE member, a volunteer coach, and a life-long social justice advocate.
This is a page from the 2026 British Columbia Local Elections.
votecope.ca/schools www.votecope.ca/schools
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Derrick O'Keefe
Climate Change, Heat, Fires, & the Environment
Climate Adaptation
COPE promise
Update the Climate Adaptation Strategy to invest in sustainability initiatives, upgrade public infrastructure and housing, invest in local food production, and help communities prepare for climate events
"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
Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
COPE promises
Bring back the climate programmes that were cut by the current Council
"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 it's currently failing
"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
Meet and exceed IPCC climate targets
"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, and solar energy generation
"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
Rejoin the "Sue Big Oil" lawsuit
"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 Burrard Inlet
"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
"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
"Grow the urban forest canopy to 30% by 2050 with a priority for climate-resilient native species."
Walking & Cycling
COPE promises
Invest in active transportation and cycling infrastructure
"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
Give funding and space to community bike repair and recycling initiatives
"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 options, and bring them under public community control and ownership
"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 micro-mobility networks into the Compass Card system
"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
Connect active transportation networks to all community centres and public recreation facilities
"Connecting active transportation networks and micro-mobility to all community centres and public recreation facilities." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Culture & Events
Cultural Spaces & Venues
COPE promises
Set up a cultural land trust
"Reduce speculative pressure on artist spaces and protect Vancouver’s arts through a Cultural Land Trust." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Make a Vancouver Arts and Cultural Spaces Strategy to use city-owned land and vacant commercial spaces for galleries, venues, theatres and rehearsal spaces
"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 tie them to inflation
"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
Explore creating a municipal arts endowment or a dedicated tax revenue stream for long-term arts funding
"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 unpermitted arts venues
"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, and encourage vacant spaces to be used as performance and art spaces
"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
Expand access to covered band-stands, encourage street-corner performances, and support free and low-cost festivals
"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
Offer free access to museums, galleries, civic theatres, and cultural amenities through the Public Library of Leisure Access Pass
"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
"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
Place Names & Commemorations
COPE promises
Rename Dunsmuir Street to Ginger Goodwin Street
Review the City's street names, statues, and plazas for names that are contrary to Vancouver's values
Human Rights
Disabilities
COPE promise
Apply a disability justice lens to City policies, systems, services, funding, and structures
"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 sign the Apartheid-Free Communities pledge
"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
Local Government, Planning, & Democracy
Budgeting
COPE promise
Immediately advance an emergency benefit to reverse cuts
"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
Give residents a $25 voucher to donate to local political parties or candidates from public funds, to allow poor and middle-income people a bigger influence in politics
"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
Expand voting in municipal elections to all residents, including Permanent Residents
Disallow non-resident property owners from voting
Lower the voting age to 16
Make public transit free on election days
"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
Switch to a ranked ballot for Mayor, starting in 2030
"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
Advocate for proportional representation, ranked ballots, and a ward system
"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
Convene a citizens assembly to produce a fair electoral model for Vancouver
"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
"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
Have a worker-led audit interviewing current and past city workers, city partners, and the public to improve service delivery and cut waste
"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
Review service and system performance, patron experience, and staff climate
"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
Run an Affordability Audit to find places where cost of living is growing and where the City can use its power to lower costs
"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
Empower an integrity commissioner to hold politicians accountable and help regain public trust where it was damaged
"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 investigations
"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 from their 2026 Land Sales Audit
"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
Implement a mandatory cool-off period between appointments in city government and work in private sector industries that lobby the city
"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
"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
Have the Vancouver School Board host open, live-streamed meetings with public questions; town halls; brainstorming sessions; and participatory budget processes
"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
Have the Vancouver School Board provide transparent and ongoing oversight of the Superintendent
"Transparent and ongoing oversight of the Superintendent as the sole employee of the trustees." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Conduct regular reviews of Vancouver School Board governance and operational policies
"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
Have fewer private Vancouver School Board meetings
"Fewer private board meetings." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Oppose privatisation and public-private-partnerships
"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 prioritise local producers for city procurement and promote the development of sustainable, circular economic systems
"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
"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 programmes for acute health crises, like peer-assisted care teams
"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
Expand access to voluntary and compassionate treatment
"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
Mental Health in Schools
COPE promise
Fund school mental health councillors instead of school liaison officers
"Put student safety and well-being first by funding school mental health councillors instead of school liaison officers." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Public Safety & Policing
Intimate Partner Violence
COPE promise
Implement the give calls to action for municipalities of the Battered Women Support Services
"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
Police in Schools
COPE promise
Fund school mental health councillors instead of school liaison officers
"Put student safety and well-being first by funding school mental health councillors instead of school liaison officers." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Reconciliation & Indigenous Nations
Indigenous Schooling
COPE promise
Facilitate Indigenous education practices within school programming
Land Title & Governance
COPE promise
Support the development of Indigenous land trusts
Place Names & Commemorations
COPE promises
Rename Dunsmuir Street to Ginger Goodwin Street
Review the City's street names, statues, and plazas for names that are contrary to Vancouver's values
Schools & Public Education
After-School Programs
COPE promise
Use City-owned land to deliver City-owned spaces for children's services and programming, including theatre, STEM, sports, and recreation, education, and musical programming
Artificial Intelligence in Schools
COPE promises
Pause the rollout of AI Large Language Models in Vancouver schools
Engage and consult with parents and stakeholders on a technology audit to create protocols and guidelines to address AI risks
"Pause the rollout of AI Large Language Models (LLMs) in Vancouver Schools, and engage and consult with parents and stakeholders to implement a technology audit to create protocols and guidelines to address the following risks:
• Safety and privacy for students.
• Impact of AI usage on learning outcomes and mental health.
• Transparent and robust consultation with stakeholders and community on AI usage and adoption in schools.
• Impact on climate and the environment of AI usage and adoption
• Lack of student and staff AI usage policies and procedures
• Impact on the use of and validity of results when AI is used for public engagement and consultation."
— Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Bullying & Bigotry
COPE promises
Adopt recommendations from the BC Human Rights Commission to respond to and fight racism in schools
Push back against attacks on sexual orientation and gender identity education in schools
Childcare
COPE promises
Fund and partner with senior governments to provide 2,200 new public childcare spaces by 2030
"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
Set up drop-in childcare spaces at community centres and schools
"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
"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, both public and private
"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
Indigenous Schooling
COPE promise
Facilitate Indigenous education practices within school programming
Mental Health in Schools
COPE promise
Fund school mental health councillors instead of school liaison officers
"Put student safety and well-being first by funding school mental health councillors instead of school liaison officers." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Neurodivergent Students & Support
COPE promises
Properly fund inclusive education for students with diverse learning needs
Align special education funding with identified special education needs, including per-student funding for students with learning disabilities and those who need moderate behavioural support
"Align special education funding with identified special education needs, including per-student funding for students with learning disabilities and those who need moderate behavioral support." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Police in Schools
COPE promise
Fund school mental health councillors instead of school liaison officers
"Put student safety and well-being first by funding school mental health councillors instead of school liaison officers." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
School Buildings & New Schools
COPE promises
Mandate renewable energy sources on all new builds and major renovations
Implement an urgent action plan for seismic upgrades and air-quality upgrades
Treat school properties as public lands, protect them, and use them for public benefit
"Treat school properties as public lands, protect them, and use them for public benefit, instead of selling them off to make up for budget shortfalls." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
School Nutrition
COPE promise
Provide a universal breakfast and lunch programme in Vancouver schools
"Ensure no child is hungry with a universal breakfast and lunch program at Vancouver School Board." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
School Programmes
COPE promises
Reverse cuts to programmes for vulnerable students, including the Safe & Caring schools programme and the Britannia hockey academy
"Reverse ABC and Vancouver Liberal cuts to programs that provide support to vulnerable students like the safe and caring schools program and the Britannia hockey academy." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Support arts and recreation programming, including music and band, sports and recreation, theatre, and extra curricular activities
"Support arts and recreation programming for students at VSB, including music and band programming, sports and recreation, theatre, and extracurricular activities that allow students to develop skills and express themselves." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Support tuition-free adult basic education programmes
"Push the province for more public school funding, to reduce class sizes, and support tuition-free adult basic education (ABE) programs." — Fight for Vancouver, retrieved 2026-10-15
Traffic Safety Around Schools
COPE promise
Upgrade roads and make permanent school zones
Everything else
Circular Economy
COPE promise
Support tool libraries, community repair programmes, free stores, and programmes like FreeGeek that repair electronics and recirculate them
"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
submitted by the candidate or their team
I’m Derrick O’Keefe, and I’m running for School Board with the Coalition of Progressive Electors to fight for our kids, to fight for parents, and to fight for all the education workers doing their best with limited resources.
I’m running to close the gap between rich and poor, to close the gap between funding for elite private schools and the public system we all depend on, and to close the gap between the inadequate schools we have and the beautiful, functional, well-resourced schools we need and deserve.
I’m a parent of two school-aged kids, a renter, a union member, a community volunteer, a writer and researcher, and a life-long social justice advocate. For nearly 30 years I’ve been fighting to protect the public good in Vancouver against the unfair system that puts the greed of the few above the needs of the many.
I have a degree in Education from the University of British Columbia and have worked on curriculum development for K-12 and post-secondary institutions. I’m currently the administrator for a Vancouver-based non-profit and also working as a writer, editor, and researcher. I have written and edited a number of non-fiction books, including co-writing the memoir of Afghan women's rights activist Malalai Joya. I was a nominee at this year's Canadian Screen Awards for my research work on the documentary 'The Good Canadian.'
As a School Trustee I will insist on fully-funded and safe schools, equipped with all the support and opportunities our kids need and deserve. And I will make sure we don’t allow any more giveaways of public land to real estate speculators and the billionaire class.
Last year’s selloff of the basketball courts at Fleming Elementary in East Vancouver was outrageous, and led to my deeper engagement on School Board issues. It’s absolutely essential that we elect representatives who will make it clear to real estate speculators and profiteers that Vancouver is not for sale.
Reason for running
submitted by the candidate or their team
I'm running for School Board to fight for public education and to protect the common good in Vancouver against the unfair system that puts the greed of the few above the needs of the many.
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