Full Breakdown
Pete Fry Becomes Vancouver’s First Green Mayor
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
Voters in Vancouver elected Pete Fry as mayor, making him the first Green Party member to lead a major Canadian city. Fry defeated incumbent Ken Sim, who was seeking a second term, and his victory was confirmed on election night. The new council is dominated by left-of-centre representatives: of the ten councillors elected, nine sit on the left, including four Greens, four members of the Coalition of Progressive Electors, and one from OneCity, while the ABC party of former mayor Sim holds a single seat.
Background and Political Landscape
Pete Fry, born in Dublin to Anglo-Trinidadian parents, moved to Vancouver at age two. He is the son of long-time Liberal MP Hedy Fry and has served on the Vancouver City Council since 2018. Before politics, Fry studied arts and business at Simon Fraser University, ran a publishing house and clothing import business, and spent three decades as a self-employed graphic artist. His entry into municipal politics began in 2006 on a dog-strategy task force, and personal experience after a friend’s fatal stabbing on a downtown street spurred his involvement in the Downtown Eastside community, where he continues to reside.
Official Statements & Responses
Fry said his top priority is “community safety” and addressing the visible impacts of poverty and homelessness, proposing an office of community safety to coordinate police, fire, social services, and land-use planning, as well as a 24-hour non-police response team for non-emergency calls. He also pledged to lift the moratorium on new supportive-housing projects introduced by Sim. Fry emphasized a collaborative approach, noting his willingness to work with the newly formed council and his existing rapport with Police Chief Steve Rai.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We hear loud and clear from folks that they are struggling with quality of life in the city,” — Mr. Fry, first green councillor
- “It’s certainly a council that I think I can work with,” — Mr. Fry, first green councillor
- “He’s going to make a great mayor,” — Hedy Fry, first green councillor