It’s official: Vancouverites will go to the polls on April 5 in a byelection to fill two vacancies on city council.
The seats became available following the resignations of OneCity Coun. Christine Boyle and Green Coun. Adriane Carr.
Boyle was elected to the legislature in October’s provincial election while Carr said she had lost confidence in the mayor and wanted to spend more time with her family.
The official commencement of the campaign triggered an unusual show of unity from four civic opposition parties, who held a joint press conference Tuesday afternoon.
Representatives from the Green Party, OneCity, Cope and Team for a Livable Vancouver gathered at city hall to call on Elections BC to complete a probe of alleged campaign finance irregularities by ABC Vancouver in the last municipal election.
Get daily National news
“We’re not united in any other sense of the word, but we are united on this issue around fairness of the electoral process,” Green Coun. Pete Fry said.
“We are here today in defence of democracy. We really feel it is incumbent that we all play by the same rules. Fair and democratic elections rely on transparency and accountability, and it’s been over two years.”
According to an amended 2022 ABC Vancouver election financial disclosure, the city’s governing party returned $116,000 in prohibited donations related to its campaigns for mayor, city council, school board and park board.
Cope co-chair Tanya Webking said ABC was able to unfairly make use of that money during the election campaign, giving it an edge against smaller, grassroots parties that “may have significantly affected that election.”
Webking said Elections BC should complete its investigation into the matter and mete out any discipline — whether it be fines, disqualifications or deregistration — before voters go back to the polls.
Elections BC confirmed campaign finance violation investigations into ABC Vancouver and several other municipal political parties, including Kennedy Stewart’s Forward Together, Progress Vancouver and Vision Vancouver remained active.
“We are working to conclude these investigations as soon as possible,” a spokesperson for the non-partisan election agency said in an email.
Global News is seeking comment from ABC Vancouver.
Under the protocols for Vancouver’s byelection, voters will be able to cast a ballot between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. at Vancouver City Hall or any of 24 community centres on voting day.
Advance voting will be open from March 26 to April 1 at city hall, while voters who wish to submit a ballot by mail can request their vote-by-mail package starting March 3.
With files from Alissa Thibault
- Trump says Canada tariffs have ‘nothing to do’ with forcing trade talks
- First Nations leader reconsidering stance on Northern Gateway pipeline after Trump’s tariff threats
- If Trump tariffs Canada, Trudeau backs ‘dollar-for-dollar’ matching response
- Ford’s office sends internal email signalling early Ontario election is imminent
