How the new Vancouver mayor’s office already looks different from its predecessors

Is it possible for Vancouver politics to be a little less … political?

For at least a few years now, Vancouver’s new mayor-elect, Pete Fry, has said that’s what he wants to see.

Both before and after Fry’s big win earlier this month over incumbent Ken Sim, Fry often spoke about how his experiences at the Union of B.C. Municipalities made him realize that other city councils are able to function without the rigid partisan politics that have become such an entrenched feature of Vancouver’s municipal governance for most of the last century.

In fact, Fry says, other municipal councils seem to actually function better without parties.

Now, Vancouver’s first Green mayor has a chance to actually walk-the-walk. Early indications this week suggest that, at least for now, he’s trying to follow through.

On Wednesday, Fry announced he’s enlisted outgoing Coun. Rebecca Bligh to lead his transition team, advise him and help “advance his priorities for the first 100 days in office.”

Bligh and Fry have never been members of the same party. They ran directly against each other three times: in the 2018 and 2022 council races where Bligh ran with the Non-Partisan Association and then ABC Vancouver, and then this year’s mayoral race, where Bligh ran with new party Vote Vancouver and lost to Fry.

Despite never sitting in the same caucus or being on the same campaign, the two became friends over their eight years together on council, Fry says. Fry said that although he didn’t always agree with Bligh during that time, they always worked well together and he values her insight.

Bligh also served as the immediate past-president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, representing the interests of the country’s cities in conversations with the Prime Minister’s Office. Having someone at city hall who knows how Ottawa works could also be an asset while Fry and his new council try to get up to speed.

Reached Thursday, Bligh said the work has already started and she expects it will “absolutely be a busy 100 days.”

“Settling the budget before year-end is the first big priority, and there’s real energy to hit the ground running,” Bligh said. “The election is over, and what matters now is the work ahead for Vancouver. When the mayor succeeds, Vancouver succeeds.”

(Asked about the compensation and length of Bligh’s new role, city staff said the mayor’s office is still finalizing her contract and more information will be shared later).

Then on Thursday, the city confirmed the mayor-elect’s recommendations for which councillors to appoint to various roles — and the appointments were spread around to every party on council.

ABC Coun. Mike Klassen, his party’s sole representative, will continue to represent the City of Vancouver at Metro Vancouver, as Fry indicated earlier that he wanted to lean on Klassen’s experience from last term at the regional body.

Joining Klassen as Metro directors will be the two other re-elected councillors, COPE’s Sean Orr and OneCity’s Lucy Maloney, and two new councillors, COPE’s Chloe Leslie and the Greens’ Annette Reilly.