NPA announces Fred Harding as Vancouver mayoral candidate

The Non-Partisan Association (NPA) announced Tuesday its mayoral candidate for Vancouver’s upcoming October municipal election.

Former West Vancouver police officer Fred Harding has taken the place of Park Board Commissioner, and previous NPA candidate, John Coupar who resigned from the party’s candidacy on Aug. 4.

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At an announcement outside the Roxy Cabaret on Granville Street in downtown Vancouver, the site of a recent machete attack that left four people in hospital, Harding affirmed the party’s tough-on-crime stance.

Harding previously ran unsuccessfully for mayor with the Vancouver 1st party in 2018, coming in sixth place with just over 5,500 votes.

During that campaign, Harding came under harsh criticism for comments he made in a video about SOGI 123 curriculum in Vancouver schools.

SOGI 123 is a resource for teachers and school administrators to help reduce sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) discrimination in schools.

The race against incumbent mayor Kennedy Stewart also includes candidates Ken Sim, Colleen Hardwick, and Mark Marissen.