B.C. civic election profile: City of Vancouver

There are 15 people running to be mayor in the City of Vancouver.

According to a recent poll, there are five main contenders for the job, and in the last edition of our special series, we’ve broken them down.

Kennedy Stewart (Incumbent)

Stewart is hoping to keep his job as mayor and is running with the Forward with Kennedy Stewart party.

If re-elected, he says he will significantly increase the housing supply in the city while also protecting renters.

He’s also running on expanding mental health supports, and creating a sustainable and equitable city.

Before becoming mayor, Stewart was an MP for the NDP party for seven years.

He has a Ph.D. in world cities and is a professor at SFU’s School of Public Policy.

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Colleen Hardwick

Hardwick is a current city councillor and is running for mayor with the TEAM for a Livable Vancouver party.

She says if elected, she will create affordable housing, focus on public safety and prioritize core services.

Hardwick says the TEAM party wants to restore balance in the city, making it safer and more affordable.

She has served on Vancouver city council since 2018, and is an award-winning entrepreneur, founding businesses in the film and TV, and digital technology industries.

Hardwick studied geography, urban planning, and innovation at UBC.

Fred Harding

Harding is a former police officer and is now running with the NPA Party.

His top priorities include public safety, investing in housing, and making sure basic services are improved.

He says as a former officer, he understands what’s required to restore public safety and confidence to Vancouver’s streets.

Harding was born in England and worked as a detective with the Metropolitan Police Service of London from 1984 to 1997, before moving to Vancouver to raise his children. He was also a police officer in West Vancouver.

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Ken Sim

Sim is the co-founder of two Vancouver-based companies and is running with ABC Vancouver.

He narrowly lost the last election to Stewart by less than a thousand votes.

If elected, Sim plans to focus on public safety by hiring 100 police officers and 100 mental health nurses, however, some have questioned whether this is possible.

He also wants to focus on affordability by tripling housing starts and streamlining permitting within the city.

Sim co-founded Rosemary Rocksalt and Nurse Next Door, he lives with his wife and four sons in Kitsilano.

Mark Marissen

Marissen is a business and political advisor and is running with Progress Vancouver.

His platform includes creating more housing, investing in safety, and addressing the drug crisis by asking the province to bring in safer supply.

He says housing is everything for his party, saying Progress has a united plan to make housing in the city affordable again.

Marissen currently serves as a senior advisor to McMillan Vintage.

He says he has founded and operated multiple companies, including Burrard Strategy.

Voting day for B.C.’s municipalities is Oct. 15.