Vancouver's new mayor picks deputy, Metro Vancouver board members

VANCOUVER · Vancouver's new city council will consider mayor-elect Pete Fry's first appointments at its inaugural meeting on Monday. Fry has recommended COPE councillor Sean Orr serve as deputy mayor for the first few months of the term, through January 2027. He also put forward a slate of seven people to occupy Vancouver's seats on the Metro Vancouver Regional District board. The council meeting follows the mayoral inauguration ceremony at the Orpheum Theatre earlier on Nov. 2.

The deputy mayor role involves representing the mayor and council at official events and functions, particularly when the mayor is absent. Orr would take over the rotating position from outgoing ABC councillor Sarah Kirby-Yung. Fry told Daily Hive Urbanized he has a good working relationship with Orr, who leads the COPE caucus, and expects to rely on him as the council transitions from opposition. Fry emphasized a desire for collaboration over partisanship in the new council. He pointed to the specific expertise of other councillors, such as OneCity's Lucy Maloney in active transportation and ABC's Mike Klassen in business community connections, as strengths he aims to support. "I've been super clear that I don't intend to run a hyperpartisan council," Fry said. "In fact, I really would like everybody to almost drop their colours as we get into Council, and let's just focus on how we're going to work for the betterment of the city."

The proposed Metro Vancouver board members are Fry himself, Green councillors Camil Dumont and Annette Reilly, COPE councillors Orr and Chloe Leslie, OneCity councillor Maloney, and ABC councillor Mike Klassen. Under the regional district's weighted voting system, which is based on municipal population, this group would collectively hold 34 votes. The four councillors not named as primary directors would act as alternates for board meetings. Fry is also slated to represent the city on the Union of British Columbia Municipalities executive. A nomination will be put forward for Green councillor Stephanie Smith to join the Federation of Canadian Municipalities board for the rest of its 2025-2027 term, pending an internal election by that body. The Vancouver Park Board will hold its own inaugural meeting on Nov. 2, with the school board following on Nov. 9.

With files from Daily Hive