With less than a year until the upcoming municipal elections in British Columbia, Vancouver voters are signaling their readiness for a change in leadership.
A recent survey conducted by Canada Pulse Insights for CityNews reveals that the primary concern among Vancouver residents is affordability, closely followed by issues such as home ownership, homelessness, the opioid crisis, healthcare, crime, and traffic congestion.
Interestingly, education and affordable daycare — areas overseen by the provincial government — were deemed of lesser importance by respondents.
Expanding the scope, residents across the Metro Vancouver Regional District echoed similar sentiments, identifying key concerns such as job availability, public transportation, and the need for accountability and ethics in local government.
When asked about their perception of the city’s current trajectory, only 35% of Vancouverites expressed confidence in its direction. A significant majority, 65%, believed the city was on the wrong path, with 73% feeling that Mayor Ken Sim and the council were disconnected from the desires and needs of the community.
The sentiment was mirrored across Metro Vancouver, where 62% of respondents viewed Vancouver’s state unfavorably, and 69% disapproved of Mayor Sim’s performance.
Reflecting a strong desire for change, 69% of Vancouver residents indicated that they do not support Mayor Sim’s re-election, with 64% also expressing a desire to replace council members.
The poll further revealed that 58% of respondents rated Mayor Sim’s performance as poor, while 55% held a similar view of the city council.
Interestingly, when it comes to the selection process for municipal candidates, only 27% preferred a united party approach, with the majority favoring assessing candidates individually based on their platforms, policies, and views.
The next civic election is scheduled for October 17, 2026.
Canada Pulse Insights conducted the survey from September 30 to October 6, polling 351 adults in Vancouver and 306 adults in the Metro Vancouver Regional District. The margin of error for samples of this size is estimated at +/- 5.2% (n=351) and +/- 5.7% (n=306), with a confidence level of 95%.