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Pete Fry topples Ken Sim to become Vancouver's first Green mayor

CityNews projected late Saturday that two-term councillor Pete Fry has beaten one-term incumbent Ken Sim, as Vancouver's civic government swung sharply left in B.C.'s municipal elections.

News Desk

Published: October 18, 2026 · Updated: October 18, 2026 · 1 min read

Vancouver has elected its first Green mayor. CityNews projected late Saturday that Pete Fry of the Green Party of Vancouver will become the city's next mayor, defeating one-term incumbent Ken Sim of ABC Vancouver after the Oct. 17 municipal election.

Sim conceded, phoning Fry on election night. "Ken was very gracious in offering his assistance on making sure I steward the city well," Fry told supporters. In his concession speech, Sim called being elected mayor "the highlight of my life."

Election-night results showed a decisive win. With 148 of 149 voting places reporting, Fry had 89,706 votes to Sim's 63,072, according to election-night reporting. Colleen Hardwick of TEAM for a Livable Vancouver finished a distant third. The results remain unofficial until certified by the city.

Fry's victory marks a political first. Vancouver was the first major city to elect a Green candidate to council, back in 2011, and Fry becomes the first Green candidate elected to lead a major Canadian city, according to the Globe and Mail's account.

The swing went well beyond the mayor's race. ABC Vancouver, which swept to power in 2022 with a centre-right council majority, was reduced to a single council seat, while the Greens were joined by gains for the city's other major left-leaning parties, COPE and OneCity.

Fry and the Vancouver Greens campaigned on housing affordability, transportation, sustainable growth and community safety — including proposals to use city-owned land for affordable homes and to expand non-emergency outreach services.

Saturday was B.C.'s provincewide general local election day, with CBC News describing the night as 161 municipal elections across the province. Vancouver voters also chose councillors, Park Board commissioners and school trustees, and answered borrowing and plebiscite questions.

"Thank you for putting your trust in me and my team here. We're not going to let you down," Fry told supporters in his victory speech. "We love this city a lot and we're here to work for this city and fight for the city."

What matters

What happened

Vancouver voters elected Green candidate Pete Fry as mayor, ousting incumbent Ken Sim in the Oct. 17 municipal election.

Why it matters

It's the first time a Green candidate will lead a major Canadian city, and the result flipped Vancouver's civic government sharply left after one term of ABC Vancouver's centre-right majority.

What we know

The call came from CityNews's election-night projection; the count remains unofficial until the city certifies results. Fry campaigned on housing affordability, community safety and using city land for affordable homes.

What we don’t

The final certified results — the city has not yet declared official totals, and exact vote margins could shift slightly.

What’s next

Fry takes over from Sim in the coming weeks; watch for the new council's first moves on housing and whether the Green-COPE-OneCity alignment holds on major votes.

Sources

VancouverPete Frymunicipal elections

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