Vancouver approves non-binding drug plebiscites that mayor-elect Pete Fry disavowed

VANCOUVER — Voters in Vancouver have voted by about two-thirds in favour of two plebiscite questions proposed by the city’s outgoing mayor on drug use, despite ejecting him from office in the same election.

The City of Vancouver says about 137,000 people voted in favour of stronger laws on open-air hard-drug use, and about 136,000 voted for the city to ask the province to provide “100-plus” involuntary care beds in the city.

But the plebiscite questions were non-binding and mayor-elect Pete Fry said during the campaign that he did not think that putting them on the ballot was necessary, criticizing the questions as cynical and lacking details.

Fry has said he supports managing drug use in public spaces, but differs from outgoing Mayor Ken Sim in believing people should be diverted to supervised consumption sites or shelters.

Sim had said a “yes” vote would have given the city a stronger mandate to deal with drug use in Vancouver.

Fry convincingly defeated Sim in the Oct. 17 vote, which also saw progressive parties sweep Sim’s ABC party out of all but one council seat.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2026.

The Canadian Press