Three days before British Columbians choose a government, the BC War Room turned to a politician who just won his own race. On Day 30 of the campaign, Michael Gardiner and Azim Jiwani were joined by Vancouver Mayor-elect Pete Fry, whose Green Party campaign drew the largest vote tally in the history of the city's mayoral races.
Fry described himself as a reluctant candidate who was pushed toward the race by colleagues across the province. He credited a progressive primary for consolidating support behind him and avoiding a split vote, and said his win drew support from Greens, New Democrats and even some Conservatives. He promised a less partisan city hall. He is meeting one-on-one with every councillor-elect and says Greens are idealists rather than ideologues, with consensus as their guiding value. He said his relationship with top vote-getter Sean Orr of COPE is built on trust and mentorship, and joked that the attack ads linking them weren't wrong: they really are buddies.
On community safety, Fry said Vancouver voters want a thoughtful, compassionate response, pointing to daytime shelters and services with conditions attached to protect neighbourhoods. Ken Sim's attack ads, he said, only built up his brand, and voters chose kindness instead.
On the provincial race, Fry said his appearance with BC NDP leader David Eby was not an endorsement, and that knocking doors for BC Green leader Emily Lowan was natural given their shared history. He said he'll work with whoever wins, including Lorne Doerkson. He called the decision to hold a snap election one of the campaign’s biggest mistakes.
Fry's first asks of the next government: housing, mental health and addictions supports, and SkyTrain to UBC, with interim bus rapid transit since a subway will take a decade to build. One of his first moves, he said, will be reversing the city's ban on supportive housing.
Asked for his favourite moment in office, Fry recalled replacing a removed bus shelter for wheelchair users at a group home within days of his first election as a councillor. As he put it, he's a big fan of sweating the small stuff.
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