Pete Fry

Pete Fry

@ptfry.bsky.social

Vancouver City Councillor. Fighting corruption and greed. UBCM Director, planning commission, arts/culture, dog-guy. Green.

2.3K followers331 following191 posts

Pete Fry
@ptfry.bsky.social

Ken Sim and ABC just pulled a no-notice special urgent meeting to approve nearly $5m to keep the Granville Street Fan zone going for seven weeks after FIFA. While we love the FIFA fan zone, what’s the plan to sustain the vibes after FIFA has packed up and gone?

Pete Fry
@ptfry.bsky.social

(Spoiler alert : we saw no plan) Amidst massive budget cuts elsewhere - it would have been nice to at least see some sort of plan - but hey, at least he’s not spending our tax dollars on bitcoins !!

Pete Fry
@ptfry.bsky.social

The thing about conflict of interest is *perception*. A normal taxpayer-funded plaza takes 6-10 months to approve, but if you are a neighbour in the employ of the mayor Ken Sim's office it takes less than four? 🤔 *perception* www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/ar...

ctvnews.caDid the Vancouver mayor’s office fast-track a public plaza to benefit a staffer?A newly constructed temporary plaza built next to an East Vancouver restaurant is raising questions as to whether it was accelerated due to the business’ connection to the mayor’s office.
Pete Fry
@ptfry.bsky.social

Yesterday, an adversarial City Councillor leaned into my office uninvited to call me a “f#@!ng donkey” I think he meant it as an insult. But donkeys are intelligent, loyal, tough as heck, and regularly deployed to protect livestock from predators. That’s a nice compliment. Thanks! #donkey 🚫ABC

Pete Fry
@ptfry.bsky.social

Lots of talk about the capital plan - what is it, where does the money come from and what say are you going to have in what priorities your tax dollars are spent on?

Pete Fry
@ptfry.bsky.social

After Cllr Lenny Zhou is caught publishing defamatory libel, manufacturing falsehoods accusing us of being drug users/dealers and fomenting ugly divisive rhetoric --this statement is not an apology, it's not even an excuse. Zhou, communicating solely to media, while mayor so far fails to disavow.

Justin McElroy 🇨🇦@jmcelroy.bsky.social

UPDATE: Vancouver Lenny Zhou has apologized for a video he posted on WeChat where he said without evidence that multiple opposition councillors were drug users and dealers

Pete Fry
@ptfry.bsky.social

On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, thinking about the 6 million Jews murdered by the Nazis, along with hundreds of thousands of dissidents, LGBT, Roma, people with disabilities. Reflecting on those horrors, the statement "never again" and the systems that enable genocide today and ongoing.

Pete Fry
@ptfry.bsky.social

Meanwhile - the right wing trolls see my reasonable comments quite differently. Cue the anonymous hewers of outrage and drawers of rhetoric to spin up some angry misinformation...

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Pete Fry
@ptfry.bsky.social

This is in no way to diminish the very real challenges that London Drugs staff and stab proof vested security guards would have had to deal with on a daily basis here and as LD president admits are issues across BC - but the business model and consumer market at this location are part of the reality

Pete Fry
@ptfry.bsky.social

It's hard to imagine a 27k ft retailer filling this space (see nearby empty Bay and Nordstroms), big footprint retail is challenged in this online age --but thoughtful interventions to support local-serving small business, third spaces other than streets, and curtail criminal activity would help.

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Pete Fry
@ptfry.bsky.social

By the time the tax exemption ended in 2020, the foreign investment-driven Vancouver real estate market had dried up, and COVID-19 catalyzed a broken system and challenges around mental health, substance use and acquired brain injury, exploding into a crisis of theft, violence and street disorder.

Pete Fry
@ptfry.bsky.social

This left an oversized shopping destination with an undersized consumer market expending scant resources and staff's wellbeing on safety and security. And the promise of redevelopment bringing new residents and new customers had all but evaporated.

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Pete Fry
@ptfry.bsky.social

When the new Woodward's mixed use development opened with housing and cultural spaces and retail it was heralded as a success, and anchor tenants like London Drugs were welcomed with a permissive ten year property tax exemption (thanks to sec 396A of the Vancouver Charter).

Pete Fry
@ptfry.bsky.social

London Drugs in Woodwards opened as an outsized flagship sort of a store at 27,000 sq ft: almost as big at the Georgia and Granville location; twice the size of Olympic Village. The logic was likely that a super size London Drugs would attract more investment and development, as downtown moved east

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Pete Fry
@ptfry.bsky.social

The site stayed vacant for several years, but for the Artropolis show and later Woodsquat occupation. Planners, pundits, and small businesses alike recognized the Woodwards Block served as a bulwark to the chaos of DTES drifting west. Activists recognized that any redevelopment needed social justice

Pete Fry
@ptfry.bsky.social

In 1998, a well-intentioned but disastrous decision by the council of the day shut down 'undesirable' businesses: 24h cafes, convenience stores, buy & sell markets and pawn shops. With nowhere indoors to go, more people ended up on the streets, and small businesses faced increasing street disorder

Pete Fry
@ptfry.bsky.social

In 1993, when Woodward's closed I was owner/operator of a print shop on that same block at 159 West Hastings. The impacts of the department store's demise were immediate and profound: foot traffic dropped off, street disorder rose and many small businesses on that same block folded within the year.

Pete Fry
@ptfry.bsky.social

While voting as an ABC block, Cllr Zhou - quoted in the article -- professed to be solidly "pro housing," but his voting record suggests he's "solidly" voted against new supportive housing, rentals in Shaughnessy, and now, social housing city-wide #notallhousing

Vancouver Sun@vancouversun.bsky.social

Vancouver council rejects move to fast-track social housing towers, citing public opposition vancouversun.com/news/vancouv...

Pete Fry
@ptfry.bsky.social

Important reckoning. Sadly, this is a broken record / broken system where supposedly well intentioned child apprehensions often result in real harm to the kids and parent(s) and very little accountability. I know and have worked with many of the people involved in this story 🙌🏽 gratitude and respect.

IndigiNews@indiginews.bsky.social

Afro-Indigenous mom wins case in top ‘B.C.’ court against agency that seized her kids ‘Justine’ believes her appeal victory will ‘definitely help other families’ involved with the child welfare system who face discrimination indiginews.com/features/ind...

indiginews.comAfro-Indigenous mom wins case in top ‘B.C.’ court against agency that seized her kids'Justine' believes her appeal victory will 'definitely help other families' involved with the child welfare system who face discrimination and stereotypes
Pete Fry
@ptfry.bsky.social

The beautiful game, used as a cover for deportation and breaking up families, while FIFA strokes Trump's ego with some symbolic prize. Please let's do something meaningfully symbolic and stand for Sanctuary, and Access without Fear in Vancouver's FIFA plan www.hrw.org/news/2025/12...

hrw.orgUS: ICE Arrest at FIFA Event Spotlights Dangers for World CupThe arrest and return of an asylum seeker who took his children to the Club World Cup soccer tournament final on July 13, 2025, raises serious concerns about the safety of noncitizens attending the 20...
Pete Fry
@ptfry.bsky.social

Zero Means Zero Meets FIFA Staff report Dec 9 recommends terminating 10/11 Advisory Committees. As the World Cup looms and we've yet to see a Human Rights Plan, volunteer-led citizens advisories are scrapped. Eliminating Committees saves $160,000 @ department targeted by #zeromeanszero cuts

Pete Fry
@ptfry.bsky.social

❌2SLGBTQ+ ❌Arts and Culture ❌Children, Youth and Families ❌Older Persons and Elders ❌Persons with Disabilities ❌Racial and Ethno-Cultural Equity ❌Renters ❌Transportation Advisory ❌Food Policy Council ❌Women’s Advisory #zeromeanszero

Pete Fry
@ptfry.bsky.social

Budget silver lining? Disappointing to hear the Celebration of Lights are being cancelled. BUT on the upside, this does free up over $1m of in-kind policing City of Vancouver contributes, perhaps we can refund some of the cuts to community services? #zeromeanszero www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

cbc.caVancouver's Celebration of Light fireworks festival cancelled indefinitely | CBC NewsOrganizers of a public fireworks festival, which has brought millions of people to Vancouver's English Bay over the past three decades, says it can’t go ahead without long-term government and private-...
Pete Fry
@ptfry.bsky.social

This is absolutely horrific. 36 dead, 279 missing in Hong Kong highrise complex fire. This photo from CBC captures the anguish many of us are feeling for our friends and family across the Pacific in our spiritual (not official) sister city. www.cbc.ca/player/play/...

cbc.caHong Kong highrise fire leaves several dead, others trapped insideA fire spread across multiple highrise buildings in a Hong Kong housing complex on Wednesday, killing 13 people and leaving others trapped inside, authorities said.
Pete Fry
@ptfry.bsky.social

LIVE Budget Engineering fees set to go up across the board for everything was severed to provide relief for patio permits (a nice $300,000 nod to consider small business) but when I suggested it could be offset by increasing Street and Traffic By-law Fines specific to road safety, ABC rejected 😒

Pete Fry
@ptfry.bsky.social

Magnanimous gesture from ABC to include offer new funding for baby change tables, which would otherwise be defunded - and that's great who doesn't love babies! No word on how it will be paid for though, sponsorship? Having a sh!tty season? Enjoy this Canucks change table.

Pete Fry
@ptfry.bsky.social

Cllr Zhou brings amendment to cut funding for energy retrofits like residential cooing grants, to fill potholes... On brand since Zhou also voted for lifting the natural gas ban - and in fairness he wasn't on council when 117 ppl died in the heat dome. Ignorance is bliss.

Pete Fry
@ptfry.bsky.social

Toxic rhetoric online isn't new, but when political leaders indulge violent language directed at local elected colleagues, it's a failure at most basic level of democracy. Politicians have a moral obligation to call our (not hug out) their supporters when they cross that line. Do better. ⬇️thread

Nadine@nadinenakagawa.bsky.social

In New West, the political rhetoric has gotten completely out of control, stoked by the New West Progressives. At our Monday council meeting, the two NWP members voted against me attending a conference about countering online harm and misinformation. Meanwhile, on their social media page, there is

Pete Fry
@ptfry.bsky.social

Ken Sim's comments on EarlyEd were delusional: His defense of "thorough budget presentation" suggested councillors were afforded multiple rounds of questions. In fact, critical councillors were given only two 5min blocks for questions and answers on 90 slide, 23p, $2.4b budget before ABC cut us off

Jen St. Denis@jenstden.bsky.social

Listening to Ken Sim’s @cbcstephenquinn.bsky.social interview and it’s kind of surprising his team doesn’t prepare him better for this tough interviewer. He says the police board has said no to some budget asks and the police have cut back their spending - but can’t name examples. #vanpoli

Pete Fry
@ptfry.bsky.social

THANK YOU Vancouver! On doctor’s orders I’m reclined and elevating my leg after a torn calf muscle. But rest assured I’m gratefully watching/listening to the various Vancouverites speaking out against the cuts to staff and services behind ABC’s opaque #zeromeanszero 2026 austerity budget

Pete Fry
@ptfry.bsky.social

The mayor cutting off a speaker for suggesting no-one on council wanted to get elected to hurt people just now seems to be an over-reaction - I don't think that impugns motive or is disrespectful under 61 of our Procedure bylaw. But speakers, it is important to avoid that perception

Pete Fry reposted

Stewart Prest
@stewartprest.ca

Vancouver has spent decades building up a now well-earned reputation for leadership on environmental sustainability. Apparently, the mayor and ABC majority don't see the value in it. Hard to imagine a better way to damage the city's brand.

Canada's National Observer@nationalobserver.com

NEW: Councillors and sources inside the City of Vancouver say the city's mayor, Ken Sim, will put forth a budget Wednesday that will eliminate the city's celebrated climate and sustainability department.

nationalobserver.comVancouver mayor plans to eliminate city's climate and sustainability departmentVancouver Mayor Ken Sim is planning to eliminate the city's sustainability and climate department under the guise of a push to prevent increases to property taxes. Canada's National Observer learned a...
Pete Fry
@ptfry.bsky.social

Vancouver's 'zero means zero' budget will mean slashing 400 jobs “These aren’t surgical cuts. These are chainsaw cuts. We haven’t gotten the details of where these cuts are going to really land and what it’s going to mean for services that Vancouverites rely on" vancouversun.com/opinion/colu...

vancouversun.comLeaked memo says Vancouver's 'back to basics' budget will mean slashing 400 jobsDraft budget contemplates cuts in 12 of 20 areas, and spending freezes in two. Five departments will get spending boosts. Read more.