One year in, Ken Sim talks about swagger in the short-term, and preaches patience in the long-term
Beyond feelings, how has Vancouver improved in Sim's first year as mayor — and what more does he want to do?
One year into being Mayor of Vancouver, Ken Sim is asked what his proudest accomplishments are in his first year.
His answer won't be surprising to those who have been following his leadership style.
"The biggest thing that I'm personally excited about through the first year is just the renewed sense of hope that we feel in the city," he said.
When asked for specifics, Sim mentions a fully funded police and fire department, bringing back police officers in schools, removing the Hastings street encampment, getting rid of the cup fee, voting against a bike lane along Broadway, and focusing more on the safety and prosperity of Chinatown.
But it's that initial response about a "renewed sense of hope" that is consistent with how Sim talks about his goals as mayor.
It fits in with Sim's talk about "vibes" and "bringing swagger back" and making Vancouver a "world-class city". It fits in with Sim's prodigious appearances at events all over Vancouver, talking up the potential of the city and the people that live there.
Beyond feelings though, how has Vancouver improved in Sim's first year as mayor — and what more does he want to do?
Stats show status quo
In the last year, the topline statistics about the big political issues in Vancouver haven't changed much.
The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver's benchmark price for a home is up eight per cent on the east side of the city, and according to Rentals.ca, the asking price for a vacant one-bedroom rental unit is up 10.1 per cent.
According to the Vancouver Police Department, reported violent crime in 2023 is up just 0.1 per cent compared to last year, but property crime is up 9.4 per cent. And according to the B.C. Coroners Service, more than 52 people a month in Vancouver have died of overdoses so far this year, compared to 48 people in 2022.
These are trendlines that Vancouver's previous two mayors also struggled to reverse, and Sim pointed out that a municipality can only control so much.
He also rejected the notion his administration hasn't focused on changes that could help reverse these longstanding trends.
"When people look from the outside looking in it may look like nothing's happening, but there's a lot happening in the background," he said, mentioning the effects of hiring 100 new police officers or initial changes to the city's permitting process.
"Some of these things will have quick wins. Some of these things will take three, five, six years to roll out. But we have to start the work now. You're not going to see the impact now, but we're going to wake up one day and this place is going to be a lot better."
Why trains = swagger
Whether that happens will go a long way in determining whether the vibes that propelled Sim and his party to an overwhelming majority in the 2022 election will last.
In the short term though, he's happy to point out "quick wins" that showcase his style of leadership.
"I'm happy with the progress we've made, but we have to make more and we're looking for out-of-the-box solutions. For example: the Stanley Park train," said Sim, who then gave a minute-long explanation of how the restoration of the popular attraction happened, after years of it mostly being shut down due to mechanical issues.
"The answer we got was it's not gonna open, and we're like, 'No, the residents of Vancouver want it,'" he said.
"We looked for private donors and the community stepped up … and then we got a train expert to come in to help us with the challenges that we have."
It bears noting that half of those donors who stepped up were the philanthropic arm of prominent Vancouver business families that donated heavily to Sim and ABC Vancouver last election.
At the same time, thousands of people donated to candidates in the last election. It is Sim's city now.
A city that now has a repaired train.
"It's something that wouldn't have been able to happen if we had to follow traditional channels to approve the funding and looking at our current resources," he said.
"And so that helps us bring swagger back."
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