Ken Sim sworn in as mayor of Vancouver

Ken Sim was sworn in as the new mayor of Vancouver on Monday in a ceremony at the Orpheum Theatre that brought together supporters, local First Nations and faith leaders.

The 52-year-old businessman is the first Chinese-Canadian mayor in the 136-year history of the city.

In his address, Sim set the tone by repeatedly voicing his personal slogan, "You can't lose if you never give up."

"We heard loud and clear the people wanted change, and change is here," he said. "I'm going to strive to be the mayor that unites our city… Success can only be achieved if we are fearless in the face of failure."

In his speech, Sim reached out to British Columbia premier-designate David Eby and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, saying help was needed to address the city's mental health and opioid addiction crisis. 

"I stand here humbly asking for your help ... We are experiencing a great tragedy. Vancouver alone cannot solve this," he said. 

British Columbia provincial court Judge Derek Mah administered the oath of office to Sim and the 10 councillors elected in last month's civic election.

Representing the newly formed centre-right ABC Vancouver party, Sim won the mayor's seat by a commanding margin over incumbent Kennedy Stewart, campaigning on a platform prioritizing public safety and affordability. 

It was a redemption victory for Sim, who lost to Stewart by fewer than 1,000 votes in 2018.

ABC Vancouver's slate dominated the polls, with all of its candidates winning a seat on either council, park board or school board with decisive majorities.

The party promised to hire 100 new police officers and 100 mental health nurses as part of a community approach to policing while improving the city's permitting process to bolster the city's housing supply sooner.

The full platform was once available to the public online but was taken down from the party's website last month.