Vancouver council has given the green light to Mayor Ken Sim’s proposal for two plebiscite questions concerning drug use. These questions will be presented to voters during the municipal election in October.
Mayor Sim’s efforts to include plebiscite questions on public drug use and the addition of involuntary care beds in the upcoming municipal election have faced criticism from opponents who view it as a strategic move for the election.
Sim aims to seek input from voters on enhancing the city’s regulations regarding “open-air hard drug use” and advocating for more involuntary care treatment at a forthcoming hospital site. He plans to convene an emergency council meeting to add these questions to the ballot for Vancouver voters on October 17, emphasizing that obtaining official input from voters would provide a stronger mandate for the next municipal government to tackle drug issues in the city.
During his term, Sim and the ABC party prioritized public safety in the city. He has previously raised concerns about the province’s approach to social housing and overdose prevention services in Vancouver. Sim’s proposal includes a call for the conversion of parts of the St. Paul’s Hospital site into a secure medical facility with acute voluntary and over 100 involuntary care beds.
In response to queries about the importance of locating involuntary care facilities within the city, Sim highlighted the urgent need for such facilities in Vancouver, citing improved outcomes when individuals are closer to their community and loved ones.
Vancouver mayoral candidate Kareem Allam, a former chief of staff to Sim, criticized the second proposed plebiscite question, accusing Sim of inconsistency in his stance on social services’ location. Allam viewed this move as a political distraction rather than a step forward for the city.
City council, which was on summer break, reconvened for an emergency meeting to vote on Sim’s plebiscite questions. Councillor Pete Fry, running for mayor with the Green Party of Vancouver, expressed concerns about the lack of specifics in the proposal to utilize the St. Paul’s Hospital site, which was acquired by developer Concord Pacific in 2020 for nearly $1 billion, with undisclosed future plans.
Fry characterized the plebiscite as a tactic to create division and attract voters to the polls, labeling it a calculated election strategy.