Progress Vancouver

Progress Vancouver was a municipal political party in Vancouver, British Columbia, created in June 2018 to support the candidacy of Hector Bremner for mayor. Known as Yes Vancouver until October 2021, the party was the first municipal political party in British Columbia that stated their explicit dedication to YIMBY principles.[3] The party was deregistered by Elections BC in July 2023.[4]

Progress Vancouver
Deregistered municipal party
LeaderMark Marissen
ChairpersonAzim Jiwani
FoundedJune 28, 2018 (2018-06-28)
DissolvedJuly 4, 2023 (2023-07-04)
Split fromNon-Partisan Association
IdeologyFiscal conservatism
Social progressivism
YIMBY[1]
Political positionCentre to centre-right[2]
City council
0 / 11
Park board
0 / 7
School board
0 / 9
Website
www.progressvancouver.ca

History

2018 election

Hector Bremner was first elected as an Non-Partisan Association (NPA) councillor in the 2017 Vancouver by-election, but his bid to run for the party's mayoral nomination in the city's 2018 election was blocked by the party executive. The president of the NPA did not reveal the reasons for rejecting Bremner's bid for nomination.[5] This resulted in a divide between Bremner and his supporters and the NPA leadership, prompting Bremner to split from the NPA and create Yes Vancouver on June 28, 2018.[6][7] In October 2021, Yes Vancouver rebranded as Progress Vancouver.[8]

2022 election

Following the rebrand to Progress Vancouver, and changes to the makeup of the party board, Progress emerged as an urbanist, centrist party with candidates coming from centre-left and centre-right backgrounds.[9] In addition to mayoral candidate Mark Marissen, Progress Vancouver nominated the following city council candidates: Asha Hayer, David Chin, Marie-Noelle Rosa, Mauro Francis, May He, and Morgane Oger. The party also nominated a candidate for director of Electoral Area A, Jonah Gonzalez.

Deregistration

On July 4, 2023, Elections BC deregistered Progress Vancouver for failing to meet campaign financing disclosure requirements following the 2022 election. Elections BC stated that the party's violations included accepting a non-permissible loan of $50,000, accepting prohibited campaign contributions from outside British Columbia, and accepting contributions more than the annual campaign contribution limit. All candidates who ran for Progress Vancouver in 2022 are disqualified from running again in a local election until after the 2026 general local elections. Elections BC also stated that their investigation into the party's finance was ongoing and further enforcement actions may be taken.[10]

Platform

The 2018 platform of Yes Vancouver mainly focused on the city's housing shortage. The party promised to increase the supply of rental housing in Vancouver to reduce the cost of rent by establishing citywide pre-zoning, using incentives on city-owned land to add affordable housing, and capping permit times. The party also supported the specific targeting of speculation over the current homeowners of Vancouver.[11]

Progress Vancouver's 2022 platform is similarly focused on housing affordability, but also seeks to address public safety, the drug poisoning crisis, and homelessness. Housing commitments include: allowing multi-family residential units city-wide, establishing a Vancouver Civic Housing Corporation, increase housing targets to 15,000 units annually, and enact a luxury property surtax on the top 1% of properties in Vancouver. Public safety commitments include: redefining the Four-Pillar drug strategy, asking the provincial government to pilot safe supply, using vacant land to operate temporary emergency outdoor shelters, and increasing penalties for random, unprovoked stranger assaults.[12]

Electoral performance

Party leader Hector Bremner ran as Yes Vancouver's mayoral candidate for the Vancouver municipal election, held on October 20, 2018. Five candidates from Yes Vancouver ran for city council: entrepreneurs Brinder Bains, Glynnis Chan, Stephanie Ostler, Phyllis Chan and Jaspreet Virdi, none of whom were elected to city council. Educator and former NPA school board candidate Julian Prieto unsuccessfully ran for the Vancouver School Board for the second time, last running with the NPA during the 2017 by-election, and coach Leo Heba also unsuccessfully ran for the Vancouver Park Board.[13][14][15]

Mayoral
Election year Candidate Votes  % Position Result
2018 Hector Bremner 9,940 5.73 5th Not elected
2022 Mark Marissen 5,830 3.47 Increase 4th Not elected
Vancouver City Council
Election Seats +/– Votes  % Change (pp) Position
2018
0 / 11
 Decrease 1 64,792 4.63 Steady No seats
2022
0 / 11
 Steady 57,736 4.29 Decrease 0.34 No seats

References
  1. "Six stories at Vancouver City Hall in 2021 that set the table for a looming election". Georgia Straight. December 30, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  2. "Dan Fumano: Majority not the only path to power in Vancouver's fall election". Vancouver Sun. Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on May 2, 2022. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  3. Marissen, Mark (December 7, 2018). "Mark Marissen: YIMBYs will dominate future Vancouver politics". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  4. "Progress Vancouver Deregistered, Candidates Disqualified". Elections BC. July 4, 2023. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  5. Robinson, Matt (May 8, 2018). "NPA mayoral candidate hopeful Hector Bremner rejected by party board". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
  6. Little, Simon (June 28, 2018). "Rejected NPA candidate Hector Bremner launches new 'Yes Vancouver' civic party". Global News. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
  7. Smith, Charlie (June 28, 2018). "NPA councillor Hector Bremner and friends launch new Yes Vancouver Party". The Georgia Straight. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
  8. Ali, Amir (October 28, 2021). "'YES Vancouver' becomes 'Progress Vancouver' ahead of next election". DailyHive. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
  9. "The Vancouver Parties Pushing for Rentals Everywhere". www.thetyee.ca. September 15, 2022. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  10. "Progress Vancouver Deregistered, Candidates Disqualified". Elections BC. July 4, 2023. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  11. "YES Vancouver platform". yesvancouver.ca. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
  12. "Thriving and Safe City for All". www.progressvancouver.ca. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  13. DH Vancouver Staff (July 30, 2018). "Hector Bremner's YES Vancouver party announces its election candidates". Daily Hive. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
  14. "2017 by-election results: City of Vancouver". vancouver.ca. City of Vancouver. Retrieved October 16, 2018.
  15. "Election results (unofficial): City of Vancouver". vancouver.ca. City of Vancouver. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
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