Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim disposed of many concert tickets he was gifted throughout 2023 but accepted Guns N’ Roses tickets for research purposes, according to City of Vancouver files.
Daily Hive obtained copies of the gift disclosures from November 2022 to earlier this year.
Beyonce tickets valued at $1,500 and Ed Sheeran tickets valued at $1,000 were among the gifts that Sim turned down.
Sim disposed of Guns N’ Roses tickets valued at $475 but accepted ones to an October 2023 show valued at $95. PavCo, the provincial crown corporation that runs BC Place and the Vancouver Convention Centre, gifted him the tickets. Sim wrote research on the circumstances under which the gift was accepted for events hosted in Vancouver.
City of Vancouver
The Office of the Mayor told us that the gifts Sim turned down or “disposed” of may have been distributed to “various individuals,” including business and community leaders, City staff, and other elected officials from neighbouring cities.
Many people are reacting to the revelations of the statement of gift disclosures shared on X.
“I have questions,” one user wrote, adding that they were surprised they were only $95.
Someone else quipped, “Did the Mayor think that the lyrics to Welcome to the Jungle provide a roadmap for addressing his city’s growing social problems?”
Another user said, “Questionable ethics AND questionable musical taste.”
“He’s feeling a little entitled, isn’t he?” someone else said.
Not everyone was as critical, with at least one user saying it was a “non-issue.”
Sim wasn’t the only one who was gifted tickets to Vancouver events that were accepted.
Councillor Rebecca Bligh accepted tickets to the 10th-anniversary pride match between the Vancouver Whitecaps and Seattle FC valued at $784. She also accepted tickets worth $235 to the 2023 BC Restaurant Hall of Fame dinner and awards, tickets valued at $1500 to the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation Celebrity Chef Dinner and two VIP tickets worth $680 for the 2023 Honda Celebration of Light.
“Attending these events allows the Mayor to interact with event staff, the VPD and security teams, organizers, and attendees, gathering insights that will help ensure the success of future major events in our city,” the Office of the Mayor told Daily Hive.
“For many concerts where the Mayor received gifted tickets, he also personally purchased his own tickets for guests to help support the event. This demonstrates his admiration for Vancouver’s local music scene and commitment to promoting arts and culture. These events make Vancouver a vibrant, exciting city and help draw in more people, investment, and attractions to our city.”
The Office of the Mayor added that the gifts that Sim turned down or “disposed” of may have been distributed to “various individuals,” including business and community leaders, City staff, and other elected officials from neighbouring cities.
“The Mayor has also personally purchased tickets to numerous concerts and sporting events and given these tickets to City of Vancouver employees and other individuals in the community, expressing his gratitude for their hard work and ensuring they have an opportunity to enjoy what our city has to offer.”
Do you think these revelations were worth the commotion they have caused online? Let us know in the comments.
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