Ken Sim's ABC party names four new Vancouver City Council candidates | Daily Hive

Lorraine Lowe (foreground) and David Grewal (background right) during ABC Vancouver's press conference on Aug. 13, 2026, announcing the public safety plebiscite during the October 2026 civic election. (Kenneth Chan)

Mayor Ken Sim’s ABC Vancouver party has added four more candidates to its Vancouver City Council slate for the civic election on Oct. 17, 2026.

Arezo Zarrabian, Joyce Gillespie, Lorraine Lowe, and David Grewal bring backgrounds spanning public safety, business, civic institutions, and community organizations.

This brings the governing party’s slate for City Council to a total of nine candidates, not including the mayor. These four individuals join city councillor incumbents Lisa Dominato, Sarah Kirby-Yung, Mike Klassen, Peter Meiszner, and Lenny Zhou. Former Vancouver Police Department (VPD) officer Brian Montague will not be seeking re-election.

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According to information provided by the party, Zarrabian has worked for the VPD as a crime and data analyst for nearly 20 years. Her family immigrated to Vancouver in the 1980s, and she is also a mother and the wife of a small business owner.

Although Zarrabian says she was not always an ABC supporter, she was drawn to the party by Sim’s emphasis on public safety. Building on her career with the VPD to date, her campaign will focus on making Vancouver safer and more affordable while creating better opportunities for families and businesses.

Gillespie has lived in Vancouver for more than 30 years. She previously served as president of Dunbar Little League and vice-president of Vancouver Thunderbirds Minor Hockey, working with families involved in youth sports across the city. She is also an entrepreneur who has launched and expanded businesses and built teams; she is the president and co-founder of GigHound, which provides temporary labour services across Canada through a digital platform and smartphone app. Upon inquiry, ABC confirmed to Daily Hive Urbanized that she is not related to Ian Gillespie of Westbank.

Arezo Zarrabian. (ABC Vancouver)

Joyce Gillespie. (ABC Vancouver)

Lowe is taking leaves of absence from her positions as executive director of the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre and vice-chair of the Vancouver Police Board while on the campaign trail to seat a city councillor seat.

She previously served as executive director of the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, where she worked with community partners and sponsors to establish a grocery and outreach program for Chinatown seniors and provided space for the Downtown Eastside Artist Collective. From 2018 to 2024, a period of nearly six years, Lowe also played a major role in helping Chinatown’s businesses, community organizations, and residents navigate growing public safety, public disorder, mental health, and addictions crises spilling over from the neighbouring Downtown Eastside — challenges that were particularly acute during the pandemic.

Across her leadership roles, Lowe has focused on improving the use of public assets, generating additional revenue, and strengthening organizations’ financial sustainability.

A third-generation Vancouverite and mother, Lowe grew up around her immigrant parents’ South Vancouver television and electronics store, which operated for 42 years. She has volunteered with the Vancouver Athletic Football Club, Little Mountain Baseball, and the Lotus Light Charity Society in the Downtown Eastside, in addition to serving on the board of directors for non-profit organizations.

Lorraine Lowe. (ABC Vancouver)

Grewal, who was born and raised in Vancouver, has spent the past four years as a senior advisor to Mayor Sim. In that role, he has provided advice on municipal priorities related to economic development, community engagement, and local governance.

He holds an engineering degree and a business diploma and founded two Vancouver-based energy companies. His business interests have also extended into the hospitality and healthcare sectors.

Grewal previously chaired the West End Business Improvement Association, working with businesses, residents, and community organizations on economic development, neighbourhood safety, and public spaces.

ABC is expected to announce one additional candidate for City Council to create a full slate for that chamber of elected office.

Earlier this month, ABC also announced its first seven candidates for Vancouver School Board trustee positions. Former BC Liberal MLA Rob Nijjar, Lina Vargas, Shirley Sio, Maria Kritikos and Matt Kroeker are joining incumbent trustees Alfred Chien and Preeti Faridkot on the party’s slate. ABC is also expected to announce its Vancouver Park Board commissioner candidates soon.

David Grewal. (ABC Vancouver)

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