Residents are reacting after the findings of an integrity commissioner investigation were publicized, calling into question some moves by Ken Sim and ABC Vancouver.
According to the Office of the Integrity Commissioner’s findings, which were published on Aug. 22, the introduction specifies that this report marks the fourth publication addressing the Vancouver Charter, dating back to 2023.
The latest report pertains to a complaint from Councillor Pete Fry that dates back to Aug. 5, 2024. Fry alleged that Sim, councillors Sarah Kirby-Yung, Lisa Dominato, Lenny Zhou, Brian Montague, Mike Klassen, Peter Meiszner and Rebecca Blight breached a section of the Code of Conduct “by failing to respect and comply with the open meeting requirement.”
The report added that Fry was able to identify six different instances of a breach.
One of the complaints alleged that the respondents in this investigation “voted in open council meetings based on decisions about City reports and motions made in meetings of ABC Vancouver council members held before open council meetings.” One of those meetings pertained to the renter’s office.
“Obtaining relevant evidence was complicated in this investigation. Although I requested it, I was not provided with certain information that may have been relevant, such as Signal conversations (an open source encrypted instant messaging service), additional email chains that were implied within the documents I did receive, or additional meeting agendas,” reads the report, which Lisa Southern, the integrity commissioner, submitted.
“I requested documents from the Mayor’s Office staff through their legal counsel but received no response to my requests,” the report continues.
According to the report, due to the limited documents she received, Southern depended had to rely on oral “(or, in the case of Mayor Sim, written) evidence.”
The report states that the ABC Vancouver councillors can’t meet “in private with quorum and discuss City business such that it moves that business along in a material way towards a decision of Council.”
It goes on to say that if councillors do meet outside of an open meeting and discuss City business in a way that affects the decision-making process in a real way, “there is a problem–they are depriving the public of participation.”
“Democracy is undermined.”
Emails were submitted as evidence to the integrity commissioner’s office, as part of the investigation, which proved to be crucial.
“They showed a progression and evolution of draft amendments through communications with a quorum of Council Members present that ultimately came before Council in the form of last-minute amendments.”
In defence, the respondents in the case, which included the City of Vancouver and the council, claimed that at most, the conduct was “an error in judgment.”
The 68-page report goes into great detail about all of the complaints levied against ABC. Ultimately, the commissioner found that multiple breaches of the open meeting requirement had occurred.
“Eight members of Council are named in this Complaint and are found to be in breach of the Code of Conduct By-law with respect to the Charter Report. Seven are found to be in breach of the Code of Conduct By-law with respect to the Moberly Park Funding. Under the Code of Conduct By-law, Council determines whether to sanction its members, but no quorum can be reached in these unique circumstances.”
Mayor’s Office and councillors respond
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In a statement to Daily Hive about the findings, the Mayor’s Office suggested that Pete Fry’s complaint would cost taxpayers around $200,000. We also received a statement from Sim, disagreeing with parts of the report.
“We respect the role of the Integrity Commissioner, but we strongly disagree with elements of this report. Caucusing is a normal and accepted practice at every level of Canadian democracy. Elected officials are expected to talk with one another, share ideas, and work through complex issues. That is how thoughtful and effective decisions are made. It is not misconduct,” Sim’s statement reads.
“Vancouverites elected us with a majority to deliver real change to Vancouver, and that requires councillors to engage with staff, residents, and each other. People expect us to come to the Council Chamber informed and ready to lead with open minds.”
His statement added, in contrast to some of the report’s findings, that every decision that the council makes is “in full view of Vancouver residents.”
“That is where debate and decisions occur, and that is how we stay accountable. At the end of the day, people want results, and that is exactly what we are focused on delivering,” Sim’s statement concludes.
Daily Hive reached out to a few councillors who have spoken out about the findings, including Lucy Maloney.
“The Integrity Commissioner has said that, because so many Councillors were found in breach of the Code of Conduct, sanctions can’t be imposed because they cannot attend the meeting on their own punishment and Council could not reach a quorum,” Maloney said.
Maloney believes that if quorum wasn’t an issue, Sim and councillors who were found breaching the Code of Conduct should be reprimanded.
“When the mayor was found to have discriminated against former ABC Park Board Commissioner Laura Christensen, the Integrity Commissioner recommended that he be formally reprimanded by Council, but ABC declined to do it. Ken Sim should have been reprimanded for gender-based discrimination, and all of ABC should be reprimanded for stifling the voices of the people who oppose their agenda,” Maloney added.
In the absence of a reprimand on the table, Maloney thinks that every councillor should be required to apologize for “stifling the voices of those who oppose them, on the record.”
“But I’m not holding my breath.”
We asked Maloney how the people of Vancouver should feel about these findings.
“Ken Sim thinks he’s above the law. But he’s not above the voters. Despite a stunning reputation of his and his party’s agenda in April, they’ve continued on course, continuing to chase Bitcoin sidequests instead of solving real problems, continuing to ban net-new supportive housing, continuing to rip modular homes down while homelessness goes up. They’re doing this by stifling the voices of the people who oppose them.”
Maloney believes that Vancouverites “should be angry at their government.”
“And in 2026, they should vote to replace this Mayor and Council with a progressive governing majority.”
Others also chimed in, like Vancouver talk-show host Mo Amir.
“It’s not a great look for the Mayor of Vancouver and his governing ABC Vancouver party to have been pursuing the suspension of an independent watchdog office that finds him and his party in breach of city policy and rules,” Amir said on X.
Former councillor Colleen Hardwick said, “Hardly a surprise.”
Sean Orr also shared his thoughts on X, saying, “While not surprising, everyone should be shocked.”
We also received a statement from Orr’s party, COPE, stating, “ABC has demonstrated a clear pattern of disregard for the integrity of our institutions of civic governance and local democracy, and next year’s municipal election is the only way left to truly hold them accountable.”
“We’re going to elect a new municipal government in October 2026 that will lead with integrity,” added Orr. “COPE is committed to working with allies to evict ABC from City Hall, School Board, and Park Board – and to winning the city government we need and deserve.”
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