Pete Fry names outgoing city councillor Rebecca Bligh to lead mayoral transition | Daily Hive

Pete Fry names outgoing Vancouver City Councillor Rebecca Bligh to lead mayoral transition

Rebecca Bligh and Pete Fry. (Rebecca Bligh)

Vancouver Mayor-Elect Pete Fry announced this morning that he has appointed outgoing City Councillor Rebecca Bligh to lead his transition team, one day after she delivered her farewell remarks in the outgoing Vancouver City Council’s final public meeting.

Bligh, who ran against Fry as the Vote Vancouver party’s mayoral candidate in the civic election earlier this month, will help him begin work on his priorities for his first 100 days in office. She will also provide advice and chair a group focused on the transition.

You might also like:

This appointment was made just ahead of the new City Council’s inauguration on Monday, Nov. 2, 2026.

“I’ve worked with Rebecca on Council for eight years. We haven’t always agreed, but we’ve always worked well together, and that’s exactly what Vancouverites want to see from their leaders,” said Fry in a statement today.

“I trust her judgment and value her insight and counsel. She knows how City Hall works and how to get things done, which is what we need as we start this work for Vancouver.”

Bligh was first elected as a city councillor in the 2018 civic election under the Non-Partisan Association, before briefly becoming an independent in the middle of the term and joining Ken Sim’s ABC Vancouver in the lead-up to the 2022 civic election. In February 2025, she was ejected from ABC due to infighting with the party.

For a major portion of her second term, she also served as the president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.

“The election is over, and what matters now is the work ahead for Vancouver,” said Bligh today.

“I’m glad to help Pete and his team get off to a strong start. A strong transition sets the foundation for everything that follows, and when the mayor succeeds, Vancouver succeeds.”

As previously reported by Daily Hive Urbanized last week, Fry has selected Dominique Damian-Wallace — a lawyer and member of the Green Party of Vancouver’s election campaign — to be his chief of staff in the mayor’s office. As well, Cheryl Rowley will be his deputy chief of staff. Bligh will be working with both Damian-Wallace and Rowley.

Following another announcement earlier this week, COPE City Councillor Sean Orr is also expected to be Fry’s deputy mayor, which is an appointed position that typically rotates between some city councillors throughout a term. Orr received the most votes of any city councillor candidate in the civic election.

Fry told Daily Hive Urbanized he expects to work closely with Orr, citing the strong working relationship they have developed since last year. He said Orr understands the need to adapt to the new political dynamics at Vancouver City Hall and expressed optimism about what they can accomplish together.

You might also like: