Vancouver to head back to the polls for pricey by-election

Vancouver City Hall. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

Christine Boyle is heading to Victoria, which means Vancouverites will be heading back to the polls, but it’s going to cost taxpayers a lot of money.

Boyle was recently declared the MLA-elect for Vancouver-Little Mountain in the BC Election, meaning the Vancouver city councillor is now preparing to vacate her seat on Council, forcing a by-election.

“I’ve put in a formal request to begin an unpaid leave as soon as it is granted by Council, with the intention to formally resign in December. This timeline was requested by city staff, as it will allow staff the time needed to run a by-election, and ensure that it doesn’t conflict with the busy city budget and holiday season,” Boyle wrote on X Tuesday.

Christine Boyle. (Submitted)

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Vancouver councillors are elected at large, meaning there are no ridings, so everyone in the city who is eligible to vote can vote.

Stakes are high, with many online already lamenting Boyle’s loss at City Hall, where she’s sat since 2018 when she was elected under the OneCity Vancouver party banner. With 11 elected councillors and the mayor, Boyle was among the three non-ABC party members, and many felt her voice offered vital opposition and a left-leaning voice to Mayor Ken Sim on several key issues.

I won’t be at today’s Special Council Meeting. I disagree fiercely with suspending the work of the #IntegrityCommissioner.

If Mayor Sim insists on forcing this through during summer break, he can get 5 of his own Cllrs to form quorum. @PtFry @AdrianeCarr & I won’t be there. 2/4

— Christine Boyle (@christineeboyle) August 6, 2024

Others simply wished her well.

“Congratulations to Ms Boyle, and to the people of her riding,” one shared on Daily Hive.

“Congratulations on your success and I wish you well in Victoria. You’ve been an important advocate in Vancouver and know you will continue that at the provincial level,” VSB chair Victoria Jung said on X.

Christine Boyle. (BC NDP)

The timeline of the byelection is not yet clear. The process is only required to be completed within 80 days after the council appoints a Chief Election Officer, but we don’t yet know when that will happen.

A 2017 by-election cost taxpayers $1.2 million and came out of the City’s Election Reserve Fund, and only about 10% of eligible voters cast a ballot. NPA candidate Hector Bremner was elected in that by-election after Vision Vancouver councillor Geoff Meggs resigned to join John Horgan’s team.

According to the City of Vancouver, with inflation, this by-election is anticipated to cost between $1.8 and $2 million.