The Vancouver Green Party has announced five contestants seeking the nomination for the Vancouver Park Board in the 2026 municipal election.
Among the contestants is a notable vegan chef, Breanne Smart. Smart was with the recently closed MILA Plant Based restaurant, and she’s also an athlete and someone who has volunteered for many years.
Other contestants are Adam Hawk, who is a cycling advocate, an organic food industry veteran, and a former Vancouver Greens board member.
Another name you might recognize is Tom Digby, who is the current Park Board chair seeking re-election.
The two other contestants include Gabi Tremblay, who is a community-driven planner, outreach worker, and a former Vancouver Park Board lifeguard. And Spencer van Vloten, who is an award-winning accessibility advocate and also the founder of the Vancouver Community Inclusion Fest.
“Vancouver’s parks, community centres, and recreation facilities are some of the most cherished shared resources in the city, and the Greens are putting forward a team with the hands-on experience to protect and strengthen them,” the Vancouver Green Party said in a release, adding, “it continues to build its full slate alongside Councillor Pete Fry’s mayoral campaign.”
“Vancouver loves parks and green spaces. It’s part of our identity,” Fry said.
“This team knows that firsthand. Whether it’s fighting for accessible trails, expanding community gardens, or making sure our recreation facilities are funded and thriving, these are people who show up. That’s exactly who we want at the Park Board table,” Fry added.
The final candidates will be selected through a membership vote, and more details are expected on that at a later date.
In somewhat related news, the city’s three left-wing/progressive-leaning municipal political parties announced earlier this month that they have reached an agreement to limit the number of candidates they will each run in the civic election on Oct. 17, 2026.
The news followed the highly public fallout in February 2026, when the Coalition of Progressive Electors (COPE) and the Green Party of Vancouver lashed out against OneCity Vancouver mayoral candidate William Azaroff’s surprise public unilateral proposal to quickly hold a progressive “unity” mayoral primary under his party’s terms.
The new Vancouver Liberals civic party, the Yes Vancouver party, and the TEAM For A Liveable Vancouver party are also expected to run major slates, with the Liberals announcing a number of candidates in recent months.
With files from Kenneth Chan