Family-focused plan includes free swimming lessons, expanded childcare and recreation, new pools and playground investments, and greater coordination between City Council, Park Board and School Board
VANCOUVER, September 28, 2026 – ABC Vancouver today launched Raising Vancouver, the family-focused second half of its 2026 policy platform.
Raising Vancouver complements Restoring Vancouver, which was unveiled as part of ABC Vancouver’s “Let’s Keep Vancouver Moving Forward” platform on September 21. The platform is built around three core anchors: Public Safety & Addressing Street Disorder, Affordability & Accountability at City Hall, and Jobs & Economy, delivered citywide through Restoring Vancouver and Raising Vancouver.
Together, the two plans set out commitments spanning public safety, affordability, infrastructure, recreation, schools and City Hall operations. Raising Vancouver invests in swimming, childcare, recreation, after-school programming, playgrounds and classroom supports, while Restoring Vancouver focuses on rebuilding community infrastructure, improving roads and sidewalks, making permitting faster, and continuing to streamline City Hall.
“Families experience the pressures facing our city every day, whether it’s trying to find a swimming lesson, securing childcare, accessing a community centre, or simply finding safe, well-maintained and affordable places for their kids to play,” said Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim. “Raising Vancouver is about practical investments that make family life easier, safer and more affordable, while ensuring that City Council, Park Board and School Board work together to achieve the best possible results.”
Raising Vancouver: Investing in families
Raising Vancouver is centred on real investment in swimming, childcare and community spaces for every Vancouver family.
Under the Raising Vancouver plan, ABC Vancouver will:
- Bring back swimming classes during the school day and provide children aged 3-12 with free access to the first three levels of the Joe Fortes Learn-to-Swim program.
- Expand access to pools, rinks and community programming by restoring open access at Kitsilano Pool, building more ice rinks, and providing free pool and community-centre access to children under 18 in care.
- Build on the more than 2,000 childcare spaces opened under ABC through partnerships with the Province, School Board, Park Board, non-profits and private providers.
- Work with partners to attract and retain early-childhood educators, including by piloting childcare facilities co-located with affordable housing.
- Keep extracurricular activities in Vancouver by increasing access to local recreational and community programming.
- Establish a multi-level action committee that meets monthly to oversee implementation and track waitlists, new opportunities and improved access.
- Create a Playground Improvement Fund to improve playgrounds and other community spaces.
- Expand after-school programming to provide more opportunities for Vancouver children and families.
- Advocate for Vancouver’s fair share of provincial school-tax funding for more classroom resources and support staff, including educational assistants and specialized support for diverse learners.
- Protect and maintain the School Liaison Officer program to support safety in schools.
- Double designated dog-park and off-leash areas.
Restore the Stanley Park Train and Halloween Ghost Train.
The approach is also designed to strengthen coordination among City Council, the Park Board and School Board, reflecting ABC Vancouver’s commitment to having the three bodies work together rather than operate in separate silos. The platform is built on shared information, shared accountability, and a shared responsibility for getting things done.
Restoring Vancouver: Rebuilding community infrastructure
Raising Vancouver complements Restoring Vancouver, ABC Vancouver’s plan for what it describes as the largest infrastructure investment in city history, from community centres to city streets.
Restoring Vancouver includes commitments to:
- Build on Council’s existing $400-million investment in community centres.
- Deliver a second tranche of community-centre investments across the city through the upcoming capital plan.
- Deliver the River District Community Centre.
Continue prioritizing investment in road and sidewalk repairs and renewal. - Make City Hall permitting faster and easier.
Continue streamlining City Hall so it better serves residents and businesses. - Fight to ensure that provincial school tax collected in Vancouver goes to Vancouver schools.
- Build two new outdoor pools in Sunset and Marpole.
- Invest in a covered pickleball facility.
- Restore the Stanley Park Train.
- Establish a Punjabi Gate in Sunset.
“Over the last four years, we have delivered steady progress and responsible leadership,” said Sim. “We invested in public safety, protected core services while holding property tax increases at zero per cent, and made record investments in the roads, sidewalks and infrastructure Vancouverites rely on. We are proud of our progress, but there is more to do. Our focus is clear: keep Vancouver moving forward.”
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About ABC Vancouver
ABC Vancouver is a civic political party dedicated to making Vancouver a safer, more affordable, and more livable city for everyone who calls it home.
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