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ABC VANCOUVER PLATFORM 2022

The ABC Plan for A Better City

During the 2022 civic election, ABC rolled out the most comprehensive platform of any party.
This so-called “92-Point Plan” set forth our specific objectives as a governing party.

  • ABC commits to supporting the inherent right of all Indigenous people and affirms its support for UNDRIP and implementing TRC Calls to Action
  • ABC commits to government-to-government dialogue and acknowledges that each government can be separate and distinct, and that government policy needs to acknowledge the diversity and authority of all Indigenous governments
  • ABC commits to a future where a stronger and more meaningful partnership, sharing in the wealth of the land and sea, and acknowledges that both the history and future of Indigenous people needs to be self-determined
  • ABC commits to regular joint Council meetings with Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh leaders
  • ABC is committed to ensuring that equity, diversity and inclusion are at the forefront of all that we do
  • ABC knows that respecting, appreciating, and embracing what makes us different, regardless of age, gender identity and expression, level of education, neurodiversity, ethnicity, religion, ability, sexual orientation, or national origin builds a city that is safe for everyone to thrive
  • ABC commits to ensuring future by-laws are reviewed through an equity lens and further commits to conducting a review in the first 100 days of major city by-laws
  • ABC will adopt the principles of WHO’s Age-Friendly Cities Framework for Vancouver
  • An ABC Majority will shift the City’s social and supportive housing strategy to focus on the delivery of quality, livable housing units, instead of the existing quantity-first approach, and ensure that a robust, appropriate continuum of care is enshrined in every project
  • An ABC Majority will increase the City of Vancouver’s social and supportive housing investments in line with the consumer price index (CPI) every year 
  • An ABC Majority will double the number of co-operative (co-op) housing units in Vancouver within the next four years
  • An ABC Majority will pilot housing for youth and youth ageing out of care in partnership with BC Housing
  • An ABC Majority will pilot a culturally appropriate, Indigenous-led supportive housing and wellness centre project in partnership with Indigenous peoples 
  • An ABC Majority will pre-identify locations in the city where density bonuses can be given to developers to accommodate the construction of additional non-market housing
  • An ABC Majority will champion the role of non-profits in the delivery of housing and strengthen protections and supports for Vancouver’s existing market and non-market housing rental stock
  • An ABC Majority will develop an overarching 20 year social and supportive housing plan for the City in partnership with BC Housing and other housing partners within two years
  • An ABC Majority will reopen and then update the DTES Area Plan in partnership with community members, BC Housing, First Nations, and service providers
  • An ABC Majority will encourage the construction of community-directed, culturally appropriate housing for seniors and develop concrete strategies for ageing in place
  • An ABC Majority will collaborate with providers to deliver additional housing units for those living with developmental disabilities
  • An ABC Majority will negotiate with the Federal and Provincial governments to remove GST, PST, and other development-and-construction-impacting taxes, like the property transfer tax for purpose-built rental housing, social housing, and supportive housing
  • An ABC Majority will work with senior levels of government to incentivize the construction of more purpose-built rental units in the City of Vancouver
  • An ABC Majority will eliminate the city’s housing construction backlog (which will help increase the supply of market, non-market, and supportive housing) with a 3x3x3x1 permit approval system, whereby it will take:
    – Three days to approve home renovations (including renovations to accommodate mobility and accessibility-related challenges)
    – Three weeks to approve single-family homes and townhouses
    – Three months to approve professionally designed multi-family and mid-rise projects where existing zoning is already in place
    – One year (down from six years) to approve a high-rise or large-scale project
  • An ABC Majority will establish a predictable CAC formula(s) citywide
  • An ABC Majority will re-focus development fees to support the creation of a greater supply of affordable rental housing stock in the city
  • An ABC Majority will pre-approve five standard laneway home designs to speed up laneway home construction
  • An ABC Majority will initiate a review of the City’s “missing middle” housing strategy to better address the City’s shortage of missing middle housing supply in Vancouver
  • An ABC Majority will continue to support the Empty Homes Tax while initiating a review to better identify residents unintentionally captured by the policy (e.g. those waiting for renovation or re-development permits)
  • An ABC Majority will work with the Province and Province’s Special Committee on Reforming the Police Act to enhance elected Council representation on the Vancouver Police Board
  • An ABC Majority will hire 100 New Police Officers and 100 Mental Health Nurses as part of a renewed approach to community policing and the expansion of successful VPD/health authority-led programs like Car 87
  • An ABC Majority will complete the Darkhorse report review and ensure our fire rescue services are fully resourced and benchmarked against a consistent North American Standard
  • An ABC Majority will work with VPD to enable body cameras on all police officers on patrol by 2025
  • An ABC Majority will support all Vancouver Coastal and Providence Health Authority-led initiatives that enhance the safety of the drug supply to address the drug poisoning crisis
  • An ABC Majority will develop a task force to address the dramatic rise in anti-Asian, anti-Semitic, and anti-Indigenous hate crimes
  • An ABC Majority will have the City of Vancouver adopt the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism
  • An ABC Majority will call for a mental health summit with all Lower Mainland mayors, the Premier, relevant Provincial and Federal Ministers, First Nations, health authorities, community service agencies, and community members with the goal of establishing predictable funding and the creation of a new Mental Health Centre of Excellence through a regional model of care that incorporates treatment and recovery
  • An ABC Majority will work to establish a free, low barrier, 24-hour recovery centre for those struggling with drug addiction
  • An ABC Majority will work with the Province and the Canadian Mental Health Association to establish peer-assisted care teams
  • An ABC Majority will support a VPD graffiti abatement program
  • An ABC Majority will implement a 50% reduction in FOI fees
  • An ABC Majority will enhance whistleblower protections
  • An ABC Majority will ask the Provincial Government to oversee a City of Vancouver lobbyist registry
  • An ABC Majority will ban all City of Vancouver ads not directly related to public safety, community engagement, or legislative requirements
  • An ABC Majority will publish line-item budgets for the last five years and all years moving forward
  • An ABC Majority will limit partisan activity from Mayoral office staff
  • An ABC Majority will adopt a policy to prevent the erratic direction given to staff through member motions with respect to technical matters
  • An ABC Majority will commit resources to streamline better government collaboration and remove existing silos and policy duplications
  • An ABC Majority will establish a satellite City Hall office in Chinatown
  •  An ABC Majority will make it faster and easier to obtain permits for festivals and events and bring more world-class sporting events to the city
  • An ABC Majority will work with the festivals & events industry to identify and fix the blockages and red tape that currently prevent them from operating in the City
  • An ABC Majority will expand the sport hosting portfolio to include special events, tourism, and local economy
  • An ABC Majority will take steps to combat the loss of critical arts and culture production and performance spaces
  • An ABC Majority will create an Industrial and Tech Land Reserve to preserve high-paying jobs in Vancouver and reduce commuter distances for Vancouver residents
  • An ABC Majority will increase and expand patios and plazas to enhance neighbourhoods and quality of life; promoting vibrant, activated streets 
  • An ABC Majority will commit to renewal of the Central Downtown Waterfront
  • An ABC Majority will accelerate plans to revitalize the Granville Entertainment District
  • An ABC Majority will create a Night Mayor to advocate for the night economy
  • An ABC Majority will accelerate the redevelopment of Hastings Park
  • An ABC Majority will support the creation of a South Asian Cultural Centre of Excellence by committing a third of the funding and pursuing the remaining funding from the Province of BC and the Government of Canada
  • An ABC Majority will expand the number and equitable locations of sports fields around the City
  • An ABC Majority will cut business permit wait times from over eight months to a maximum of three weeks
  • An ABC Majority will continue to advocate to the province for a split assessment classification
  • An ABC Majority will oppose Kennedy Stewart’s Empty Store Tax
  • An ABC Majority will oppose the road tax in Downtown Vancouver and the Central Broadway Corridor to ensure affordability
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  • An ABC Majority will establish a working group in cooperation with the Provincial Government to better align Vancouver’s building code with the rest of the region, with a focus on increased sustainability practices
  • An ABC Majority will enable greater prioritization of building with wood, including increasing the allowed heights of mass timber buildings, to better achieve the City’s climate and affordability objectives
  • An ABC Majority will ensure design of neighbourhoods to ensure delivery of a “15-minute city”, where services and amenities can be accessed by walking, reducing reliance on motorized vehicles and supporting ageing in place
  • An ABC Majority will continue to support and honour the City of Vancouver’s intergovernmental contractual obligations related to the Broadway Plan, notably the City’s contractual obligation to increase housing density and affordability along the Broadway corridor as agreed to in the Broadway subway funding agreements
  • An ABC Majority will continue to support the Vancouver Plan and develop a Right of First Offer policy on major property sales to ensure residents have a bigger say in shaping their neighbourhoods
  • An ABC Majority will commit to the completion of an Official Community Plan for Vancouver by the end of our first term
  • An ABC Majority will invest in increasing the number of public washrooms, showers, and water fountains
  • An ABC Majority will support increased density along the Hastings Corridor to provide new housing options and economic opportunities
  • An ABC Majority will push for a new rapid bus line from the River District (East Fraser Lands) to Marine Drive Skytrain station
  • An ABC Majority will advocate for Skytrain all the way to UBC and push for a second east-west line that has a fixed link to the North Shore
  • An ABC Majority will support an expansion of HandyDart
  • An ABC Majority will initiate a scramble crossing pilot for pedestrians
  • An ABC Majority will develop a renewed Neighbourhood Traffic Plan to enhance safety, especially for children and those with disabilities
  • An ABC Majority will double the number of pedestrian-controlled crossing signals in the city and adopt smart traffic signals
  • An ABC Majority will partner with private and public sector employers in the City of Vancouver to launch a voluntary staggered start workday program to reduce peak commute times
  • An ABC Majority will deliver an accessibility audit of all City-owned assets within the first year of an ABC-led City Hall and develop a plan to make Vancouver the most accessible city in the world, delivering a fully costed audit, including curb cuts and other accessibility-related initiatives
  • An ABC Majority will plant 100,000 trees in Vancouver within the first four years of an ABC administration, primarily focused on neighbourhoods where historic race-based zoning has led to poor tree cover and canopy growth: continuing the initiative of Mayor Gregor Robertson
  • An ABC Majority will deliver a curb-side electric vehicle partnership program with BC Hydro and a private-sector or not-for-profit supplier 
  • An ABC Majority will pass a bylaw that all new commercial and multi-family buildings are equipped with EV-ready parking stalls
  • An ABC Majority will commit to daylighting at least one stream by the end of 2026 and restoring it to its natural state
  • An ABC Majority will phase out all fossil fuel vehicles in the City fleet in six years
  • An ABC Majority will work with senior levels of government to reduce the number of motorized pleasure watercraft in Vancouver waters in favour of wind and non-motorized pleasure craft
  • An ABC Majority will support the City of Vancouver’s 2040 Zero Waste Plan and accelerate it to 2035
  • An ABC Majority will explore a tax credit system for Vancouver residents who don’t own a car
  • An ABC Majority will establish a flexible GHG reduction policy framework with a ‘No Net New GHGs’ (N3GHG) standard as a condition of approval of any development permits
  • An ABC Majority will deliver 5,000 daycare spaces in the first four years of an ABC-led City Hall
  • An ABC Majority will harmonize childcare policy between the City of Vancouver and the Provincial Government to enable more daycare operators
  • An ABC Majority will help non-compliant providers achieve compliance through the licensing process
  • An ABC Majority will make additional city land available for childcare facilities
  • An ABC Majority will direct more permit fees towards creating new childcare spaces
  • An ABC Majority will ensure newly constructed schools can accommodate childcare spaces
  • Allow alcohol in all parks with proper facilities and initiate a pilot program to allow alcohol on beaches
  • Fix collapsing fields, parks, and buildings through an ‘Emergency Restoration Fund’
  • Make it easier for events, performers, and sports organizations to use parks and recreation facilities
  • Improve the Park Board by undertaking a full audit of all operations, finances, and facilities
  • Combat the affordability crisis by placing a freeze on all Park Board fee increases
  • Ensure Vancouver parks are the most safe, inclusive, and accessible in the world
  • Restore honours classes – support initiatives that promote excellence in the classroom
  • Promote safer schools and communities by reinstating the school liaison officer program
  • More individualized learning – support programs in financial literacy, coding, and sustainability
  • Fully fund music and fine arts programs in Vancouver elementary and secondary schools
  • Properly invest in modern, seismically safe, and accessible school facilities and playgrounds
  • Make sure children with special needs have access to proper support and resources

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We acknowledge that we live, work, and play on the Unceded Territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.

ABC proactively seeks to support and elevate those from traditionally marginalized and underrepresented communities including women, members of the 2SLGBTQAI+ community, indigenous persons, racialized persons, persons living with a disability, immigrants, and those who experience or have experienced economic hardship.

Authorized by the Financial Agent for ABC Vancouver

ABC Vancouver
PO Box 95043
Vancouver RPO Kingsgate
Vancouver BC V5T 4T8
info@abcvancouver.ca

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