Friday the party then pulled candidate Wei Qiao Zhang from the race, giving little explanation except to say information about Zhang had come to light.
Winning for her third term as a city councillor, Adrienne Carr said she was « very excited » and « honoured » to have so much support from voters. At the Green Party election headquarters at Creekside community centre, she said that the Greens will work to create consensus with the rest of an often divisive city council.
« We will work with whoever is elected to find common ground, » Carr said.
Carr, one of the front runners for city council who had considered a run for mayor, has fielded criticism for voting against duplex housing and increased density projects on council. But she said that her aim was to first do the research into what is best for Vancouver before deciding on anything — which she said she will move forward with on council.
« I feel very strongly we need to move on a citywide plan, » she said, but underscored that much more research needed to be done before determining « what kind of housing we need, and where. »
At the YES Vancouver election night party at Cinema Public House on the Granville strip, the mood is lively despite none of the candidates winning a seat.
While Hector Bremner expressed disappointment over losing his mayoral bid and giving up his council seat, he said he was « blessed to have all these people out today. »
But he said when he was out campaigning on the streets, « we had huge support, » and was concerned voter turnout would be lower than in past years.
Looking at the results, Bremner, who lost his bid for mayoral candidates with the NPA and went on run with YES Vancouver, predicted further challenges among city councillors who he said were « very entrenched » in divisive politics.
« I think it’s going to be a very divided council, » he said.
Meanwhile, former federal Conservative MP for Vancouver South Wai Young, running under the right-wing Coalition Vancouver party, conceded earlier in the night.
In the heart of the Vancouver South riding in the Sunset neighbourhood, a relatively small group of loyal, and politically-“moderate” supporters of Wai Young gathered on election night.
“We were the only ones talking about other things besides housing,” Young said. “Although we know housing is a big issue, but there were other issues in the city that needs to be addressed: opioid crisis, homelessness, the cleanliness of the city, the small business people that are feeling (like) prisoners in their own businesses because of the situation — the taxes.”
Elsewhere in Metro Vancouver, former Surrey mayor Doug McCallum is once again office after a 13-year break brought about by his ouster in 2005.
The numbers are not yet official, but McCallum was 13,000 votes ahead when his chief opponent Tom Gill from the Surrey First Party conceded Saturday evening.
Elsewhere, after five terms as mayor of Burnaby, Derek Corrigan has been defeated by challenger Mike Hurley. Corrigan was first elected in 2002 and faced controversy in his last term over housing challenges in the city.
In a recent interview with StarMetro, Corrigan said he was being unfairly attacked by housing activists in the city. Meanwhile, Hurley was climbing in the polls.
“They can disrupt; it attracts media attention,” he said. “But I don’t think that reflect the issues our community is concerned about.”
Corrigan is the second ouster of the night.
In Port Moody incumbent mayor Mike Clay lost by just under 400 votes to one-term councillor Rob Vagramov.
Smaller cities across Metro Vancouver have started to have their elections settled as the City of North Vancouver has elected Linda C. Buchanan while the District of North Vancouver has ushered in Mike Little.
In White Rock, Darryl Walker has been elected with 30 per cent of the vote.
Meanwhile, the full results from some of the larger cities have yet to come in, including Vancouver.
After a 10-year run, mayor Gregor Robertson did not renew his bid for mayor of Vancouver proper and his party, Vision Vancouver, was left with no mayoral candidate after Ian Campbell pulled out of the race in September.
But there’s no shortage of challengers for the top job in Vancouver politics.
StarMetro has a team of reporters planted across the city and will be tracking these and other major and important races throughout Metro Vancouver as the night goes on.