Pete Fry wins Vancouver mayoralty and Doug McCallum returns in Surrey in B.C. municipal elections
British Columbians voted in municipal elections on Saturday, October 17. CBC News projected that Pete Fry, a Green Party member, defeated incumbent Ken Sim to become Vancouver mayor-elect, the first Green mayor in the city's history. In Surrey, CBC, Global News and Daily Hive reported that Doug McCallum defeated incumbent Brenda Locke, and Global News reported Ms. Locke conceded. CBC counted this as Mr. McCallum's fifth term as mayor, while CTV News headlined it a third stint. In Prince George, mayor-elect Garth Frizzell named an acute care tower, a mental health and addictions facility and new mine projects as the next four years' issues, CBC reported. CBC said voters in the largest cities opted for change.
Municipal governments control zoning, policing budgets, transit and property taxes, which is why mayoral turnovers in Vancouver and Surrey affect housing and public-safety decisions faster than most federal shifts. Surrey's return to a former mayor also reopens questions that defined its recent politics, including its policing arrangements, which the reports did not detail. All results remain unofficial until local officials certify them.
If you live in Vancouver, Surrey or Prince George, your new council's first budget and zoning votes will be the first test. Check your city's website for the official results and swearing-in dates rather than relying on projections. Renters and homeowners should watch what the new mayors say about housing permits.
CBC's framing was that voters chose change across the province's biggest cities, pointing to Mr. Fry's win over an incumbent and Ms. Locke's defeat. On this view, incumbent mayors paid for dissatisfaction with local conditions.
CTV News's headline treated Mr. McCallum's win as a third stint in the top job, a reminder that the Surrey result is also a return to a familiar name rather than a fresh face, and that counting terms depends on how earlier years are treated.
Confirmed by more than one outlet: Mr. Fry's projected win in Vancouver and Mr. McCallum's win in Surrey, with Ms. Locke's concession. Not confirmed: final vote counts, council makeups and any recount. Watch for official declarations from the municipalities in the coming days and for the new mayors' first priorities.
DailyDrop Canada edition No. 14 · Morning · SUN., OCT. 18, 2026