City of Vancouver recommends eliminating volunteer civic committees

The City of Vancouver is looking to terminate 10 volunteer-run committees that help inform city policy.

Update: On Dec. 8, 2025, this report was withdrawn.

The original story follows.

The City of Vancouver is looking to terminate some council advisory committees, due to “capacity pressures” ahead of the FIFA World Cup, next year’s municipal election, and a significant number of public hearings.

In a report by Katrina Leckovic, the city clerk, the request is for council to change the terms of 10 out of 11 “Type A” council advisory committees to end on Jan. 30, 2026, as opposed to next November.

Some of the impacted groups include, the 2SLGBTQ+ Advisory Committee, the Renters Advisory Committee, and the Women’s Advisory Committee.

The committees are made up of volunteers who provide input on city policies, inform motions, and keep council accountable.

The only group not included in the cuts is the Urban Indigenous Peoples’ Advisory Committee.

‘Actively undermine this process’

Alida Oegema Thomas, a co-chair, with the women’s advisory committee, said she was disappointed, but not surprised.

“We’ve seen this council almost actively undermine this process,” she said.

“They don’t have a great track record of really uplifting community perspective.”

Oegema Thomas said she joined the committee because she’s passionate about improving the livability of Vancouver for women and girls.

Some of the initiatives the women’s advisory committee has championed include a motion passed in November titled, ‘Advancing a Gender-Based Violence Prevention Strategy.’

One aspect of it was to establish a task force on gender-based violence.

“We had nothing but green light and full support less than a month ago,” she said.

“And then to be quickly turned around and say, ‘Oh no, we’re going to have you wrap up your work in January.’ We’re left wondering what’s the status of that work.”

FIFA, general election

As per the report, “changing the term-end dates to Jan. 30, 2026, offers a more practical and manageable approach that aligns with the reduced council meeting schedule and staff capacity.”

The report says that between January and November 2026, the city has an “intense” council meeting schedule, with some months having up to eight public hearings, activities related to FIFA, and the municipal election in October.

“While council advisory committees would typically continue in an election year, the overlap of these events in the same year is expected to create organizational capacity pressures,” the report states.

It goes on to add, that there will be approximately $11,000 in direct savings from the reduction in meeting-related expenses.

If council chooses not to proceed with the recommendation, the report said, two additional temporary full-time staff will be required at a cost of approximately $160,000.

‘Chainsaw cuts’

Green Coun. Pete Fry serves on five of the advisory committees.

He said he believes these cuts are due to the city’s direction to freeze property tax increases next year.

“It’s sort of couched in language around, ‘Well, we’re busy with public hearings and FIFA.’ But I don’t think that’s really accurate,” he said.

“I think this is a victim of chainsaw cuts. We know that this particular department, the clerk’s department, is faced with about $8 million in cuts as a result of the ‘zero means zero’ budget. I think that when we dig a little deeper into this report, it identifies it’s about $160,000 in clerks to support the ten advisory committees that are going to be terminated. And I think that’s really what’s driving this.”

Fry added that the volunteers that serve on these committees provide valuable advice to staff and council.

“I will say that on the eve of FIFA, where we’ve yet to see a human rights plan, these are important voices,” he said.

“This is the time when we want their voices to be at the table to ensure that they’re being heard, and that things aren’t being kind of trampled upon.”

‘Calculated and strategic’

Colleen Wickstrom, co-chair on the renters advisory committee, said their works has been key to championing the interests of the roughly 50 per cent of people in the city who are not property owners.

Some of the work the group has been involved with includes advocating for tenant protections, and setting up an office for tenant advocacy.

Wickstrom said the justification to terminate the committees in an effort to save money, falls short.

“It just feels like another very calculated and strategic approach to quiet folks and stifle voices in advance of the upcoming election,” she said.

In an email to CTV News, Stephanie Kallstrom, the chair of the Racial and Ethnocultural Equity Advisory Committee, said the committee has played a crucial role in policy recommendations grounded in lived and community expertise, such as motions brought forward by Coun. Fry, requesting the mayor and council receive training in anti-racism and anti-oppression.

“Having voices from equity deserving communities could not be more important, especially during this time,” she said.

“It’s very important for our committee to be able to advise and keep council accountable.”

Low attendance records

Kallstrom said engagement from some council liaisons has been very minimal, adding one councillor only attended one meeting.

Both Wickstrom and Oegema Thomas said this was a pattern at their committees.

“I’ve seen in my three years, a very apathetic reception to these advisory committees,” said Oegema Thomas.

“We’re a group of passionate, engaged people, and we’re doing this for free. We’re bringing our expertise to bear because we really care about this city, and we care about its residents. And we’ve often had, very low attendance from city councillors at meetings”

In a statement to CTV News, Mayor Ken Sim, said “council has not yet debated or decided this matter.”

The statement added, “it will be brought forward next week, where we will hear directly from staff and the public before any decisions are made.”

Council will discuss the report on Dec. 9.