Vancouver Mayor Sim urges no snap B.C. election during municipal campaign

VANCOUVER — Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim is urging the British Columbia government not to call an early election until after municipal voting on Oct. 17 that he says deserves the “full, undivided attention” of residents.

Premier David Eby told NDP legislators last week they need to be “election ready,” and there’s rampant speculation an early vote could be called soon.

Sim says time and attention need to be devoted to municipal issues and his views are consistent with the Union of B.C. Municipalities, which passed a motion last week asking the provincial government to preserve the integrity of local elections by avoiding overlapping campaigns.

Sim was speaking at a press conference on Monday to launch his ABC Vancouver party’s platform.