Special Council

July 2, 2026 · 01:00 pm

Chaired by Mike Klassen From transcript

Summary

The special meeting was called to address one item: whether to extend the Granville Street pedestrian zone pilot and city-wide FIFA-related patio expansions beyond the end of the FIFA World Cup.
Council debated the cost, process, and post-FIFA viability before approving the extension to Labour Day weekend (early September) with an increased total budget of $4.75 million.
An amendment to study transit improvements on Seymour Street was defeated after staff confirmed the work is already part of the long-term Granville Street plan.
A motion to postpone the decision to the July 14 regular council meeting was defeated; supporters argued the short notice and lack of public input warranted more time, while opponents said delay would effectively kill the extension.
A new clause directing staff to develop a three-year seasonal pilot report for future years was added and carried unanimously.

Defeated Details

Moved by Lucy Maloney, Pete Fry Vote 3 – 7 Watch

Proposed adding a study to identify cost reductions specifically for the Gastown pedestrian area alongside the Granville Street work.
Mover argued the two initiatives share similar engineering and security cost challenges and that reducing ongoing costs should be a priority given budget pressures.
Opponents noted the Granville Street long-term plan already contemplates this work and that adding a separate Gastown study was redundant and premature at this stage.

Carried Details

Moved by Sarah Kirby-Yung, Lisa Dominato Vote 10 – 0 Watch

Proposed increasing the grant to the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association from $500,000 to $1.25 million to fund activation programming through the extended pilot.
Mover noted the original $500,000 figure was unrealistic given the scale of programming required, including daily maintenance, graffiti cleanup, and interactive installations.
Councillor Bligh supported the increase, saying the lower figure would have set Downtown Van up to fail given documented vandalism and repair costs.
The higher figure reflects a detailed cost submission from Downtown Van for maintaining quality activation beyond the World Cup period.

Carried Details

Moved by Sarah Kirby-Yung, Mike Klassen Vote 8 – 2 Watch

Technical amendment to update the stated total expenditure ceiling in the motion from $4 million to $4.75 million to reflect the increased BIA grant approved in Motion 2.
Mover noted the arithmetic no longer added up after the BIA grant amendment passed and the text needed to be accurate.
Councillor Bligh and Councillor Fry voted against; Councillor Orr was absent.

Defeated Details

Moved by Lucy Maloney Vote 3 – 7 Watch

Proposed directing staff to study specific transit improvements on Seymour Street during the extension period, including extending bus lanes on the Granville Bridge ramp, exploring quick-build bus bulbs at busy stops, adjusting turn signals at Seymour/Howe intersections, and reviewing bus stop placement to ease Canada Line transfers.
Mover raised concerns from transit users about narrow sidewalks, awkward transfers, and buses getting delayed on the bridge ramp as a result of Granville Street being closed to transit.
City manager confirmed this work is already part of the approved long-term Granville Street plan.
Opponents argued it was redundant to direct staff to study a seven-week temporary situation when the permanent plan already addresses these issues, and that it would create unnecessary workload.
Mover responded that the extension was not contemplated when the long-term plan was developed and that transit users' interests deserved explicit acknowledgement in this decision.

Carried Details

Moved by Lucy Maloney Vote 10 – 0 Watch

Added a new clause (Clause F) directing staff to prepare a report on establishing a three-year seasonal pilot for the Granville Street pedestrian zone, modelled on approaches used in cities like Montreal.
Mover argued businesses and the BIA need multi-year certainty to adapt their offerings, invest in the space, and shift the street's mix toward more daytime and family-friendly uses.
City manager confirmed staff are already planning to report back on lessons learned and future seasonal options, and that this amendment was consistent with that direction.
Carried unanimously.

Granville Street

Carried Details

Approved extending the Granville Street pedestrian zone pilot from the end of the FIFA World Cup through Labour Day weekend, maintaining city-wide patio and public realm extensions and directing staff to work with the province on liquor licence extensions.
Total approved expenditure set at $4.75 million, including $1.25 million to the Downtown Vancouver BIA for activation programming and approximately $500,000 per week for engineering, sanitation, and VPD security costs.
Supporters cited record-breaking public enthusiasm, tourism benefits, the once-in-a-generation opportunity to build toward permanent pedestrianization, and the need to give staff and partners time to collect data from a non-World Cup activation period.
Opponents Councillor Bligh and Councillor Fry raised concerns about the cost relative to other city spending, the lack of a clear plan for drawing crowds after the World Cup ends, the compressed notice period, and the absence of a detailed public cost accounting.
Councillor Bligh noted the $700,000-per-week cost compared unfavourably with permanent infrastructure investments like Robson Street upgrades and Gastown improvements.
Motion required a two-thirds supermajority; passed with Councillors Bligh and Fry opposed and Councillor Orr absent.

Agenda documents (2)

1. Continuing the Success of the Granville Street Pedestrian Zone Pilot and Temporary Patios throughout the City