Conversations That Matter: Rebecca Bligh of Vote Vancouver

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeNewsLocal NewsPolitics Conversations That Matter: Rebecca Bligh of Vote Vancouver Conversations That Matter is interviewing the top five mayoral candidates in Vancouver over the next five weeks Author of the article: By Stuart McNish  •  Special To The Sun Published Sep 18, 2026 Last updated 18 hours ago 1 minute read Join the conversation Rebecca Bligh, mayoral candidate for the Vote Vancouver party. PHOTO BY STUART MCNISH /Convesations That Matter Article content According to the Economist Intelligence Unit global livability index, Vancouver ranks 9th in North America. It’s a significant drop from the No. 1 spot it held from 2004 through 2010. Article content What happened? Article content Article content While there is much to celebrate, it’s clear the city has challenges and they’re increasing. Article content Livability and affordability are substantial issues, Vancouver today is widely recognized as the least affordable major city to live in Canada. Article content Article content Economic growth was rooted in the belief that people would keep coming here and staying. Not anymore. Immigration policy has reduced the number of immigrants and out flow migration means Vancouver’s population shrank by more than 8,000 people. Article content Sunrise Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content And then there is an expanding workforce on the city’s payroll, up by roughly 25 per cent, over the past 10 years, a pace that soared past population growth and the city’s operating budget expanded from $1.2 billion to nearly $2.4 billion. Article content And traffic is snarling Vancouver. Just try to get anywhere, according to the TomTom Traffic index, Vancouver ranks as the most congested city countrywide and the 4th most congested in North America. Article content These and others are the issues Vancouver’s next mayor will need to contend with. Article content Over the next five weeks, Conversations That Matter sits down with the five public opinion poll leaders, according to Research Co, who want the mayor’s job to discuss how they will address these issues and what the city will look like after their term in office. Article content This week: Rebecca…