Vancouver voters overwhelmingly opposed to open-air drug use

Scenes from the Downtown Eastside in Vancouver on Sept. 24, 2026. Photo by RICH LAM /NATIONAL POST

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Almost 70 per cent of Vancouver voters want laws banning open-air drug use, according to the results of a plebiscite conducted during last Saturday’s municipal election.

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Around the same percentage are also in favour of creating a secure site in Vancouver for at least 100 involuntary care beds.

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Voters were asked two questions on the ballot.

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Question 1: Are you in favour of the City of Vancouver strengthening its laws to forbid open-air hard drug (Heroin, Meth, Fentanyl, and Crack) use in public spaces?

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Question 2: Should the City of Vancouver formally ask the Province of B.C. to convert portions of the old St. Paul’s Hospital, or another similar site, into a secure medical facility that provides acute voluntary and 100-plus involuntary care beds for individuals posing a serious risk to themselves or others due to severe substance use and mental health disorders?

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Sixty-eight per cent of 200,058 respondents voted yes to question one, while 68 per cent of 199,231 respondents voted yes to question two.

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It was noted on the ballot that neither of the plebiscite results would be binding.

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The questions were added to the ballot at the request of outgoing Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim and his ABC Vancouver party that was almost completely wiped out in the election.

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Following the release of the vote results, Vancouver’s mayor-elect Pete Fry said he was not surprised.

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“The issue of course is that the plebiscite is non-binding. In many respects, I feel like it was a cynical sort of get-out-the-vote election ploy,” said Fry, who defeated Sim by more than 30,000 votes.

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Fry said he already has a plan to better manage open-air drug use and homelessness, including providing more services.

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He said that the provincial government is committed to include 100 forced treatment beds in the new St. Paul’s Hospital currently under construction.

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“The province is also constructing a new facility for treatment and detox and secure care at Clark and 1st (streets),” Fry said.

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He noted that the results of Saturday’s provincial election could impact decisions around the provision of secure-care beds.

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