Vancouver Liberals call for viaduct demolition, UBC SkyTrain extension and adoption of B.C. Building Code

Vancouver mayoral candidate Kareem Allam and the Vancouver Liberals have released a five-point “Vancouver Economic Agenda” seeking provincial-party commitments to extend SkyTrain’s Millennium Line to the University of British Columbia, demolish the Dunsmuir and Georgia viaducts, and bring UBC’s self-governed area and the adjacent University Endowment Lands into Vancouver’s municipal jurisdiction.

Allam said the Oct. 17 civic elections and the Oct. 24 snap provincial election called by Premier David Eby give voters two choices a week apart and create an opportunity to secure support for major projects. The party says it will provide its agenda to every provincial party leader and record the commitments it receives.

On transit, Allam is seeking funding and a construction schedule for a SkyTrain extension to UBC. The Millennium Line’s Broadway Subway project, now under construction between VCC-Clark and the new Arbutus Station, is scheduled to open in late 2027. A shortened 99 B-Line bus service would cover the remaining trip to campus until the extension is built. The provincial government has said it is deferring to the timetable set by TransLink’s Mayors’ Council, which places the extension sometime in the first half of the 2030s, during the latter half of the current 10-year expansion and improvement plan.

Allam also wants the province to outline the legislative steps needed to place UBC and the UEL under City of Vancouver control. He argues amalgamation would give residents a municipal voice and enable joint planning. Eligible voters in the two areas can currently vote for Vancouver School Board trustees, but not for mayor, Vancouver City Council or Vancouver Park Board. UBC’s campus is self-governed by its administration, while the B.C. Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs provides municipal governance and services to the UEL, with the minister acting as its de facto mayor.

The platform calls for provincial involvement to speed demolition of the Dunsmuir and Georgia viaducts in Northeast False Creek, which the party says could make room for housing, employment space and public parks. The City’s plans have been delayed by stalled market condominium projects whose revenues were expected to fund demolition, a ground-level replacement road network and other public benefits. Estimated costs have also risen considerably, particularly since the pandemic.

The Vancouver Liberals are also seeking faster provincial investment in water and sewer systems, clean energy and additional electricity capacity. If elected, the party says it would fully adopt the B.C. Building Code, simplify permitting and combine 12 municipal permitting departments under a single point of contact for applicants. The party says it will not endorse a provincial party in the election and is not affiliated with provincial or federal parties of the same name.