Vancouver website now lists politician perks, aiming for more transparency

From hockey tickets to VIP seats for the Celebration of Light, Vancouver’s mayor and council were gifted tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of freebies in 2024.

While the information was always open to the public, it’s now more accessible with the City Clerk’s Office displaying a “gift disclosure” tab on each council member’s website.

“If it’s being publicly disclosed on the website for anyone to see, that’s great. I approve that,” said Adriane Carr, one of two councillors with no gifts to disclose in the first nine months of 2024. Brian Montague is the other councillor.

Mayor Ken Sim disclosed nearly 20 gifts, including gala dinners and $1,800 Rolling Stones tickets, which he re-gifted to his chief of staff.

Coun. Lenny Zhou also disclosed nearly 20 gifts, including tickets to the Vancouver Canucks, Cirque De Soleil and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra’s performance of “Shrek 2.”

Coun. Peter Meiszner’s gifts included tickets to multiple plays and VIP seats for the Celebration of Light.

Coun. Sarah Kirby-Young’s gifts included a $300 customised supercross helmet, described as a “Personal benefit received as an incident of the protocol of social obligations that normally accompany the responsibilities of office.”

Coun. Lisa Dominato received around $5,000 worth of gifts which included tickets to galas, charity events, a wine festival and a Canucks game.

Coun. Mike Klassen received more than 20 gifts including tickets to the Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Wrexham game in July.

Coun. Rebecca Bligh also took in the theatre, Whitecaps and a ballet performance.

"You know, I think it's probably part of the job to be at events and be recognized at events as the City of Vancouver representative,” said Carr, who’s accepted gifts in the past.

“Mayor and Vancouver city councillors must disclose gifts over $50 and are generally prohibited from accepting gifts connected directly or indirectly to their duties, except when they are part of social obligations that normally accompany the responsibilities of office,” read a statement sent to CTV News from Sim’s office.

Some of the gifts were provided by local developers including, Oxford Properties and Concord Pacific.

Concord Pacific has proposed a major development to transform False Creek, which includes the building of thousands of homes and commercial units.

Other than Carr, no other member of council was made available for comment Friday before deadline.