List of mayors of Vancouver facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mayor of Vancouver
Incumbent Ken Sim since November 7, 2022
Style	His Worship Mayor (informal)
Member of	Vancouver City Council
Reports to	Vancouver City Council
Residence	Vancouver
Seat	Vancouver City Hall
Appointer	Directly elected by residents of Vancouver
Term length	Four years, renewable
Inaugural holder	Malcolm A. MacLean
Formation	1886; 139 years ago (1886)
Salary	CA$185,595 (2023)

The mayor of Vancouver, British Columbia, is the main leader and chief manager of the city. This important role is chosen by the people of Vancouver in an election. The mayor serves for a four-year term.

The current mayor is Ken Sim. He is the 41st person to hold this job. Mayor Sim started his term on November 7, 2022.

What Does the Mayor Do?

The mayor is like the captain of a ship, but for the city of Vancouver! They are in charge of leading the Vancouver City Council. This council makes important decisions about how the city runs.

The mayor helps guide the city's future. They work on projects that improve life for everyone in Vancouver. This includes things like public safety, parks, and transportation.

Meet the Mayors of Vancouver

Vancouver has had many mayors since it became a city. Each mayor has helped shape the city we know today. Here are some notable mayors from Vancouver's history.

Malcolm A. MacLean (1842–1895) was the first mayor of Vancouver.

L. D. Taylor (1857–1946) served as mayor for 11 years, making him the longest-serving mayor.

Gerry McGeer (1888–1947) brought many changes to the city.

The first mayor of Vancouver was Malcolm Alexander MacLean. He took office in 1886. He helped set up the city's first rules and services.

L. D. Taylor served as mayor for a total of 11 years. This makes him the longest-serving mayor in Vancouver's history. His terms were spread out between 1910 and 1934. His time as mayor ended due to problems with his administration.

Gerry McGeer was another important mayor. He served in the 1930s and 1940s. He introduced many reforms to how the city was run.

The symbol next to a name means that person passed away while still in office.

#	Mayor	Term Start	Term End	Terms		Party
1	Malcolm A. MacLean	1886	1887	2		Independent
2	David Oppenheimer	1888	1891	4		Independent
3	Frederick Cope	1892	1893	2		Independent
4	Robert A. Anderson	1894	1894	1		Independent
5	Henry Collins	1895	1896	2		Independent
6	William Templeton	1897	1897	1		Independent
7	James Garden	1898	1900	3		Independent
8	Thomas Townley	1901	1901	1		Independent
9	Thomas Neelands	1902	1903	2		Independent
10	William McGuigan	1904	1904	1		Independent
11	Frederick Buscombe	1905	1906	2		Independent
12	Alexander Bethune	1907	1908	2		Independent
13	Charles Douglas	1909	1909	1		Conservative
14	Louis D. Taylor	1910	1911	2		Liberal
15	James Findlay	1912	1912	1		Conservative
16	Truman S. Baxter	1913	1914	2		Liberal
(14)	Louis D. Taylor	1915	1915	1		Liberal
17	Malcolm P. McBeath	1915	1917	3		Liberal
18	Robert Gale	1918	1921	4		Conservative
19	Charles E. Tisdall	1922	1923	2		Conservative
20	William R. Owen	1924	1924	1		Conservative
(14)	Louis D. Taylor	1925	1928	4		Liberal
21	William H. Malkin	1929	1930	2		Conservative
(14)	Louis D. Taylor	1931	1934	4		Liberal
22	Gerry McGeer	1935	1936	2		Liberal
23	George C. Miller	1937	1938	2		Conservative
24	James L. Telford	1939	1940	2		Independent
25	Jonathan W. Cornett	1941	1946	3		NPA
(22)	Gerry McGeer	1947	1947	1⁄2		NPA
26	Charles E. Jones	1947	1948	+1⁄2		NPA
27	Charles E. Thompson	1948	1950	1		NPA
28	Frederick Hume	1950	1958	4		NPA
29	Albert T. Alsbury	1958	1962	2		CVA/NPA
30	William Rathie	1962	1966	2		NPA
31	Tom Campbell	1966	1972	3		Independent
32	Arthur Phillips	1972	1976	2		TEAM
33	Jack Volrich	1976	1980	2		TEAM
34	Mike Harcourt	1980	1986	3		Independent
35	Gordon Campbell	1986	1993	3		NPA
36	Philip Owen	1993	2002	3		NPA
37	Larry Campbell	2002	2005	1		COPE
38	Sam Sullivan	2005	2008	1		NPA
39	Gregor Robertson	2008	2018	3		Vision
40	Kennedy Stewart	2018	2022	1		Forward Together
41	Ken Sim	2022				ABC Vancouver

Mayors Who Achieved More

Some mayors of Vancouver went on to hold even higher political jobs. This shows their dedication to public service.

Two former mayors, Mike Harcourt and Gordon Campbell, later became the premier of British Columbia. The premier is the leader of the provincial government.

George Clark Miller, Sam Sullivan, and James Garden became members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia (MLAs). They did this after serving as mayor. MLAs are like elected representatives for a specific area in the province.

Art Phillips was elected to the Parliament of Canada in 1979. He served as a Liberal Member of Parliament.

Larry Campbell became a Canadian senator after his time as mayor. Senators are appointed to review laws and represent regions.

Some mayors were already involved in politics before becoming mayor. Gregor Robertson, Charles Douglas, James Lyle Telford, Jonathan Webster Cornett, and Charles Edward Tisdall were all British Columbia MLAs before they became mayor.

Jonathan Webster Cornett was also a "reeve" of South Vancouver. This was a similar leadership role before South Vancouver joined Vancouver.

Gerry McGeer had a very long political career. He was a BC MLA and a provincial cabinet minister. After being mayor, he became a Canadian member of Parliament (MP) and later a senator.

Most recently, Kennedy Stewart was an MP for the New Democratic Party. He represented the area of Burnaby South before he was elected mayor of Vancouver.