Kareem Allam says his Vancouver Liberals platform would push for an extended Millennium Line to UBC, demolish the Dunsmuir and Georgia viaducts, and seek provincial steps to bring UBC and the UEL under City of Vancouver jurisdict…
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Kareem Allam, the mayoral candidate for the Vancouver Liberals civic party, has released a five-point “Vancouver Economic Agenda” calling on British Columbia’s political parties to commit to three major priorities: extending SkyTrain’s Millennium Line to the University of British Columbia, demolishing the Dunsmuir and Georgia viaducts, and pursuing provincial legislation to bring UBC and the adjoining University Endowment Lands (UEL) into the City of Vancouver’s municipal jurisdiction.
Allam’s push comes as Vancouver’s municipal election campaign runs alongside a provincial snap general election called by Premier David Eby for Saturday, Oct. 24, following municipal elections scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 17 across Vancouver and other municipalities in British Columbia.
On transit, Allam wants provincial funding and a construction schedule to extend the Millennium Line beyond the Broadway Subway project currently under construction between VCC–Clark Station and the new Arbutus Station. The Broadway Subway segment is scheduled to open in late 2027, with a truncated 99 B-Line bus service expected to cover the remaining route to campus until SkyTrain could extend further.
The provincial government has previously said it has completed a significant portion of the project’s business case but is deferring to the timeline set by TransLink’s Mayors’ Council. Under that schedule, the SkyTrain extension would proceed sometime in the first half of the 2030s, which would fall during the second half of the current 10-year expansion and improvement plan.
Allam also argues the provincial government has been slowing the pace of major capital projects, citing steep annual provincial budget deficits and rising debt. He says the NDP administration has rejected calls to expedite the UBC SkyTrain project, despite what he frames as an opportunity created by the close timing of civic and provincial votes.
A second component of Allam’s agenda would require changes to governance over UBC and the UEL. He is seeking provincial legislative steps to bring the areas into City of Vancouver control, arguing that amalgamation would give residents a municipal voice through Vancouver’s city government and allow the regions to be planned together.
Under the current arrangement, UBC is self-governed by the university administration, while the UEL is provided governance and services through the Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs, with the minister acting as the UEL’s effective mayor. Allam’s proposal would also address voting access, saying eligible voters at UBC and in the UEL can currently vote only for Vancouver School Board trustees, not for mayor, City Council, or the Park Board.
The agenda also calls for the provincial government’s involvement in speeding up demolition of the Dunsmuir and Georgia viaducts in Northeast False Creek. Allam describes removing the arterial road structures as a way to make space for new housing, employment spaces, and public parks, while also pointing to long-running delays tied to stalled condominium developments in the area.
According to the platform’s summary, revenue from earlier planned developments was expected to cover costs for demolishing the viaducts and building a replacement road network at ground level, along with other public benefits. The proposed works’ estimated costs have risen substantially since the pandemic, and major market projects have not progressed as originally anticipated.
Allam’s platform additionally requests faster provincial investment in utilities needed to support growth, including water and sewer servicing, clean energy measures, and increased electricity capacity. He frames these asks as part of a wider effort to align government decision-making with planned development across Vancouver.
At City Hall, the Vancouver Liberals say they would pursue changes such as adopting the B.C. Building Code in full and simplifying the permitting process. The party notes the City currently uses its own building bylaw that incorporates the provincial code while adding Vancouver-specific provisions, while other municipalities follow the B.C. Building Code through provincial regulation.
The party also says it would combine 12 municipal permitting departments into a single point of contact for applicants, aiming to streamline processes for building approvals. In releasing the platform, Allam said “the time for incrementalism is over,” and argued that the focus should shift to major actions to address Vancouver’s economic needs.
Allam’s campaign notes that the Vancouver Liberals will not endorse any provincial party for the Oct. 24 election. It also states the Vancouver Liberals are not affiliated with provincial or federal parties using the same name.
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