Founded in 2014, OneCity Vancouver is a political party and a movement for change. OneCity emerged out of a growing concern that Vancouver has become an increasingly unequal and divided city. We advocate a new direction for Vancouver – a city strengthened through equity, affordability, and diversity. A city for everyone, not for a few. We come from many communities and movements across this city – environmental justice, faith, arts and culture, community health, labour, public education, and housing advocacy.
Statement of Values
OneCity acknowledges that we live and do our political work in Vancouver on the traditional, unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh peoples. We recognize that the racist and violent practices of colonization have had devastating impacts on these communities and that their effects continue to this day. The ongoing resistance of and victories achieved by Indigenous communities offer us vital lessons about how to do our own political work that align with principles of social justice and reconciliation. We voice our solidarity with these resilient communities.
Our focus is on environmental and climate justice, a sustainable economy, social justice, affordability and equity. We believe our social and cultural lives should be integrated with our political lives.
We are committed to transparent and cooperative decision-making. We may disagree but we view disagreements as opportunities for strengthening our understanding of one another’s perspectives and as moments to build our organization.
We practice respectful and positive engagement. We recognize that we are all learning and that we always have something to learn from one another.
We want to build diverse and equitable communities in Vancouver. We embrace each other’s differences in experience and perspectives and see this as a strength in building an inclusive community.
We are a progressive voice for people and communities. We strive to create an environment that welcomes participation and engagement from as many people as possible.
We are working for an inclusive, vibrant and affordable city -- a city for everyone, not just a few. We acknowledge the variety of obstacles facing members of our organization and residents of our city that are both institutional and systemic and we commit ourselves to working against these obstacles in all their forms.
We are a movement of social change. We undertake, together, to build a kinder, more just, more equitable city.
OneCity Organizing Committee
Executive
Cara Ng (she/her), Co-Chair and founding member of OneCity, is a senior qualitative researcher whose areas of study include harm reduction, safer supply, and HIV prevention and treatment. She has long been involved in politics, including as a member of the antiwar coalition Stopwar, and has served on the boards of her housing co-operative and the People’s Co-op Bookstore. She is currently on the OneCity Labour Caucus and Rapid Response Team. Cara lives with her partner and two kids in East Vancouver.
Liz Locke (she/they), Co-chair, is a long-time renter and housing advocate living in so-called Vancouver. Much of their time is spent advocating for labour rights, union organizing, and building up community connections. Over two decades, Liz has explored and studied approaches to sustainable cities. In this process, Liz's crucial takeaway is that planning for sustainable cities must be rooted in social and environmental justice to enshrine a city that is accessible to all residents. As a resident of the Downtown Eastside, Liz confronts increasing divides in our city on a daily basis. Liz believes the complexities of supporting and empowering some of our most vulnerable neighbours are hard topics which we can and must address, working towards dignified long-term solutions. Liz is passionate about OneCity’s work on accessible, equitable rental housing across the city for an environmentally sustainable place we can all call home.
Jason Tockman (he/him), Treasurer, is a senior policy analyst and researcher working in the health sector, focused primarily on climate change, housing, homelessness, and substance use in the Vancouver Coastal region. He holds a PhD in political science from UBC and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in international studies from the University of Washington. In his spare time, Jason can be found hiking, cycling and kayaking; traveling to Spanish-speaking countries; and attending demonstrations for climate justice and Indigenous rights.
Lisa Dekleer (she/her), Membership Secretary, is a community organizer at heart who loves working with other people to reduce barriers to civic engagement and build a better future. Lisa joined the Organizing Committee to organize new ways to bring more people into the party and build a strong, and winning, progressive coalition into the 2026 election. She also serves on OneCity's Engagement Committee and has been actively involved with the party since 2018 in a variety of roles. Lisa is a renter in Kits who loves soccer, public transit, and nature. She has a master’s in urban studies from SFU and has worked on multiple progressive political campaigns at municipal, provincial, and federal levels of government.
Chloe Martin-Cabanne (she/her), Recording Secretary, is the president of CUPE 2950, a union representing over 1500 clerical, library and theatre workers at UBC. She serves on the Executive Board of the Vancouver District Labour Council (VDLC) and chairs CUPE BC’s Environment and Climate Justice Committee. Chloe is passionate about building a political community of working people and families within the labour movement and beyond. Chloe has witnessed the challenges faced by working class families struggling with affordability and access to public services in her city. She is a tireless champion of the rights of working people, negotiating fair wages and improved working conditions for her members. Chloe has participated in campaigns that empower workers to become politically active and informed citizens, inspiring union members to vote for progressive issues. She works to build community that extends beyond the workplace, using power of solidarity and collective action to vote for positive change. Chloe lives in an apartment house in Fairview with her partner, two cats, and many houseplants. She envisions a city where individuals from diverse backgrounds unite to create a more just and equitable society.
At-large members
Alison Atkinson (she/her) was a founding member of OneCity and was Co-chair through its early years (2014-2019). She has supported OneCity's growth from a new party to becoming the most important voice in progressive politics in Vancouver. Through her years on the Organizing Committee and Executive, Alison has held strong to our ideals that we do good politics by organizing in an inclusive, relational way. She is a teacher, union member, and parent.
David Chudnovsky (he/him) is a retired teacher, past president of the BC Teachers’ Federation, and was the MLA of Vancouver-Kensington from 2005-2009. He is also a doting father and grandfather. David has been doing city politics in Vancouver for more than 30 years, but has never been as inspired by any organization as with OneCity. Young OneCity activists who care so deeply about our city and our world -- about the environment, about inequality, about Indigenous rights, about workers’ rights, about 2SLGBTQ+ issues -- and about so much more, make him so proud and give him so much hope.
Ashley Fehr (she/her) is a community organizer with a commitment to amplifying the voices of systematically marginalized communities. With over 15 years of campaign experience across all levels of government, Ashley is devoted to protecting Vancouver’s vital third spaces, such as parks, libraries, and community centers, and to championing services that support the city’s most vulnerable residents. She is a passionate advocate for community care and intentional relationship-building, demonstrated through her leadership as co-chair of two of Western Canada’s largest queer sports leagues. Through her work with organized labour, she has demonstrated her commitment to working collaboratively toward a city that values equity, compassion, and opportunity for all. With an eye to who is being left out of the conversation, Ashley brings a diplomatic and thoughtful approach to how to build a more inclusive and just city.
Nadja Komnenic (she/her) was OneCity's Co-chair between 2021 and 2024, and served as Membership Secretary before that. She is committed to OneCity's principles and believes that our city needs strong progressive voices on Council, Park Board, and School Board leading the way toward a better, more just and equitable city. She has seen the impact that people-power can bring to a campaign and is very excited about our ability to organize over the next few years to bring the city’s left together to make real change. Nadja is grateful to be part of a political organization that is thoughtful and inclusive and that does politics differently.
Harmon Moon (he/him) is a former political organizer turned professional cook. He cut his teeth working with the federal and provincial Liberals in Alberta, first as a field organizer and then as a staffer in the Legislature. When COVID struck, however, he decided to try something different and moved to Vancouver to attend culinary school. Since then Harmon has been working in restaurants, where he has experienced first-hand how difficult this city is for people with lower wages and fewer resources. He is convinced that many of the solutions lie in our municipal government, which led him to become involved in the urbanism community as an advocate for higher density and better planning.
Bal Sandhu (he/him) is a dedicated leader in the labour movement, currently serving as the President of the Professional Employees Association’s Hospital Employees’ Staff Union (PEA-HESU). In this role, Bal champions the rights of health care workers, advocating for fair wages, benefits, and job security. His leadership is characterized by a strong commitment to equity and respect for the diverse workforce he represents. Bal is actively involved with the Vancouver and District Labour Council (VDLC), where he facilitates training for shop stewards, empowering workers through education and support. His efforts help workers navigate workplace challenges and advocate effectively for their rights. He also spent several years as 1st Vice President and has been a chairperson for many committees of the VDLC. Bal’s contributions continue to shape a fairer and more equitable working environment for all. Outside of work, Bal can be found spending time with his young family in their community, where he volunteers and coaches sports for his children’s teams.
Will Shelling (he/him) is a mixed-race Black man who resides in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood of what we now know as Vancouver. He’s deeply passionate about issues related to justice and accessibility, and ensuring Vancouver remains a place where everyone can support each other. Will has served as OneCity's Communications Committee Co-chair, working with OneCity leadership on advancing our message across the city. Will has lived in Vancouver for close to ten years, having completed both his undergrad and masters at UBC, specializing in public policy and global affairs. Since 2022, he has worked as an account director at a national boutique public affairs firm, specializing in files related to Indigenous affairs, climate change and energy, and culture. He has specialized in advocacy campaigns designed to move the dial on major social issues, such as reconciliation, queer and trans rights, and supporting resilient cities. When he’s not working, you can probably find him riding his bike around Metro Vancouver, supporting a local wine bar, or hanging out at home listening to records with his partner and their foster cats.
Aman Singh (he/him) served as MLA for Richmond-Queensborough from 2020-2024 and as BC’s Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment from 2022-2024. Aman has been a social and environmental activist since his teenage years and was a public interest, civil and human rights lawyer before he got elected. He has represented many marginalized groups over the years including people without homes and Indigenous land protectors. He is a socially conscious small business owner and has held roles as a director of the Prof Mohan Singh Memorial Foundation, the Association of Legal Aid Lawyers, the People's Legal Education Society, and as a Governor of Kwantlen Polytechnic University. For the last five years, Aman has lived in South Vancouver with his daughter Leni and two rescue dogs Charlie and Dave.