Candidates

Lucy Maloney

Born in Melbourne, Australia, Downtown Vancouver is Lucy Maloney's chosen home.

After earning a law degree and an MBA, and building a career in both the public and private sector, Lucy decided to focus on raising her family. They settled in a rental home in the West End, two minutes from her children's public school. After they were forced to move due to renovations, she and her kids started to bike to school. And that experience taught them that not everyone's housing is stable, and not everyone's commutes are safe.

So she started to advocate for safe routes to school for her kids, and kids across Vancouver. First as the Chair of the Lord Roberts PAC, then as an advocate with the Vancouver DPAC - and finally as a fighter for safe streets with Vision Zero Vancouver.

In Vancouver, homelessness is rising and rent is too high. And Mayor Ken Sim barely shows up for work. When he does, he and ABC make immensely damaging decisions that just make everything worse.

Frances Bula (she/her)

I've spent the last three decades of my 43-year journalism career writing about Vancouver city politics and urban issues.

During that time - first at the Vancouver Sun, then the Globe and Mail - I covered everything from homelessness issues to billion-dollar developments, along with drug policy, transportation, garbage and recycling, transportation, and much more.

I've reported a lot on the Downtown Eastside, a place that has special meaning for me. My father, from a Ukrainian farm family on the Prairies, lived and ultimately died at the West Hotel after a tragic lifetime of alcoholism.

My three rambunctious brothers and I were born in Regina and raised in North Vancouver by my mother, with help from my Quebec-born grandmother. A nun for 15 years before deciding to leave for the bigger world (she eventually became a French teacher in public schools), my mother was an adventurous soul who took chances throughout her life, inspiring me to do the same.

While getting my degree in French literature, I worked as a deckhand in the commercial fishing industry. I cycled through Europe at 18, studied at the Sorbonne in Paris in the '70s, travelled to China to study education in 1990, and volunteered for a reporting stint in Afghanistan in 2004.

In 1998/99, I spent a year studying housing and homelessness on a fellowship, resulting in a 15-part series in the Toronto Star. That sparked an enduring passion for that issue.

Mount Pleasant has been my 'hood for 25 years, where my husband and I had a laneway house built for his oldest daughter and her family. I have three other kids here, for whom housing is a major concern.

Throughout my journalism career, I've aimed to provide service to the public by exploring the issues that affect their lives. Now, I'm hoping to provide service in a different way.

Favourite park: New Brighton is the BEST PARK! That's where I got married, among other things. The actual spot is now in the middle of the dog park, which cracks me up.

Iona Bonamis 陶思穎 (she/her)

Hello! I am:

A mom of two active kids and a sweet, adorable dog;

An urban planner with nearly 20 years of experience improving community access, fairness, and quality of life;

A lead planner at TransLink and previously served as a senior transportation planner at the City of Vancouver;

A former Co-Chair of Women Transforming Cities;

A former Board Director of the Trout Lake Community Centre Association;

Founder and current co-chair of OneCity's Chinese Cultural Working Group; and

A small business owner who empowers people to lead greener and healthier lives.

Three years ago, I ran for Vancouver City Council with OneCity to build a city for everyone. I was the second-highest voted OneCity candidate (after Christine Boyle) and narrowly missed being elected.

With Ken Sim and ABC our city has drifted further off course, making it less affordable, less inclusive, and less livable. As an urban planner, community builder, and a mom, I am deeply passionate about providing affordable housing, safe transportation, arts and culture, and well-kept parks and community centres. I believe we must also act on homelessness, climate change, and reconciliation.

That's why I'm running again to be a OneCity candidate for City Council. I will use my experience to listen to and unite people, make changes that will make a real impact on people's lives, and stand up for everyday people including workers, artists, and renters. Together, we can tackle these important issues and make Vancouver a more welcoming, connected, and sustainable city.

Favourite park: Trout Lake

Jarrett Hagglund (he/him)

Jarrett Hagglund's career has been driven by a commitment to community. Raised in Kelowna, Jarrett Hagglund moved to Toronto to take up comedy before returning to British Columbia and settling in Metro Vancouver in 2008. What began as a creative urge to entertain and pull people together with laughter grew into a long-standing commitment to public service, community building, and progressive politics.

Jarrett soon became active in federal politics, volunteering for Burnaby NDP MP Bill Siksay, before serving as a constituency assistant for Fairview NDP MLA George Heyman. In that role, he worked directly with residents, listened to their concerns, and helped resolve complex issues. Jarrett was then recruited to join John Horgan's team. Working and travelling alongside Horgan, he got a province-wide perspective on how policy decisions translate into real-world impacts for communities.

In 2011, Jarrett and his husband, Zach, became members of Emma G. Housing Co-op in East Vancouver, a move that Jarrett describes as life-changing. Jarrett has worked extensively in the co-operative movement, serving on the board of the BC Co-op Association and serving as a leader in the co-op housing movement.

Today, Jarrett is Managing Director of the Co-operative Housing Federation of BC, working closely with housing providers and advocates across the province. Jarrett remains active in Vancouver's arts and queer communities, serving as Vice-President of DMS, one of Vancouver's oldest queer charities. He is seeking a council nomination with OneCity to bring people together, strengthen housing and culture, and help build a more joyful, livable city.

Favourite park: Dude Chilling Park (Guelph Park)

Caitlin Stockwell (she/her)

I am a Strathcona resident, long-time climate advocate, cyclist and Indigenous rights lawyer.

Like many Vancouverites, I wasn't born here, but I fell in love with our ocean and mountains, and the communities that bring life to this city. However, Vancouver is increasingly becoming an exclusive city only welcoming to some and we risk losing the people and spaces that make Vancouver a great place for everyone.

I want to run as a OneCity Council candidate to advance a liveable, vibrant and inclusive Vancouver - one that supports affordable and non-market housing options, leads on climate action, builds meaningful relationships with Indigenous governments, and invests in community spaces and sustainable transit that keeps us connected.

This is a direction I know many Vancouverites share. I heard it when door knocking as a OneCity Park Board candidate in 2022, when speaking alongside over 600 residents opposing ABC's austerity budget, and through community work, including as a current Board Director of the Wilderness Committee and volunteer lawyer for tenants facing residential disputes. It's a vision reflective of community-based values that I have been committed to advancing through climate and environmental advocacy for nearly two decades (e.g. Sierra Club, YesBC and Uvic Environmental Law Centre).

As a lawyer representing Indigenous governments, I have experience lobbying governments for policy change, negotiating shared decision-making agreements, and developing governance frameworks grounded in trust and accountability. When conflicts arise, I build common ground without wavering on core values. I want to bring my professional and community organizing experience to Council to build a Vancouver for all of us.

I hope you will support me and other committed OneCity candidates to ensure the people, communities and public spaces we love and care for are reflected and protected in Vancouver's decision-making. Let's put people and housing first - and bitcoin last.

Favourite park: Woodland Park! on a bike route with easy ice cream and mural access.

Krista Sigurdson, PhD (she/her)

Krista is an academic researcher and educator, political staffer, mother, community organizer, parent advocate, friend, and spouse. She has a PhD in Sociology and worked as a health care researcher at Stanford University and as a research and writing instructor at UBC. Her academic work focused on breastfeeding, maternal and infant health, and racial and ethnic disparities in health care. She became engaged in local Vancouver politics through volunteering as a chair for Strathcona Elementary's Parent Advisory Council and board member for Vancouver District Parent Advisory Council. Krista is a OneCity Education Caucus volunteer, ran for school board in 2022 (almost won!) and served on the OneCity Organizing Committee. She has worked as staff on two recent successful political campaigns: Provincially for Vancouver-West End for Minister Spencer Chandra Herbert and Federally for Vancouver-East For Member of Parliament, Jenny Kwan. She worked as a Constituency Advisor for MLA Christine Boyle (Vancouver-Little Mountain) and MLA Spencer Chandra Herbert and now works as an Executive Assistant for the Minister of Children and Family Development, Jodie Wickens. Krista is a parent to two kids in the public K-12 school system in Vancouver. She believes that all Vancouver kids, regardless of where they live or their circumstances, deserve to experience all the wonderful things that public school can offer. Krista wants to be a part of putting kids and families at the center of OneCity's 2026 platform for Vancouver. She enjoys playing and listening to music, dancing, the outdoors, cooking, thrifting, reading and spending time with family and friends.

Favourite park: Strathcona Park (but we need to fix that tennis court falling into the earth because of a sink hole!)

Christopher Lee (he/him)

Christopher Lee, M.G.C., is an organizer, nonprofit leader, and young Vancouverite committed to building a future in the city he calls home. Raised in Vancouver, as the founder and leader of the Helping Hearts Youth Foundation, he has mobilized thousands of students, parents, and community members to take action on issues that matter most like improving education and food security to strengthening transparency and accountability in public institutions. Under his leadership, Helping Hearts has organized student-led initiatives that have driven meaningful change across the district. In recognition of this work, Christopher received the Medal of Good Citizenship, the province's second-highest honour. Through his direct work with Vancouver students, Christopher has a firsthand understanding of how policy decisions play out in real classrooms. He has seen how ineffective leadership at the School Board has eroded public trust and allowed students to fall through the cracks. At a time when Vancouverites are stretched thin by an affordability crisis, he knows that parents, students, and staff need a strong School Board through fully funded schools, transparent and accountable decisions, and a world-class public education system. Christopher is proud to be running for School Board and join the OneCity education caucus.

Favourite park: Hinge Park in Olympic Village

Steve Cardwell (he/him)

Steve Cardwell is seeking OneCity's nomination as a candidate for School Board.

He has a strong desire to continue his support and advocacy for students, parents, and workers as a trustee with the Vancouver Board of Education.

His key motivations are student success and well-being, accessibility, safe neighbourhood schools, and greater resources for improved teaching, learning and working conditions. He believes in democratic and open board meetings that are transparent and open to the public.

Steve has the experience to make a significant contribution to the Board. He was Superintendent for two school districts, including the VSB. He taught graduate students at UBC and was Vice President of Students at KPU. Having served the students, parents, and community in Vancouver for more than five years, Steve brings a deep understanding of the needs and challenges of the Vancouver School District.

As Superintendent, Steve visited all of the Vancouver public schools and has a strong understanding of how they function on a daily basis. As such, he knows the processes and practices of our school system. He also knows the people involved - stakeholders, government, and community.

Steve has two children who attended the public system throughout their schooling. His wife is a former school counsellor and lead educator for alternate programs in the public system.

With deep experience in public education at the K-12 and post secondary levels, Steve's background and leadership credentials have prepared him to respond to the most significant challenges affecting the Vancouver school district. His experience working with public school boards, other boards, and advisory councils makes Steve an ideal candidate for school trustee. He knows our schools. Above all, Steve puts children first. He ensures that whatever decisions are made, they are in the best interests of students and their caregivers.

Favourite park: Stanley Park

Sherry Breshears (she/they)

Sherry's advocacy in public education began when families at Dr. A. R. Lord Elementary organized to prevent the school's closure. Since then, she has been a steady advocate for transparent, equity-focused decision-making. Sherry volunteers with Vancouver DPAC's Inclusive Education Working Group and was a lead author of Advocating for Equity: A Caregiver-Led Examination of Inclusive Education in Vancouver Public Schools, a caregiver-led report on inequities faced by learners with disabilities. She also served as DPAC secretary, representing parents and caregivers at the Vancouver School Board, and is an active volunteer with Dyslexia BC.

Sherry brings experience in governance, labour representation, and grassroots organizing. She is a former president of the Hastings Community Association, where she was instrumental in establishing an out-of-school care program and helping to negotiate a Joint Operating Agreement with the Park Board. As an adult educator, she spent more than a decade in elected union leadership roles. She holds a PhD in Education and Labour Studies from SFU, where she researched the working conditions of adult educators. She currently teaches in the Communications and Rhetoric program at UBC Okanagan.

Sherry is committed to creating an education system where inclusion is the foundation, not an afterthought, and where systemic barriers are acknowledged and addressed. With her youngest child set to graduate from the VSB, Sherry feels this is the right time to step forward as a candidate for school board trustee, offering thoughtful, community-minded, and equity-focused leadership to public education in Vancouver. She sees the VSB as a place where meaningful change is possible, and where long-term, community-centred planning can help create a future for children of all backgrounds.

Favourite park: New Brighton

Rory Brown (he/him)

Rory Brown is a member of the Mechanical Engineering Department at the British Columbia Institute of Technology, an Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Education at UBC and the former President of the Vancouver Secondary Teachers Association. He is a past executive member of the BC Teachers' Federation and sits on the Board of the Hastings Community Association. Rory taught in Vancouver high schools for eighteen years and is interested in increasing fairness, safety and opportunity for Vancouver's youth in our public schools. Rory has a keen interest in keeping public spaces public and particularly, the stewardship of school and community facilities in Vancouver's neighborhoods. Rory loves living in the incredible diversity of East Vancouver with his family and beloved dog.

Favourite park: Burrardview Park

Dominic Denofrio

Dominic Denofrio grew up in a co-op in Kitsilano, attended Vancouver public schools, and now lives in Marpole with his family.

Since graduating from SFU with a degree in political science, Dominic has worked as a Constituency Advisor for various BC NDP MLAs - currently working for MLAs Sunita Dhir and Bowinn Ma.

In 2022, Dominic put his name forward as an independent candidate for Vancouver City Council, advocating for more housing, better transit, strong urban communities, and more youth representation in government. In early 2025, he ran as a candidate for the federal NDP.

Dominic's interest in the Vancouver Park Board was sparked by a lack of action from the current Park Board on infrastructure and services in South Vancouver. Dominic's top priority for the Park Board is to ensure that our city's parks and community centres are well-maintained - and that we meet demand for more public space and recreation facilities to reflect the needs of our growing population centres. He believes that we must protect and expand access to green space for all Vancouverites, and that the people of Vancouver should maintain democratic control over our public parks and amenities.

Outside of his work, Dominic enjoys studying history, reading, and practicing classical fencing. He has been deeply involved in politics for nearly a decade, and currently serves on the executives of NDP electoral district associations at the federal level in Vancouver-Granville and at the provincial level in Vancouver-Langara.

Favourite park: Vanier Park

John Irwin

As coordinator of the Southeast False Creek (SeFC) Working Group, John advanced social and ecological justice. From 1997 to 1999, he sat on the City of Vancouver's advisory group for SeFC, and the City's Stewardship Group for SeFC from 2000 to 2008.

As a PhD (UBC, 2004) John specializes in sustainable urban development. He is a lecturer at Alexander College, and he lectured at SFU and UBC as well. He was a policy analyst for the Tenant's Rights Action Coalition and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, BC, and worked in fair trade retail from 1996 to 2003.

He served on the boards of the Society Promoting Environmental Conservation (SPEC), the Friends of False Creek, and the West End Residents Association. John was chair of the Henry Hudson Out-of-School Society (2011-2016), and advocates for affordable child care.

As a father of three children, John is keenly aware of the importance of Vancouver's parks and recreation facilities for our youth and the social and ecological sustainability of our city.

As a liaison John worked with Mt. Pleasant, Kitsilano, Dunbar, and Kerrisdale Community Centres as equal partners.

As a commissioner, John was successful in preventing the seeking of injunctions to move people from Oppenheimer, Strathcona, and CRAB Parks (2018-2022). John met regularly with unhoused people, and their advocates, at each location. He also met with nearby residents to hear their valid concerns.

Commissioner Irwin met with Viveca Ellis from the BC Poverty Reduction Coalition and others. One result of this work was the "no fare for 12 and under" initiative, which reduced costs for Vancouver's families. Other transit initiatives included requesting TransLink to return the around-the-park bus route for Stanley Park, asking the City to request that TransLink establish a beach express bus during the summer months, and an earlier successful motion that asked City Council to support the "All On Board" initiative to lower transit fares.

John's first term was a period of consistently working for those who are more vulnerable in our city.

Commissioner Irwin introduced a motion at the Park Board on March 28, 2022. If passed, this motion asked that the Park Board chair request that the Oakridge Park mall owners contract with Park Board staff and gardeners to attend to this specific park. Our parks should be maintained by our unionized staff with their long experience in delivering horticultural excellence.

Tyler Petersen

Tyler Petersen is an advocate, a labour activist, and an environmentalist. With a background in the biological sciences, and a proven track record of negotiating, finding consensus, and achieving positive results, Tyler is seeking to run for Park Board with OneCity Vancouver.

Tyler is community-driven, and believes that building consensus starts with listening to people. Tyler's priorities are finding ways to improve affordability for the folks who use municipal services, ensuring that equity and inclusion are baked into the decision-making process, and that we find ways to regain the trust that has been lost by past municipal governments.

Tyler is a leader within their union. Tyler has been a Shop Steward, has been at the bargaining table to advocate for improved conditions in their workplace, and continues that same work in the Joint Labour-Management Committee.

A practical leader, who believes that better is always possible. Tyler Petersen hopes to carry this work onward and collaborate with other representatives to achieve positive, lasting change.

Favourite park: Trout Lake