COPE’s Sean Orr calls on Ken Sim to fund Vancouver’s public libraries
After ABC’s decisive defeat on Saturday, they have no mandate to go ahead with cuts to library hours.
April 7, 2025
Vancouver, BC - COPE’s Sean Orr, who won Saturday’s City Council by-election with 34,448 votes, is calling on Ken Sim and ABC to properly fund public libraries, restore all cutbacks in hours, and open all Vancouver libraries seven days a week.
Starting today, half of libraries in Vancouver are facing new cuts to their hours, including in Marpole, Strathcona, Dunbar, and Hastings-Sunrise. The South Hill Branch on Fraser Street is being shut down on Mondays as of April 21.
“The value of public libraries is immense to people in Vancouver. They’re essential social infrastructure,” said Sean Orr today. “People in every neighbourhood including seniors and families are going to be impacted by these cuts to hours.”
This weekend, COPE’s Sean Orr and OneCity’s Lucy Maloney were both elected on platform commitments to expand library hours. Voters overwhelmingly supported that vision.
“Ken Sim and ABC should take this opportunity to show integrity and listen to the voters who lined up for hours to say they want a change in direction,” said Sean Orr today, “Will Ken Sim and ABC listen to the voters, stop library cutbacks, and fund our public libraries now?”
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Contact: sean@copevancouver.ca
Write to Vancouver City Council in support:
Tell Ken Sim: Fund Vancouver's Public Libraries Now! — COPE Vancouver
List of branches with changes to hours on April 7th and April 21st https://www.vpl.ca/branch-hour-changes
Public library branches at Carnegie, Dunbar, Firehall (South Granville), Fraserview, Hastings, Kensington, Kerrisdale, Marpole, nə́c̓aʔmat ct Strathcona, and West Pt. Grey will have reductions in hours. Collingwood and Oakridge will see an increase in hours. South Hill branch on Fraser St. will shut down on mondays beginning April 21.
From COPE’s “Fight for Vancouver” Platform:
Support increased funding, hours, and wages at the Vancouver Public Library, and support VPL workers. Push for library worker representation on the Vancouver Public Library board. Libraries are essential social infrastructure and we need to be expanding the City’s libraries – not squeezing their budget into reduced hours and staff cutbacks.