VANCOUVER, BC – Five Metro Vancouver residents are taking the city and Holborn Group to court, seeking to quash Vancouver City Council’s recent approval of Holborn’s proposed multi-block downtown development project.
The group filed a petition in BC Supreme Court seeking judicial review of Council’s decision to approve the rezoning application for the project, which includes two 68-storey residential towers, a 79-storey hotel, and a related social housing project.
The petitioners, Robert Bader, Luis Antonio Cervera Bojorquez, Gulzar Grewal, Kabir Madan, and George Temple, had each registered to speak against the project’s rezoning at the city’s public hearing. They are challenging Council’s decision on the basis that the public hearing process failed to provide residents with a meaningful opportunity to participate. The petition also contests the city’s failure to disclose NAV Canada’s concerns that the proposed 1,034-foot hotel tower interferes with airspace or provide a rational for why the project departed from the city’s social housing policies.
“Residents deserve a fair chance to be heard before Council makes a decision of this magnitude. We deserve to know the facts, respond to the information before Council, and to know that our concerns have been genuinely considered,” said Robert Bader, a Vancouver resident and co-petitioner.
Petitioners argue that the hearing procedure on July 23 deprived residents of a meaningful opportunity to make their case, as the Charter and the City’s own procedures intend. Council unexpectedly skipped people on the speakers’ list without explanation, and the hearing was pushed until nearly 1:00 a.m. on a weeknight, rather than adjourned to a time when the public would be reasonably available to speak.
They also argue the city failed to provide material information in advance of the public hearing. It was only during the hearing that city staff revealed NAV Canada’s concerns that the project interferes with federal airspace and could require an 88-foot height reduction to the tallest tower. The developer acknowledged that this could require substantive changes to plans for the project.
The group is also challenging unexplained departures from the city’s established affordable-housing policies. They allege the application reduced the proposed social-housing floor area well below the city’s 20% targets under its Transit-Oriented Areas and Sustainable Large Developments policies, without justification for the departure.
Mayor Ken Sim and ABC councilors approved the proposed supertall tower project rather than send the project back to staff. Councilors Sean Orr, Pete Fry and Lucy Maloney voted in opposition.
The petitioners are asking the court to quash Council’s July 27 decision and to send the matter back to the city for reconsideration.
http://www.uniteherelocal40.org/wp-content/uploads/local40logo-300x155.png00Michelle Travishttp://www.uniteherelocal40.org/wp-content/uploads/local40logo-300x155.pngMichelle Travis2026-09-04 15:04:362026-09-04 15:08:02Press Release: Residents take Vancouver to court over approval of Holborn’s proposed supertall tower project
Do you care about democracy? Come join us and help get Vancouver out to vote in the upcoming municipal election!
Participation in local elections is an important part of a strong democracy, but time and time again the majority of Vancouver voters stay home on election day. For the 2026 election, we have a chance to change that.
Are you a people-person? Do you care about civic participation? We’re looking to build a team for a Temporary 4-6 Week Contract for Get Out the Vote Specialists.
This role will involve signature gathering and street petitioning, door knocking, and phone banking to Vancouver residents to encourage their participation in the election.
This is a non-partisan project, aiming to get at least 50% of Vancouver voters to turn up and vote this October.
Qualifications:
This is an entry-level position. No experience with canvassing or signature gathering is necessary. Successful applicants, however, will have the following characteristics:
Able to work outdoors – rain or shine!
Punctual and reliable
Good communication skills
Outgoing personality
Enjoys meeting and talking to people
Energetic and enthusiastic
Terms of Employment:
The Get Out the Vote Specialist role is 25-40 hours/week
The project will start mid-September, and go through to election day October 17th 2026.
Must be willing to work afternoons and evenings on weekdays, with more availability for morning shifts on weekends
Access to a personal vehicle for transportation is an asset
Pay: CA$25.00 – CA$30.00 per hour, depending on experience
Application question:
Do you have access to a personal vehicle?
Do you have a valid class 5 driver’s license?
Please outline the days/times you would be unavailable to work during the 5 week period between September 15 and October 17. Please be specific.
Work Location: In-person in neighbourhoods across Vancouver.
http://www.uniteherelocal40.org/wp-content/uploads/local40logo-300x155.png00Michelle Travishttp://www.uniteherelocal40.org/wp-content/uploads/local40logo-300x155.pngMichelle Travis2026-09-02 14:30:572026-09-02 14:30:57Job Posting: Vancouver Municipal Election – Get Out The Vote Specialists
Local 40 says the vote shows that Council is not listening to the thousands of Vancouver residents speaking up about the need for a more affordable city
VANCOUVER, B.C. — After Vancouver City Council voted 7 to 3 to approve the controversial Holborn luxury megaproject, hospitality workers, tenants, and residents say the vote is yet another giveaway to a foreign billionaire developer.
The vote comes amid growing public concern over Vancouver’s housing crisis. Nearly 50,000 people have signed petitions calling on the City Council to fight for a more affordable city for working people, not selling it off to developers. Recent Stratcom polling also found Vancouver voters favor prioritizing affordable housing over additional hotel development by roughly three to one.
“Today’s vote was yet another giveaway to an international billionaire developer, but it does not change what we know to be true: Vancouver has a housing affordability crisis, not a luxury hotel crisis,” said Zailda Chan, President of UNITE HERE Local 40. “When the City Council does not reflect the needs of the people who live and work here, we have to keep speaking up, keep showing up, and keep standing up for the future of our city.”
Earlier today, UNITE HERE Local 40 President Zailda Chan sent a letter to Mayor Ken Sim inviting him to meet with Local 40 members as soon as possible. The union said meeting with the Mayor is a top priority and urged him to hear directly from hospitality workers who have already been forced out of Vancouver, as well as those fighting to stay in the city they help keep running. That letter is available upon request.
“As a mother of three children here, I want a city where working families can afford to live, where people aren’t forced farther from their jobs,” said Sonia Chua, a hospitality worker who works at Vancouver International Airport. ”I have spoken to many residents concerned about the direction Vancouver is heading. At a time when so many families are struggling to make ends meet, I believe City Hall should be focused on policies that improve affordability and strengthen our communities.”
The campaign has challenged the argument that Vancouver urgently needs more hotel rooms, pointing to recent tourism and hotel data showing that World Cup hotel demand did not match industry claims. Local 40 has argued that City Hall should prioritize affordable, social, co-op, non-market, and workforce housing over additional luxury development and hotel incentives.
The union, along with the Affordable Housing Now! Campaign, said the vote makes public accountability even more important ahead of the October election.
http://www.uniteherelocal40.org/wp-content/uploads/local40logo-300x155.png00Michelle Travishttp://www.uniteherelocal40.org/wp-content/uploads/local40logo-300x155.pngMichelle Travis2026-07-27 13:29:582026-07-27 13:29:58Press Release: After Holborn Vote, Local 40 Workers Say Yet Another Giveaway to Billionaire Developers
Following last night’s public hearing at Vancouver City Council, UNITE HERE Local 40 President Zailda Chan is calling for an investigation into the ABC majority’s treatment of predominantly racialized women workers who testified about affordability and how developers shape the city we live in.
The union is also demanding an immediate moratorium on major hotel and luxury-development hearings and approvals until its legal and human rights complaints are addressed and Vancouver voters have had their say.
“Workers are not taking anything from Vancouver. They are asking City Hall to stop giving away the city’s future,” Chan said. “The mayor calls worker solidarity ‘foreign interference’ while Council rushes approvals for international billionaire developers like Holborn. Pause the approvals, resolve the legal challenges and let Vancouver voters decide who should shape their city’s future. This is bigger than any single project. It is about public trust, democratic accountability and who gets to shape Vancouver’s future: the people who live and work here, or billionaire development interests that stand to profit from the city’s land.”
UNITE HERE Local 40 is calling on Council to:
Investigate the treatment of union members who participated in recent public hearings.
Pause major hotel and luxury-development hearings and approvals immediately and hold until after the municipal election.
Disclose developers’ past commitments, promised public benefits and records of performance.
Rally at Vancouver City Hall to Pause Holborn Project
What: Hotel Worker Rally before Public Hearing
Date: Thursday, July 23, 2026
Time: 5pm start time
Location: Vancouver City Hall, 453 West 12th Avenue.
http://www.uniteherelocal40.org/wp-content/uploads/local40logo-300x155.png00Michelle Travishttp://www.uniteherelocal40.org/wp-content/uploads/local40logo-300x155.pngMichelle Travis2026-07-23 15:06:452026-07-23 15:06:45Workers Demand Investigation as ABC Council Rushes Luxury Development Approvals
Vancouver, BC — As Vancouver City Council prepares to consider Holborn Group’s proposed downtown megaproject this Thursday, UNITE HERE Local 40 is calling on Council to halt all major hotel and land-use approvals until after October’s municipal election, giving Vancouver residents – not just developers – the opportunity to decide what kind of city they want to build.
The proposal, which includes three supertall towers, including a 920-room luxury hotel, comes before Council at a time when Vancouver continues to face an unprecedented housing affordability crisis. Yet City Hall is continuing to fast-track luxury developments before breaking for its summer recess.
The question facing Council this week is simple: Why is Vancouver City Hall rushing a proposal by one of the city’s most controversial developers now?
For years, Holborn has faced public criticism over delays in delivering replacement social housing at Little Mountain and scrutiny over the neglect of 500 Dunsmuir. That record should be part of Council’s deliberations before approving one of the largest luxury development proposals in the city’s history.
Moreover, Holborn’s proposed “supertall” towers have prompted City Hall to undertake a review of its Higher Buildings Policy which will not be completed until after the election. This again raises the question, why bring this proposal forward now?
“Before City Hall approves another luxury megaproject, Vancouver deserves answers about whether developers who have failed to deliver on past promises should be rewarded with even bigger projects,” said Zailda Chan, President of UNITE HERE Local 40. “This isn’t simply about one project. It’s about accountability, public trust, and whose interests City Hall is putting first.”
The hearing also comes as workers, renters, students, seniors, and families continue to struggle with rising housing costs and displacement. Council should not be making long-term decisions that reshape Vancouver’s future just weeks before voters head to the polls.
“We need to let the voters decide which city they want to live in – one that continues prioritizing luxury hotel development, or one that responds first to the housing needs of workers, renters, families, and the broader community,” said Chan.
Yesterday, Local 40’s encampment hosted a community teach-in exploring how Vancouver’s housing crisis disproportionately affects workers and migrants. Now, the campaign turns its attention to developer accountability.
UNITE HERE Local 40 is calling on Vancouver City Council to:
Pause all major hotel and land-use approvals until after the October municipal election.
Put affordable housing ahead of additional luxury hotel development.
Ensure developers are held accountable for delivering on past commitments before receiving approvals for new megaprojects.
Allow Vancouver voters to have a meaningful voice in determining the city’s housing and development priorities.
THURSDAY RALLY
Hotel workers, tenants, housing advocates, and community organizations will gather outside Vancouver City Hall ahead of the public hearing to call on Council to put affordable housing first and defer major hotel and land-use approvals until after the election.
WHAT: Rally Before Holborn Public Hearing
WHEN: Thursday, July 23, 2026, 5:30 p.m.
WHERE: Vancouver City Hall, 453 West 12th Avenue.
VISUALS: Hotel workers and community members with “Affordable Housing Now” and “Hotels Can Wait” signs. Worker and community chanting and marching at City Hall.
http://www.uniteherelocal40.org/wp-content/uploads/local40logo-300x155.png00Michelle Travishttp://www.uniteherelocal40.org/wp-content/uploads/local40logo-300x155.pngMichelle Travis2026-07-21 14:42:182026-07-21 14:42:18Day 6 of City Hall Encampment: Hotel Workers Call on Council to Pause Mega Hotel Approvals Until After the Election
Press Release: Residents take Vancouver to court over approval of Holborn’s proposed supertall tower project
VANCOUVER, BC – Five Metro Vancouver residents are taking the city and Holborn Group to court, seeking to quash Vancouver City Council’s recent approval of Holborn’s proposed multi-block downtown development project.
The group filed a petition in BC Supreme Court seeking judicial review of Council’s decision to approve the rezoning application for the project, which includes two 68-storey residential towers, a 79-storey hotel, and a related social housing project.
The petitioners, Robert Bader, Luis Antonio Cervera Bojorquez, Gulzar Grewal, Kabir Madan, and George Temple, had each registered to speak against the project’s rezoning at the city’s public hearing. They are challenging Council’s decision on the basis that the public hearing process failed to provide residents with a meaningful opportunity to participate. The petition also contests the city’s failure to disclose NAV Canada’s concerns that the proposed 1,034-foot hotel tower interferes with airspace or provide a rational for why the project departed from the city’s social housing policies.
“Residents deserve a fair chance to be heard before Council makes a decision of this magnitude. We deserve to know the facts, respond to the information before Council, and to know that our concerns have been genuinely considered,” said Robert Bader, a Vancouver resident and co-petitioner.
Petitioners argue that the hearing procedure on July 23 deprived residents of a meaningful opportunity to make their case, as the Charter and the City’s own procedures intend. Council unexpectedly skipped people on the speakers’ list without explanation, and the hearing was pushed until nearly 1:00 a.m. on a weeknight, rather than adjourned to a time when the public would be reasonably available to speak.
They also argue the city failed to provide material information in advance of the public hearing. It was only during the hearing that city staff revealed NAV Canada’s concerns that the project interferes with federal airspace and could require an 88-foot height reduction to the tallest tower. The developer acknowledged that this could require substantive changes to plans for the project.
The group is also challenging unexplained departures from the city’s established affordable-housing policies. They allege the application reduced the proposed social-housing floor area well below the city’s 20% targets under its Transit-Oriented Areas and Sustainable Large Developments policies, without justification for the departure.
Mayor Ken Sim and ABC councilors approved the proposed supertall tower project rather than send the project back to staff. Councilors Sean Orr, Pete Fry and Lucy Maloney voted in opposition.
The petitioners are asking the court to quash Council’s July 27 decision and to send the matter back to the city for reconsideration.
Contact: Michelle Travis, [email protected], 778-960-9785
Job Posting: Vancouver Municipal Election – Get Out The Vote Specialists
Job description:
Do you care about democracy? Come join us and help get Vancouver out to vote in the upcoming municipal election!
Participation in local elections is an important part of a strong democracy, but time and time again the majority of Vancouver voters stay home on election day. For the 2026 election, we have a chance to change that.
Are you a people-person? Do you care about civic participation? We’re looking to build a team for a Temporary 4-6 Week Contract for Get Out the Vote Specialists.
This role will involve signature gathering and street petitioning, door knocking, and phone banking to Vancouver residents to encourage their participation in the election.
This is a non-partisan project, aiming to get at least 50% of Vancouver voters to turn up and vote this October.
Qualifications:
This is an entry-level position. No experience with canvassing or signature gathering is necessary. Successful applicants, however, will have the following characteristics:
Terms of Employment:
Pay: CA$25.00 – CA$30.00 per hour, depending on experience
Application question:
Work Location: In-person in neighbourhoods across Vancouver.
Please apply via email to: [email protected]
Press Release: After Holborn Vote, Local 40 Workers Say Yet Another Giveaway to Billionaire Developers
Local 40 says the vote shows that Council is not listening to the thousands of Vancouver residents speaking up about the need for a more affordable city
VANCOUVER, B.C. — After Vancouver City Council voted 7 to 3 to approve the controversial Holborn luxury megaproject, hospitality workers, tenants, and residents say the vote is yet another giveaway to a foreign billionaire developer.
The vote comes amid growing public concern over Vancouver’s housing crisis. Nearly 50,000 people have signed petitions calling on the City Council to fight for a more affordable city for working people, not selling it off to developers. Recent Stratcom polling also found Vancouver voters favor prioritizing affordable housing over additional hotel development by roughly three to one.
“Today’s vote was yet another giveaway to an international billionaire developer, but it does not change what we know to be true: Vancouver has a housing affordability crisis, not a luxury hotel crisis,” said Zailda Chan, President of UNITE HERE Local 40. “When the City Council does not reflect the needs of the people who live and work here, we have to keep speaking up, keep showing up, and keep standing up for the future of our city.”
Earlier today, UNITE HERE Local 40 President Zailda Chan sent a letter to Mayor Ken Sim inviting him to meet with Local 40 members as soon as possible. The union said meeting with the Mayor is a top priority and urged him to hear directly from hospitality workers who have already been forced out of Vancouver, as well as those fighting to stay in the city they help keep running. That letter is available upon request.
“As a mother of three children here, I want a city where working families can afford to live, where people aren’t forced farther from their jobs,” said Sonia Chua, a hospitality worker who works at Vancouver International Airport. ”I have spoken to many residents concerned about the direction Vancouver is heading. At a time when so many families are struggling to make ends meet, I believe City Hall should be focused on policies that improve affordability and strengthen our communities.”
The campaign has challenged the argument that Vancouver urgently needs more hotel rooms, pointing to recent tourism and hotel data showing that World Cup hotel demand did not match industry claims. Local 40 has argued that City Hall should prioritize affordable, social, co-op, non-market, and workforce housing over additional luxury development and hotel incentives.
The union, along with the Affordable Housing Now! Campaign, said the vote makes public accountability even more important ahead of the October election.
Media Contact: Michelle Travis, [email protected], 778-960-9785
Workers Demand Investigation as ABC Council Rushes Luxury Development Approvals
Following last night’s public hearing at Vancouver City Council, UNITE HERE Local 40 President Zailda Chan is calling for an investigation into the ABC majority’s treatment of predominantly racialized women workers who testified about affordability and how developers shape the city we live in.
The union is also demanding an immediate moratorium on major hotel and luxury-development hearings and approvals until its legal and human rights complaints are addressed and Vancouver voters have had their say.
“Workers are not taking anything from Vancouver. They are asking City Hall to stop giving away the city’s future,” Chan said. “The mayor calls worker solidarity ‘foreign interference’ while Council rushes approvals for international billionaire developers like Holborn. Pause the approvals, resolve the legal challenges and let Vancouver voters decide who should shape their city’s future. This is bigger than any single project. It is about public trust, democratic accountability and who gets to shape Vancouver’s future: the people who live and work here, or billionaire development interests that stand to profit from the city’s land.”
UNITE HERE Local 40 is calling on Council to:
Rally at Vancouver City Hall to Pause Holborn Project
What: Hotel Worker Rally before Public Hearing
Date: Thursday, July 23, 2026
Time: 5pm start time
Location: Vancouver City Hall, 453 West 12th Avenue.
Contact: Michelle Travis, [email protected], 778-960-9785
Day 6 of City Hall Encampment: Hotel Workers Call on Council to Pause Mega Hotel Approvals Until After the Election
Vancouver, BC — As Vancouver City Council prepares to consider Holborn Group’s proposed downtown megaproject this Thursday, UNITE HERE Local 40 is calling on Council to halt all major hotel and land-use approvals until after October’s municipal election, giving Vancouver residents – not just developers – the opportunity to decide what kind of city they want to build.
The proposal, which includes three supertall towers, including a 920-room luxury hotel, comes before Council at a time when Vancouver continues to face an unprecedented housing affordability crisis. Yet City Hall is continuing to fast-track luxury developments before breaking for its summer recess.
The question facing Council this week is simple: Why is Vancouver City Hall rushing a proposal by one of the city’s most controversial developers now?
For years, Holborn has faced public criticism over delays in delivering replacement social housing at Little Mountain and scrutiny over the neglect of 500 Dunsmuir. That record should be part of Council’s deliberations before approving one of the largest luxury development proposals in the city’s history.
Moreover, Holborn’s proposed “supertall” towers have prompted City Hall to undertake a review of its Higher Buildings Policy which will not be completed until after the election. This again raises the question, why bring this proposal forward now?
“Before City Hall approves another luxury megaproject, Vancouver deserves answers about whether developers who have failed to deliver on past promises should be rewarded with even bigger projects,” said Zailda Chan, President of UNITE HERE Local 40. “This isn’t simply about one project. It’s about accountability, public trust, and whose interests City Hall is putting first.”
The hearing also comes as workers, renters, students, seniors, and families continue to struggle with rising housing costs and displacement. Council should not be making long-term decisions that reshape Vancouver’s future just weeks before voters head to the polls.
“We need to let the voters decide which city they want to live in – one that continues prioritizing luxury hotel development, or one that responds first to the housing needs of workers, renters, families, and the broader community,” said Chan.
Yesterday, Local 40’s encampment hosted a community teach-in exploring how Vancouver’s housing crisis disproportionately affects workers and migrants. Now, the campaign turns its attention to developer accountability.
UNITE HERE Local 40 is calling on Vancouver City Council to:
THURSDAY RALLY
Hotel workers, tenants, housing advocates, and community organizations will gather outside Vancouver City Hall ahead of the public hearing to call on Council to put affordable housing first and defer major hotel and land-use approvals until after the election.
WHAT: Rally Before Holborn Public Hearing
WHEN: Thursday, July 23, 2026, 5:30 p.m.
WHERE: Vancouver City Hall, 453 West 12th Avenue.
VISUALS: Hotel workers and community members with “Affordable Housing Now” and “Hotels Can Wait” signs. Worker and community chanting and marching at City Hall.
Media Contact: Michelle Travis, [email protected], 778-960-9785