Former Vancouver mayor Larry Campbell to oversee provincial efforts on DTES

VICTORIA — Former senator and past Vancouver mayor Larry Campbell has been appointed as British Columbia’s new point-person to improve quality of life for those living in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.

Campbell, who served as mayor between 2002 and 2005, then in the Senate until 2023, says in a statement that he will use his experience and relationships to improve housing and care for unhoused people, especially women, Indigenous people and those with complex mental health and addictions.

Campbell replaces Michael Bryant, whose contract was cancelled in May 2025 after questions arose over lack of transparency about his appointment and the cost of the contract.

Crime, poverty and addiction plague the Vancouver neighbourhood, but housing minister Christine Boyle says her government is determined to deliver better outcomes for the community.

Campbell, whose contract will run until March next year, says that working together with locals groups will help move the “unique and incredibly resourceful” neighbourhood forward in a “focused, compassionate and effective way.”

The government says Campbell’s focus in the neighbourhood will be on co-ordinating and advancing provincial improvements for people, public spaces, infrastructure, health care, housing and economic development.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 29, 2025.

Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press