Gregor Robertson was first elected Mayor of Vancouver in November 2008, and re-elected in November 2011.
He was re-elected on his commitment to end street homelessness by 2015, address housing affordability, support public transit, and make Vancouver the greenest city in the world.
Mayor Robertson is also a national advocate for urban issues as Chair of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Big City Mayors’ Caucus, focusing on public infrastructure, housing and transit.
Mayor Robertson spearheaded the creation of the city’s first comprehensive Economic Action Strategy, and is committed to growing a sustainable and thriving economy in Vancouver focused on high-growth sectors like digital media, clean technology and renewable energy. As Mayor, Vancouver has seen major investments in its tech sector.
Building on the successful legacy of the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, which generated $350 million in economic impact and created 3000 new jobs in the region, Mayor Robertson has established Vancouver as the Green Capital—a City where going green is good for business. He has also overseen the creation and implementation of the award-winning Greenest City 2020 Action Plan that aims to make Vancouver an environmental leader. The Mayor has also been a consistent advocate for new investment in rapid transit on Vancouver’s Broadway corridor, BC’s second-largest employment centre and the busiest bus corridor in North America.
Under Mayor Robertson’s leadership, Vancouver continues to rank as one of the most livable cities in the world, with one of the most competitive environments for attracting new jobs and investment. The City of Vancouver was also named BC's Most Innovative Organization by BC Business for its open data initiative.
He has made affordable housing a top priority, with an aggressive plan to provide thousands of affordable housing units, while ensuring existing affordable housing is protected. In 2013 Vancouver had its highest number of housing starts in 40 years, with a second consecutive record year for new rental housing approved and 1,000 new laneway homes.
As Mayor, he has overseen significant progress towards the goal of ending street homelessness by 2015, by opening new homeless shelters while leveraging significant investments in new social housing throughout the city. Since 2009, almost 500 people have moved from shelters into permanent homes, and 600 new units of social housing are opening this year.
Supporting the leadership of the Vancouver Police Department, Mayor Robertson has also worked to make Vancouver a safer city in which to live and raise a family. Rates of violent crime and property crime have both fallen significantly over the last five years, and 2013 saw the lowest homicide rate in Vancouver’s history.
Gregor co-founded Happy Planet, a socially responsible company that produces organic juices and promotes health and nutrition. He also previously represented Vancouver-Fairview in the BC Legislature.
Mayor Robertson is a proud father and avid fan of both soccer and hockey. He can often be seen around town supporting Vancouver's vibrant local arts and culture community - occasionally taking a turn of his own on the tuba or drums.
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Website: votevision.ca/gregor_robertson
