Mayoral Candidate Pete Fry’S Commitment to the Centre (A Letter to FBC)
OCTOBER 8, 2026
On October 7, 2026, we wrote to every mayoral and council candidate with three concrete asks for municipal support for the Filipino Community & Cultural Centre.
Mayoral candidate Pete Fry and the Vancouver Green Party have responded. Here’s what they’ve committed to:
Dear Filipino BC,
I'm happy to offer my support for the Filipino Community and Cultural Centre and the work Filipino BC has been doing over the past several years to make this project a reality.
I think there's a real opportunity here to build something special, not just for the Filipino community, but for Vancouver as a whole. The vision for a permanent cultural and community centre, alongside affordable housing, a community food hub, and other much-needed amenities, is exactly the kind of thoughtful, community-focused development I'd like to see more of in our city.
What I appreciate about this project is that it's a genuinely grassroots, community-driven initiative. It's come out of years of organizing, extensive community engagement, and a lot of hard work by people who understand what their community needs. Filipino BC has done the groundwork, built the partnerships, and put forward a thoughtful vision that goes well beyond a cultural centre. That's exactly the kind of community leadership I want to see the City supporting. I believe our role at City Hall should be to work alongside organizations like Filipino BC, help navigate the challenges that come with a project of this scale, and make sure good ideas like this have a real opportunity to get built.
As Mayor, I'm committed to working with Filipino BC, the broader community, and our provincial and federal partners to move this project forward. That means doing what we can at the municipal level to support planning, development, and approvals, helping bring the right people to the table, and advocating for the capital investment needed to get this built.
I also recognize that this is about a lot more than putting up a building. Filipino BC has been delivering programs, supporting families, creating community spaces, and building partnerships for years, often without the kind of government investment that work deserves. We shouldn't be waiting until a cultural centre is built to start supporting the people and organizations who will ultimately bring it to life.
That's why I'm also committed to working with Filipino BC and senior levels of government to identify opportunities for ongoing program funding and sustainable operational support, both in the years leading up to construction and once the centre opens. If we're serious about building a successful community centre, we need to be equally serious about supporting the programs and services that will make it a place people actually use.
I also see real value in bringing housing, food security, arts, culture, and community services together in one place. Vancouver needs more spaces where people can connect, access services, celebrate their culture, and build community. We also need to be smarter about how we use land and public investment, particularly at a time when affordability is putting so much pressure on families and community organizations.
There's been talk about a Filipino cultural centre for a long time now, and I think we're well past the point of needing more conversations about whether this is a worthwhile project. The community has made its case, Filipino BC has demonstrated its capacity to deliver, and important partnerships are already taking shape. It's time to build on that momentum and figure out how we get it done.
I'd be proud to work alongside Filipino BC and the many community partners involved to help move this project across the finish line. I believe we can deliver something that reflects the community's vision, serves Vancouver for generations to come, and stands as a lasting legacy of what we can accomplish when we work together.
Looking forward to rolling up our sleeves and making it happen.
We’re grateful to Mayoral candidate Pete Fry and the Vancouver Green Party for making this commitment toward the Filipino Cultural Centre and for recognizing the significant contributions and impact of the Filipino community, as well as the importance of having a permanent home for our community. This project has been more than three years in the making, shaped by the voices, work, advocacy, and support of so many people across our community.
As we hear from the other mayoral and council candidates in response to our October 7 letter, we’ll keep you updated on their commitments and what they are proposing for the Centre. Thank you to everyone who has continued to believe in this vision, speak up for it, and help move it forward — we’re building this together.
