Ahead of the municipal election, William Azaroff is withdrawing his candidacy in favor of Pete Fry to prevent Mayor Ken Sim from being re-elected. Meanwhile, British Columbia is investing $241 million to expand skilled-trades programs at Vancouver Community College, and UBC’s Museum of Anthropology is returning a unique woolly dog pelt after 160 years—a symbol of the revival of Indigenous traditions.
William Azaroff Drops Out of Vancouver Mayoral Race in Bid to Unite Opposition Against Ken Sim
Ahead of Vancouver’s municipal election, the political landscape has undergone a major change. William Azaroff, the OneCity mayoral candidate, has announced that he is withdrawing from the race. His decision is driven by strategic considerations: consolidating progressive voters behind a single candidate to prevent incumbent Mayor Ken Sim from winning. In a statement to the media, Azaroff said he had heard residents’ concerns about ABC, Ken Sim’s party, potentially remaining in power and saw only one way to change the situation—creating the conditions for a single strong opponent from the progressive camp.
Azaroff decided to support Pete Fry of the Vancouver Greens. He explained that progressive parties had agreed on the need to join forces so that voters’ support would not be divided. The news, reported by CBC, signals the beginning of a more active phase of the election campaign, with the main divide running between union-backed and environmentally focused movements on one side and Sim’s centre-right coalition on the other.
To understand the situation, it is important to note that Ken Sim, leader of ABC (A Better City), won a decisive victory in the 2022 election, and his party secured a majority on city council. His governing style and a number of his initiatives have drawn strong criticism from left-wing and centrist forces, which fear that a repeat of that result would create an even greater imbalance in city politics. That concern became the catalyst for Azaroff’s decision.
The development highlights the opposition’s fragmentation. Despite repeated calls for unity, it had long been unable to agree on a single candidate. Now, with Azaroff leaving the race and supporting Fry, the question is whether the Green Party can attract enough electoral support to pose a genuine challenge to the governing party. Internal polling suggested that Azaroff, Fry and other potential left-leaning candidates—such as COPE representatives or independents—were unlikely to overcome the threshold on their own. If they unite, however, they could make the race competitive.
Notably, Azaroff did not simply withdraw; he also identified his main motivation: fear of another Sim term and ABC’s total dominance of council. He stated directly: “To remove Ken Sim, we need to unite behind a single progressive candidate.” The statement is more than a political formality—it is a clear message to voters about the need for strategic voting.
It remains an open question whether other progressive politicians will follow Azaroff’s example. If they do not, and several left-leaning candidates remain on the ballot, the vote will once again be divided, inevitably benefiting the incumbent mayor. The race promises to be tense, and the final weeks before the election will be decisive in consolidating the anti-incumbent vote.
Expanding Opportunities for Skilled-Trades Education in British Columbia
The government of British Columbia continues to invest actively in training skilled workers for the economy’s growing sectors. This time, attention is focused on Vancouver Community College, which will receive significant funding to expand its skilled-trades programs. The investment will add 224 new training seats, allowing the college to increase the total number of trades seats to more than 1,770 during the current academic year. The decision is part of the province’s broader “Look West” strategy, which aims to create 5,000 new skilled-trades training seats across British Columbia by the 2026–27 academic year.
The provincial government is providing $241 million over three years to prepare British Columbians for in-demand occupations. Labour Minister Jennifer Whiteside said such investments allow more people to find good jobs and contribute to the region’s economic development. She emphasized that the “Look West” strategy relies on the province’s greatest resource—its people—creating opportunities for families and businesses throughout the community. Meanwhile, Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills Jessie Sunner explained that industry leaders had repeatedly reported a shortage of skilled workers needed to deliver major projects. Expanding college training programs is therefore a direct response to labour-market demand.
The new seats at Vancouver Community College will help reduce waitlists for in-demand apprenticeship programs, introduce more young people to the trades and increase training capacity in fields such as automotive service technician, electrician, heavy-duty mechanic and refrigeration and air-conditioning mechanic. These occupations are particularly important as the province advances major projects in construction, clean energy, mining, transportation and advanced technology. Demand for skilled workers is especially high in the Lower Mainland, and expanding VCC’s programs should support economic growth throughout the region.
Local politicians have expressed unanimous support for the decision. Sunita Dhir, MLA for Vancouver-Langara, said the growing need for skilled professionals creates new employment opportunities for young people, allowing them to build their futures in their home province. George Chow, MLA for Vancouver-Fraserview, added that many young people want excellent jobs with room for advancement while remaining in the city they love, and the new training seats will help make that possible. Mabel Elmore of Vancouver-Kensington emphasized that investments of this kind strengthen not only the economy but also post-secondary institutions, benefiting families and future generations.
The college’s leadership also praised the province’s support. VCC President and CEO Ajay Patel expressed gratitude for continued investments in education, saying they would allow more students to build successful careers and contribute to the development of their communities. Student Mi Kimura, who has already completed the automotive service technician program, offered a particularly compelling perspective. She highlighted the value of hands-on training and said she was confident that expanding the program would help more students develop in-demand skills and take the first step toward future careers.
For context, Canada’s apprenticeship system combines paid workplace employment with classroom instruction. Apprentices gain practical experience under the supervision of an experienced mentor while completing theoretical courses, usually in several levels. After completing the program and passing the required exams, they receive a certificate as a qualified tradesperson recognized across the country. Vancouver Community College’s new seats are intended for precisely these kinds of programs. The “Look West” strategy, meanwhile, is a comprehensive economic plan aimed at creating jobs, expanding trade links and attracting investment to the region. More information about the programs and opportunities can be found on the official Vancouver Community College website or the provincial government portal. These measures demonstrate a systematic approach to addressing labour shortages in key sectors, which should support sustainable economic development across British Columbia over the long term.
Sacred Artifact Returns: World’s Only Woolly Dog Pelt Comes Back to B.C. After 160 Years
An event of immense importance to Canada’s Indigenous peoples has taken place at the University of British Columbia’s Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver. The only woolly dog pelt known to science—belonging to a breed raised for centuries by the Coast Salish and Interior Salish—has finally returned to its homeland after more than a century and a half away. The artifact survived colonization, epidemics and cultural assimilation and has now become a symbol of cultural revival and hope for the restoration of lost heritage.
Woolly dogs were not simply pets for the Salish peoples; they occupied a unique place in their economy and culture. These small but sturdy dogs produced exceptionally soft and warm wool, which Salish women spun and wove into famous blankets valued throughout the Pacific Northwest. With the arrival of European colonizers and the spread of inexpensive factory-made textiles, however, the tradition of breeding the dogs declined, and by the beginning of the 20th century the breed had disappeared entirely. The pelt in question was taken from the region in the 1860s and remained in overseas collections until it was finally returned to Canadian museums.
The return is deeply significant to the descendants of those who once lived alongside these animals. For Athaea Picha, a Kwantlen weaver and one of the first people to see the relic, it is not merely a scientific exhibit but a living connection to her ancestors. In her conversation with The Canadian Press, she said that stroking the wool felt like touching her people’s history—the time when dogs were full members of the community, given names, loved and cared for as relatives. For her and other craftspeople, the artifact will be an inexhaustible source of inspiration and knowledge about what the famous Salish wool looked like and felt like.
The journey of this pelt reflects the broader history of cultural repatriation, which is gaining momentum around the world. For many years, museums and private collectors kept Indigenous artifacts, often without considering their sacred significance or how they had been acquired. In recent decades, however, attitudes have begun to change. More institutions recognize a moral obligation to return heritage taken or removed during the colonial era to its rightful owners. The return of the woolly dog pelt is a striking example of modern museum policy moving toward greater justice.
For those unfamiliar with the region’s history, the Salish are a group of Indigenous peoples whose territories encompass parts of present-day British Columbia and the U.S. states of Washington and Oregon. Woolly dogs formed part of a complex ecosystem in which people and animals coexisted symbiotically. The dogs were fed a special diet, primarily fish, which made their wool especially high-quality and distinct from the hair of wild animals. Blankets made from the wool were not merely household items; they were valuable gifts used in ceremonies, weddings and the establishment of intertribal alliances. The loss of the dogs became a symbol of the loss of an entire layer of cultural identity.
The UBC Museum of Anthropology, where the relic will now be kept, plans not only to display it publicly but also to use it in educational programs. Scientists intend to conduct genetic analysis to better understand the breed’s origins and its relationship to modern dogs in the region. This could help reconstruct the historical record and potentially support efforts to recreate the breed—an extraordinary achievement for Indigenous peoples. For young Salish people who have never seen a living woolly dog, the artifact could become a starting point for new traditions in which ancient knowledge intersects with modern technology.
It is worth noting that the return of the pelt is only one of many steps on the path toward reconciliation. The event is a reminder that Indigenous history is not limited to tragic chapters; it is also rich in skill, wisdom and a profound connection with nature. Although the living breed of dogs has been lost forever, the return of their last physical trace makes it possible to say that the spirit of these animals and the culture that raised them continue to live on. For now, there is only hope that this gesture of goodwill will serve as an example for other museums around the world that still hold priceless artifacts belonging to Indigenous peoples in Canada and elsewhere.
