Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim started false rumour councillor ‘handed out illegal drugs’
By Canadian Press on February 26, 2026.
VANCOUVER — Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim accused city Coun. Sean Orr of “handing out illegal drugs on Christmas Day” in a briefing for Chinese-speaking reporters earlier this month, in a false assertion that was partially repeated and then retracted with an apology by a Sim ally.
Sim on Tuesday had applauded Coun. Lenny Zhou for “acknowledging his mistake” and retracting elements of the claim that his ABC Party colleague shared on Chinese-language social media — but Sim did not reveal that it was he who originally made the claim in the Feb. 6 briefing at City Hall.
Orr said in an interview Thursday that he was unaware of the mayor’s comments until The Canadian Press played a recording of the meeting.
“I’m absolutely shocked and appalled. I wasn’t in Vancouver on Christmas Day. I certainly wasn’t handing out free drugs. I’ve never handed out free drugs. I don’t know where this is coming from. It’s blatant disinformation,” Orr said.
Sim had told attendees at the briefing about three weeks ago that the city was dealing with an opioid crisis before launching into the false anecdote about Orr.
“If — you know, we have a councillor, Sean Orr, just this Christmas, who was handing out illegal drugs on Christmas Day to people on the streets,” Sim said.
“So, if you like getting free illegal drugs, you probably don’t like me or ABC because we fight against that.”
Orr said the mayor had accepted Zhou’s apology, and “he really threw Lenny under the bus, and now it turns out it came from him, which is shocking.”
“This is deliberately trying to mislead a very vulnerable population in the Chinese community that is fearful in many ways of this kind of issue,” Orr said.
“I think he needs to immediately apologize at the very least. He needs to apologize to the Chinese-speaking community.”
Orr said he was “stunned” to find out Sim was behind the claim and he did not know where the idea came from.
He was weighing his options about whether to seek legal counsel while consulting with his team.
Sim’s press secretary Taylor Verrall asked for a copy of the recording when contacted for comment Wednesday.
On Tuesday, after Zhou said he was “unequivocally” apologizing for sharing incorrect information that councillors had been giving out drugs, Sim had thanked Zhou for “taking responsibility for sharing information that was not accurate.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 26, 2026.
Darryl Greer, The Canadian Press
19-18
Would it matter considering the provincial government continues to hand out their supposedly safe supply drugs every minute of every day? . . . BC is the biggest government drug dealer in the North America and was or is the money laundering capitol of the world! Their drug policies have attracted international crime organizations for a number or reasons: human/sex trafficking, child exploitation/pornography, gun smuggling, extortion, high end vehicle thefts that are shipped overseas, drug labs, etc. . . . all related to the drug trade. They enabled them, attracted them by allowing the drug crisis to explode.
In Mexico, organization is embedded and influences governments of all levels, and the law enforcement, judicial and penal systems are not immune.
In the 1970’s the US went to remove the Cartels after governments, military and law enforcement were all compromised.
I am suggesting that this has happened in BC, but looking at all of the drug policies BC had deployed over the years . . . anyone with any common sense would shake their head and wonder if BC has been compromised!
But . . . it is one of those new things in society . . . SSSSHHHHHH . . . don’t tell anyone and they won’t notice!
BC added a policy a couple of years ago that would allow your 10, 12 or 14 year old to take a quick 2 step interview, the be able to get free ‘safe supply’ drugs . . . WITHOUT INFORMING THE PARENTS . . . First, anyone under 18 cannot go into a bar or buy liquor . . . Second do parents no longer have any rights over their kids . . . if so, then the government should be held responsible . . . Third, safe supply drugs are the same ones that got many addicted after injury or surgery in the first place!
Perhaps the government is on drugs? Billions have be blown on this BC crisis alone each year . . . that includes all Canadian tax dollars!
Vancouver DTES alone blows over $400 million per year on about 270 non-profits who deal with the addiction crisis! Greater Vancouver DTES only has a population of about 20,000!
Would it matter after hearing all of this if a Councillor was handing out safe supply drugs??