OneCity emerged out of a growing concern that Vancouver has become an increasingly unequal and divided city. We advocate a new direction for Vancouver – a city strengthened through equity, affordability, and diversity. A city for everyone, not for a few. We come from many communities and movements across this city – environmental justice, faith, arts and culture, community health, labour, public education, and housing advocacy.
Founded in 2014, OneCity Vancouver is a political party and a movement for change. Meet our elected officials and our candidates from Vancouver's 2022 general election.
Statement of Values
OneCity acknowledges that we live and do our political work in Vancouver on the traditional, unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh peoples. We recognize that the racist and violent practices of colonization have had devastating impacts on these communities and that their effects continue to this day. The ongoing resistance of and victories achieved by Indigenous communities offer us vital lessons about how to do our own political work that align with principles of social justice and reconciliation. We voice our solidarity with these resilient communities.
Our focus is on environmental and climate justice, a sustainable economy, social justice, affordability and equity. We believe our social and cultural lives should be integrated with our political lives.
We are committed to transparent and cooperative decision-making. We may disagree but we view disagreements as opportunities for strengthening our understanding of one another’s perspectives and as moments to build our organization.
We practice respectful and positive engagement. We recognize that we are all learning and that we always have something to learn from one another.
We want to build diverse and equitable communities in Vancouver. We embrace each other’s differences in experience and perspectives and see this as a strength in building an inclusive community.
We are a progressive voice for people and communities. We strive to create an environment that welcomes participation and engagement from as many people as possible.
We are working for an inclusive, vibrant and affordable city -- a city for everyone, not just a few. We acknowledge the variety of obstacles facing members of our organization and residents of our city that are both institutional and systemic and we commit ourselves to working against these obstacles in all their forms.
We are a movement of social change. We undertake, together, to build a kinder, more just, more equitable city.
OneCity Organizing Committee
Executive
Cara Ng (she/her), Co-Chair, is a substance use researcher and long-time member of OneCity who lives with her family in East Vancouver.
Liz Locke (she/they), Co-chair, is a long-time renter and housing advocate living in so-called Vancouver. Much of their time is spent advocating for labour rights, union organizing, and building up community connections. Over two decades, Liz has explored and studied approaches to sustainable cities. In this process, Liz's crucial takeaway is that planning for sustainable cities must be rooted in social and environmental justice to enshrine a city that is accessible to all residents. As a resident of the Downtown Eastside, Liz confronts increasing divides in our city on a daily basis. Liz believes the complexities of supporting and empowering some of our most vulnerable neighbours are hard topics which we can and must address, working towards dignified long-term solutions. Liz is passionate about OneCity’s work on accessible, equitable rental housing across the city for an environmentally sustainable place we can all call home.
Jason Tockman (he/him), Treasurer and Financial Agent since 2021, is a senior policy analyst and researcher working in the public sector, focused primarily on climate change, housing, homelessness, and substance use in the Vancouver Coastal region, while teaching Politics of the Global South at Langara College. He holds a PhD in political science from UBC and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in international studies from the University of Washington. In his spare time, Jason can be found hiking, cycling and kayaking; traveling to Spanish-speaking countries; and joining demonstrations for climate justice and Indigenous rights.
Lisa Dekleer (she/her), Membership Secretary, is a community organizer at heart who loves working with other people to reduce barriers to civic engagement and build a better future. Lisa joined the Organizing Committee to organize new ways to bring more people into the party and build a strong, and winning, progressive coalition into the 2026 election. She has been actively involved with the party since 2018 and is excited to continue making OneCity a welcoming and fun political community. Lisa is a renter in Fairview who loves soccer, public transit, and nature. She has a master’s in urban studies from SFU and has worked on multiple progressive political campaigns at municipal, provincial, and federal levels of government.
Alison Atkinson (she/her), Recording Secretary, was a founding member of OneCity and was Co-chair through its early years (2014-2019). She has supported OneCity's growth from a new party to becoming the most important voice in progressive politics in Vancouver. Through her years on the Organizing Committee and Executive, Alison has held strong to our ideals that we do good politics by organizing in an inclusive, relational way. She is a teacher, union member, and parent.
At-large members
Dulcy Anderson (she/her) has worked in politics, community organizing, housing, and women’s economic development in Boston, Oakland, and – for the last 14 years – in Vancouver. She is currently a senior advisor in the Ministry of Education and Child Care, and prior to that worked in the community office of David Eby. Dulcy holds a master’s in community design and development from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and an undergraduate degree in women’s studies from Harvard. She is a mom to two amazing young men, and wants to help build a Vancouver that offers security and opportunity for her own children, and for everyone who dreams of living here. Dulcy understands that we face generational housing, health, climate and caregiving crises, but that we also have an amazing opportunity to work with progressive senior government to invest in housing, childcare, climate action, and transportation. She wants to help build the community that can make that happen. She loves bees, books, and bikes.
David Chudnovsky (he/him) is a retired teacher, past president of the BC Teachers’ Federation, and was the MLA of Vancouver-Kensington from 2005-2009. He is also a doting father and grandfather. David has been doing city politics in Vancouver for more than 30 years, but has never been as inspired by any organization as with OneCity. Young OneCity activists who care so deeply about our city and our world -- about the environment, about inequality, about Indigenous rights, about workers’ rights, about 2SLGBTQ+ issues -- and about so much more, make him so proud and give him so much hope.
Ian Cromwell (he/him) serves as co-chair of the Engagement Committee alongside Iona Bonamis. He hold a PhD from UBC’s School of Population and Public Health, and his work focuses on bringing together evidence and policy on behalf of Canada’s health care system. Ian is a musician who performs on stages and sidewalks around the city. In 2016, he founded Locals Lounge, a local music community incubator that supports Vancouver’s music sector. Believing in OneCity’s values and its commitment to putting those values into practice, Ian ran as a City Council candidate with OneCity in the 2022 election.
Nadja Komnenic (she/her) was OneCity's Co-chair between 2021 and 2024, and served as Membership Secretary before that. She is committed to OneCity's principles and believes that our city needs strong progressive voices on Council, Park Board, and School Board leading the way toward a better, more just and equitable city. She has seen the impact that people-power can bring to a campaign and is very excited about our ability to organize over the next few years to bring the city’s left together to make real change. Nadja is grateful to be part of a political organization that is thoughtful and inclusive and that does politics differently.
Chloe Martin-Cabanne (she/her) is the president of CUPE 2950, a union representing over 1500 clerical, library and theatre workers at UBC. She serves on the Executive Board of the Vancouver District Labour Council (VDLC) and chairs CUPE BC’s Environment and Climate Justice Committee. Chloe is passionate about building a political community of working people and families within the labour movement and beyond. Chloe has witnessed the challenges faced by working class families struggling with affordability and access to public services in her city. She is a tireless champion of the rights of working people, negotiating fair wages and improved working conditions for her members. Chloe has participated in campaigns that empower workers to become politically active and informed citizens, inspiring union members to vote for progressive issues. She works to build community that extends beyond the workplace, using power of solidarity and collective action to vote for positive change. Chloe lives in an apartment house in Fairview with her partner, two cats, and many houseplants. She envisions a city where individuals from diverse backgrounds unite to create a more just and equitable society.
Carol Reardon (she/her) is a retired administrative lawyer with experience in both private practice and as in-house legal counsel at several unions, including the Hospital Employees Union and CUPE. She has a master's degree in city planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a certificate in negotiation and dispute resolution from the Harvard-MIT Program on Negotiation. Carol is a member of the board of the Tenant Resource and Advisory Centre. She is also a former member of the National Round Table on Environment and Economy, the BC Task Force on Electricity Market Deregulation, the Board of Variance for the City of Vancouver, and the West End Residents Association. Carol has had a life-long interest in progressive politics, with a special interest in housing, workers/human rights, and the environment. She is a resident of the West End, and enjoys knitting, sewing, singing, cooking and hosting parties for fun and relaxation.
Will Shelling (he/him) is a mixed-race Black man who resides in the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood of what we now know as Vancouver. He’s deeply passionate about issues related to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI), and ensuring that Vancouver remains a place where everyone can find a community and support each other. Will holds a master’s degree from UBC, specializing in public policy and global affairs. He now works as a senior consultant at a national boutique government relations firm, specializing in files related to climate change, Indigenous relations, and culture. He uses his passion for intersectionality, data, and policy to deliver solutions that include everyone. He also specializes in communications and recently advised on national campaigns supporting queer and transgender youth following the introduction of provincial legislation. When he’s not working, you can find him riding his bike around Metro Vancouver, supporting a local wine bar, or hanging out at home listening to records with his partner and her cat, Luna.
Krista Sigurdson (she/her) is a sociologist of health and illness who teaches undergraduate research and writing at UBC. She is fired up about improving public education and co-chairs the OneCity Education Caucus. Krista is a member of the Strathcona Elementary Parent Advisory Council Board, where she used to serve as chair. Krista ran for Vancouver School Board with OneCity in 2022, has two kids in the K-12 system, and loves cooking and music.