Former Vancouver mayor and onetime Canadian senator Larry Campbell has been named as the new Downtown Eastside czar, Global News has learned.
Campbell has reportedly inked a six-month contract with the NDP government and he will be reporting directly to Premier David Eby and Housing Minister Christine Boyle.
Campbell is a former police officer and chief coroner and also oversaw Vancouver’s first supervised injection site, Insite.
The B.C. government says that in collaboration with the Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs and the parliamentary secretary for the Downtown Eastside and Chinatown, Campbell is specifically tasked with “facilitating negotiations between all levels of government to advance planning, co-ordination and capital investments in housing development, as well as prioritize improved efficiency of significant government investments in wraparound supports and service delivery in the area; engaging with government and non-government sectors for the purposes of aligning DTES activities and approaches with provincial policy objectives and priorities; and supporting the development and implementation of operational frameworks to address systemic challenges and improve outcomes in the DTES that align with provincial work currently underway.”
Campbell has been signed to a six-month contract from Sept. 29, 2025, until March 31, 2026.
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Campbell confirmed on Monday at a press conference that he will receive $92,000 for six months and up to $10,000 in any expenses incurred.
Earlier this year, it was revealed that the B.C. government had hired a former Ontario cabinet minister and CEO of Legal Aid B.C. on a lucrative contract to advise the premier on the future of the Downtown Eastside.
Eby’s office confirmed Michael Bryant was appointed to the consultancy in February on a six-month contract worth $150,000.However, following backlash over the appointment, Bryant’s contract was cancelled.
The terms of Bryant’s six-month contract included $150,000 in remuneration, along with $25,000 in expenses. It also included language that could see the pay doubled to $300,000 if his contract were extended.
— With files from Global News’ Rumina Daya
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