NPA nominates park commissioner John Coupar as its Vancouver mayoral candidate

He's coming up on his 10th year as an elected politician

by Charlie Smith on April 5th, 2021 at 9:20 AM

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For the first time in three elections, Vancouver's Non-Partisan Association will field a mayoral candidate with elected experience.

The centre-right party nominated three-term park commissioner John Coupar to be its standard-bearer in the 2022 election.

Coupar was president of the courier company Novex Delivery Solutions for nearly four years before leaving this position in April of last year.

As a park commissioner, he played a key role in retaining and improving the Bloedel Conservatory. He also was among the commissioners that voted to phase out the public display of cetaceans in Stanley Park.

"John Coupar represents the best of Vancouver," NPA president David Mawhinney said in a party news release. "He understands the critical importance of our businesses and livelihoods and can balance that deep understanding with the environmental and livability concerns that we all have."

In the recent term, Coupar has been exceptionally critical of the way COPE and Green commissioners have responded to the homeless camp in Strathcona Park. He also disagreed with a separated cycling lane on Park Drive in Stanley Park, warning that this could lead to litigation by partners of the board.

In addition, Coupar has maintained that the separated bike lane will drive down parking revenue.

In the past, Coupar has cited former mayor Philip Owen and former deputy premier Grace McCarthy as politicians whom he admires.

In 2018, he came second in a three-person contest for the NPA mayoral nomination, losing to businessman Ken Sim.

Sim has created a website and he has said that he plans to run for mayor again in 2022. He lost to Kennedy Stewart by 957 votes in his first run for public office.

Four NPA board members previously endorsed by Sim quit in 2020 after several right wingers were elected.

At times, Coupar and other NPA caucus members have tried to distance themselves from the right-wing faction on the board through public statements.