Peter Meiszner is a Canadian politician and journalist who was elected to

Vancouver City Council Vancouver City Council is the governing body of Vancouver, British Columbia. The council consists of a mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city ...

in the

2022 Vancouver municipal election The 2022 Vancouver municipal election was held on October 15, 2022, the same day as the 2022 British Columbia municipal elections, municipal elections held throughout British Columbia. Voters elected the mayor of Vancouver by First-past-the-post ...

. He is a member of

ABC Vancouver ABC Vancouver, formerly A Better City, is a municipal political party in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is led by incumbent mayor Ken Sim. History Formation Three of five city councillors elected under the NPA banner in the 2018 V ...

.Kenneth Chan
"Peter Meiszner to run for Vancouver City Council under A Better City party"
''

Daily Hive ''Daily Hive'', formerly known as ''Vancity Buzz'', is a Canadian online newspaper based in Vancouver, British Columbia. It began digital publishing in 2008 and became Western Canada's largest online-only publication by 2016. In September 2022 ...

'', May 2, 2022.

Early life and career

Originally from

Nanaimo Nanaimo ( ) is a city of about 100,000 on the east coast of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. "The Harbour City" was previously known as the "Hub City", which was attributed to its original layout design with streets radiating fr ...

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

, Meiszner moved to Vancouver in 2002 after facing difficulty with his family when he came out as

gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late ...

. He studied broadcast journalism at the

British Columbia Institute of Technology The British Columbia Institute of Technology (also referred to as BCIT), is a public polytechnic institute in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. The technical institute has five campuses located in the Metro Vancouver region, with its main cam ...

, and worked as a television journalist for

Global BC CHAN-DT (channel 8), branded Global British Columbia or Global BC (formerly British Columbia Television or BCTV), is a television station in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, serving as the West Coast flagship of the Global Television Networ ...

before leaving to join the

University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a Public university, public research university with campuses near University of British Columbia Vancouver, Vancouver and University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, in British Columbia, Canada ...

as a senior digital strategist and communications manager.Mike Howell
"Meet Vancouver's four new city councillors"
''Vancouver Is Awesome'', October 28, 2022. Prior to his election, Meiszner was also the publisher of urbanYVR, a website focused on housing and urban development issues in the

Lower Mainland The Lower Mainland is a geographic and cultural region of the mainland coast of British Columbia that generally comprises the regional districts of Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. Home to approximately 3.05million people as of the 2021 ...

. During this time, he served as vice-chair of the Gastown Historic Area Planning Committee.

Vancouver municipal politics

Upon assuming office as a Vancouver City Councillor, he was appointed as an alternate representative to the

Metro Vancouver Regional District The Metro Vancouver Regional District (MVRD), or simply Metro Vancouver, is a Canadian political subdivision and corporate entity representing the metropolitan area of Greater Vancouver, designated by provincial legislation as one of the 2 ...

board and as a member of the Housing and Electoral Area ‘A’ committees. Meiszner also serves on the board of the Vancouver Public Library, Vancouver Civic Theatres and EasyPark. As a

Yaletown Yaletown is an area of Downtown Vancouver, Canada, bordered by False Creek and Robson and Homer Streets. Formerly a heavy industrial area dominated by warehouses and rail yards, since the Expo 86, 1986 World's Fair it has been transformed into on ...

resident, Meiszner expressed repeated concerns over the presence of the Thomus Donaghy Overdose Prevention Site (OPS) in that neighbourhood, which replaced a mobile overdose prevention unit across the street at Emery Barnes Park. In April 2023, Meiszner called for the OPS to be shut down, but said he would not support a closure without an assured new location. In June 2023, however, Meiszner and the

City of Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. The Met ...

announced that the Yaletown OPS would close with no immediate relocation plans. Meiszner was involved in a joint effort between the ABC-led city council and park board to turn non-recirculating decorative water fountains on again, after they had previously been disabled due to concerns about water waste. On approval of the initiative, city staff were directed to turn the fountains off if

Metro Vancouver The Metro Vancouver Regional District (MVRD), or simply Metro Vancouver, is a Canadian political subdivision and Corporation, corporate entity representing the metropolitan area of Greater Vancouver, designated by provincial legislation as o ...

moved to Stage 2 water restrictions. Councillor Peter Meiszner has proposed installing a permanent "

Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

" sign in the city to celebrate its identity and showcase its beauty. He believes it would be a symbol of civic pride, especially with major events like FIFA in 2026, the

Invictus Games The Invictus Games is an international multi-sport event first held in 2014, for wounded, injured and sick military service personnel, both serving and veterans. The word 'Invictus' is Latin for 'unconquered', chosen as an embodiment of th ...

, the

Juno Awards The Juno Awards (stylized as JUNOS), or simply known as the Junos, are awards presented by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to recognize outstanding achievements in Canada's music industry. The Grammy Awards are the United S ...

, and the

Grey Cup The Grey Cup () is both the championship game of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the trophy awarded to the victorious team playing in the namesake championship of professional Canadian football. The game is contested between the winners ...

approaching. The proposal aims to engage the community for input on design and location while addressing concerns about weather durability and cultural sensitivity. The motion will be discussed further by the Council.

Electoral record

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Meiszner, Peter 21st-century Canadian municipal councillors ABC Vancouver councillors LGBTQ municipal councillors in Canada Canadian television reporters and correspondents Canadian gay politicians British Columbia Institute of Technology alumni People from Nanaimo Living people 1983 births 21st-century Canadian LGBTQ people