As a public organization, we take our responsibility to serve the public and provide clear, transparent, accurate information seriously.
This page is meant to help interested residents find factual information to debunk misinformation and disinformation that may emerge about Metro Vancouver and the services it provides residents of the region.
Claim: Metro Vancouver is not transparent or accountable to the public.
Fact: Metro Vancouver's Board of Directors is made up exclusively of individuals who are elected by the public to serve as Councillors or Mayors at their local municipality or Nation. Metro Vancouver Board and Committee meetings are livestreamed and reports are available online.
Claim: Metro Vancouver’s "core services" are delivering drinking water, treating wastewater, and managing solid waste.
Fact: One role of a regional district is to provide services that its members believe are more beneficial and cost-effective to deliver at a regional level.
Claim: The majority of Metro Vancouver’s projects run over budget and fail to meet deadlines.
Fact: Metro Vancouver has successfully delivered major infrastructure projects for over 50 years and the vast majority are on time and on budget.
Claim: Mayors are ‘doubling dipping’ – receiving a second salary for sitting on Metro Vancouver Boards or Committees.
Fact: Sitting as a director of the Metro Vancouver Board is not part of the obligations of a Councillor or Mayor. Metro Vancouver is independent of a municipality, so Board Directors have specific and unique responsibilities. They are compensated for the responsibilities they take on as a member of the Metro Vancouver Board, like taking on a second job.
Claim: The CAO of Metro Vancouver is making $700,000 a year in compensation.
Fact: The role of Commissioner / CAO of Metro Vancouver received an annual base salary $451,949 in 2023.
Claim: The Chair of Metro Vancouver makes more than the Prime Minister of Canada.
Fact: The Metro Vancouver Board Chair is compensated $109,337 per year. Their role as Chair of the Metro Vancouver Board is independent of other roles or jobs they may hold.
Claim: Metro Vancouver grant money was used to subsize electric vehicles for major retailers.
Fact: Metro Vancouver has not provided funding or grants to subsidize electric vehicles for major retailers.
Claim: The reviews underway for Board governance and the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant are not independent and the Province should be involved.
Fact: The Governance Review and North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant Program Review are being completed in line with the
Government of Canada’s definition of an independent review.
Claim: Metro Vancouver has not been transparent about the cost increase for the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant Program.
Fact: Metro Vancouver held a
press conference on March 22, 2024 immediately following the Board’s approval of the updated costs for the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant. At this time, the reasons for the cost increase were disclosed. The estimated cost to deliver the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant Program was updated following the termination of the contract with the previous designer and builder, and more than a decade after the original cost estimate. Three comprehensive cost estimates were done by three different organizations, which took into account inflation, market conditions, and work that needed to be done to transition the project to a new contractor.
Claim: The Iona Wastewater Treatment Plant will cost over $12 billion.
Fact: The cost estimate for the Iona Projects as scoped in 2022 remains $9.9 billion ($6.4 billion in 2022 dollars, including escalation over duration of projects and risk reserve).