Act

Act

What we do

Throughout the next year, we will be busy holding mini-assemblies (process explained below) in neighbourhoods across the city to educate our citizens on what assemblies are and to identify the major issues facing the city. We collect...

A list of participants (or members) who are committed to pushing for a citizens' assembly in Vancouver

For more detail see this post

A ranked set of major civic issues

For more detail see this post

With that in hand, we will be approaching candidates for the 2026 civic election to ask whether they would support binding recommendations from citizens’ assemblies on the top issues. Candidates who respond yes will receive “assembly-approved” status for their commitment to true democracy and we will highlight them on our website and our mailouts.

Find out more about citizen's assemblies on our Learn page.

What you can do

Join one of our mini assemblies to experience the process firsthand - it only takes an hour or two. Schedule of planned mini assemblies:

  • Jan 8, 2026 at the Mount Pleasant community center.
  • More coming soon...

Note mini assembly meetings held at community centers host several mini assemblies at once - as many as make sense given the numbers attending.

Subscribe above (its free) and we will notify you of planned mini assemblies near your neighbourhood by email. After you've subscribed, and we're in contact via email, you can let us know how many of you are planning to come and we can answer any questions you may have.

Tell others about us (before or after participating in an assembly) and encourage them to participate as well! Spread the word to your friends, family, co-workers, running club, book club pickle ball or people you meet at the grocery store!

Next year ask to your local candidates when they come door knocking if they are an assembly-approved candidate. If they are not, send them to us so we can get them up-to-date.

Our Mini Assembly Process

The process, which educates (by doing) participants about citizen's assembly processes, involves the following roles:

  • Participants, usually 5-7 new to the process, who are given a chance to contribute their top issues and solutions, comment on others' and discuss
  • A Guide who facilitates the discussion
  • A Note taker who keeps track of all the topics raised and indicates when a participant's time is coming to an end

Many of our participants comment on how empowering it feels to discuss issues that matter with others that care. They also learn from the opportunity to test their ideas, and hear those of others, in a respectful atmosphere.

Don't sweat the details - we'll explain all of this when you come. But if you're interested...

Steps in the process

1. Welcome and Introductions

  • The guide begins with a short meet-and-greet so everyone can get to know each other, explains the purpose of citizens' assemblies as democratic decision-making bodies and shares examples of successful assemblies around the world.
  • There will be snacks and drinks to enjoy

2. Running the Mini Assembly

  • The guide explains what a mini assembly is and why it’s a useful way to experience and demonstrate the process on a smaller scale.
  • The Participants will complete a few short rounds following the mini assembly format.
    • Identifying topics of concern
    • Proposing potential solutions
  • In each round, every participant will have up to 2–3 minutes to share their thoughts. The note taker will keep track of time and collect notes for later discussion
  • The focus is on issues related to governing the City of Vancouver, but provincial topics with relevance to Vancouver are also welcome.
  • The note taker summarizes what they have heard, asks if anything has been missed, and facilitates the identification of the top issues from the assembly

3. Discussion of Next Steps

  • Review how top issues identified are added to our collection
  • Discuss how Participants can help grow the movement
  1. Come out for a drink if you have time
  • We'll have a plan for somewhere close