Vancouver Mayor Denies Councillor Harmed by False Drug-Use Claims

In a significant legal development, Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim has filed a response to OneCity Councillor Matthew Orr’s defamation lawsuit, requesting the court dismiss the case entirely or award only “nominal damages” with costs assigned to the mayor.

The legal battle stems from false statements Sim made during a February 6 media roundtable with Chinese-language reporters at City Hall. Orr, who describes himself as a socialist and topped the polls in Vancouver’s 2025 council byelection, launched the lawsuit in March after learning about these comments.

According to court documents, Sim has denied that his remarks were malicious. His legal response states the comments were made in reference to “the opioid drug epidemic and the deaths that Vancouver was experiencing, including through distribution of illegal narcotics, which was a matter of public interest.”

The controversy deepened when ABC Councillor Lenny Zhou partially repeated Sim’s false claim in a video posted on WeChat around February 19. That video garnered approximately 1,700 shares before being removed from the Chinese social media platform. Zhou subsequently issued an “unequivocal” apology for his statements.

While Sim publicly praised Zhou for apologizing at the time, it only later emerged that the mayor had been the source of the initial false claim. When confronted, Sim apologized, explaining he had made the statement after being shown an unverified photo by a member of the public.

This explanation did not satisfy Orr, who claimed Sim “failed to provide any reasonable explanation” for publicly spreading falsehoods. During his March announcement of the lawsuit, Orr emphasized the serious damage to his reputation.

“Because of Ken Sim’s words, people have lost trust in me through no fault of my own, forming a dark cloud over this election and in my life beyond,” Orr stated then, characterizing the mayor’s behavior as “flippant and reckless.”

Sim’s legal response also denies repeatedly targeting Orr with “other untrue allegations” as claimed in the lawsuit. The mayor’s filing asserts that “any such alleged statements made in Vancouver council meetings, or otherwise publicly, constitute fair political statement.”

The escalating political tension between the two officials is evident in Sim’s counterattack. His response accuses Orr of attempting to “use the circumstances of (Sim’s) statements and subsequent apologies” as a political campaign against the mayor. The filing specifically refers to Orr’s lawsuit announcement in March as “a staged presentation” and points to a GoFundMe campaign supporting the legal action.

That fundraiser has garnered significant public support, raising more than $48,000 from 957 donors as of Thursday. On the fundraiser’s website, Orr frames the legal battle as standing up to political misconduct: “Each dollar you give is a message to Ken and all his friends that taking advantage of Vancouver will lead to consequences. Costly ones.”

The timing of this legal dispute carries particular significance with British Columbia municipal elections scheduled for October. Orr, a staunch opponent of Sim’s ABC party which currently holds a council majority, has positioned the lawsuit as a matter of political accountability.

When contacted for comment, the Office of the Mayor indicated in an email that Sim would not be providing further statements “due to the matter being before the courts.” Orr did not respond to requests for an interview.

The outcome of this legal battle could have substantial implications not only for the personal and political futures of both officials but also for the broader political landscape in Vancouver as the election approaches.