Metro Vancouver is seeking provincial approval to reduce the size of its Regional District Board by nearly 25%, a move aimed at improving governance and operational efficiency.
Under the proposal, the board would shrink from 45 directors to 34 beginning with the next term. The plan would also cap representation at three directors per member jurisdiction while preserving the current weighted voting system.
“Metro Vancouver has taken a really thoughtful process for finding strong options for reducing the size of the board and improving the organization’s governance,” said board chair Mike Hurley. “The option that we are putting forward would ensure that all municipalities continue to have proportional representation at the table, but it also reduces board size and helps with efficiency. We heard clearly through engagement that achieving meaningful change is important.”
If approved, the new board structure would grow more gradually over time and would not return to its current size before 2050. The changes would also automatically apply to Metro Vancouver’s water, sewerage and drainage, and housing corporation boards.
The organization is also planning several additional governance reforms, including the creation of a Major Projects Oversight Board. The proposed committee would oversee Metro Vancouver’s largest and most complex water and wastewater infrastructure projects and would include both elected officials and external directors with technical expertise.
Another key initiative would consolidate the region’s four sewerage areas into a single service area through a phased transition. Metro Vancouver said the proposal received strong public support during the consultation process and would align wastewater governance with the region’s existing single water service area.
The proposed changes follow an independent governance review completed by Deloitte Canada in May 2025. Since then, Metro Vancouver’s Governance Committee has been working through the recommendations, with 24 of the 47 recommendations already completed and another 14 currently in progress.
Public consultation on the governance options took place between April and June and included board directors, municipal elected officials, provincial representatives, local First Nations, member jurisdiction staff and residents.
Metro Vancouver will now ask the provincial government to amend either the Local Government Act or the Municipalities Enabling and Validating Act to allow the board restructuring. The legislative process, which requires provincial consultation with interested parties, could take up to two years, while the remaining governance reforms are expected to move forward in the coming months.
