“It’s time to give the Greens and fact based decision making a chance. Let’s get to work.”

Priyan Samarakoone is a housing lawyer, longtime Vancouver-Yaletown resident and community advocate with more than a decade of experience in legal services, access to justice and pro bono work.

Priyan has lived in the riding for the past 16 years and works in the downtown core. His legal career has focused on housing, civil litigation and helping people navigate complex legal systems, giving him firsthand insight into the challenges facing residents across Vancouver.

He spent the first seven years of his legal career with Access Pro Bono BC, representing clients before courts and tribunals across the province. That work deepened his understanding of systemic barriers affecting British Columbians and reinforced his commitment to improving access to justice.

Priyan holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of British Columbia and an honours LLB from Nottingham Law School. He was called to the British Columbia Bar in 2013 and later founded a law firm focused on housing and civil litigation.

His experience also includes international development work with the United Nations, including a child nutrition surveillance project in northern Sri Lanka and an access-to-justice study with the United Nations Development Programme.

In 2018, Priyan helped create and launch a pro bono family mediation program in Vancouver, and he continues to provide pro bono legal assistance to people in need. His broader community involvement has also included serving as Chair of the Board of the Vancouver Green Party from 2022 to 2024 and participating in the Young Agrarians land-matching program.

Priyan is running in Vancouver-Yaletown to bring his experience in housing law, access to justice and community advocacy into public service, with a focus on evidence-based decision-making, collaboration across levels of government and stronger, healthier neighbourhoods.

Events