New Westminster is a strong city, with a solid record of leadership. The challenges facing cities in 2022 are diverse, as are the solutions. I will be spending the months ahead talking to residents and businesses of New West and working with the Community First team to develop and deliver a platform that reflects our values and the needs of the community. I am especially looking forward to deeper conversations on:

Housing

New Westminster is a leader in protecting affordable housing, building more diverse housing options, and balancing the needs of the community. We have a role in continuing to address the regional housing and housing affordability crisis.

Climate

The City’s 7 Bold Steps will take us to 2030, and we are on schedule to meet aggressive emissions targets. As we are facing the most dire impacts of climate disruption, we cannot slow this progress, and we must assure our community is prepared to address those impacts. The next step is developing a Community Energy Plan, and I want to hear from residents and businesses about how the City can better support more climate-friendly options community-wide.

Infrastructure

New Westminster has an aggressive Capital Plan. We need to assure that plan is realized over the next 5 years. From building Canada’s largest Zero Carbon recreation centre to the less exciting work of substation upgrades and sewer separation infrastructure, we are investing in the infrastructure that builds resilience into our community.

Compassion

The pandemic has taught us just how much we rely on each other. It has also taught us that not everyone is impacted in the same way when a crisis hits. We need to lead with compassion and optimism, and assure there are supports in place for those who most need help. This is what builds a resilient and inclusive community.