November 07, 2014

TCVOTESMART

PORT COQUITLAM

A SPECIAL SECTION OF THE TRI-CITY NEWS FOR VOTERS IN PORT COQUITLAM • WWW.TRICITYNEWS.COM/MUNICIPALELECTION

Coquitlam’s traffic is PoCo’s problem, and other election issues

#PoCoVotes14

PROFILES INSIDEMAYORAL CANDIDATES: P2 & P4TRUSTEE CANDIDATES: P5COUNCIL CANDIDATES: P12-P15

PHOTO: JANIS WARREN/THE TRI-CITY NEWS

www.tricitynews.com Tri-City News Friday, November 7, 2014, P1

VOTESMART: POCOTC #PoCoVotes14

Moore: Juggling city needs & financesCANDIDATE FOR MAYOR: GREG MOORE (incumbent)

It’s a rainy Tuesday evening and the line-up for the Giggle Dam winds halfway down Shaughnessy Street and around the corner.

But the crowd isn’t queuing for a night of dinner theatre.

Inside, guests are greeted by Port Coquitlam Mayor Greg Moore and his wife, Erin Moore. They shake hands, hug, pat backs and trade jokes with the 190 guests who have each paid $40 to be at his re-election fundraiser.

There are many familiar faces: All city coun-cillors are present, as are a few current and past candidates. There’s also a smattering of business people and labour support as Moore has union backing from CUPE Local 498, representing PoCo civic workers, and the city firefighters’ local.

But “mostly it’s just people from the commu-nity,” he said.

The sold-out fundraiser is a testament to Moore’s popularity in PoCo, where the 43-year-old former city planning technician was a councillor, then became mayor and, this year, the person ac-claimed to be board chair for Metro Vancouver.

Last month, he touched on what he believes are successes and challenges, and talked about how he wants to see his hometown grow in the next four years if he’s re-elected.

The Fremont connector to Coquitlam’s Burke Mountain is the first issue to be raised, with Moore re-iterating his preferred route for the multimil-lion dollar inter-municipal arterial: Devon Road. A right-of-way is available to the city, he said. Cedar Drive, by comparison, has too many homes while a route under the Fremont power lines would sepa-rate farm land into smaller parcels, Moore argued.

Recent rumblings from Coquitlam city council about PoCo “moving the goal posts” for Fremont

don’t faze Moore.“We’ve been pretty clear with Coquitlam all

along,” he said. “Frankly, this road is going to ben-efit their residents.”

But when pressed on the tax base benefits for PoCo — especially in the commercial sector — Moore responded: “Our retail is doing just fine without having Burke Mountain being developed. If it were my preference, you wouldn’t build on Burke Mountain, but it’s not.

“I live in a regional system and we have to ac-commodate Coquitlam’s growth.”

Moore is also asked about the length of time it

has taken to make a decision on the Fremont align-ment. A decision has been delayed, he said, in part because the city updated its master transportation plan last year.

“We took out the Fremont connector because it was too important of a linkage to not have its own study and own evaluation done,” he said. “But we know the road itself isn’t needed for 10 to 15 years so we’re trying to do it as proactively as we can to let peo-ple know what the length of the road is going to be.”

The slow uptake on the new recreation complex — a capital project on the books for years — is also brought up. Last year, council budgeted $250,000

to study a possible rebuild “and, over the last eight months, we’ve been working really hard, really fast, to develop what that plan needs to look like and how to pay for that, capital and operational [costs]. Now, we’re at the goal line to move over that.”

As for the municipal staff — many of whom have had to contend with larger workloads following a recent efficiency review of programs and services at city hall — Moore acknowledged there are vacan-cies that haven’t been filled for a year.

“I think we need to look at the service levels that council has requested. Sometimes, I think our staff wants to deliver a higher service level than what we’re willing to fund — and that’s a good thing because they’re passionate about their community — but council is trying to balance the budget with the fiscal responsibilities.”

Moore points to council’s decision to reduce property taxes last year as an achievement. At the same time, it hired six new firefighters after nearly 20 years of no new hires.

But for the RCMP detachment PoCo shares with Coquitlam — PoCo has 66 officers for a population of 60,000 — Moore said work needs to be done in terms of boosting police presence in the commu-nity. Eventually, he would like to see PoCo have its own precinct.

As for bigger tributes for hometown hero Terry Fox, Moore said he wants the new annual run route past Terry Fox secondary, over the Coast Meridian viaduct and around the Terry Fox Library to be made permanent and decorated with markings along the way.

[email protected]@jwarrenTC

Website: gregmoore.ca

““Over the last eight months, we’ve been working really hard, really fast, to develop what that [rec centre] plan needs to look like and how to pay for that... Now, we’re at the goal line.”Mayor Greg Moore, who is running for re-election

www.tricitynews.comP2 Friday, November 7, 2014, Tri-City News

For Port Coquitlam City CouncilNovember 15“Serving as your City Councillor for the past 6 years has been a tremendous privilege. I have worked hard to listen to the concerns of our community and bring forward positive solutions that make Port Coquitlam an even better place. We have much to be proud of in our city, but there’s more work to be done. As your City Councillor, I will never stop � ghting for local residents. I will always put our community � rst and will be guided by you - the residents of Port Coquitlam. With your support, I would be honoured to continue to be your strong voice on City Council.”

• A life-long resident of Port Coquitlam and dedicated community volunteer.

• An experienced advocate for local residents, served 6 years on City Council.

• A record of standing up for your issues and bringing forward positive solutions.

RE-ELECT BRAD WEST

www.bradwest.ca I [email protected] I 604-313-9185

Authorized by Financial Agent - Brad West - 604-313-9185

Darrell

604.941.9823

Port Coquitlam City Councillor

Re-Elect with CONFIDENCE

PENNEROn Saturday November 15th,

vote for a strong voice Coast Meridian Overpass

604.941.9823Thank you for your support over the past 14 years.

Darrell knows the community, and continues to deliver leadership that Port Coquitlam expects and deserves.

With 14 years experience on City Council in Port Coquitlam and a resident for43 years, Darrell has the knowledge to be an e�ective Councillor.

What people say about Darrell:“Darrell has a clear understanding ofenvironmental issues that a�ect this region.”

Dr. Elaine Golds, Environmentalist

“Darrell has a strong knowledge of bear issues andis the type of leader that is needed in our communities.”

Drake Stephens, Urban Wildlife Coordinator

“You can depend on me.”

Proven Leadership

Environmentally ProactiveExperienced and Dependable

5 Successful Terms on Council

You can contact Darrell at or by email at [email protected]

Please vote for Darrell Penner

Authorized by Darrell Penner, Financial [email protected]


POCOTC #PoCoVotes14

Hirvonen: Water meters candidate’s key platform issue

CANDIDATE FOR MAYOR: ERIC HIRVONEN

It’s 9:45 a.m. on a Wednesday, the time Eric Hirvonen scheduled the week prior for a phone interview while he was waiting for a

video shoot at The Tri-City News’ office. The call wakes him up but he allows for the discussion to proceed.

Over the course of 16 minutes, Hirvonen has many things to say about Port Coquitlam Mayor Greg Moore and how he has represented the city for the past two terms.

As in The Tri-City News video, Hirvonen launches directly into an attack of water metering. He believes they’re a waste of money. Hirvonen said homeown-ers are already taxed enough and installing water meters on residential properties is tantamount to “a home invasion robbery cash grab” by Metro Vancouver. In the video, Hirvonen talks about a June 2011 Drinking Water Management Plan document as proof of Metro Vancouver’s intentions to install residential water meters.

Mayor Moore has publicly stated there’s “no truth” to Hirvonen’s comments.

And there is no indication the city of Port Coquitlam is considering installing water meters at this time.

But Hirvonen, who declined requests for a reporter to accompany him while he knocked on doors campaigning, said this is the key plank in his campaign against Moore for the PoCo mayor’s chair, claiming Moore, as board chair of Metro Vancouver, is driving a push for meters by the re-gional authority.

Mostly, Hirvonen’s platform is anti-Moore. He “is not a good mayor,” Hirvonen says. “There’s no evidence of him serving the public… I would do a much better job to represent the people than the current mayor.”

Hirvonen takes aim at Moore’s endorsements from “special interest groups” such as the New Westminster and District Labour Council and CUPE Local 498, which represents PoCo civic work-ers. They pay for his campaign and Moore, in turn, doesn’t have to pay a cent, Hirvonen claimed.

By comparison, Hirvonen says his campaign is self-funded through his registered slate, the Canada Electric Services Inc. — or Canada Elect, as he calls it on his city disclosure papers — of which he is named as director.

It’s not the first time Hirvonen has put forward an electoral organization. In 2011, he ran for city council and his Canada Fire Safety Corp. slate backed William Issa for mayor. But in that run three years ago, when he placed third from bottom with 738 votes, Hirvonen reported the campaign costs carried much larger numbers: $32,494 to be exact, or some $2,000 more than Moore’s campaign total.

According to the 2012 documents he filed with the city, for which there are no financial records, Hirvonen’s bills included:

• $7,777 for advertising; • $8,999 for signs and flyers;• $5,888 for campaign staff; • $3,888 for rent and utilities; • $2,888 for furniture and phones;• $88 for office supplies; • $2,888 for research and polling; • and $78 for transportation.

When challenged, Hirvonen denied his cam-paigns are tax write-offs, saying said he runs for civic office for the good of the community. “I don’t do this for a reason other than to serve the public,” he said.

Asked how he would handle the growth com-ing down from Burke Mountain, where Coquitlam is allowing construction of homes for 20,000 more residents, Hirvonen said he “wouldn’t even consider complying with Coquitlam’s requests anymore.”

“They’ve already gotten Port Coquitlam to tally up and pay for the Coast Meridian Road and the provincial government helped with the David Avenue route. All of the development is helping Coquitlam, not Port Coquitlam.”

As for the RCMP, Hirvonen said sharing a de-tachment with Coquitlam is “fine the way it is” and police presence is already high in PoCo because of the provincial court.

[email protected]@jwarrenTC

Website: ericin.tripod.com

““There’s no evidence of [Moore] serving the public… I would do a much better job to rep-resent the people than the current mayor.”

Eric Hirvonen, who isrunning for mayor

NOTES AbOuT THiS TRi-CiTY NEWS SECTiONn Articles on the mayoral candidates are based on interviewsn City council and school trustee candidate briefs are based oninterviews and their responses to an online surveyn Text by Janis Warren (council) and Diane Strandberg (trustees)n Editing and design by Richard Dal Monte


FIRST TERM PROGRESS REPORT

Tel: 604.629.9665 Web: deanwashington.caApproved by Dean Washington for City Council

RE-ELECTRE-ELECTRE-ELECTRE-ELECT

WASHINGTONDean

Working for the Citizens of the City

“Having known Dean all his life I knew he would be a tremendous advocate for the taxpayers of Port Coquitlam. I look forward to him continuing his hard work on behalf of the citizens of our city.”

Brian Madaski, Owner, Port Coquitlam Bowling Centre

“As a lifetime resident of Port Coquitlam, Dean has a long history of being involved in the community and business life of this city. He has been an excellent City Councillor and has my full support for re-election.”

Mike Farnworth, MLA, Port Coquitlam - Burke Mountain

“Dean is a valuable leader in our community. His dedication as both a volunteer and City Councillor have been a significant asset to our community. He has the passion, drive, and ability to lead our city and bring about growth and positive change.”

Kayla Steele, Executive Director, Downtown Port Coquitlam BIA

“Dean has proven to be an innovative and dynamic leader in our community, I welcome his re-election to Poco City Council.”

Bruce Richardson, Vice President, CUPE Local 561

“I’ve worked closely with Dean on City Council to stand up for the issues important to our residents. He’s smart, hardworking and dedicated to making our community an even better place. With your support, together we’ll keep working to build a city all of our residents can be proud to call home.”

Brad West, City Councillor, Port Coquitlam

“Dean is a valuable leader in our community. His dedication as both a volunteer and City Councillor have been a significant asset to our community. He has the passion,

2011 PRIORITY: Road Network and Rec FacilitiesPROGRESS: -Infrastructure made City’s Top Priority in 2013.-Appointed Chairperson of a new Infrastructure Committee which drafted a plan to replace ageing assets utilizing existing capital funds.-Supported new Artificial Turf Field at Gates Park completed 2013.-Final planning stages for Rec Centre, Centennial Pool, Terry Fox Library upgrades.

2011 PRIORITY: Clean up the City and Make it SaferPROGRESS: -Received full commitment from top management to in-corporate street, sidewalk and park litter collection as core philosophy within the city.-12 new Fire and Police staff over past three years. Port Coquitlam now ranks as one of the lowest crime rate areas in Metro Vancouver.

2011 PRIORITY: Return to Weekly Garbage CollectionPROGRESS: -Although an advocate for returning to weekly garbage collection, after seeing the advancements in the program through streamlining and education was convinced the current method is the

most reasonable and economic way to proceed.

2011 PRIORITY: Customer Service and Fiscal ResponsibilityPROGRESS: -Customer Service is now one of the city’s Top 3 Priorities. -2012-2014 combined tax increase of 5.6% compared to 2009-2011 increase of 16.55%.-2014 decrease of -.24% was the only tax decrease of any Canadian city.

WASHINGTON


LIAM COUGHLAN• Entrepreneur, lives in

Port Coquitlam• Expertise to offer

board: knowledge of edu-cation system

• Endorsements: none• Why run: “I think

school boards are about stewardship and oversight, and I think in general across the province, we need to strengthen the makeup of school boards with people who understand the system and have financial expertise. We need to raise the bar as to who’s running these large organizations.”

• What issue: “Coquitlam is the only district within the province that doesn’t belong to the mu-nicipal pension plan and now there is an unfunded liability of about $30 million, and it could be a prob-lem. I think they need an exit strategy there. If you can spread that risk throughout the whole province, it’s better than one district dealing with $30 million.”

• Transparency: “I think people live very busy lives and don’t know or care unless there’s a prob-lem. That’s the reality. A lot of it [information] is available, SOFI [Statement of Financial Information] reports are there for you to read. A lot of it is manag-ing perception… [and] public engagement.”Website: liamcoughlan.ca

CHRIS KING• Retired, lives in

Coquitlam• Expertise: knowledge

of education system• Endorsement: CUPE• Why run: “Education

is under attack. There’s not enough talk about the phenomenal success that kids are having and the programs that teach-ers are doing in spite of the cuts. I believe I bring something unique to the table this board has never had… someone from the classroom whose been involved at all levels.”

• What issue: “I believe the board has to make public education everybody’s business. They have to stop seeing it as their sandbox. They do need to reach out to city groups, city councils and business and have conversations and build those relation-ships.”

• Transparency: “By not releasing the full foren-sic audit, if that’s how the board operates around transparency, then we have an issue.”Email: [email protected]

JUDY SHIRRA (incumbent)• Accounts manager,

lives in Port Coquitlam• Expertise: knowledge

of education system• Endorsement: none• The deficit: “A big part

of our deficit has to do with the downloading and the cost-cutting from the pro-vincial government. Have government pay [for] CPP, MSP, the raise the CUPE just got, and what teach-ers are getting. We did a few things wrong but this is not human error, this is downloading and not proper funding from Victoria.”

• Why run: “It’s [for] community engagement, it’s the reason to network and help them get things. If the schools know me, I can help them source it… I’m a community asset, I may not always be a board asset because I don’t always agree with what’s going on.”

• Transparency: “Our budget is not that confus-ing, if you put it line by line in two separate col-umns, everyone could understand it. We could do a better job with that. That’s just simplifying certain things, it’s just little things that need tweaking.”Phone: 604-944-6155

MICHAEL THOMAS• Small business owner,

lives in Port Coquitlam• Expertise: financial• Endorsement: CUPE• Why run: “My kids are

going to be in the system for the next 13 years. I have an opportunity make a positive impact for children in PoCo and around the district.”

• What issue: “I think there’s an opportunity for cities and school boards to work more closely to-gether… Certainly there is a need for improvements in safety around schools and my time on the [city] transportation and public works committee would be beneficial.”

• Transparency: “I found it frustrating in the public meetings in the spring. They would put big numbers on the big screen and handouts with dif-ferent numbers, and they would very quickly go through the numbers… They are not as transparent as they could or should be.”Website: thomasfrompoco.ca

Trustee candidates in their own wordsThe following are candidates’ responses to the following questions: Incumbents only: With School District 43’s recent difficulties, which resulted in $13.4 million in cost cutting, and a forensic audit noting lack of control and monitoring resulted in a deficit in 2012/’13, why should anyone vote for you, an incumbent who was on the board when it happened? To non-incumbents only: If you are elected, what issue would you bring to the board’s attention? To all: What is your reason for running for school trustee? Also: Do you think there is enough transparency about what goes on in the school district? If not, how would you change it?

CANDIDATES FOR POCO SCHOOL TRUSTEE (2 will be elected)


RE-ELECT MIKE FORRESTPORT COQUITLAM CITY COUNCILLOR

I appreciate your past support and I would be proud to continue to serve our Community

on our Port Coquitlam City Council.With your support I will continue to work with our

City Council team to bring a fiscally responsible and balanced approach

to the delivery of city facilities and services.Let’s step forward together with a renewed

sense of pride and ownership in this place we call home.

On November 15th, Show the Community Pride and Energy of our Centennial Homecoming...

Ready...Set...VOTE!!MIKE FORREST ✘

[email protected]

facebook/mikeforrest 604.942.6289Authorized by Mike Forrest Financial Agent.


Port Coquitlam residents hoping to cast a bal-lot in the upcoming civic election may want to make sure they qualify to vote before heading to the polls on Nov. 15.

An eligible resident elector must be a Canadian citizen, 18 years of age and have lived in B.C. for at least six months and in PoCo for 30 days prior to the election.

Those who are not on the voters list will need to register and can do so by bringing two pieces of

ID or proof of residency documents to their poll-ing station on voting day. Documents include:

• B.C. driver’s licence;• B.C. identification card issued by the motor

vehicles branch;• owner’s certificate of insurance and vehicle

licence issued by ICBC;• CareCard;• Ministry of Social Development and Economic

Security request for continued assistance form;

• social insurance card;• Canadian citizenship card or • valid Canadian passport;• current property tax notice;• credit card;• utility bill.Advance polling will take place once more in

Port Coquitlam before general voting day, on Wednesday, Nov. 12 at the Elks Hall (2272 Leigh Sq.) between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.

Polling stations in Port Coquitlam will be lo-cated at:• Blakeburn elementary (1040 Riverside Dr.);• Castle Park elementary (1144 Confederation Dr.); • Cedar Drive elementary (3150 Cedar Dr.); • Elks Hall (2272 Leigh Sq.); • Irvine elementary (3862 Wellington St.); • Kilmer elementary (1575 Knappen St.); • Kwayhquitlum middle (3280 Flint St.); • and Westwood elementary (3610 Hastings St.).

Are you ready to vote Nov. 15? Make sure


About MeBeing born and raised here in Port Coquitlam, I have seen our town become a big city. I have gone through our school system from Mary Hill Elementary to Citadel and � nally graduating from Riverside Secondary. I have also participated in many of the programs including swimming and Port Coquitlam Minor Soccer League. I understand what an organization needs to succeed and want to help our kids get the best programs possible.After living here my entire life, I have decided to expand my family in Port Coquitlam. I am currently moving to the Mary Hill area and hope my kids will enjoy this city as much as I have. Having two young children I want to make sure they have a place where they can enjoy the trails and recreation facilities just as we did when we were young. I have years of past volunteer experience with Bright Nights at Stanley Park, The Burn Fund and the Surrey Crime Prevention Society. I want to bring all my experiences to council so I can help our city move in the right direction.

LeadershipI can be the strong leadership that Port Coquitlam needs. I have a strong voice that can be heard within council and a strong will to make our community a home for everyone.I will be focused on public safety, transportation and ensuring our city grows, not just for businesses, but for residents as well. There are many changes coming to the Tri-Cities and we need to be prepared.I am hard working, dedicated and focus oriented. I have a strong desire to succeed and want to make sure everything stays on track and budget for years to come. Our city needs a change and I am that change for the better.

On November 15, 2014 vote Amrit GillHelp me build a better future for everyone!

PORT COQUITLAM CITY COUNCIL

★BUILDING A BETTER TOMORROW

604.889.0304 [email protected] | www.amritgill.ca | @amritgill2014

Approved by � nancial agent Amrit Gill [email protected]


P8 Friday, November 7, 2014, Tri-City News Tri-City News Friday, November 7, 2014, P9

P8 Friday, November 7, 2014, Tri-City News Tri-City News Friday, November 7, 2014, P9



13 going for 6 spots on PoCo city councilThirteen people — including all six incumbents — are running in the election for Port Coquitlam city councillor. The Tri-City News interviewed each in the early stages of their campaigns leading up to the Nov. 15 vote. Their mini profiles run on pages P12 to P15.

CANDIDATES FOR POCO COUNCIL

Videos at tricitynews.comYou can hear and see candidates in the Nov. 15 council and school board elections as Tri-Cities Community TV and The Tri-City News partnered to create candi-date videos to help local voters. You can find the vid-eos at tricitynews.com/municipalelection (click on Election Candidates).


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Advocating for Port Coquitlamwith Strong Leadership and Effective Communication

ELECTNancy McCurrach

My husband Ray and I have lived and raised our four children: Katrina,

Monica, Jackie and Bill in Port Coquitlam for the past 22 years. We are a family committed to giving back to the community.

• www.nancey4portcoquitlam.ca• Facebook: Elect Nancy McCurrach for Port Coquitlam City Council• Twitter: @Nancy@McCurrach• [email protected]

“Having personally worked along side Nancy on the Smart Growth Committee and through discussions about business and the importance of a strong community, I would not hesitate to recommend Nancy as a good choice for leadership in our Community”

Lih-Ming Tam

Twitter: @Nancy@McCurrach

along side Nancy on the Smart

business and the importance

Authorized by Financial Agent Ray McCurrach [email protected]

I want a Board that is relevant and fiscally responsible. I want a Board that is the defender of Public Education and the guardian of programs, resources and services that ensure the academic, social and emotional develop-ment of all students.

VOTE CHRIS KING

PORT COQUITLAM SCHOOL TRUSTEE

WHAT KINd Of SCHOOL bOARd dO yOU WANT?


CANDIDATES FOR POCO COUNCIL (6 will be elected)

SHERRY CARROLLWhen former city councillor Sherry

Carroll thought about why she wanted to run for a civic seat again, she drew up a page-long list of reasons.

Carroll, who in 2011 lost the council seat she had held for one term to Dean Washington by 145 votes, split her ac-tion plan in two: what was outside of the city’s purview and what the municipal-ity could accomplish directly.

A member of the city of Coquitlam’s Riverview Lands Advisory Committee, Carroll earmarked the upcoming “res-toration” of the mental health care property as, once approved, having a significant impact on PoCo.

Next on her list was the Evergreen Line to Coquitlam, due to open in 2016. That rapid transit alignment, she fears, may be a negative for PoCo in terms of connectivity.

“In my experience, every time something major happens to the transit structure in the Tri-City area, we lose,” she said. “I re-member very clearly when we moved here 22 years ago, we had six crosstown routes. We are now down to two: [the] 160 and 159 [buses]… We have to have a say in that.”

Another external hit on PoCo will be the massive growth on Burke Mountain in Coquitlam. “All that lovely, new infrastruc-ture — i.e., drains — is going to go into PoCo’s old infrastructure downhill,” the geophysicist said. “This is not good. What you get is backup. It will break and rupture.”

Carroll said she has no preference on the Fremont connector route to Burke as the details will be negotiated between the two cities’ staffs. “I want to wait to see the studies and hear what the people really want.”

As for PoCo-specific issues, Carroll said she likes how city coun-cil approved a short-term tax hike to pay for the Coast Meridian Overpass. Something similar could also be done for a new recre-ation complex, she suggested, although balancing property tax increases with infrastructure needs can be tricky.Email: [email protected]

ERHAN DEMIRKAYAFirst-time candidate Erhan

Demirkaya gives two reasons he’s run-ning for a civic seat in Port Coquitlam: his son and daughter.

The 11-year resident said he is con-cerned about security at local schools and believes, as an elected official, he could better encourage SD43 and PACs to beef up safety measures on school properties. (City council has no jurisdic-tion over how schools are run; that falls to the board of education.)

Demirkaya said he also believes downtown PoCo business owners need protection, too. Security cameras like the ones placed in London, England, would do a great deal to prevent crime, he said. Business owners could pay for a pilot program, after consulting with the RCMP, and if it’s suc-cessful, he said, more cameras could be added.

“If criminals see the camera, they’re not going to do the stuff they’re doing now because it will be on the camera and they will get caught.”

When asked whether police presence should be boosted, Demirkaya was hesitant. He wants to review the city budget to see if more Mounties should be hired.

Demirkaya, who is not on any city committees and said he at-tends council meetings sporadically, also said he’s in favour of having new and better sports fields, and improvements in public transportation (which is governed by TransLink).

Asked about his preferred route for the Fremont connector north of Prairie Avenue, the mechanical engineer with a master’s degree chose Devon Road as he said it would affect fewer home-owners.

Demirkaya wants to be a councillor because “I love getting involved in the community I live in. I want a better and safer envi-ronment and I believe if I’m an elected official, we can do more.”Email: [email protected]

LAURA DUPONTAs one of three citizen advisors on the

city’s transportation solutions and pub-lic works committee, Laura Dupont says she is in touch with commuter issues in Port Coquitlam.

“If we don’t put some serious thought into planning well and making sure we have better transit options, we are going to have gridlock,” the labour-endorsed candidate said. “We’ve got such a great community but we’ve got too many cars on the road and it’s only going to get worse.”

Pressed on more specific solutions, Dupont said she would fight for direct and frequent bus service from central locations in PoCo to Coquitlam Town Centre when the Evergreen Line opens in 2016.

She said she would also like to see better connectivity for cy-clists and have a Fremont connector steer away from Cedar Drive.

When it comes to growth in the Dominion Triangle, Dupont said she would like to see more diversity that includes small local business.

“I don’t want an all-or-nothing area,” she said, adding, “The city needs to help small- and medium-sized business, too, but I don’t have a magic bullet as to how we are going to do that.”

Port Coquitlam, she said, already has a low business tax rate, which makes it competitive against other Metro Vancouver mu-nicipalities, “and I don’t think the city can go much lower.”

Dupont says she likes how the city has initiated a program to celebrate local companies and wants it to do more to encourage shoppers to buy local.

A Buy Local campaign — similar to the one launched this fall by several businesses in Port Moody — would drum up interest, she said. And having a specific clause in the city’s purchasing policy to promote PoCo businesses first “would be brilliant,” Dupont said.

As for the arts, Dupont said PoCo is lacking a venue to host major events, adding, “Leigh Square is good but it’s not big enough.”Website: lauradupont.ca


-Strong -Balanced -ExperiencedPutting Students First!

PoCo kids need a strong advocate. As a SD43 parent and a long time PoCo resident, I’m motivated to run for the right reasons. I want a brighter future for Port Coquitlam’s students. Our kids deserve a fair and balanced School Board that reelects the needs and priorities of today’s families. As thethe founder of a computer service company, I have the business background and technical knowhow to lead our schools in the 21st century. Years of budget cuts to maintenance and student supports has left many of our schools crumbling and our students are falling through the cracks. OurOur kids deserve safe, well-funded, well-supported schools. They need a strong voice from our community. Stand up for public education and vote Thomas.

Authorized by Michael Thomas, Financial Agent, [email protected]

ThomasFromPoCo.cawww.facebook.com/ThomasForTrustee

RE-ELECT

Glenn Pollock

forPort Coquitlam

City Council

Twitter: @PoCoGlenn • Phone: 604-771-4415

28 Years of Community Involvement

• Reliable• Accountable• Experienced

Authorized by Linda Finch Financial Agent - lindafi [email protected]



MIKE FORREST (incumbent)Incumbent Mike Forrest chairs the

city’s smart growth committee and makes this clear about the growth on Coquitlam’s Burke Mountain: “We have no control.”

The 14-year councillor also makes a point about how the neighbouring municipality didn’t help PoCo when it came to funding the Coast Meridian Overpass and it likely won’t be paying for the Fremont connector, either.

So far, he is the sole candidate to support a Fremont route on the east side of the power lines, north of Prairie Avenue, as he says it will have less residential impact and will tie in with the Fremont on the Coquitlam side. But what will ultimately happen will be up to the public during next year’s consultation and with the next city council, Forrest said.

In the meantime, he would like to see Burns Road — “an abso-lutely horrific piece of work at this point in time” — upgraded to improve traffic flow from Lougheed Highway to Prairie Avenue; Cedar Drive also needs a rework soon, he said.

Forrest said he has also been a business champion this term, heading up the mayor’s task force on business opportunities and lobbying Tri-City councils to create an inter-municipal mobile business licence for the region. He wants to see the city making it easier for PoCo businesses to gain purchasing contracts with the municipality. And he’s an advocate for densifying the downtown core, saying, “We need to have enough people to make it worth-while for [small business people] to be there.”

The Downtown PoCo Business Improvement Association has done a good job but more partnership is needed with the city to attract business, he said.

As for opening up the waterfront to residential and commercial interests, the mariner believes the area under the Pitt River bridge “is a classic place for waterfront development for public access and a float-home community.”Email: [email protected]

AMRITPAL GILLA Riverside secondary graduate,

Amritpal Gill is full of enthusiasm about running for political office in his home-town. He wanted to run for a city coun-cil seat earlier but having two young children has kept the West Vancouver firefighter extra busy.

His kids are what’s driving his cam-paign agenda. “I have an investment in Port Coquitlam,” he said. “I want it to be a good place where you can raise your family. I don’t want to see it grow in to a big city and lose our community values.”

A 31-year southside resident, he’s an active user of Port Coquitlam’s parks and recreation programs with his children — be it at the Hyde Creek or PoCo rec centres, or the Terry Fox Library. And he is calling for expansion of all three facilities to ac-commodate future families, saying, “We need to cater to them.”

Gill, who is currently building a house in PoCo, believes the city’s infrastructure needs to be looked at and public transit has to be improved to get cars off the roads. When the Evergreen Line opens in two years, Gill wants to see a direct bus route from PoCo to the rapid transit system.

If elected, he promised to ensure the new rec centre is built “on budget and on time” and a tourism plan is put in place to attract visitors and shoppers to the area. He sees the Dominion Triangle shaping into a kind of Morgan Crossing development in south Surrey, with seasonal festivals and celebrations.

As for the downtown retailers, “I’ll always have a look out for the little guys, too. The key question is how do we attract business and how do they grow? There should be incentives for small busi-nesses to stay like with taxes or more affordable office space.”Website: amritgill.ca

RIYAZ LAKHANIIT specialist Riyaz Lakhani believes

Port Coquitlam could have done better in its recent deal with Telus.

The deal to bring high-speed fibre optic technology to the city is positive overall, Lakhani said, but PoCo city hall should have asked for more in return for allowing the communications company to dig up roads.

“To be honest, it’s great that Telus is coming in,” the 10-year PoCo resident said, “but it would have been nice to see WiFi over the whole city. There could have been better negotiation. They could have done a lot more.”

Lakhani also holds strong views on tax increases, public tran-sit, online crime and the Fremont connector. On the latter, he chooses Devon Road as his preference north of Prairie Avenue because “I think it has the least effect on residents.”

The city of Coquitlam should also be footing the bill for part of it as Burke Mountain homeowners will be the primary commuters on the road. “Coquitlam is going to be benefitting from [Fremont] because of the easy access to the Mary Hill bypass. The prices of their homes are going to go up with this ease of access that we’re providing them.”

As for the bus system, Lakhani rates it as poor. His son takes public transit to get to and from school and “it’s not very quick. We need to do a lot more about that.”

The first-time candidate said he would like to fix the discrep-ancy between residential and institutional building. Recent per-mit values for homes in PoCo are millions of dollars more than for civic facilities and “we are now playing catch up.”

As a councillor, Lakhani said he would also like to see the RCMP spend more time tackling online predators and scam art-ists who are preying on vulnerable residents, saying he knows of a local senior who was taken for hundreds of dollars.Website: riyazlakhani.ca


In Port Coquitlam

Re-ElectMichael Wright

for Councillorwww.michaelwright.ca

Authorized by Michael Wright Financial Agent 604-942-8897

Vote forErhan DEMIRKAYAfoR PoRt CoquItlAM

CItY CounCIlstRong voICE AnD

stRong vIsIon

• Wrestling Coach in Tri-Cities• Volunteered Coach at Minnekhade Middle School last three years

• Volunteer Coach TCYBA Basketball Leaque• Community Activist• Local Businessman• Proven Leadership• Reliable and Dependable• Believe in safety on our streets

It will be a great honour to serve the residents of Port Coquitlam as a city council.

604.313.2709or e-mail: [email protected]

www.facebook.com/ErhanDemirkayaForCouncil

Authorized by Financial Agent Erhan Demirkaya [email protected]



WAYNE MARKLUNDWayne Marklund’s first run for politi-

cal office was last year in the provincial riding of Burnaby North. He was listed as an independent on the ballot be-cause the party in which he was a direc-tor-at-large, the BC Conservatives, filed its paperwork too late with Elections BC. In that run, Marklund gained just 2.3% of the vote, losing to BC Liberal Richard T. Lee.

Because the Burnaby businessman enjoyed campaigning, he submitted his nomination documents to PoCo city hall to run for a civic seat. “I’m not doing it for the money,” he said. “I’m doing for the citizens of Port Coquitlam.”

His eight years as a PoCo resident have been an eye opener, he said, and he’s heard plenty of complaints about the RCMP.

“There’s a lot of crime and the response time is slow,” Marklund said, noting theft from homes and vehicles top his list. “I believe the RCMP should be dealing with bigger issues than just issue tickets to jaywalkers or people on cell phones. They should be dealing with drug dealers and gangs.”

Marklund is in favour of dismissing the Mounties to create a municipal police force, which he believes would be cheaper in the long run. He wants to share protection services with Port Moody “and eventually Coquitlam could come on board and form an al-liance” in the Tri-Cities.

Marklund, who said he watches most city council meetings rather than attend them in person, also doesn’t believe Port Coquitlam should be “subsidizing” Coquitlam by building a Fremont connector. Coquitlam will benefit with additional prop-erty taxes, he said, “and you don’t see that money coming in to improve our roads.”

At the time of the interview, Marklund was unclear about the three options for Fremont north of Prairie but called for more en-vironmental study before the arterial route is built.Website: waynemarklund.ca

NANCY MccURRAcHNancy McCurrach has done a lot of

knocking on doors since deciding to run for civic office. As of the third week of October, the CUPE-backed candidate had spoken to residents or placed pro-motional brochures at 3,800 homes and 20 businesses.

She said she has heard an earful of concerns, ranging from the Fremont connector and transportation to polic-ing and green space protection.

Property tax rates are also a hot-button issue on the campaign trail and, if elected, she vows to keep them low.

McCurrach is one of three citizen advisors on the city’s smart growth committee and has spoken against using Cedar Drive as a Fremont route because of the number of children walking to and from Cedar Drive elementary school.

On traffic, McCurrach said the city needs to lobby for more ser-vices from TransLink “and be more involved in their discussions” for future routes. She also believes municipalities should have a role to play when it comes to the upcoming provincial referendum on transit funding.

McCurrach said she supports community policing and wants to see more on-street visibility by RCMP officers.

She’s also pressing for a living wage policy in PoCo, such as the one implemented in New Westminster. In 2011, the Royal City became the first municipality in Canada to enact a bylaw that raises the minimum wage paid to city workers, for companies that receive city contracts and for firms that receive economic de-velopment money from the city (the figure for 2014 for the Lower Mainland is $20.10, assuming no benefits are provided by the employer).

Asked if this would be a detriment to attracting business to PoCo, McCurrach responded: “It’s a big issue but if we tackle it one city at a time, I believe our community will be stronger.”Website: nancy4portcoquitlam.ca

DARRELL PENNER (incumbent)Transportation is the biggest issue

facing the Tri-Cities and, as chair of Port Coquitlam’s transportation solutions and public works committee, Coun. Darrell Penner has come under some scrutiny.

Earlier this year, his committee put the Fremont connector discussions into high gear, proposing three op-tions south of Prairie Avenue to con-nection with Lougheed Highway via Burns Road, and three options north of Prairie to link with Burke Mountain in Coquitlam.

Penner, a city councillor since 2000 who came in second place in the 2011 election, said he wants to keep an open mind about the process as the city calls for public feedback in January.

The Cedar Drive plan would have the least impact to DeBoville Slough, he notes, and the Devon Road concept “makes sense be-cause we already own the road right-of-way… The one under the power lines makes the least sense.”

On public transit, Penner said PoCo council has struggled with TransLink’s recent “optimization” program — “which is to say, cutting services” — and more lobbying needs to be done. Still, some things have improved recently, as with an extra bus up to David Avenue on Burke Mountain. Penner is also in favour of cre-ating a wider trail system for cyclists.

Asked about sharing RCMP services with Coquitlam, Penner believes it’s time for a change. “The model has not worked well,” he said, noting the city could base its own detachment on the south side.

As for supporting business, Penner feels the Dominion Triangle is a different model from the downtown core: shoppers go to Fremont Village as a big box destination while the Shaughnessy Street zone is full of small shops that area residents can walk to. “There are very few places where you can get your rod, jump in the elevator, go downstairs and walk up the road to go fishing.”Email: [email protected]


ELECTRIYAZLAKHANI

Port Coquitlam City Councillor

because i CARE

*Authorized by Ryaz Lakhani* - [email protected]

CommunityAccessibleResponsibleEconomy

A Leader inOur Community

ELECT

Our Communitywww.lauradupont.ca @LDupont4Poco

O N N O V E M B E R 1 5 , E L E C T

L A U R A D U P O N TF O R P O R T C O Q U I T L A M C O U N C I L

Port Coquitlam Fire Fighters

Fin Donnelly, NDP

Port Coquitlam E N D O R S E D B Y

Fire Fighters

Fin Donnelly,A N D



GLENN POLLOCK (incumbent)A constituency assistant for Port

Coquitlam NDP MLA Mike Farnworth, Coun. Glenn Pollock hears about a lot of concerns in the community — so much so that councillors Dean Washington and Brad West often kid Pollock about being the go-to man for complaints.

Still, “I get back to people,” Pollock said. “They may not get the answer they want to hear but anybody who calls me, I’ll meet with them about anything.”

Since being elected in 2008, the union-backed councillor has heard plenty about garbage collec-tion and the Fremont connector. There are still a few issues to be worked out with solid-waste and recycling pickup, which is now handled internally in PoCo, but Fremont remains a big one.

Pollock likes the Cedar Drive option “although I’m open to what the residents tell us,” he said, adding, “I don’t foresee the traffic volumes from Burke.”

Many Burke commuters will take Coast Meridian Road or a new Lincoln Avenue link over the Coquitlam River to get to the Evergreen Line in Coquitlam Town Centre, Pollock suggested.

And unlike some other PoCo candidates, Pollock doesn’t believe Coquitlam should cough up funds for Fremont as it will serve a regional purpose when built. His main goal is to get surety for the area residents about where Fremont will land.

Pollock also doesn’t think PoCo needs to hire more Mounties to improve the city’s traditionally poor cop-to-population ratio, al-though he said, “You can never have enough. It’s a balance of how much you want to pay in property taxes versus what you need.”

As for the next four years on council, the lacrosse coach and member of the Tri-Cities’ collaborative health table envisions PoCo will “look great. We going to work on the trail system, the rec centre, another synthetic field and we’re going to have a great ac-tive place to live in.”Email: [email protected]

DEAN WASHINGTON (incumbent)Dean Washington won the last spot

on city council in the last election and is “fairly confident” he can retain his seat this month.

On the doorstep, the publisher is getting kudos for council’s efforts to keep property taxes low, he said, and the first-term councillor believes he has brought a new perspective to city hall. “I’ve asked a lot of questions. I didn’t wait for things to happen.”

But more needs to happen. A former vice-chair of the downtown Business Improvement Association, Washington said he wants better lines of communication between the PoCo BIA and city hall. Downtown business issues are usually relayed through city staff and are “not a priority,” he suggested.

Downtown retailers are competing against big box outlets in Dominion Triangle and a city strategy is needed to rejuvenate the area around Shaughnessy Street.

Washington said he would like to market the core to certain businesses and create a common plan for investors. He’s not in favour of the current retail below/residential above concept as shops often sit empty. There’s also the conundrum of affordability when older buildings are replaced.

At the city committee level, Washington chairs community safety and is the vice-chair of healthy community, which incor-porates the arts and culture. He freely admits the arts are not his area of expertise but he has pressed for a plan for Leigh Square Community Arts Village. “Not a lot is happening there,” he said.

On the policing front, Washington is against recruiting more Mounties at this time. “The crime rate is not going up and more growth doesn’t necessarily mean you have to keep hiring.”

As for the Fremont connector, Washington is mum. “I feel whatever the route it is, it’s not going to be built for a long time,” he said, adding Cedar Drive and Burns Road require immediate attention.Website: deanwashington.ca

BRAD WEST (incumbent)Riverside secondary graduate Brad

West topped the polls in the last civic election but he’s humble when asked if he can repeat the accomplishment.

“I’m working as hard as I can, knock-ing on as many doors as possible and trying to get the best result that I can,” the 29-year-old union-backed candi-date said.

The issue of affordable living is West’s main topic. Many people he grew up with have been forced to leave PoCo because of the high cost of homes, not able to stretch their incomes to stay, he said.

As a city councillor, West is committed to finding efficien-cies at city hall to keep property tax bills low. “We just can’t keep going back to taxpayers and asking for more and more and more. There’s not a bottomless pit of money.”

But asked what impact the recent efficiency review for city hall has had, West admits there have been challenges. Some positions haven’t been filled while capital projects are on a priority list.

“It’s all about balancing needs with available funds,” he said. “That means you can’t do everything… At the municipality, we should be focusing on the core services that people expect for their property tax dollars.”

As for creating jobs, West said he’s proud light industrial busi-ness has come to the Dominion Triangle and he’s eager to create a vibrant downtown for business to grow. Over the next four years, West wants to see the downtown core further densify and beau-tify, “making sure it becomes a focal point of the community.”

West has no preference for the Fremont connector route. “I’m still really troubled by the issue of PoCo residents having to pick up the tab for a connection that I think primarily serves people outside of the municipality… Our community does not need to be subservient to Coquitlam.”Website: bradwest.ca

MICHAEL WRIGHT (incumbent)The key plank in Coun. Michael

Wright’s campaign is something he has promoted for years: the arts. But when it comes gaining support from others on council, Wright said he hits a brick wall.

Arts and culture are always the first on the cutting block when it comes to funding and, at this point, Port Coquitlam council is eager to find ef-ficiencies at city hall and keep taxes low, he said. As a result, arts leadership at the city level “is lacking.”

The loss of the city’s arts and culture co-ordinator to another municipality was a big blow to PoCo, he said, noting that more than a year on, her position remains vacant — a matter Wright isn’t too pleased about. As well, the summer entertainment wasn’t a big draw this year, although Lions Park was under con-struction.

The chair of the city’s healthy community committee, which is responsible for the arts, among other things, Wright said that until arts groups become more organized and have a stronger voice, “it’s just going to be an uphill battle on council.”

A city councillor for most of the last 33 years, Wright said he has seen plenty of change in PoCo and is eager to help shape the city for the next four years.

On the topic of the Fremont connector, Wright said there will be disruption to residents. “I guess Devon would be my favourite,” he said of the three options north of Prairie Avenue, adding, “We’ve got a lot of public consultation coming up. I’m obligated to listen to what the public has to say.”

Wright, who is also vice-chair of the city’s community safety committee, believes now is not the time to hire more Mounties. “If the crime rate was going up at a rapid rate, sure, but crime is coming down.”Website: michaelwright.ca

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ERRORS & OMISSIONSAttention candidates: Any errors of fact in theprofiles in this section will be corrected in the Wednesday, Nov. 12 edition of The Tri-City News. Errors must be brought to our attention no later than 8 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 10 by emailing the editor at [email protected].

Speak up!You can comment on any story you read at www.tricitynews.com


Port Coquitlam City Council needs to have a balance.Sherry brings that balance to the table.

Sherry CARROLLPort Coquitlam Council

Calm, collected & [email protected]

professional Registered member of BC’sAssociation of Professional Engineers & Geoscientists

Past Business Manager,Canadian Association of Petroleum Geologists

community servicePresident of Coquitlam River Water-shed Society & ArtsConnect Regional Arts CouncilCo-Chair of PoCo’s BC Spirit CommitteeCommitted Arts, Culture, Heritage & Environment Advocate

understands business concerns15 years ‘hands-on’ Retail Experience

credible at local & provincial government levels

19 years experience dealing with matters of municipal importance at the committee & council levelServed on Aggregate Task Force,Business & Economic Development, Transportation, Environmental Protection & More.

Re-elect Sherry CARROLL

✔ VOTE November 15th

Port Coquitlam is home to me since elementary school and I have travelled while learning life’s lessons. I have been indebted to major � nancial institutions and survived. Life has expense and I’ve paid my share. Through all I’ve become someone that cares about my compatriots. I can wish no harm to any creature. When I see a need I try to � ll. I established a � re protection company, CANADA FIRE SAFETY CORPORATION, to provide a valuable service that protects lives and subsequently CANADA ELECTRIC SERVICES INC..

These experiences help me to recognize what is currently happening in the ongoing expansion of turning what is a natural life source, water, from being free to use to being a commodity with expense involved in its’ every use. Why, because sources outside our community put a high value on the water and corporate greed is willing and happy to supply the outside source and justify charging residential consumers based on market demand.

I see the “Drinking water management plan June 2011” as movement to turn the public water supply into a commodity in every aspect of its use including residential. As, this plan clearly states that objective on page 13. A council that can be entrusted to put residents � rst is critical at this election. The council at present has already shown themselves to be corporate friends and provide no bene� t to residents, let’s not lose the bene� t of H2O. A city Council can stop the residential water meters from becoming reality or help Metro Vancouver

achieve that revenue source. I bring this plan to everyone’s notice and state that as Mayor I will not allow the residential water meters in Port Coquitlam and will work to have the plan revised to not have residential water metering within the plan!

Authorized by Financial Agent Eric Hirvonen [email protected]

Eric Hirvonen
