Author: Daniel Fontaine

In this week’s edition of For the Record, we cover off a number of interesting issues making news in the Royal City.

A motion coming to city council later this month regarding decriminalization is sure to trigger a debate. It has already generated some media interest and you can listen to an interesting head-to-head discussion on CKNW’s Mike Smyth Show featuring Garth Mullins of VANDU (Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users) and yours truly. The Jill Bennett Show on CKNW also had a segment on this topic as well as the Canucks on Columbia event proposal.

New Westminster’s record on planting new trees and our overall tree canopy are also discussed this week. How have we been doing when compared to other Metro Vancouver cities when it comes to our tree canopy? You might be surprised to find out!

The Mayor also held his annual State of the City address at a private adults only venue. Anyone under 19 was not permitted, nor were individuals who couldn’t afford the ticket price or had no identification. Was this the right place to deliver this critical public address?

Councillor Paul Minhas makes an appearance for our regular ‘Council Roundup” as we review some of the major topics discussed in the chamber this week.

The focus of “The Way I See It” opinion piece is Metro Vancouver Chair Greg Harvie. He is also the Mayor of Delta and this week he was provided with termination notice from his council. They are revoking his appointment to Metro Vancouver which means that effective July 1st he will no longer be the chair. During that local debate he indicated he needed to stay on a few more weeks to fulfill his duties which included an all expense paid trip to Amsterdam. Will Metro Vancouver still allow him to take that trip given that he’ll be stepping down as chair soon?

It’s a packed podcast with lots of great information. If you enjoy it, be sure to tell family, friends and colleagues! Remember, this podcast is available on all major platforms including Spotify, Amazon, Apple an Google Podcasts.

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In this edition I welcome back special guest Councillor Paul Minhas to the podcast. This episode was recorded in Whistler at the annual Lower Mainland Local Government Association (LMLGA) conference.

In a wide ranging discussion, we discuss a number of topics of interest to New Westminster residents and business owners. The podcast opens with a discussion focusing on Councillor Nadine Nakagawa’s continued support for the decriminalization experiment in British Columbia. Nakagawa appeared on a LMLGA panel and both Fontaine and Minhas analyze what she had to say to the delegates.

The podcast also includes an interview I had with Matt Galloway from CBC’s The Current. The CBC wanted to speak with me to get my take on the NDP government’s recent decision to request Ottawa water down their decriminalization experiment.

With summer weather just around the corner, the topic of patios and a lack of them in New West is discussed. Are we doing enough to get more patios installed throughout the city? Tune in to find out.

In the opening “The Way I See It” segment, I talk about special outdoor events in the Royal City and whether we could be doing more to help facilitate them. Are there specific initiatives that could be undertaken to reduce red tape, eliminate costs and find ways of putting on events without breaking the bank? The answer is yes.

New West’s business climate is discussed in the context of a comment made by Mayor Johnstone in one of his recent newsletters. Are two opposition councillors really to blame for creating the negative business climate in the Royal City, or are they just exposing what’s been right under the nose of Council for years?

To close off the podcast, you’ll want to hear the four questions posed to Coun. Minhas as part of the Bell or Buzzer game. Did Minhas answer all four questions correctly and make it into the BoB VIP club?

If you enjoy this podcast, be sure to let your friends and family know so they can listen too.

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It was a packed episode of For the Record this week with way too many topics to cover! Councillor Paul Minhas makes another appearance to review the April 22nd Council meeting and much more.

Some the items discussed include a donation of $150,000 USD to the City of New Westminster. The source of the funds was Bloomberg Philanthropies which has as one of its stated goals to lobby civic politicians! You’ll be interested to learn it took a trip to Dubai to become eligible to gain access to these American funds.

The City of New Westminster finalized its budget process and approved a 7.7% property tax increase which means taxes have jacked up 14% in only two years! Find out how that will impact both residents and small business owners.

A move to bring a motion to Council on the failed decriminalization experiment triggered national media attention this week. Will a series of motions brought to various municipal councils across BC be the impetus to back away from decrim?

In only 3 months the City of New Westminster’s Citizen Advisory Panel has lost 3 members. Is this sustainable? Was it unexpected? This pilot project is now well underway and only time will tell if it yields its intended results.

A 37 storey tower in downtown New West gets approved by a vote of 4-2. Once built, what impact will it have on already overcrowded schools and daycares in the local area?

Did you try and buy a tree at the City of New West Bi-Annual Tree Sale only to find out they sold out in minutes? With the passing of a motion this week up to 3000 more trees may be added to the inventory that could solve that problem.

New West is now officially on the BC Housing Minister’s “naughty list” when it comes to developing new housing. The Mayor didn’t take too kindly to this designation calling it “BS”. Find out why so many Metro Vancouver civic politicians think the Minister is simply offside.

All these topics are discussed and more! It’s an episode packed with media clips, commentary – and we have a bit of fun doing it all too.

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