Author: Daniel Fontaine

Did the popular political podcast Hotel Pacifico just give a BIG shoutout to Queensborough? Did the hosts really link a $5M Conservative campaign commitment to upgrade Ryall Park to hospital closures in Merritt? How so?

We explore the reasons why provincial political parties are falling all over themselves to capture the hearts and minds of Queensborough while literally ignoring the two other New West ridings.

It’s official! New West taxpayers are one step closer to shelling out $90,000 to a BIG law firm to “Sue BIG Oil”. But based on the reaction of numerous callers to the Jill Bennett Show it’s clear how out of touch Community First politicians are with their constituents. Special guest Coun. Paul Minhas breaks down why the “Sue BIG Oil” motion is going over like a lead balloon with local residents.

New West Council voted unanimously to support a motion calling upon the next Premier to conduct a governance review of Metro Vancouver. About time! Let’s see what the next Premier does with that request.

A BIG “New West” sign on Pier Park took one BIG step forward this week when a motion by Coun. Paul Minhas got approved by a vote of 5-2. Will Tourism New Westminster be able to secure the funding and city approvals to get the sign on the waterfront by next summer?

The Queensborough Bridge is jammed during rush hour often cutting off the people living in Queensborough from the rest of the mainland. The bridge backup also plays havoc on 20th Street. A motion got approved this week that might help to eventually relieve some of that carbon-inducing congestion.

You’ll also want to hear an interview from the Jas Johal Show on CKNW featuring yours truly. The topics include Sue BIG Oil and Metro Vancouver governance.

If you like this podcast, be sure to tell family, friends and colleagues all about For the Record with Daniel Fontaine.

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It’s another great episode of For the Record this week with special guest Coun. Paul Minhas. We open up the podcast with a discussion on an obscure utility set up in 2016 which is owned by New West taxpayers called BridgeNet. We discuss how it will bleed another $677,000 again this year. Have we got your attention yet?

There is a downloading dilemma going on in New West and throughout British Columbia. The City of New West is taking on responsibilities for programs and services that should be administered and/or paid for by senior orders of government. A staff report coming soon is about to provide all of the details regarding how much this is costing New West residents and businesses each year.

A NWP apology leads to a curious discovery on the Community First website. Some of the wording on their site has quietly been changed to strike out references to the BC NDP. But why so?

Conspiracy theories abound as a select few ‘keyboard warriors’ talking to themselves in their echo chamber make false assertions about who was planning a townhall forum at the New West SkyTrain station. What are the facts? Just who was organizing the townhall forum that suddenly got cancelled with little advance notice? Time for the facts, please!

Host Daniel Fontaine is interviewed by Mike Smyth from CKNW about skyrocketing tax increases being proposed by Metro Vancouver – our unelected, unaccountable and increasingly expensive regional government.

CKNW’s Jas Johal Show also invited Fontaine on to the podcast to talk Metro Vancouver and a proposal to expand the Pattullo Bridge to six lanes. Incredibly, Fontaine does a policy flip flop and agrees to the expansion – but with a caveat! A pretty big caveat!

PS we even have a special Sesame Street appearance this week!

Be sure to listen in and tell your friends and family if you enjoy the podcast. That’s how we continue to grow our audience and spread the word. This podcast is available on all major platforms including Spotify and Apple Podcast.

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It’s another jam packed episode of For the Record with host Daniel Fontaine. My special guest is once again Coun. Paul Minhas.

Some of the topics discussed include a viral video recorded on Columbia Street showing a public bus stop being used for private purposes – including the consumption of illicit drugs. We’ll share an interview from CKNW’s popular Jill Bennett Show on this topic.

Are you prepared as a New West taxpayer to give $80,000 to some high priced lawyers so we can join a “Sue Big Oil” lawsuit? A motion will be coming to council soon – so we discuss.

Would you like to see at least one 2025 operating budget scenario with a maximum tax increase of 4.5%. A previous attempt to have this happen got voted down. But if at first you don’t succeed, try try again!

If you are living in New West did you know you are paying a special 3.5% climate action levy (also known as a tax) on your electricity bill each month? An attempt to temporarily remove that levy in 2025 is about to be debated soon.

Over 27,000 views of videos posted by the New West Progressives in less than a month? What the heck is going on?

Did city council just appoint me to an external body? Say it isn’t so. Listen through to the end of the podcast to find out about this amazing appointment.

If you enjoyed this podcast, be sure to recommend it to your family and friends. It’s available on all major platforms including Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

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