Author: Daniel Fontaine

🎧 For the Record – Summer Heat, Big Headlines & Political Teasers

After a two-week break, For the Record with Daniel Fontaine and Paul Minhas is back — and packed with everything you’ve missed (and then some). From billion-dollar blunders to e-scooter injuries and a potential NWP mayoral announcement, this 60-minute episode is stacked with stories making waves in New Westminster and beyond.

💰 Metro Vancouver’s $4 Billion Wastewater Mess

We kick things off with breaking news from Metro Vancouver, where officials have abruptly hit pause on an independent review into the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant fiasco. Once a $700M project, the cost has ballooned to nearly $4 billion — and now the public may never get the answers they were promised. Why the silence?

🛑 Downtown Disorder: Global News Hits the Streets

A new three-part series by Global BC puts a spotlight on crime and public disorder in downtown New West. Small business owners share how rising incidents are affecting their livelihoods — while some local Community First politicians insist the stats show things aren’t that bad. So, what’s the reality on the ground?

🛴 E-Scooters & Flag Swaps: On The Mike Smyth Show

Daniel Fontaine joined The Mike Smyth Show to discuss the surge in e-scooter injuries reported by the Canadian Institute for Health Information. Are Canadian cities doing enough to protect riders and pedestrians alike? And what’s the real story behind the U.S. flag being finally being removed from Queen’s Park Arena?

🗞️ Saving Local News: Who’s Really Behind the $100K Ask?

A new campaign titled “Save Our Local News” is aiming to raise $100,000 to launch a community newspaper this fall. But questions are surfacing: Who’s behind it? What’s Unifor’s role? And who is the Union Cooperative Initiative that’s supporting the drive? Veteran reporter Theresa McManus presented the pitch at city council — but not everyone is sold.

🏛️ Cabinet Shuffle: Christine Boyle Takes Over Municipal Affairs

BC’s new Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Christine Boyle, brings close ties to Premier David Eby and a track record of hard left politics. Will she push for overdue reforms at Metro Vancouver? Or will it be more of the same under a different name?

📣 Big NWP Announcement Coming September 18

Mark your calendars. Coun. Paul Minhas teases a major announcement that could shake up the 2026 municipal election. Could this be the moment New Westminster’s mayoral race officially kicks off?

☕ The Future of Councillor Cafés

With the election countdown beginning, what’s next for the ever-popular Councillor Cafés? Will they continue into the campaign period, or be shelved until after votes are cast?

🎙️ All this and more on a special summer edition of For the Record.

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🎧 This Week on For the Record with Daniel Fontaine & Paul Minhas

There’s no shortage of hot topics on this week’s For the Record — from public safety and civic engagement to bike lanes, bus shelters, and a rare public apology.

🏞️ Pier Park Patrols: $400K Security Boost Proposed

We kick off with the future of New Westminster’s waterfront. A new city staff report recommends nearly $400,000 in added foot patrols and security upgrades at Westminster Pier Park — a response to over $460,000 in damages reported in just 18 months. We share coverage from Global BC and a recent AM 730 Jill Bennett Show interview to dive deeper into what this means for park users and taxpayers.

🚨 Crisis Response Pilot Extended (Until After the Election)

Originally slated to wrap by August 2026, the city’s Crisis Response Pilot Project — aimed at reducing public disorder downtown — has now been extended to December 31, 2026, leaving the next city council to decide its future. We explore what’s at stake and why the timeline shift matters.

🔇 Quiet Zones: Do You Live in One?

Many New West residents don’t realize they already live in a designated quiet zone. Now, council is directing staff to map them out and explore more aggressive steps to tackle vehicular noise pollution city-wide.

🗣️ 10 Delegations, 1 Packed Council Meeting

Monday’s council meeting saw a full lineup of speakers, including:

• Newly elected MP Jake Sawatzky, promising better intergovernmental collaboration and announcing a move to Uptown
• Three residents speaking out against the London Street bike lane, citing a lack of consultation and flawed engagement
• A May Day celebration advocate, backing a motion by Coun. Paul Minhas to better support legacy organizations in the community grants process

🏳️‍🌈 Pride Week 2025 Announced

The Mayor has proclaimed August 7–17 as Pride Week in New Westminster. The NWP elector organization will host a booth — and all four caucus members plan to be there to meet residents.

🚌 Holy Micromanagement, Batman!

That’s the phrase that kicked off a spicy debate over a motion from Coun. Nadine Nakagawa to secure funding for three new bus shelters. The number was arbitrary, the priorities named — prompting a flashback to her own earlier critique of “micromanagement” on council.

🙏 An On-Air Apology

Daniel Fontaine closes out the show by addressing his recent public apology to New West residents after an outburst in council where he referred to a comment from the Mayor as a “cheap shot.” He reflects on why the remark violated council’s procedures — and how he plans to do better.

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