Daniel Fontaine, B.A., ICD.D

🎙️ Episode 87: Mayor Pay, Mega Meetings & Civic Spending Scrutiny

In Episode 87 of For the Record with Daniel Fontaine and Paul Minhas, the hosts dive into a range of timely and thought-provoking civic issues.

The episode kicks off with a look at how much Metro Vancouver mayors are earning 💰—including base salaries, per diems, and expense claims. With all the 2024 Statements of Financial Information (SOFI) now released, the numbers are in: Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie tops the list at a whopping $397,000 🥇. Close behind are Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley and Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West, each bringing in over $350,000 🥈🥉. Could these paycheques finally lead to provincial salary caps by 2026? 🧐

Next, the hosts preview the July 7th regular council meeting in New Westminster—already being dubbed the “Mother of All Meetings” 🗂️ due to its packed agenda. One highlight: a new report revealing consolidated pay figures for all elected officials. Finally, residents can see what their local politicians earn in one place 👀.

Also on the docket:

The Crisis Response Team pilot project is seeking an extension through 2025 🚨. Council will consider requesting additional funding from senior levels of government. If that fails, local taxpayers may be left footing the bill 💸.
Has funding for Hyack and May Day really gone up over the past 10 years, as one Community First councillor claimed? 🤔 The staff report is in—and the numbers may surprise you 📊.
Several councillor motions are also up for debate, including:

Creating quiet zones 🛑
Adding more bus shelters 🚏 and speed bumps 🛞
Funding support for legacy non-profits 🤝
Connecting the downtown and Sapperton riverfronts 🌊🏙️

We also share with you an interview with AM 730 host Jas Johal. Simi Sara and Vancouver Sun columnist call Daniel Fontaine ‘a renegade’ – find out why. Listen to a Global TV story on the Metro Mayor pay scales for 2024. Lastly, we’ll play you a clip of a flip flop by Metro Vancouver Chair Hurley who did a 180 on the need for a salary cap.

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🎙️ Canada Day Edition: For the Record – Hot Topics in New West

In this special Canada Day edition of For the Record, Daniel Fontaine and Paul Minhas dive into the biggest issues stirring conversation in New Westminster right now—affecting residents, local businesses, and city hall.

🚨 Supervised Drug Site Sparks Heated Debate

The proposed extension of a temporary permit for the downtown supervised drug consumption site has ignited a much livelier debate than when it was first approved back in March 2021. Why the shift in tone—and what does it signal for future decisions?

💸 Mayors Making Nearly $400K?

Some Metro Vancouver mayors are pulling in eye-popping salaries. Burnaby’s Mike Hurley and Richmond’s Malcolm Brodie top the list—earning almost $400,000 a year. Should mayoral salaries be capped at the same level as a B.C. Cabinet minister? We weigh the options, including recommendations from a recent Deloitte governance review.

🌡️ Too Hot to Learn? AC in Portables Under Review

City council is now asking its legal department to explore whether a new bylaw could require local schools to install air conditioning in portables. With students and teachers sweating through heat waves, is this a step toward cooler classrooms—or government overreach?

💡 Heritage Lamp Standards: Saved, Then Scrapped?

Just when it looked like the historic Massey Victory Heights lamp posts may have been saved, a motion from the Mayor sent the plan in a surprising new direction. Why the reversal—and what happens next?

🚲 Bike Lane Battle in the West End

Dozens of residents filled city hall in white t-shirts to oppose a proposed bike lane on London Street. Their concern? Lack of consultation and limited design options. A motion from Coun. Minhas could pause the project—will it succeed?

🇨🇦 Thank You, Coun. Minhas? A Cooler Canada Day Ahead

With temperatures expected to reach 28°C, New West residents are thanking Paul Minhas for helping move this year’s Canada Day festivities from sun-scorched Pier Park to the shady canopy of Queen’s Park. Will this become the new tradition?

🎧 All this—and more—on this week’s Canada Day episode of For the Record.

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon. If you enjoy the show, share it with your friends and family—and help spread the word!

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In episode 85 of For the Record with Daniel Fontaine and Paul Minhas, a number of topical issues are discussed again this week. The focus right off the top is London Street and a significant number of local residents who are choked with what city hall has planned for their neighbourhood. They’ve been given a couple of options to consider regarding future bike lane improvements on their street and neither seem to be catching on. It’s led some residents to ask “why was there not a ‘none of the above’ option?”

Next up is a focus on ‘quiet zones’. They are quite common in the USA, but may be coming to New West if a motion is adopted next week at council. The motion speaks to how and where a ‘quiet zone’ could be officially designated by the city and how it may help to speed up whistle cessation efforts in the Royal City.

Do you own a business in Uptown or Downtown? Do you know how much you are paying in annual fees to your local business improvement area association? The self-imposed fees are collected by the city and passed along to the BIA to pay for their annual operations. A number of business owners have asked if there can be more transparency regarding exactly how much each business owner is paying and what they are getting in return. A motion is calling for more transparency when it comes to letting business owners know exactly what they are obliged to pay each year.

When is a lamp standard considered as heritage? That’s what the residents of Massey Victory Heights were asking when they demanded the city put a halt to removing all their lamp standards without consulting with them first. The 50+ year old lamp standards have helped to provide the unique look of Massey Victory Heights which is filled with mid-century modern homes. A report to council next week was music to the ears of local residents when they learned the project may be temporarily shelved and the construction contract cancelled.

The drug injection site near the SkyTrain station has applied for another temporary 18 month extension to their existing 3-year temporary permit. But this time, thanks to a NWP motion, the permit will only be issued if there is a Good Neighbour Agreement in place. The entire draft agreement was made public this week and it talks about something called peer-driven security and a renewed focus on keeping the area adjacent to the injection site clean and free of public disorder. But will it all work?

All this and more on the podcast. If you enjoyed it, be sure to tell your friends and family to follow it on Apple Podcasts, Amazon or Spotify.

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