Daniel Fontaine, B.A., ICD.D

A first for the podcast this week! We have not one, but two special guests who make an appearance on For the Record.

Our first guest is Erica Wong who is once again organizing the special Queensborough Firehall Lighting Ceremony. Erica talks about her involvement with this special community event which is taking place on Saturday, November 30th. She also invites everyone to the Queensborough Christmas Market taking place on November 23rd.

Next up is life-long New West resident Dave Prevost. While he’s never been political in the past, the Columbia Square project (construction of up to 8 towers at up to 53 stories high) has got him motivated. In fact, he started an online petition which is garnering lots of community support calling for Council to have a rethink. Prevost talks about his concerns regarding building so much density without the appropriate community amenities.

During the weekly Council Roundup, the discussion leads to a number of reports and motions brought forward to the November 18th Council meeting.

A staff report on the new Crisis Response Team has co-hosts Paul and Daniel focusing on the $1M annual cost that should be paid for by senior orders of government. Once again the City of New West is stepping up while Victoria and Ottawa sit on the sidelines regarding an issue that falls within their jurisdiction.

Next up was a briefing about covering up ditches and building sidewalks in select areas of Queensborough. A Community First councillor moved a motion to spend $1M on a ‘quick treatment’ plan for a number of streets in Queensborough that will result in a significant loss of street parking. It will also result in many of the streets becoming one-way, vs. two-way streets. Why did Council approve this first then ask staff to consult with local residents afterwards?

The ‘temporary’ homeless shelter at the former Army and Navy building on Columbia has received a 5-2 approval for another 3 years. Yes, that means the ‘temporary’ homeless shelter that was only supposed to be open for only18 months will be in operation for six years. Yet the unhoused on New West streets wait desperately for the Province of BC to construct the long-awaited supportive housing units on the corner of 6th and Agnes. The doors for those units won’t open until at least January 2026!

Civic democracy is alive and well in New Westminster. That’s in part due to a 6-1 vote to retain the status quo at Council and not place any annual limits on how many motions councillors can introduce each year. Let’s hope this is the last in a string of initiatives and discussions over the past 24 months aimed at restricting the democratic right of elected officials. After the next election when the NWP form a majority, democratic reforms will be initiated to open up city hall once again.

It’s a packed podcast that you’ll want to listen through to the end. If you enjoyed it be sure to tell your friends and family to follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcast and all other major platforms.

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If a staff recommendation is passed on Monday, November 18th, the days of elected officials being able to introduce at least one motion per meeting will be gone. The new rules which could take effect in 2025 would limit opposition councillors (and other councillors too) to a maximum of 5 motions per year. Will this measure which could limit local democracy be approved by a majority on Council – or not?

What do you consider as temporary? Do you think 6 years qualifies? Council is being asked on Monday to approve another ‘temporary’ three-year permit for the homeless shelter located at the former Army and Navy site on Columbia. That means the ‘temporary’ shelter will be open for at least six years – and any prospect of the Army and Navy building being redeveloped will be shelved, yet again. Just when will all that supportive housing promised by Victoria arrive?

Parents with children who are attending Herbert Spencer Elementary and Glenbrook Middle School have had enough! They want improvements made at the 2nd Street and 6th Avenue intersection to help reduce the risk to pedestrians. A previous motion to review this intersection for possible capital upgrades was initially approved – then eventually defeated by the Community First majority. Will the parents be able to convince Community First to reconsider their decision?

The rain held off long enough to hold a dry and incredible Remembrance Day ceremony at New West City Hall. Not all members of Council attended and it caught the attention of a number of attendees. But the mood at the Legion was uplifting with an amazing performance by the Royal Westminster Regiment Band. We provide you with an exclusive performance!

Is the rent charged in New Westminster really the 5th highest for any midsize city in B.C.? You bet it is. So why then are developers of market rental provided with so many special breaks by City Hall? Shouldn’t that be reserved for developers of below market and more affordable rental units?

Time to review some of the upcoming events! We do an event roundup covering off some planned townhall forums and Councillor Cafes being planned for early 2025.

If you like this podcast, be sure to tell your friends, family and colleagues. That’s how we help to spread the word.

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In this special Remembrance Day edition of FTR, we cover a number of topics that generated headlines and water cooler chat in New West and beyond.

The podcast starts off with a discussion on the New West Mayor’s Code of Conduct hearing at which his breach of the Community Charter Act was discussed and debated. In the end, the Mayor has been asked by Council to take some additional training – but was that enough?

Who would have thought that e-bikes and a meat shop could collide. But they did this week when the Queen’s Park Meat and Deli started a petition calling upon the Mayor and Council to remove an e-bike parking station. The owner was complaining that it resulted in two parking spots being removed from in front of his establishment. Did this story have a happy ending?

The City of New Westminster is applying to the federal government for a grant to offset almost $2M in expenditures to set up a Crisis Response Team Pilot Project. Should New West taxpayers continue to do the job of the senior orders of government when it comes to dealing with the critical issues of mental health, homelessness and poverty on our streets?

If you live in Burnaby you’re eligible for up to $10,000 in grants to offset your costs to install solar panels and battery storage. If you live in New West not so much! That’s because not all BC Hydro programs were created equally. Listen to how a NWP motion that came to Council may lead to more equity between BC Hydro and New West Electrical Utility customers.

What do you define as temporary? 3 years? 6 years? That was the topic of discussion when Council debated the approval of a ‘temporary’ use permit for another homeless shelter downtown. In the end, ‘temporary’ got defined and the concerns of local residents were incorporated into the final decision. So how long is ‘temporary’?

Monday November 11th is Remembrance Day. Be sure to attend the special ceremony at New West City Hall at 10:30 am (rain or shine). This is a great way to pay respects to our soldiers and veterans who lost their lives over the course of so many global conflicts.

If you enjoyed this podcast, be sure to tell your friends, family and colleagues to follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and all other major platforms.

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