Episode 103: Exclusive interviews with Ray Porcellato (GM for Salmonbellies) and Maryann Morrisson, Volunteer Chair with the NWP + more

November 15, 2025

Episode 103: Exclusive interviews with Ray Porcellato (GM for Salmonbellies) and Maryann Morrisson, Volunteer Chair with the NWP + more

🎙️ For the Record – Episode 103

Two Special Guests, City Matters Momentum & A Look at New West’s Rising Costs

Episode 103 of For the Record with Councillor Daniel Fontaine and Councillor Paul Minhas features two special in-studio guests and a deep dive into sports, community engagement, and the latest developments at City Hall.

🥍 Exclusive Interview: Salmonbellies GM Ray Porcellato

Councillor Minhas speaks with Ray Porcellato, the highly regarded and well-known general manager of the New Westminster Salmonbellies.

In the interview, Ray discusses:

The team’s emotional and hard-fought run for the Mann Cup
The state of local sport and recreation facilities in New Westminster
What more can be done to support youth athletes across lacrosse, hockey, soccer, and more
How investments in sport and recreation in New West can reduce crime in our city

Ray’s longstanding involvement in local sports gives this segment real depth and community insight.

👥 Exclusive Interview: Maryann Morrison: NW City Matters Update

Coun. Daniel Fontaine sits down for an interview with Maryann Morrison, volunteer chair of the NWP and facilitator for the new NW City Matters initiative.

A longtime Sapperton resident, Maryann shares:

Her vision for City Matters
What she heard from residents at the first Massey Victory Heights event
Why neighbourhood-driven engagement will be vital in the months ahead

Her update offers listeners an inside look at how the initiative is evolving.

🎥 Interview Excerpt: Daniel & Daniel

This episode also includes an excerpt from Daniel Ampong’s vodcast, where the Columbia Street small-business owner sat down with Councillor Fontaine for a one-hour conversation.

Listeners will hear part of that interview – Daniel interviewing Daniel – offering a unique perspective from a local entrepreneur’s point of view.

🏛️ City Council Highlights: Rising Rates & a New New West Tax coming?

Fontaine and Minhas wrap up the episode with a quick review of recent council decisions, including:

Large utility rate increases proposed over the next five years
A new 1% capital levy (effectively an added tax) to help pay for a growing list of capital projects – some of which critics describe as mayoral “pet projects”

They outline what these financial changes could mean for residents and businesses.

🎧 For the Record is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.

If you enjoy the show, please share it with friends, family, and neighbours to help expand the conversation across New Westminster.

November 8, 2025

Episode 102: Referendum question, Tourism NW, Depoliticizing Acting Mayor, Queensborough Sidewalks, Fed Budget Winners & Losers + more

🎙️ For the Record – Episode 102

Metro Mayhem, Budget Blows & Political Power Plays

In this week’s episode of For the Record with Daniel Fontaine and Paul Minhas, the discussion kicks off with a bold new proposal: a 2026 referendum on reforming Metro Vancouver. The idea? Ask voters whether they want to directly elect Metro board members and shrink the size of the board. A Global TV story on the release is featured, along with reflections on what real reform could look like.

🎧 The conversation continues with an excerpt from Jas Johal’s AM 730 show, where Daniel Fontaine discusses Metro Vancouver’s skyrocketing spending and how it’s directly impacting property taxes – including a projected 30% increase in New Westminster over four years.

🏨 Tourism New West vs. Affordable Housing?

Questions were raised this week by Coun. Paul Minhas after it was revealed that Tourism New West funding was being redirected to an affordable housing reserve. He pressed for answers, especially after a presentation by Tourism New West Executive Director Gerardo Corro.

🪶 Acting Mayor Role Gets Political?

A seemingly minor request to “depoliticize” the acting mayor schedule during election season — raised by Coun. Nakagawa and supported by Coun. Campbell — sparked debate. The twist? Coun. Fontaine is scheduled to serve as acting mayor during the 2026 election. The podcast explores whether the discussion and request to staff itself is, ironically, politicizing the role.

💰 Federal Budget Breakdown

The 2025 federal budget dropped last week — so who came out ahead? Cities like White Rock, Surrey, and Victoria were named in the budget for key infrastructure investments. New Westminster? Not mentioned. What does that mean for the city moving forward?

🚶‍♀️ Queensborough Sidewalks: Election-Year Timing?

A new report looks at accelerating sidewalk construction in Queensborough, raising questions about the timing — just ahead of the 2026 election. Minhas asked staff for clarity on how priorities were set.

📅 Upcoming Events & Community Engagement

🕊️ Remembrance Day – November 11 at City Hall (3rd largest event in B.C.)
🏘️ Next NW City Matters: November 26 in Connaught Heights / West End
✅ Recap: The November 6 event in Massey Victory Heights was a tremendous success.

🎧 For the Record is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.

📣 If you enjoy the show, please share with friends, family, and neighbours — growing the audience helps amplify the conversation in New Westminster!

November 1, 2025

Episode 101: Spooky budgets, Exclusive interview with Terry Leith, Stigmatization Debate, NW City Matters

🎙️ For the Record with Daniel Fontaine & Paul Minhas – Episode 101

It’s Halloween week and this episode starts with a spooky soundtrack and an even scarier topic: Budget 2026.

👻 Budget 2026 – Trick or Tax?

With a potential 7% property tax increase, and the prospect of more than 30% in total hikes over four years under the current Community First majority, Daniel and Paul refer to this budget as one of the scariest things in New Westminster. Paul’s motion to explore a 0% and 2.5% increase was voted down by Community First, leaving taxpayers bracing for another costly year.

🏘️ NW City Matters Launch

The New West Progressives are launching a major community engagement effort – starting with their first town hall on Nov. 6 (6:30–8 p.m.) at Mount Zion Lutheran Church. Daniel and Paul explain how this series of town halls, surveys, and neighbourhood canvasses will help shape the NWP’s 2026 election platform.

🎖️ Exclusive Interview: Terry Leith, Royal Canadian Legion Branch #2

Past President Terry Leith joins the podcast to discuss the Poppy Campaign, what defines a veteran, and how the Legion is modernizing its outreach. He reminds listeners that everyone is welcome at the Legion – membership not required – and encourages New Westminster residents to wear their poppies proudly through Remembrance Day. If you want to have a poppy box at your establishment in New West call the Legion at 604-524-1511.

🚓 Chamber of Commerce Panel – Chief Paul Hyland on Stigmatization

Daniel and Paul reflect on comments made by Chief Hyland, who said stigmatization can play a positive role in curbing harmful behaviours – from drunk driving to public illicit drug use – and that the NDP government’s decriminalization experiment has failed.

💌 Letter of the Week

This week features two letters – one about the 7th Street bike lane, and another from a listener outside New Westminster who praised Daniel for his ongoing accountability work on Metro Vancouver issues.

🎧 Tune in now for thoughtful discussion, accountability, and community voices – available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.