Daniel Fontaine, B.A., ICD.D

🚨 NEW EPISODE! For the Record – Episode 104

Downloading, New Taxes, Community Pushback & Two Big Candidate Announcements

This week’s episode of For the Record with Councillor Daniel Fontaine and Councillor Paul Minhas covers a packed list of major civic and regional issues affecting New Westminster residents.

🏛️ 1. “Downloading” Report Gets Voted Down

The episode opens with the story of the provincial downloading report initiated by the NWP.

City staff produced a framework to measure how much provincial and federal downloading is impacting New Westminster – but Community First councillors (all NDP-affiliated) voted it down 4–2.

As a result, the public may never get a clear picture how much NDP government cost-shifting is hitting municipal taxpayers.

🚗 2. New TransLink Taxes? Fontaine Responds on AM730

Popular AM 730 host Mike Smyth interviewed Daniel Fontaine about new tax ideas being floated by transit advocates – including:

• A new tax on cars
• A regional sales tax
• Additional fees for Metro Vancouver commuters

Fontaine discusses real alternatives that don’t involve piling more taxes onto already overburdened residents.

💧 3. Councillors Across Metro Vancouver Push Back

Six councillors from five cities issued a public call asking Premier David Eby to pause approval of the 10-year Metro Vancouver Liquid Waste Management Plan, citing poor consultation with member municipalities.

FTR features a CTV News story summarizing the concerns.

📣 4. Improving Communications at City Hall

Another NWP motion returned from staff – this one aimed at improving communications and engagement on major projects in New Westminster.

After years of hearing from residents frustrated with last-minute notices and weak consultation, the motion opens the door to stronger communication practices across the city.

🚘 5. Delegations of the Week: Parking Loss on 13th Street

Instead of “letters of the week,” the podcast spotlights two impressive delegations:

• Danielle
• Zach

Both spoke passionately at City Hall about the impacts of parking loss on 13th Street, and the podcast shares clips from their presentations.

💙 6. NWP Fundraiser Sets New Record

The NWP’s November 20th fundraiser was the most successful in the organization’s history, showing strong momentum and community enthusiasm heading into 2026.

Fontaine and Minhas discuss what this means in the fight against the powerful District Labour Council (Community First) machine.

🏘️ 7. NW City Matters Forum – November 26

The next NW City Matters event is happening on November 26 at 726 12th Street.

Residents are encouraged to attend and participate in shaping New Westminster’s future.

🗳️ 8. Two New NWP Candidates Announced

FTR closes with some major political news:

• Ray Porcellato, General Manager of the Salmonbellies
• Maryann Morrison, Executive Director of the North Fraser Métis Association

Both have officially announced they are running for City Council under the NWP banner.

These strong additions significantly bolster the team – and two more council candidates and seven school board candidates are still to come.

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

📢 If you enjoy the podcast, please share this post to help bring more community voices into the conversation.

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🎙️ 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.

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🎙️ 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!

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