Housing People Can Afford

My partner and I want to stay in Coquitlam because we see it as the ideal place to start our family. We need to push for more three-bedroom condos, town houses, homes for seniors, co-ops, affordable ownership models, row homes, and gentle density that meets community needs while preserving neighbourhood character. For our city to work, I believe we need to make sure families can continue to thrive here and seniors who want to downsize can stay in the neighbourhoods they know.

Childcare

Families need access to $10-a-day childcare spaces. As a city councillor I will advocate that new community centres include space for childcare. In addition to this I will work with my colleagues to make sure developers of large projects are ensuring adequate childcare spaces are being planned and provided for in new neighbourhoods.

Parks and Trails

As Coquitlam grows, we need to make sure we protect and enhance Town Centre Park, Mundy Park, regional parks like Minnekhada and Pinecone Burke, and smaller neighbourhood parks so we can continue to enjoy our parks, trails to walk with friends and bring our dogs, and outdoor amenities. I will be a voice on City Council to protect our existing parks and expand them to meet our community needs.

Trees and Rivers

We need to identify areas to plant more trees and retain urban forests that can be integrated with our neighbourhoods. Trees are crucial to keeping temperatures cooler during summer weather, make our air cleaner, and offer benefits for mental health.

Trees also act as crucial green infrastructure for our rivers. It’s important we monitor construction runoff and ensure developers follow our guidelines to protect our streams and rivers. 

Sports

Growing up playing sports was a big part of my life. I believe we need to continue expanding our offerings for arena and field space for kids and adult recreation. With a growing community we need to:

• Include more ice space as part of any rebuild/expansion of Planet Ice.

• Work with SD43 and community partners to find a path forward to create more field space for soccer and other field sports.

• Continue to add appropriate space for pickleball players.

Recreation & Community Centres

As our city grows demand for recreation and community centres will only increase. To

accommodate this growth, I believe in building out the Burke Mountain recreation centre to

include a properly sized pool and look forward to seeing the completion of a new Spani pool.

I believe community are at their best when local residents have a say in the direction of

programming like at Dogwood and Glen Pine Pavilion. We need to find a way to include this

kind of community input at the new Place Maillardville.

Libraries

As a Coquitlam Public Library Board Trustee these last eight years, I successfully advocated for a library to be part of the Burke Mountain recreation centre. I’ve seen firsthand with the Summer Reading Program kids develop a love for books. Libraries also offer incredible services to seniors, immigrants, and resources for our local businesses. As a Councillor I will continue to champion our libraries and the services they offer.

Roads and Transit

As our community grows, we need to make sure our road and transit options increase with it. As a city councillor I am committed to:

• Continue to work to get the Fremont Connector built to relieve traffic on Coast Meridian.
• Work with the Province to upgrade the Brunette interchange to relieve congestion.
• Advocate for more bus service to connect people to SkyTrain and rapid bus routes.

Electric Vehicles

To meet our climate action commitments, we need to make it easier for residents to move to electric cars. I believe new buildings need to include EV chargers and that the city continues to invest in publicly accessible EV charging stations. I also believe in electrifying the city’s fleet of vehicles to help reduce our GHG emissions.

Valuing the Basics

I’m a big believer in getting the basics right. We need to make sure core city services like roadwork, snow removal, fire service, and garbage pickup remains reliable while keeping property taxes in check. As a City Councillor it is my job to be open and accessible to help you at City Hall.

Public Safety

Residents should always feel safe in their community. As a city councillor, I will advocate for mental health workers to respond to mental health crises, support community organizations that do positive preventative outreach to young people, and work with the RCMP to ensure there is a robust and inclusive community approach to addressing break-ins and gang activity.

Protecting Riverview (səmiq̓ʷəʔelə)

The Riverview lands are home to beautiful and rare horticulture. I will work to preserve these lands for public use and champion the continued development of a world class mental health and healing campus. I am opposed any plans to sell the lands to private companies.