I attended the “Achieving for Delta” (AFD) special announcement at Tsawwassen Springs on Tuesday night in which incumbent Mayor George Harvie introduced a full council and school trustee slate for this October’s municipal election.
Council incumbents include Alicia Guichon and Dylan Kruger, who announced their candidacy last week. New council candidates include Daniel Boisvert who was a school trustee on the AFD slate last term. Other new council candidates include former parks commissioner Rod Binder, Jessie Dosanjh and Jennifer Johal. Dosanjh was also on the AFD slate in the last election.
The AFD school trustee slate includes incumbents Erica Beard and Val Windsor who is joining a slate for her first time. Other trustee candidates include Nimmi Daula, Ammen Dhillon, Masako Gooch, Maury Kask and Joe Muego.
Harvie has brought together a widely diversified group of professionals that represent North and South Delta well.
To my knowledge there have not been any announcements for other slates or independent candidates for mayor, council or trustee candidates thus far. The event was well attended by an enthusiastic group of people.
Has it really been four years already? It would seem as though some of the major issues that face our communities are poised to move to the next level.
There has been a lot of background work from committees and task forces related to the “Foundations for the Future” pillars over the past few years. Many of the issues contained within the Foundations for the Future platform are ready to be enacted on including moving forward with recommendations within the housing action plan and the housing needs assessment. Housing is probably one of the most important issues, certainly in South Delta.
According to a press release, Harvie, plans to offer a platform that will “focus on low taxes, safer communities, keeping families and seniors together, and achieving investment for a more liveable and climate-resilient Delta.”
Other issues that will test our incoming politicians include the Ladner Village renewal, climate action and farmland protection, diking, zoning and a host of other issues in the diverse landscapes of Ladner, Tsawwassen and North Delta.
It will be interesting to see if other candidates come to the table in the coming weeks and months and whether their platforms will garner enthusiasm from the voting public.
Although the election is still months away, I would encourage citizens to pay attention to the issues and attend a public hearing or two in the hopes that we can make informed choices at the polls in October.
