Episode 75: No Tax Joy, Armstrong Advocates, Ballooning Budgets, Flag Flap, Queensborough Bus
In this week's FTR podcast, it starts off with a discussion regarding Jay Joy's presentation to New West Council. He asks if the 3.5% Climate Action Levy can be removed from the utility bills of New West residents and business owners. Coun. Nakagawa says no way. While Mayor Johnstone tells Joy he was 'misinformed'. So who was right?A familiar face showed up to the special Queensborough Council meeting to advocate for a new turf and track field at Ryall Park South. Former NWP mayoral candidate Ken Armstrong made a presentation to Council asking them to support this important investment in his Queensborough neighourhood. Find out what the staff response was and why Armstrong left the meeting a very happy man!Metro Vancouver presented their new trimmed down budget this week and it included double digit budget increases for as far as the eye can see. Yet Metro Vancouver wanted taxpayers to applaud their efforts at spending less. Should they?Tis the season of resident association meetings. A few of them have taken place the last few weeks including in Brow of the Hill, West End, Massey Victory Heights and Downtown. They were packed with federal politicians, wonder why? As one federal election candidate said "this election is considered as a job interview". Does that also mean it's also time for a performance review for our former Member of Parliament?Queensborough MLA Steve Kooner asks the BC NDP Minister of Education some tough questions about funding for a bus transporting high school students to NWSS. The Minister's response in the Legislature might come as a surprise!Popular CKNW host Mike Smyth talks Metro Vancouver budget and whether it's appropriate to fly the USA flag at Queen's Park Arena. Listen in to the interview and summary of responses from his callers.The FTR podcast is available on all major platforms including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. If you enjoy it, be sure to tell your family and friends to follow!
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Episode 74: Rallying for Ryall, Pier Park Connection, Taxes Skyrocketing, Walkers' Caucus, Consultation Protocols
It was another hectic week of civic politics in New Westminster. There were no shortage of issues to discuss on this week's podcast! You'll want to hear our big announcement about the May 22nd event.The podcast starts off with a discussion regarding what constitutes effective consultation in New Westminster. Should a number of hot button issues including the public toilet at the InterUrban building, rewilding and naturalizing, West End rain gardens and the homeless shelter at Army and Navy be subject to new 'enhanced' communication and community consultation protocols? Should they have been designated as 'signature' or 'materially significant' civic projects/programs?Are some of the most effective lobbyists at New West city hall a group of Queensborough Middle School students? They recently wrote to the Mayor and Council asking that Ryall Park get new investments which would include a new turf and track field. There were some very compelling submissions which will be hard to ignore!Pier Park East and Pier Park West finally get reconnected - at some point soon. This will become a wonderful new public amenity for local cyclists, pedestrians and residents living downtown and beyond. While the date has yet to be determined, it's only a matter weeks before you can walk contiguously along our waterfront. But what about that connection to Sapperton?CKNW host Mike Smyth asks Coun. Daniel Fontaine to join him to discuss a column written by the Vancouver Sun's Doug Todd. It focuses on the skyrocketing taxes in New Westminster and whether unfettered growth and densification has impacted the increases.Will the American flag in Queen's Park Arena finally be taken down? Four city councillors indicate they might be interested - but are they?Let's talk about some upcoming events including the 3rd Annual Spring Fundraiser for the NWP which just announced it was SOLD OUT. How about the April 22nd Councillor Cafe - Queen's Park Edition which is expected to get a healthy crowd of local residents in attendance.May 22nd...who will be announced as the special guest for the next Councillor Cafe in Queensborough? Have a listen to find out. You hear it first right here!If you enjoy this podcast, be sure to encourage your friends and family to follow us! It's available on Apple Podcast, Spotify and all major platforms.
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Episode 73: New Westies Speak Out, Flag Flap, 3.5% Climate Action Tax, Seeking Budget Clarity, Improving Public Consultation
It was a packed city hall chamber when a number of New West residents came out to speak about how they are not being properly consulted with and communicated to regarding various projects.Have a listen to excerpts from their presentations where they plead with Council to change the way city hall consults with residents and business owners. Presentations by residents Mike Timoffee, Brandi Rogocky, Grant Penner and Myles Liversidge are featured.Richmond Queensborough MLA Steve Kooner makes his first appearance at city hall. He's the first MLA or MP to come in and present to the Mayor and Council since the 2022 civic election. He spoke about his advocacy for a new turf and track field at Ryall Park South as well as a new high school in Queensborough.The podcast discussion also focuses on a new motion coming to council that will help increase the level of consultation and communication for 'signature' projects. But will it get the required four votes to become a reality?Coun. Paul Minhas talks about his motion which aims to permanently eliminate the city's 3.5% Climate Action Levy (aka mini carbon tax) in time for the 2026 budget process. Previous attempts have all failed 5-2, but with the BC NDP and Federal Liberal governments both abandoning their consumer carbon tax, will Community First stick with their levy?What happened this week at a West End Resident Association meeting? A high profile guest made a special appearance. Listen in to find out who that was! HINT: It rhymes with hat trick.A look ahead to a few NWP and councillor events coming up over the next couple of months including the 3rd Annual Spring Fundraiser at the Taverna Greka on April 15th. It's almost sold out, so get your tickets today. April 22nd is the next Councillor Cafe - Queen's Park Edition. It takes place at the Queen's Park Arena.If you enjoy this podcast, be sure to encourage your friends and family to follow it. For the Record is available on all major platforms including Spotify and Apple Podcast.UPDATE: Since this podcast has been recorded, it has been confirmed that 4 councillors are prepared to potentially support a motion to remove the US flag at Queen's Park Arena and replace it with the City of New West flag...stay tuned!
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Episode 72: 5th St Boulevard Rewilding, a BridgeNet too far, Lower 12th development, Canucks on Columbia, 3.5% Climate Action Tax
It's been another wild and wacky week in civic politics in New Westminster - and the podcast captures it all! The discussion starts off with the on again, off again debate regarding the rewilding pilot project on the 5th St boulevard in the lovely Queen's Park neighbourhood. A few months ago the green manicured boulevard was ripped up as part of the City's biodiversity strategy. A number of mature holly trees were also cut down. In its place came a lot of mulch, rose bushes, massive logs, blueberry plants and few smallish trees. The 'rewilding' and 'naturalizing' pilot project didn't go over that well with the local residents who live adjacent to the boulevard. They raised a stink with city hall and last week the entire mulch field, logs and bushes were removed. Now it appears this will all be replaced with wild grass and flowers - but not if local residents have their way. Have you heard of BridgeNet? If you live in New West and pay taxes, you own it. A while back a question was asked in Council regarding how long it would take before BridgeNet actually broke even. This week we learned that it will not be until 2038 before BridgeNet breaks even. Should the City even be in the business of running something like BridgeNet? The infamous 3.5% Climate Action Levy (what many refer to in New West as our own version of the provincial and federal carbon tax) is back up for debate again as part of the 2026 budget. Now that PM Mark Carney and Premier David Eby have abandoned their failed experiments with the consumer carbon tax, will New West finally abandon its Climate Action Levy being charged on every single electrical bill? Do we need to assess and improve the way we communicate and consult with local residents and businesses in New West? A motion coming to council next month is seeking to do just that. Canucks on Columbia won't be coming to New West in 2025, but what about next year?The staff at Metro Vancouver were in the council chambers last week talking about their new Liquid Wastewater Management Plan. Council ended up not endorsing the plan. Has this set a precedent for other cities? Will we ever get answers to why the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant went so much overbudget? It's a packed podcast! If you enjoy it, be sure to tell your family and friends to follow it too! FTR is available on Spotify, Apple Podcast and all major platforms.
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Episode 71: Special edition focusing on the state of schools in New Westminster; exclusive interview with Trustee Kathleen Carlsen
It's a special edition of For the Record focusing on the state of schools, or should we say the lack of schools in the Royal City. Whether it's a push to build the long-awaited Simcoe Elementary downtown, a new middle school or a high school in Queensborough, parents and students are fed up with a lack of action on the part of Victoria. The recent BC budget didn't help matters when it appears NO funding was allocated for Simcoe Elementary - even though the school was promised years ago!A motion introduced at New West Council on Monday, March 10th focused on providing the School District with support for their capital plan which asked the Ministry of Education to assist with land acquisition to build a new high school in Queensborough. While the motion was heavily watered down, it triggered a very testy debate. One councillor read out a letter from the school board which she interpreted as a message telling her colleagues to 'buzz off'.Meanwhile another councillor lectured her colleagues that if they wanted to set priorities for the school board, they should quit council and run there next time. Really? All the motion was calling for was to support a SD40 capital plan ask for a new high school - but did that ask really get made, or not?After the Monday council meeting, the SD40 trustees then debated the letter Chair Maya Russell had sent to Council which triggered the 'buzz off' comment. You'll be surprised to find out what the school trustees did with that letter and why it now has to be rewritten and sent back to Council to correct the record!Why is New West so far behind when it comes to school construction given we are the 2nd most densely populated city in Canada? We never even made progress when our local MLA was the Minister of Education and our MP was in a partnership agreement with the federal Liberal government. Why so?There is a discussion about a rally being organized outside MLA Jennifer Whiteside's office by the District Parent Advisory Council in support of Simcoe Elementary - as well as a petition launched in Queensborough to advocate for a new high school - click here to sign. Needless to say, it was a busy week focused on education!This podcast also includes an exclusive interview with NWP school trustee Kathleen Carlsen who just announced she has wrapped up her cancer treatment and is conducting her duties in-person again. It's an interview you won't want to miss as she also provides some background and context regarding the infamous 'buzz off' letter!It's another great podcast focusing on New West issues! If you enjoy it, be sure to tell your family, friends as that's how we've been building our audience. FTR is available on all major platforms including Spotify and Apple Podcast.
About For the Record with Daniel Fontaine & Paul Minhas
Daniel Fontaine and Paul Minhas are City Councillors in New Westminster. They regularly explore a range of topics of interest to urbanistas! They bring guests in studio from all sides of the political spectrum and aren't afraid to take on some of the most challenging issues facing our cities. Crumbling infrastructure, taxes, homelessness, traffic, urban sprawl - you name it - you'll hear about it on For the Record with Daniel Fontaine and Paul Minhas.
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