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 i...
Episode 70: Priority New West, Lobbyist Registry, Calling it Quits, Density & Amenities
In another packed episode of For the Record, a number of important civic topics get discussed.Starting off the podcast is a discussion on the topic of a new lobbyist registry in New Westminster and Metro Vancouver. A motion recently got passed asking the Lower Mainland Local Government Association to support a request to establish a lobbyist registry for Metro Vancouver and other mid to large-sized cities. New West Council has done its part, now it's up to the LMLGA to do theirs. Have a listen to an interview on this topic conducted by Jas Johal on 730 AM CKNW.Two notices of motion are on the docket for next week at Council. They won't be debated until March 24th, but Council will receive them for debate. They include a motion to officially put a halt to the Queen's Park boulevard rewilding and naturalization pilot project.Another motion calls for the implementation of a Priority New West policy that will provide residents and local business owners with increased priority when accessing programs and services. Will the motion pass unanimously?A motion to be debated on Monday March 10th is a call for Council to support a School District 40 request for funding to begin the process of building a new high school in Queensborough. But should the new high school also capture the student population in East Richmond? The Chair of the School Board sends a letter to Council and weighs in with her thoughts.What ever happened to the New West Caucus or "Team New West" motion". It was passed about two years ago and called for the Mayor to convene a non-partisan meeting of the three MLAs, MP and City Council for a discussion on how they could all work together to advance the interests of New Westies. There are signs a meeting may be convened soon, but what took so long?Why are so many business owners and residents calling it quits? Two individuals have said they've had enough of the politics, waste of tax dollars and poorly set priorities of our local politicians. They're packing up and moving out of New West - but should they?Columnist Doug Todd from the Vancouver Sun triggers a vigorous online debate regarding whether we're building amenities at a fast enough rate to keep up with our population growth. The headline of his column (which became the number one trending story on the Sun website for almost 36 hours) asks if becoming the 2nd most densely populated city in Canada was worth it. Have a listen to the discussion about whether we could or should have done more to invest in parks, pools and playgrounds!Thanks to a NWP motion, patio hours are about to be extended in New West. Just in time for summer. Listen in to learn more.If you enjoy this podcast, be sure to tell your friends an family to follow For the Record with Daniel Fontaine and Paul Minhas. If you have any story ideas or suggested guests, be sure to contact FTR today!
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Episode 69: Special edition from BC's Capital City! Exclusive interviews with MLAs Steve Kooner and Tony Luck, Council Roundup
The FTR team heads over to Victoria for a special edition in our province's capital city. We have exclusive interviews with New Westminster (Queensborough) MLA Steve Cooner and Tony Luck, Municipal Affairs Critic. Luck introduces Fontaine and Minhas in the BC Legislature before asking a couple of tough questions to the NDP Municipal Affairs Minister. Tune in to hear the thunderous desk thumping and heckling when a question about an inquiry at Metro Vancouver is posed! In the Council Roundup, the focus turns to an upcoming motion regarding the naturalizing of 5th and 2nd Street boulevards. The Minhas motion asks for Council to formally put a halt to the rewilding of the boulevards until the next civic election in 2026. Another motion titled 'Priority New West" looks to provide local residents and businesses with priority access to city hall operated programs and services. This is something that already takes place in other municipalities, but to a lesser degree in New West. The discussion also focuses on the possibility of a new high school in Queensborough. Will the Province of BC provide funding to School District 40 to get the project moving forward? Will that new high school be a joint project between New West and Richmond? Will vape shops be regulated in New West and beyond? A motion introduced by the NWP several months ago has triggered another motion to be debated at a Lower Mainland Local Government Association meeting taking place later this year. This podcast is available on all major platforms including Spotify and Apple Podcasts. If you enjoy the podcast, be sure to help spread the word by asking your friends, family and colleagues to follow us!
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PROMO: FTR goes across to the pond to the BC Legislature!
FTR is heading over to the BC Legislature to attend Question Period and chat with a number of MLAs and staff. We'll have some exclusive interviews, analysis and commentary on how our provincial politicians are impacting the lives, commerce and vitality of New Westminster. The Legislature is finally back in session and this should be a fascinating podcast! It will be available on Saturday, March 1st.
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Episode 68: Queensborough High School, Watermain Damage, Vape Shops, Rewilding Paused, French Lessons, Ryall Park Turf Field
Special guest co-host Karima Budhwani is in the studio to chat about a number of fascinating topics making news in New Westminster this week. Right off the top, the discussion focuses on the potential of a new high school in Queensborough. A motion coming to Council calls for greater advocacy regarding a School District 40 request of the Ministry of Education for funding to construct a new high school in Queensborough. Is it possible we can think out of the box and have the Richmond and New West School Districts work collaboratively to build this new educational institution?Next up is a discussion regarding a Metro Vancouver watermain break which had significant impact on a dozens of New West families a week ago. While restoration crews are on site cleaning up the mess, questions are being asked as to whether the review being conducted by Metro Vancouver will be truly independent. Furthermore, will the residents be provided with all the details and analysis provided by the third-party investigator? The Mayor's Urban Caucus issued a statement which called for significant advocacy on a number of fronts including more supports for detox and recovery beds. New West Mayor Johnstone signed on to the news release, but will Council support all of the wording included in the communique? A motion coming to Council will determine whether everyone agrees with the Urban Mayors Caucus. It appears the rewilding and naturalizing of the boulevards on 5th and 2nd Streets may be on hold for a while. According to a staff email to residents, there will be no more 'rewilding' until the pilot project can be fully assessed. This means residents likely won't see any further changes until AFTER the 2026 civic election. Should you be able to find out how much each elected official in New West collects by way of salary, stipends and expense claims? That's the thrust of a motion by Coun. Paul Minhas who is asking that effective 2024, all payments made to New West elected officials for attending Metro Vancouver, TransLink and other regional boards, be consolidated and made available as one public report. Is this a 'no-brainer' or not? An open house in Queensborough this week brought together city staff and the community to determine the level of interest in constructing a new turf and track field at Ryall Park South. A motion to this effect was introduced by the NWP back in January 2023 - and two years later the community has now been chosen as a finalist for this new capital investment. Will Queensborough come out on top - or not? Karima provides an update on what the NWP is doing when it comes to candidate recruitment for the civic election next year. She's also put under the gun and asked what her future political plans are - does she take the bait?If you enjoyed this podcast, be sure to encourage your friends and family to follow For the Record. It's available on all major platforms including Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
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PROMO: For the Record has a special co-host this week! Karima Budhwani is in the house!
She's a former city council candidate and the dynamic president of the most popular civic elector organization in New Westminster! FTR welcomes the NWP's Karima Budhwani to the studio this week as she'll be co-hosting in place of Coun. Paul Minhas.It will make for a great podcast and there's even a bit of controversy brewing! Tune in to find out why!
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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