A18 - North Shore News - Friday, November 7, 2014
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NORTH SHORE NEWS
ote Municipal Election 2014
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 15 8 AM TO 8 PM Acclaimed Mayor Richard Walton returns for fourth term
NORTH VANCOUVER DISTRICT CANDIDATES CANDIDATES FOR COUNCILLOR
Name
Roger Bassam
Matthew Bond
Hazeen Colbert
Connie DeBoer
Age
44
30
52
57
Occupation?
IT consultant/councillor
professional engineer
financial consultant
sport/talent film agent
Liberal Party of Canada
North Vancouver Conservative Association
INCUMBENT
Political party membership(s):
Linda Findlay
mortgage broker
Jim Hanson
Robin Hicks
53
68
lawyer
chartered accountant
INCUMBENT
NDP
Sought or received union contributions?
No
No
No
No
No
CUPE 389
No
Sought or received contributions from a developer?
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Live in district?
Yes, 30 plus years
Yes, Lynn Valley, 3 years
Yes, 5 years
Yes, 8 years
Yes, 26 years
Yes, 35 years
35 years
Incumbent: Years on council?
6
Non-incumbents: List municipal committee and/or civic group experience
9 years President, North Shore Mountain Bike Association, 2008 to 2013; Volunteer, NSMBA, 1999 to present
Currently treasurer and council member, The Branches Strata, DNV. Past president and director (2009-2014), Kerrisdale Oakridge Marpole Community Policing Centre.
North Shore Rescue team member (active 8 years); formerly served two terms on rural town council, Rocky Mountain House, Alta.
Royal Canadian Legion Branch 14 exec member (5 yrs), branch associate member (10 yrs); Upper Lynn PAC (12 yrs); Scouts Canada (9 yrs); JA (6 yrs); LVSA, LVLL.
Exec, Blueridge Neighbourhood Association; governor, Trial Lawyers Association of BC; elected member, Provincial Council of Canadian Bar Association (BC branch).
What are your priorities if elected?
Transportation, traffic congestion, housing and economic development. For details and more policy positions please visit RogerBassam.ca.
Improved transportation mobility and accessibility, opportunity for young adults and families, openness, transparency and accountability in government, citizen and youth engagement in civic affairs.
Transportation infrastructure improvement; TransLink improvement; better managed density; diverse housing choices; improved seniors’ housing; honest and transparent local government.
My priority if elected is to make well-informed, long-term decisions based on the interests and well-being of the entire community.
Balancing lifestyle, environment and growth.
To address transportation issues caused by increased population, and particularly to solve problem of traffic congestion. To protect the district’s green spaces and wilderness areas.
Review and adjust OCP to ensure future development reflects community wishes. Improve transportation. Continue to apply sound financial practices to sustainability of infrastructure and environment.
How would you address the district’s transportation needs?
We require major investment in our transportation infrastructure to alleviate the traffic congestion and build out safe pedestrian and cycling transit networks.
Real choice between transportation modes. Provide opportunities for citizens to leave second car at home. Prioritize safety of vulnerable road users, pedestrians, seniors.
Improve direct bus service to strategic locations. Expand SeaBus to Burnaby. Explore a third Narrows crossing. Local jobs, which limit commuting.
I recognize that traffic is one of the most critical issues that people here face and it is going to take a long-term commitment.
Continue to bring pressure to bear on provincial and federal governments, TransLink/Metro to recognize the needs of the North Shore and solicit the appropriate funding.
We need to work with all levels of government to develop a better road system for North Vancouver. We also need better cycle paths.
Actively engage with the province and TransLink to improve transportation corridors and connectivity. Improve transit routes and frequency during peak periods.
Are you open to amalgamating with the City of North Vancouver?
Absolutely, and I will make the long-term goal of reunification a consideration in every major policy decision I make as a councillor.
Amalgamation must bring value to citizens. Better services, lower cost. More information is needed. It takes two to tango but the district can lead.
Yes. For now we can create a North Shore planning agency to allow for better planning and less overlap.
I don’t know; I am open to exploring options that are in the best interest of the people of the District of North Vancouver.
Absolutely, it is long overdue. The city was carved out and formed by developers of the day. It is an unnecessary duplication of services and cost.
I support reunification. We are one community and we will be stronger as one united municipality.
Yes, from a common sense basis especially with regard to geography and duplication of administrative costs.
Is the district managing growth appropriately?
Yes, I support key OCP goals, such as a low 1% or less annual growth, which is what the DNV is experiencing; preserving our single-family neighbourhoods, green spaces and industrial lands.We will invest in needed infrastructure to accommodate the population increase, like new roads, community centres and parks.
Complete, connected communities will have long-term benefits for all citizens but the devil is in the details. Development must provide a mix of housing types for all stages of life, create amazing places for people, and account for long-term servicing costs of the district.
No. Residential growth and density is growing too fast, while there is little or no growth in good local jobs. The district has handed off responsibility for managing housing to developers who are most interested in selling condos to overseas investors as a platform for Canadian convenience passports.
I believe the key is balancing the need for housing while at the same time sustaining the lifestyle that makes the District of North Vancouver so desirable. In doing this, also ensuring the best environmental outcome and maintaining the tax base to sustain that way of life.
The OCP is a 20-year plan. Moving to an implementation mode doesn’t mean all development will happen at once. Growth needs to be co-ordinated with transportation and infrastructure improvements. It must make sense, be sustainable and allowed time to be absorbed into the fabric of community life.
Until infrastructure is in place to support further population growth, I would slow down development. At the same time, once infrastructure is in place to support the increased population, I would support re-zoning aimed to create a greater range of housing affordability for young families, singles and seniors.
Growth will occur based on federal Immigration policies and mandatory regional growth strategies. The North Shore has one of the lowest growth targets. Our role is to set the guidelines so that major development occurs in town centres and on transit routes so that the single family environment is preserved.
Contact info
facebook.com/roger.bassam twitter.com/RBassam
facebook.com/mrmathew bond
twitter.com/hazencolbert
facebook.com/pages/ConnieDe-BOER/302342726632378
lindafindlay.org facebook.com/Findlay.Linda
facebook.com/electjimhanson twitter.com/JimHanson_NV
facebook.com/RobinDavidHicks twitter.com/RobinDavidHicks