I’ve had the pleasure of serving the citizens of Burnaby as a councillor since 1993. I’ve enjoyed working with the City and the community to make Burnaby the best it can be. What I enjoy most as a councillor is helping people understand how their municipal government can help them. During my years on the council, my focus areas have been the environment, technology, and finance. I look forward to continuing to serve the citizens of Burnaby while keeping our city green, inclusive, active, accessible, and financially secure.
Having first been elected to Burnaby City Council in 1993, I’ve had the pleasure of serving the citizens of Burnaby as a city councillor for more than 20 years. I’ve enjoyed working with the City and the community to make our city the best it can be. Before running for council, I served on and chaired the parks commission, a role I took on because of my interest in enhancing youth services, and basic parks and recreation services.
As a parks commissioner, I further developed my longstanding passion for environmental initiatives. I think it’s important that Burnaby remain the green heart of the Lower Mainland. Though we’re always financially prudent, we get things done – introducing innovative environmental initiatives that serve as models for cities and regions in the Lower Mainland and beyond.
As a Burnaby resident since 1961, a homeowner in the Ardingly-Sprott neighbourhood, a Certified Professional Accountant (CGA), LGBTQIA+ with a son who attended both Burnaby schools and Simon Fraser University, I also have a specific interest in finance and youth services.
During my years on council, the environment, technology, and finance–supported by my professional training as a CPA, CGA–have always been my key areas of focus. I am fortunate to have had the trust of former Mayors Copeland, Drummond and Corrigan to have had many opportunities to work with citizens, City of Burnaby staff, and council to contribute to significant initiatives in all of these areas, including:
- Overseeing, as Parks, Recreation and Culture Commission chair, planning and construction of Eileen Dailly Pool, the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts and Riverway Golf Course.
- Introducing Burnaby's Youth Policy, which gives our young people a voice in decisions affecting them.
- Introducing the Burnaby Recreation Credit program, which provides better access to recreation services to financially disadvantaged people.
- Working to make the dredging of Burnaby Lake a reality, ensuring the process was environmentally sustainable and offering new potential recreation opportunities for Burnaby citizens.
- Introducing Burnaby's first non-smoking bylaw, which better ensures clean air in public places.
- Overseeing, as chair of Finance and Civic Development, construction of Fire Hall Number 7, Tommy Douglas Library and the Edmonds Community Centre and Pool. All three quality facilities were finished on time and under budget.
- As finance liaison, working to ensure Burnaby remains financially strong. Burnaby consistently has one of the lowest tax increases while building the City’s reserve funds making Burnaby the most financially strong City in the province. Strong reserves are growing while we construct quality facilities without going to the financial markets to borrow.
As a city councillor, what I enjoy the most is helping people to understand how their municipal government can help them. It’s always gratifying when you can directly help a taxpayer (citizen) to access a service or introduce a new city initiative or project. I look forward to continuing to serve the citizens of Burnaby as we continue to find innovative new ways to keep our city green, inclusive, active, accessible, and financially secure.
Although currently serving a lighter load under the current mayor, as chair of the Traffic Safety Committee and council representative to the Burnaby Library Board, I continue to be focused on the City’s finances, technology, and the environment.
We are always looking at ways to make our City more efficient, to maintain our leadership role, and to continue to build on our many strengths–keeping our city green, enhancing access to services for all citizens as our population grows and changes demographically, and ensuring that our reserves grow at a sustainable rate for future generations.
- Chair, Traffic Safety Committee
- Vice-chair, Public Safety Board
- Council Representative, Burnaby Public Library Board
- Past Council liaison, Finance Department
- Past Council liaison, Corporate Services Department
- Past Council liaison, Engineering Department
- Past Council liaison, Information Technology Department
- Past Council liaison, Fire Service Department
- Past Chair, Financial Management Committee – 15 years (formerly Finance and Civic Development Committee)
- Past Chair, Environment Committee – 10 years
- Past Vice-chair, Environmental Sustainability Strategy Steering Committee – 3 years
- Past Chair, Audit Committee – 6 years
- Past Member, Executive Committee of Council – 6 years
- Past Vice-chair, Community Development Committee – 20 years
- Past Chair, Community Safety Committee – 2 years
- Past Chair and 18-year member of Parks, Recreation and Culture Commission
- Past Alternate director, Metro Vancouver Board – 15 years
- Past Member, Metro Vancouver Water Committee – 3 years
- Past Member, Metro Vancouver Solid Waste Committee – 3 years
- Past Member, Lower Mainland Treaty Advisory Committee – 3 years
- Founding member, Burnaby Edmonds Lions Club
- Past Grand Knight, Knights of Columbus, Council 8853
- Former board member New Vista Society
- Former board member St. Michael's Care Home Society
- Former director, Royal City Burnaby CGA Chapter
- Past treasurer, Seventeenth Centre Lake Cub and Scout Group