White Rock election will be fascinating

The Miramar Village development by Bosa Properties was the first major high-rise development in White Rock. The number of high-rises planned has become an election issue in the seaside city.
Photo from Bosa Properties

An update: I was one of the moderators at a candidates' meeting for the councillor candidates on Oct. 2, sponsored by the South Surrey-White Rock Chamber of Commerce. Twenty of the 22 candidates attended.
The issues discussed included revitalization, attracting business to White Rock, zoning and high-rises. The overall sense I came away with is that most of the candidates want to improve communication with residents and business owners, using both formal and informal methods. There are a lot of good choices for the next council - I urge those wanting to vote to check out websites, social media, the Peace Arch News, White Rock Sun and other sources.

White Rock’s election is going to be fascinating.

Two slates are going all out to control council, and six mayoral candidates are vying to replace outgoing mayor Wayne Baldwin. Even the race for the lone school trustee seat, held for many years by incumbent Laurae McNally, will involve a vote this year. McNally has won the seat by acclamation in some past elections.

As noted in the Peace Arch News’ Sept. 21 editorial, voters are demonstrating more restlessness in this particular election, and incumbency is not necessarily a safe bet to get back onto White Rock council or the Surrey Board of Education.

There are many reasons. One of the main ones is a deepening sense of dismay over the way the entire Metro Vancouver region is developing, and over the ever-increasing cost of housing. While most White Rock residents are in no danger of being homeless, those who rent feel a lot of pressure. Even many homeowners carry large mortgages and face significant pressures at mortgage renewal time.

Development is inevitable in White Rock and virtually every part of the region, but the shape of that development is a major campaign issue. A petition to council calling for a moratorium on any future highrise construction caused Baldwin to say that two of the petitioners, Democracy Direct candidates Darryl Walker and Erika Johanson, are unfit for office.

Also on voters’ minds is the purchase of White Rock Waterworks and just how much that will end up costing taxpayers; relations with the Semiahmoo First Nation; rail traffic and the long-discussed relocation of the tracks off the waterfront and the general livability and affordability of the city.

The only incumbent councillor seeking the mayor’s chair is Grant Meyer, who is part of the White Rock Coalition. It is running a full slate for council, with Meyer and fellow incumbents Megan Knight, Bill Lawrence and Lynne Sinclair being joined by new candidates Ernie Klassen, Balbir Thind and Nerissa Yan.

The other slate running is Democracy Direct, which has many supporters who are unhappy about the way the council majority has operated in recent years. Its mayoral candidate is Walker, former president of the B.C. Government Employees Union. Council candidates are Johanson, Scott Kristjanson, Anthony Manning and Christopher Trevelyan.

Longtime Surrey councillor Judy Higginbotham was a surprise late entrant into the mayor’s race. While she still lives in Surrey, which may be a factor for some voters, she is very well-known in White Rock and came close to winning the MP’s seat as the Liberal candidate in South Surrey-White Rock in the 2015 election.

Mike Pearce, who has mayoral experience in Quesnel and Penticton, is also seeking the top job, as are Tom Bryant and Gary Wolgemuth.

Given that there are so many candidates, votes will be split all over the place. It’s quite possible that the winning candidate will get as little as 25 or 30 per cent of the vote.

Two incumbents seeking re-election to council are David Chesney and Helen Fathers, and they may be able to ride the anti-incumbent wave a bit, as they have opposed many moves of the council majority. Other candidates for council are Michael Armstrong, Moti Bali, Andy Gibney, Heather Hildred, Zachary Johnson, Christian Lane, Fiona MacDermid, Mia Pedersen, Jeffery Simpson and Ken Wuschke.

Votes will be split among the 22 candidates. This may benefit the candidates on slates, particularly if enough voters choose only members of one slate. While this does happen in many elections, particularly in larger communities, White Rock voters are known for their strong independent streak.

In the race for the one seat on the board of education, McNally is being challenged by Sikander Hayat, a Surrey resident.

Those interested in voting have plenty of time to study the candidates’ platforms and ask questions of them, either at forums or in person. Election day is Oct. 20.