Frankly Speaking

The major changes in direction on Surrey and White Rock councils demanded by voters can be summed up in one word – “growth.” Voters do not want growth, at least in the way it has occurred. They want growth which is managed and manageable. Above all, they want infrastructure which keeps pace with growth, and is not constantly overwhelmed by it. Other issues flow from this – how best to follow the Official Community Plan in White Rock; what kind of rapid transit system is best for Surrey; how can people who move here be assured there is space in the schools; what type of police force makes the most sense in a fast-growing Surrey; how to better listen and respond to citizen concerns. Doug McCallum accomplished a very rare feat on Saturday. After 13 years out of office, he is back as mayor, and his Safe Surrey Coalition elected seven of the eight councillors. One Surrey First councillor was elected. Not a single incumbent was returned to Surrey council – an unprecedented and dra...

On a night of many surprising civic election results across the region, there were a few mild surprises in Langley as well. Peter Fassbender failed in his attempt to become Langley City mayor again. While many expected a closer race, incumbent councillor Val van den Broek won the mayor’s chair by a healthy margin. She beat the former three-term mayor and one-term MLA by 206 votes. Also surprising in the City was the defeat of longtime councillor Jack Arnold, who has been a fixture on council for more than two decades. He finished 11 th out of the 16 candidates seeking election to the six councillors’ seats. Former councillors Rosemary Wallace and Teri James join the other four incumbents to form the next council. A third surprise was the second defeat in a row for former school trustee Candy Ashdown. She finished third out of five candidates for the two Langley City positions on the board of education. Newcomer Tony Ward topped the polls, and incumbent trustee Shelley Cobur...

Frank Bucholtz photo This instruction to voters was posted all over Sierra Leone (in West Africa), as voters there prepared to vote in a presidential runoff election in March. As noted near the bottom of the poster, the Government of Canada (i.e. Canadian taxpayers)  helped to support the voter education process. The runoff election went very smoothly. If democracy can be that resilient and powerful in Sierra Leone, it most certainly can be the same in B.C. The shouting is almost over. The signs, somewhat reduced in number, will be coming down. Surrey and White Rock voters will elect new councils and a new Surrey Board of Education on Saturday. The same process will take place in Delta, Langley City, Langley Township and municipalities across B.C. It has been a unique civic election campaign. Here in the South Fraser region, there is the very unusual prospect of electing four new mayors. Longtime Delta Mayor Lois Jackson, Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner, White Rock...

LRT has been a major issue in the municipal election campaign in Surrey, which culminates when voters go to the polls tomorrow. Guest writer Harpinder Sandhu, an urban geographer, employee of B.C. Assessment Authority and vice-president of local 1767 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, says this is a croissroiads point for Surrey. (Editor's note - This is a guest column. It is very relevant to an issue on the minds of Surrey residents - LRT, and whether it is the best transit system for Surrey. Harpinder Sandhu is an urban geographer, employee of the B.C. Assessment Authority and vice-president of local 1767 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, says this is a croissroads point for transit in Surrey.) by Harpinder Sandhu In this year’s municipal election, the citizens of Surrey have a choice to elect candidates envisioning a range of different futures for the city. What the citizens do not have is a choice between two different rapid transit lines. Follo...