Coquitlam-Maillardville candidates answer residents’ questions

Tri-Cities Dispatch gave candidates in Coquitlam-Maillardville five days to answer a series of questions, with responses limited to 100 words per question. Two of the three candidates in the riding responded by the deadline: BC Green Party candidate Nicola Spurling and incumbent BC NDP candidate Jennifer Blatherwick. Their answers are summarized below.

**Nicola Spurling, BC Green Party**

Spurling has lived in Coquitlam since 2013. She said she was looking to buy her first home and found a small, affordable area in Austin Heights. As prices rose, she was grateful for the stability of her home and said she had developed a deep love for the neighbourhood.

On jobs, she said she would work with the City of Coquitlam to understand its strategic job creation plans and advocate for the city at the provincial level. She would also relay the province’s strategic plans to the city to create synergy. The BC Greens would scale up clean energy union jobs, create more opportunities for youth in the trades, invest in caregiving services, expand passenger rail and explore a universal basic income (UBI).

On AI data centres, Spurling said AI is a powerful force with many unknowns, and that the public must be engaged in addressing challenges such as the resource demands of large data centres. The BC Greens would place a moratorium on AI data centres to assess risks, establish regulations and protect local communities from harm.

On climate change, she said the BC NDP had failed to mitigate its effects and had instead heavily subsidized fossil fuel ventures, many of which she said would not be profitable. The BC Greens would stop new fossil fuel development, introduce a science-based climate plan, modernize mining laws to protect B.C.’s resources, support clean energy home retrofits, introduce selective logging and facilitate value-added industries instead of shipping raw resources.

Spurling said resource extraction is necessary but must be sustainable to benefit the economy. Raw resources should be processed locally to provide good jobs, she said, while partial harvesting and selective logging should replace old-growth logging and clear-cutting. The party would establish local watershed stewardship councils bringing together First Nations, farmers, local governments, industry and environmental groups, with authority to manage local water supplies. It would also commit $100 million to a local watershed stewardship program and suspend all non-essential industrial water use during droughts.

Asked about proportional representation in B.C. elections, she said fear-based propaganda often stifles voters’ desire to vote for an inspiring choice. She argued that repeatedly voting for the lesser of two evils fuels a race to the bottom in two-party politics, pointing to the United States as a model she does not want in B.C. She said there are two ways out of this bleak, repetitive situation: voters can support what they want so a strong third party can hold others accountable, or parties that designed past referendums to fail can finally support proportional representation.

She said micromobility devices make travel easier, more affordable and more reliable, fill transit gaps, improve life for people with physical disabilities and cost significantly less than driving. But legislation has not kept pace with technological advances, creating safety concerns. The BC Greens would upgrade infrastructure for micromobility and overhaul the Motor Vehicle Act to clarify rules on helmet use, age limits, speed and other matters.

On school construction, the BC Greens said expanding existing school infrastructure can accommodate more students and use publicly owned land where possible. Where communities lack adequate access to existing schools, the party supports funding new school construction, with a focus on safety and sustainability.

On the homeless shelter at 3030 Gordon, Spurling said concerns are divided: some people see a safety risk, while others believe the shelter does not adequately meet the needs of the local unhoused population. She asked how a provincial government should balance safety concerns with the need to shelter people who otherwise would have nowhere to go. The BC Greens said the answer is addressing root causes. Spurling said people whose basic needs are met rarely resort to crime, and that ensuring everyone has adequate health care, housing and food would relieve pressure on 3030 Gordon.

She opposes privatizing health care, calling it a band-aid solution to a problem that should not exist and one accessible only to people with money. She said she could not understand why B.C. would emulate the U.S. health-care system. The BC Greens would increase health-care funding, paid for with a tax on people with a net worth above $50 million. They would also increase funding for nurses and establish community clinics to fill current gaps and better serve people where they live.

Spurling said this is her fourth campaign. She has not yet been elected, but said she rarely encounters Coquitlam-Maillardville residents who think other parties have a better plan. She said people are angry about the snap election and that the BC NDP have not been inspiring for a long time. Meanwhile, she said, the BC Conservatives cannot keep a party together and have no plan. She added that votes provide annual funding to the chosen party, allowing it to grow between elections. A vote for her and the BC Greens, she said, is a vote for a better B.C. where a strong third party holds others accountable.

**Jennifer Blatherwick, BC NDP (incumbent)**

Blatherwick has lived in Coquitlam with her husband and children since 2008. She said she served two terms as a school trustee, owned a small business and worked as the executive director of a non-profit.

She said Coquitlam is well positioned to take part in international markets. Working with the federal government, the BC NDP would open new markets for B.C. products to help businesses grow and trade globally. She also proposed direct relief for local small businesses affected by U.S. tariffs and a hiring incentive credit for businesses that hire young people for their first full-time job. She said the BC NDP government doubled funding for trades training so employers can hire skilled young people to meet growing demand.

Blatherwick said the province’s water supply and power grid must be protected for future stability. Last fall, the BC NDP passed a law limiting the power available to data centres to safeguard the grid and support climate goals. The party would also set strict new water-efficiency standards, require public reporting of water use and require engagement with local communities on conservation and drought planning.

She said the BC NDP is acting on climate change while growing the economy. Under its plan, emissions per dollar of economic activity are down by more than 30 per cent, and methane emissions are down 48 per cent. Its proposed Clean Futures Fund would dedicate provincial oil and gas revenue to climate action programs that help families and businesses choose less costly clean energy and create jobs, starting with a $50-million investment. She said climate change is real and the province must prevent further change while counteracting its effects. The party would continue working with partners to fight climate change and restore habitats, including Reeve Slough in Coquitlam.

On biodiversity and watersheds, Blatherwick said the BC NDP is on track to protect 30 per cent of B.C.’s land by 2030. The current figure is 20 per cent, or 18.9 million hectares. The party maintained the North Coast Tanker Ban to protect a unique ecosystem and would invest $30 million annually in the BC Watershed Security Fund. She said the BC Conservatives oppose the 30-by-30 goal and would roll back conservation. The BC NDP would also provide $4 million a year for the Youth Climate Corps, doubling capacity for paid positions for people aged 17 to 30. The work includes climate resilience, ecosystem restoration, wildfire mitigation, biodiversity monitoring, building retrofits and renewable energy.

On proportional representation, she said a strong democracy needs tools to adapt to changing pressures. A 2018 referendum showed British Columbians wanted to keep the current voting system, she said, though more work is needed to ensure the political system reflects public needs. In 2025, she chaired an all-party committee on democratic engagement that recommended increased civic participation, especially among youth. The BC NDP would continue working with all parties to protect the integrity of democracy.

Blatherwick said new mobility options reduce carbon emissions, congestion and pollution, while road safety remains paramount. The government launched a detailed study of e-scooters to integrate them safely into transportation networks, with municipalities choosing whether to opt in. The BC NDP government has invested in active transportation infrastructure such as cycling lanes and multi-use paths, making local travel easier and encouraging low- or zero-emission travel.

She said investments must keep pace with growth. Completed projects include a new Centennial Secondary School, seismic replacements for Moody and Irvine elementary schools, additions to Charles Best Secondary and Scott Creek Middle, and the new Coast Salish Elementary. Work is underway on the seismic replacement of Montgomery Middle, the replacement of Hazel Trembath and the new Burke Mountain Secondary. The government will also build a new middle school for Burke Mountain. Blatherwick said conservative politicians closed 250 schools the last time they were in government, including eight in SD 43. The BC NDP has 250 new or upgraded schools completed or underway across the province.

She said addressing homelessness requires a range of measures, including emergency shelter, supportive housing and additional support for people with complex needs. Starting in early 2026, the BC NDP funded a winter shelter at səmiq̓ wəʔelə, the former Riverview lands, to provide a safe place for vulnerable people in the community. The shelter will operate again this year, with funding from a re-elected BC NDP government and support from churches and non-profits across the Tri-Cities. Since 2017, the party has doubled shelter spaces and invested in thousands of supportive homes. She said much more work remains and the party will continue it.

Blatherwick said she is firmly opposed to privatizing health care. She and every BC NDP candidate signed a Public Health Care Guarantee, which commits to access to quality care when needed regardless of income. The party would close loopholes that allow clinics to charge user fees or extra billing for publicly insured, medically necessary services. She said Alberta’s Conservative government is creating a two-tier health-care system with private-pay options that draw resources from the public system, and that B.C. must not allow the same to happen.

Blatherwick said she has a long record of community service through volunteering and public service. As a parent raising a family in Coquitlam, she understands families’ challenges. She said her advocacy has focused on making the community more liveable for everyone, including expansions to Dr. Charles Best Secondary and Scott Creek Middle, better youth mental-health services and a new Urgent and Primary Care Centre in Coquitlam.