Port Coquitlam council candidates answer residents’ questions

Fifteen candidates are running for six Port Coquitlam council seats in this election. All six incumbents are seeking re-election. Twelve candidates returned a questionnaire by the deadline. Candidate Darin Nielsen had less time than others to respond, so the story linked to his website: https://www.darinnielsen.ca/. Incumbents were asked what they were most proud of from the previous term; non-incumbents were asked to identify one council decision they would have handled differently. Candidates were asked to keep each answer to about 100 words.

Aman Brah said he has lived in Port Coquitlam for more than 30 years, since the early 1990s. He said provincial requirements constrain how the city can set housing density and development terms. He identified the Mary Hill Bypass, Lougheed Highway and traffic from Burke Mountain as key transportation problems. He would renew the Official Community Plan (OCP) and avoid drawing down city reserves. He called the approved 1.95 per cent property tax increase reasonable, while urging better long-term planning. He does not accept developer contributions. He said the city can do more to protect natural areas and should require developments to replace and enhance their surroundings. He called for a regional effort to address homelessness and help people transition to better lives. His view on Flock/Axon-style cameras depends on their location and purpose; he opposes their use in general public areas. His next-term priorities are renewing the OCP, keeping taxes down, spending prudently and reducing spending line by line where appropriate. He said he is invested in the city’s future and wants his children and future generations to build their lives there, asking residents to vote for him on Oct. 17.

Julie Sherwood said she moved to the Tri-Cities in 2015. She sees Port Coquitlam moving in the right direction on housing choices but wants more variety, including affordable and purpose-built rental housing, rather than simply more units. She identified congestion as the main transportation challenge and said the city should advocate for SkyTrain service to reach Port Coquitlam. She would have considered the roads, transit, schools, parks and other services needed to support approved housing. She has not accepted developer contributions, and none have been offered. She called the 1.95 per cent tax increase reasonable, while cautioning that keeping taxes low today should not leave a larger bill for future generations. She wants to protect trees, salmon-bearing streams and wildlife. To address homelessness, she proposed more affordable housing, stronger engagement and partnerships with BC Housing, as well as mental health, addiction and employment supports. She supports cameras for public safety if privacy is protected, with transparency and independent reviews. Her top priority is making the community safer and more affordable, including more safe places for domestic-abuse victims and options where women can bring their pets. She said her priorities also include affordability, responsible growth, services for seniors, people with disabilities and immigrants, and safety for domestic-abuse victims.

Solomon Etuk said his family moved to Port Coquitlam when he was very young. He has lived there for more than 20 years and played soccer with PoCo FC in yellow jerseys as a child. He credited council for doing more with row housing than elsewhere in the region, but said young residents and seniors looking to downsize are still priced out. He would make it easier to build walk-up apartments like those on Grant and Manning avenues, which he said have fitted into the community for decades. He identified transportation costs as the city’s biggest challenge. He said Metro Vancouver households in only a handful of municipalities spend more getting around than on housing; outside the West Coast Express, transit is not a realistic option for most people. Many families spend roughly $1,900 a month on car-related costs, he said. He proposed bus signal priority, bus bulbs and safe, shaded shelters to make service faster, more reliable and comfortable, adding that more bus riders would mean fewer cars in traffic. He would have made transportation a priority, pressing TransLink for later and more frequent buses and protecting existing walking, cycling and micromobility lanes for people of all ages and abilities. He does not accept developer contributions. He called the 1.95 per cent tax increase too low, while understanding concerns about adding costs for working-class homeowners. He said fiscal responsibility means spending public money where it delivers material benefits, including on frontline staff who maintain infrastructure and run community centres; cuts could lead to worse service, longer waits and deteriorating infrastructure. He said the new community centre and Leigh Square cost many mature trees, and that Port Coquitlam has one of the region’s lowest tree canopies. He would work to raise canopy cover to 30 per cent over the next decade and partner with the Hyde Creek Watershed Society and local First Nations to protect waterways. He said policy should be shaped through dialogue with people doing hands-on work, helping protect residents from climate events without imposing a heavy taxpayer burden. He strongly opposes Flock-style cameras, saying they track residents’ movements and send data to a third-party, American-owned technology company that can avoid accountability to residents. He said the technology has been abused “down south” and that residents he has heard from do not want it in Port Coquitlam. He said young people, working families and seniors are being pushed out of communities where they grew up, work or want to stay. He wants more housing choices, faster and more reliable buses, and tools to help corner stores and small shops compete with large corporations. He described himself as possibly the youngest candidate in the race, working in the service industry and experiencing cost-of-living pressure and a decline in quality of life. He wants policy shaped by that perspective, with housing, transportation and a resilient, accessible local economy serving residents at every income and life stage.

Mithila Karnik said she has lived in Port Coquitlam for eight years. She said the city lacks middle housing and multigenerational options, and that housing is leaning toward condos without enough three-bedroom homes, purpose-built rentals or non-market homes near transit. She said the province wants more than 2,700 new homes by 2029 and that the city is partly on track, subject to confirmation through the OCP refresh. She identified peak-hour congestion from downtown Port Coquitlam via Shaughnessy toward Lougheed, as well as the Maryhill bypass. She wants stronger provincial advocacy and neighbouring communities’ help to ease congestion on provincial roads, alongside better walkability and transit options. Bike lanes need maintenance and possibly revision to account for cargo bikes and e-bikes. She would have invested earlier in multilingual, culturally accessible engagement, and proactively identified who is not benefiting from city resources. She does not accept developer contributions. She called the 1.95 per cent tax increase reasonable and said 73 per cent covers RCMP, fire and labour costs the city does not control. She cautioned that low taxes only make sense if roads, pipes and facilities keep pace, citing the 2024 atmospheric river disaster. She asked about the operating costs of the Leigh Square fountain and where that money might be better used, and called for a clear asset renewal plan, noting water and sewer levies rose faster by comparison. She said the city should do more to protect trees, with measurable Urban Forest Plan canopy targets reviewed annually and a public record of planting and maintenance. She said streamside areas and floodplains are a first line of defence and should be protected proactively. She favours a compassionate, partnership-based response to homelessness through the Tri-Cities task group, rather than overstating that homeless people need jobs. On surveillance cameras, she questioned why the city had not started with an RCMP or smaller pilot. She said privacy, data protection and third-party or out-of-province sharing concerns should be considered through a pilot, review and community engagement. She sees housing and downtown revitalization as one priority, linked to whether families can stay in the city and whether downtown can attract people through long-term infrastructure planning. She said these priorities affect transit, tree cover, recreation resources and neighbourhood safety. She previously worked in cities around the world, later settling in Vancouver before moving to Port Coquitlam in 2018. She said she entered the Indian film industry as a publicist at age 20 and moved to Canada in 2016. She described 18 years of experience, a “glocal” outlook and a volunteer record, and said she was named Port Coquitlam’s Volunteer of the Year for 2026. She hopes community trust will translate into votes.

Dean Washington (incumbent) said he has lived in Port Coquitlam since 1965, except for about four years. He believes the OCP provides a balanced mix of housing. Highlights from the past four years include a record number of affordable or below-market units completed, along with multi-family condo and townhouse projects completed or nearing completion. He said some single-family homes have been lost, while large lots have also been redeveloped for multiple single-family homes or duplexes. He identified traffic from Burke Mountain as the biggest transportation problem. He said Coquitlam has not provided adequate funding for the Fremont Connector, which he says would relieve congestion on Shaughnessy, Coast Meridian and Cedar Drive. He hopes to negotiate a fair funding arrangement with Coquitlam’s new mayor and councillors so motorists from Burke Mountain can reach the Mary Hill Bypass instead of using local roads. As lead councillor on the budget process for 13 years, he said he is proud the city has kept taxes among the lowest in Metro Vancouver while providing expected services. He also cited downtown revitalization, where he has served as council designate for 10 years, with significant upgrades in the previous term and more planned. About half of his campaign contributions came from developers, he said, but they do not influence his decisions; he said he has not supported developments he felt did not fit a neighbourhood and would share his voting record. He called the 1.95 per cent increase reasonable, noting the city adds one per cent each year to its Long-Term Infrastructure Reserve, a practice begun in 2010 that now contributes $12 million annually to renew aging infrastructure. He said the city has a comprehensive tree policy, plants 100 to 150 trees annually toward a 30 per cent canopy goal by 2050, and works with volunteer groups such as Coquitlam River Stream Keepers to monitor and protect waterways. He wants the province to bring back Riverview in some form, saying the closure of Riverview Hospital was one of the biggest mistakes in provincial government history and caused immense costs in human lives and taxpayer dollars. He supports cameras in public spaces because he believes they would help curb vandalism. He said 90 per cent of council’s job is the budget, which determines taxes and the services delivered. He said his record reflects his “Back to the Basics” campaign, focused on core services and keeping tax increases low while ensuring taxpayers receive value.

Steve Darling (incumbent) said he has lived in Port Coquitlam for 19 years. He believes growth is happening in the right areas, but the city cannot sustain four to six residences on one lot as the provincial government would require. He said high off-site work costs also prevent development, and that the mayor and council have pre-zoned several areas for townhouses and row homes to expand housing options. He identified growing traffic from Coquitlam toward the Mary Hill Bypass and Lougheed Highway as a major challenge, now spread across Coast Meridian, Cedar, Oxford and Shaughnessy. He supports a long-term solution through the Fremont Connector and will continue working with Coquitlam to advance it. He cited the Port Coquitlam Community Centre, the Soccer Hub at Gates Park, the North Side Multisport Complex, and improvements at Leigh Square and Veterans Park as achievements. He also pointed to increased recreation subsidies for children facing financial barriers and more community events, including Canada Day, May Day and Car Free Day. He did not accept developer contributions. He said he was pleased with the 1.95 per cent increase, describing it as Metro Vancouver’s lowest, and cited line-by-line budget review to find efficiencies and savings while improving service. He said the city has a strong tree bylaw, works to retain trees with developers and partners with stream keepers to monitor waterways. He said the city has invested in more bylaw officers who connect people seeking housing with safe units; he has served on the Homeless and Housing Task Force and said the province must provide more help. He is not yet in favour of Flock/Axon-style cameras and wants more information about where data goes and what is retained. He said they are not a priority for him. His next-term priorities are affordability, road condition and safety, infrastructure and city services. He said his council terms have been productive and that he intends to keep showing up and getting the job done.

Dawn Becker said she and her family chose Port Coquitlam more than 28 years ago and have deep roots there. She believes housing is being added in suitable areas, including around Westwood and Lougheed near transit stations and through duplexes on larger lots. She favours a mix of housing types and prices, particularly one- or two-level townhouses for people looking to downsize without leaving their neighbourhoods and for young families. Transportation challenges include traffic from Burke Mountain development and congestion on Lougheed Highway at various times and on weekends. Residents have asked for more frequent small neighbourhood buses, additional routes and improved stops. She said a comprehensive traffic management plan will be needed when the Coquitlam River bridge is eventually replaced. She would have increased infrastructure funding and considered partnerships. She has not received or accepted developer contributions because none have been offered. She called the 1.95 per cent increase reasonable. She said tree and riparian policies are fairly adequate but should be reviewed and updated where needed. She supports empathy for people who are unhoused and continued advocacy with other levels of government for resources, program and policy changes, and changes to the legal system. She noted that many public, city, private-home and business cameras already cover Port Coquitlam. For the next term, she wants planning for residential and industrial growth and its effects on roads, sidewalks, energy, water and wastewater systems, as well as available space for child care, schools and after-hours activities. She said she would bring an independent voice and drew on her time as board chair of the Port Coquitlam Community Foundation, supporting local non-profits and strengthening links among charities, programs and donors.

Glenn Pollock (incumbent) said he has lived in Port Coquitlam for 45 years. He believes provincial legislation has taken much of the city’s control over housing. Before that, he said, the city added gentle density through townhouses, four- and five-storey apartment buildings, duplexes and single-family homes, including redevelopment of larger lots into two smaller lots. He said the Fremont Connector remains unbuilt because Port Coquitlam and Coquitlam have struggled to reach a funding agreement, and he would keep pressing for it if re-elected. He is especially proud of the Alex Building at Flint and Prairie, which he began advocating for in 2013 and which opened about two years ago. It has 83 below-market units with women-headed leases. He accepts contributions from developers and other businesses, saying no one has asked him for favours or to cut corners because of donations, and he does not expect them to. One developer who contributed told him it was to support a “common-sense politician.” He called the 1.95 per cent increase on target, citing annual line-by-line budget reviews, cuts to unnecessary spending and efficiencies, without reducing essential services. He said the city’s tree removal bylaw is among the Lower Mainland’s strictest and that trees are planted steadily. He praised bylaw staff for helping house people experiencing homelessness, but said homelessness is ultimately a provincial responsibility. He said the shelter at 3030 Gordon Ave. in Coquitlam lacks services the province had promised to help people improve their situations, and urged continued pressure on the province. He supports security cameras to protect city assets but is concerned about oversight of data storage from Flock/Axon-style systems. He said completing the Fremont Connector should be council’s top priority. He directed residents to Pocoglenn.com for more information about his record and priorities if re-elected.

Paige Petriw (incumbent) said she has lived in Port Coquitlam for 10 years and the Tri-Cities for 37. She described the city’s housing approach as balanced, preserving single-family areas while adding gentle density downtown and elsewhere. For six to eight years, its family-friendly policy has required a share of new developments to include homes with at least three bedrooms. She said ground-oriented homes such as townhouses and duplexes are in demand, and policies have been updated to encourage them. Some non-market or below-market rental homes have been built recently, with more in development. She said traffic has increased on Port Coquitlam’s major north-south routes as Burke Mountain grows and commuters travel through the city to the Mary Hill Bypass or Lougheed Highway. She said Coquitlam has not worked effectively with Port Coquitlam or allocated funding for the Fremont Connector, and hopes negotiations will advance it. Her proudest achievement was introducing the city’s first Accessibility Action Plan, with measures to make programs, services and facilities accessible and inclusive for all ages and abilities. These include one-to-one recreation support for children and youth who need it, sensory-friendly swims and festival zones, sign-language interpreters at city events, and easier access to financial assistance. She said the number of families accessing financial support increased 45 per cent since 2023; in 2025, 1,768 people received a total of $68,000. She also cited a record number of new child-care spaces. She accepts contributions from eligible people working in development, on a “no strings attached” basis, and said council decisions are based on residents’ interests. She said the city secured more than $30 million in federal and provincial funding for major projects during the previous term, reducing local taxpayers’ costs. Investments included flood mitigation projects underway, recreation facilities, multi-use pathways and road upgrades, free outdoor swimming, glass and large-item pickup, and core services for city cleanliness and safety. She said a strengthened tree bylaw requires permits for removals and replacement planting, while the Urban Forest Roadmap targets 30 per cent canopy cover by 2050. Environmental protections and watershed plans address water quality, erosion, flood prevention and fish habitat. She said bylaw officers treat vulnerable people with dignity and connect them with outreach, shelter and other supports. The city should continue creating below-market and supportive housing, working with non-profit providers and seeking senior-government investment, alongside mental health care and addiction treatment. She is open to exploring public-safety technology but does not want Port Coquitlam to be among the first municipalities to adopt it. She said new technology should be tested and evaluated, privacy rules should keep pace, and residents deserve to know how personal information is collected, stored and used. She wants the city to remain affordable and liveable as it grows, with responsible finances, maintained services and planning for needed infrastructure and amenities. She said she has delivered results in her first term and wants to continue serving Port Coquitlam.

Dehara Thompson said she has lived in Port Coquitlam for three years and that her family has raised children in the Tri-Cities for 12. She said the city needs a better housing mix, including family-sized homes, townhouses and purpose-built rentals near transit, and would focus density along the West Coast Express corridor, protect established neighbourhoods and match growth with schools, roads and services. She identified rising traffic on Broadway and Coast Meridian, plus regional pinch points at the Mary Hill Bypass, Lougheed Highway and aging Coquitlam River Bridge. She supports the city’s Master Transportation Plan, better transit advocacy with the province and TransLink, a safer Mary Hill Bypass, and safer sidewalks and crossings near schools. She has not served on council and said she would not second-guess every decision, but would change how residents are consulted: earlier, in person and in different languages, before decisions are made. She does not accept developer contributions. She called this year’s 1.95 per cent increase reasonable. The city says about 73 per cent comes from RCMP and labour contract costs it cannot avoid, and the increase adds about $45 to the municipal portion for the average home. She wants asset renewal funding made public and continued pursuit of federal and provincial grants. She said the city cannot claim to be doing enough on trees and waterways while growth pressure rises. She would strengthen tree retention, set firm stream setbacks, improve stormwater controls and restore damage. She supports a care- and health-first approach to homelessness, including outreach, mental health and addictions support, work with the RCMP, supportive housing with BC Housing and Fraser Health, and pressure on senior governments to contribute. On Flock/Axon-style cameras, she does not support the systems as typically offered. She wants the RCMP to explain the need and purpose, a privacy impact assessment, short data retention, data stored in Canada, no sharing with outside agencies, audit logs and public reporting. Her next-term priority is an OCP refresh that plans housing, roads, schools, parks and flood protection together so growth feels like progress rather than pressure. She described herself as a coach, mother and community builder who runs a non-profit and owns a business, has led large community events, and is raising her children locally. She said she is independent, takes no developer money, will be accessible to residents and will report back on her commitments.

Doug Blessin said he has lived in Port Coquitlam for more than 23 years. He wants more seniors’ housing and long-term care, as well as affordable homes for young families; he said his two adult children have well-paying jobs but cannot afford to live in the city. He identified the Lougheed and Shaughnessy intersection as a frequent bottleneck and wants the city to keep pressing the province and TransLink. He also called for repairs to rough roads such as Pitt River Road, safer crossings, school zones, lighting and accessible sidewalks. He would seek faster answers to resident complaints, with clear standards for repairs and responses. He has accepted no donations from developers or anyone else, is not seeking contributions and is personally funding his campaign. He called the 1.95 per cent increase reasonable, saying it adds about $45 a year for the average home and roughly three-quarters comes from policing and labour costs the city does not control. He said Port Coquitlam had Metro Vancouver’s lowest property taxes and utility fees last year and that this is among the region’s lowest increases. He believes investment in roads, infrastructure and recreation facilities benefits residents. He said tree protection is mostly adequate but rivers need more attention. He and his children took part in the annual cleanup run by Riverside Fly and Tackle, and he would like the city to bring it back. He wants trees and green space protected and replaced as housing is added. He called for housing and support for people in need, while distinguishing provincial responsibility for health, mental health and addiction from the city’s role in housing through land and zoning. He opposes mass surveillance and said plate-reading cameras collect information about everyone, not just suspects. He referred to an order by B.C.’s privacy commissioner for Richmond to shut down its test. His top priority is affordable rental and starter homes for young families, more seniors’ housing and long-term care, supported by local jobs and child care. He said he has lived locally for more than 23 years, raised his family there, coached lacrosse in PoCo and represented Canada and his city three times as a Paralympian, bringing a particular perspective on accessibility.

Nancy McCurrach (incumbent) said she has lived in Port Coquitlam for 34 years. The city has recently added more than 450 affordable rental homes, she said, but renters, young families and seniors still struggle to find affordable housing. The city’s Housing Needs Report identifies a need over five years for 1,784 market rental homes and 1,136 non-market rental homes. If re-elected, she would work with non-profit providers and senior governments for affordable homes and advocate for more family-sized and accessible options. She is proud council is upgrading two pump stations to improve flood protection, with federal grants helping offset the cost. She also introduced a rain barrel program to help residents collect garden water and reduce runoff into storm drains. She called the 1.95 per cent increase reasonable, saying timely maintenance of roads, drainage and other infrastructure can avoid greater costs later. Council reviews the budget line by line, seeks efficiencies, defers non-essential spending and pursues provincial and federal grants. She said RCMP services, school district taxes and Metro Vancouver taxes are largely outside city control. She will continue scrutinizing spending and listening to residents while maintaining affordability and the services, infrastructure and green spaces the community relies on. She said about $3,000 worth of trees were planted at a public planting in Coutts Park in 2021, but blackberry bushes have taken over and obscure the trees. She called for ongoing invasive-species removal, watering and monitoring, saying planting is only the first step. She attends Tri-Cities Homelessness and Housing Task Force meetings and said the city can connect people with shelter, housing and care through the bylaw team. The province should work with outreach providers, BC Housing and Fraser Health and expand treatment for serious mental illness and addiction. She said the toxic drug supply makes timely help more urgent; the city can support suitable housing and stronger outreach so people are not left cycling between streets, shelters and hospitals. She opposes Flock or Axon-style cameras until clear laws establish the need to track private lives, even for crime reduction. Her next-term priorities are traffic and infrastructure, including the Fremont Connector to ease pressure on Port Coquitlam’s North Side, and work with neighbouring communities on environmental effects of Burke Mountain growth. She said she advanced gender equity, accessibility and seniors’ services during two terms, including free recreation for residents aged 80 and over. She cited an International Jefferson Award and a TELUS Legend Award, and said Mayor Brad West endorsed her. She hopes to continue serving Port Coquitlam.