Interviewed by Katie Stobbart
Since many students will be voting or taking an interest in municipal politics for the first time, what would you describe as the role of municipal politics? So, what can city councillors actually do?
Municipal councillors can affect the policy and plans for their city, so they can actually improve the quality of life for their citizens by what they support and what policies and procedures they put forward. So I think they play a really important part because quality of life, to me, is very important.
Who do you view as your constituents?
I consider everyone to be my constituents, whether they’re taxpayers or not. We have a lot of people living here in Abbotsford who are not part of our tax base, but I would like to represent all people regardless of socio-economic background. We also have students who are foreign students, but they’re living in our city, and I would like to represent them as well. So basically anyone who works, lives, or plays in Abbotsford is who I would consider my constituents.
How will you receive the views of the entire population instead of just those most active around City Hall?
I think surveys are good, but also just going and connecting, partaking in community events, so events that would be happening at the university [for example] — I know once you’re a councillor your schedule’s a lot busier than before you were a councillor. I like talking to people one on one. But surveys are good as well, to get a slice of what the population is thinking.
Are you doing anything to address the lack of student interest in municipal politics?
Well, I thought this interview would help. I did approach Aaron [Levy] to get an interview with CiVL. I took part in the Thanksgiving dinner they had here, that was prepared by the students from the Chilliwack campus. If I can take part in a few events that are happening here and connect with students.
If elected, how would what you do as a councillor be different from what councillors are doing now?
I hope that I would bring a unique approach. My platform is compassion, community, commerce, and change — in that order. I feel approaching our policy, our city, our plans, the way we do things, with compassion is extremely important. I’m hoping that looking at things through the veil of compassion, we would come up with policies and procedures that are empathetic to everyone, and that will improve quality of life. I also understand economics and commerce are important — we need the jobs, the tax base, etcetera, to improve that quality of life for everyone. I’ve had a varied life experience — I had my own project management business, I’ve been a teacher, I’ve been a mother, I’ve been very involved in the community, I’ve had my own experiences with homelessness — just bringing those things to the table give me more empathy and more compassion.
Do you have a specific project you want to prioritize or bylaw you want to change?
Yes, homelessness is an issue I would like addressed immediately. They can’t wait; it’s wintertime. I’m seeing other cities are putting things into place that are working. The City has started on it and I would like to build on that. They proposed to hire a housing coordinator which I’m hoping would take the approach I’ve been talking about, which is getting all the stakeholders involved: community services, a student group, the Drug War Survivors who are fighting the bylaw, the police, Fraser Health — getting everyone together and creating opportunities to work with the homeless one on one so they can participate in their own recovery and solutions, and then providing housing that welcomes them in just as they are. A lot of solutions that have been put forward thus far have put restrictions on who can receive housing or who can receive shelter first. You can’t expect someone to come off drugs and to live under the restrictions people were proposing… they need to buy into it. It also makes them feel part of the community, and feel wanted and loved. … I feel like there’s a lot of conflict and animosity between the people who are trying to help and the people who need help.
I would encourage everyone working together, getting someone to coordinate. There are so many things already happening, but there’s a lot of duplication. Get everyone coordinated, and get everyone to work with the homeless one on one.
With coordinating those different groups of people to come up with solutions, what would that look like structurally and how would the City be involved?
I know the city’s task force has already put forth and approved a housing coordinator position, and I’m hoping that person — and that has been approved in theory by council but they have to come up with funding — I am hoping that person could take on the role of coordinating all the services and then putting together a team, a street team, who will go out and work with people. We also need shelter, we need places to put them. It’s one thing to go out and work with them one on one, but when we do, where can we find them shelter? So we need someone who can coordinate what’s going on already and then we need a place where we can house these people. We also have to accept that some of them do not want to be housed, and we have to allow for that; we can’t say it’s illegal. Maybe they’ll change their mind with the one-on-one support, and maybe they never will, but I think what we have to do is accept and love people where they’re at, and I’m positive that with that approach we will see improvements in these people’s lives and positive things happening?
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
