The Burnaby Citizens Association, the city’s long-standing progressive social democratic party, has eight city council candidates on the ballot.

Four proven community leaders, Reah Arora, Maita Santiago, Antara Deb, and Daniel Tetrault, will join four incumbent councillors, Pietro Calendino, Sav Dhaliwal, Alison Gu, and James Wang, to help work to build a better Burnaby. They plan to do so by focusing on issues that matter most to Burnaby residents.

The BCA also has seven school board candidates in the running: Bill Brassington, Peter Cech, Larry Hayes, Jen Mezei, Mikelle Sasakamoose, Kristin Schnider, and Gary Wong.

After the 2018 election, BCA went through a rebuilding phase to revitalize its association, reaching out to residents to generate an informed vision of a transformed and forward-thinking political party.

“The BCA leadership recognized the need to create a more inclusive and representative organization of the community in Burnaby,” explains Mikelle Sasakamoose, BCA school board candidate.

After collecting this valuable feedback, the BCA is showing action and taking concrete steps to move forward.

“Our incumbents have demonstrated their leadership in the community, while our new candidates have established their commitment to the community outside of government, by volunteering or representing different groups, for example, through unions, senior groups or the Burnaby Teachers’ Association.”

The BCA is committed to advancing progressive policies in Burnaby and believes they’ve demonstrated that.

“Our BCA elected officials have worked closely with Mayor Hurley to advance those progressive policies in the city and deliver on our shared values,” Sasakamoose continues.

Housing crisis and local economy

The BCA is motivated to make Burnaby work for you, which includes tackling the housing crisis and making life more affordable for Burnaby residents and their families.

“It’s important now more than ever, for Burnaby to have a government that’s going to prioritize families and give people in our community a break,” says Sasakamoose.

“We want to keep taxes low to ensure people who live in Burnaby can continue to afford to live here. This means protecting renters and the character of existing neighbourhoods, and building new housing where and how it makes sense.”

The BCA plans to maintain a strong local economy that prioritizes good jobs close to home.

Sasakamoose believes that it’s essential that the government understands its role in the economy when it comes to  supporting small businesses, promoting innovation and investing in local talent.

“Cities must protect existing businesses while also attracting and facilitating new investments locally,” she explains. “We want to consider ways to make Burnaby a destination, so people will come and work, play and stay, to support the local economy.”

Climate change and Reconciliation

The BCA’s actions reveal significant paths are being taken to achieve carbon reduction.

“Burnaby is a leader in the green transition,” says Sasakamoose. “Our city fleets and school board fleets include numerous electric vehicles, plus many schools are waste-free.”

“I also believe we can create more walkable neighbourhoods in Burnaby, with more bike lanes that are safe.”

BCA candidates are also intentionally trying to advance Reconciliation, and they acknowledge Burnaby is on the ancestral and unceded homelands of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh speaking peoples.

“BCA recognizes that bringing in Indigenous voices, like myself, makes the process truly informed,” says Sasakamoose.

“First Nations’ input into climate strategies is important because Indigenous peoples were the traditional stewards of these lands, and who better to say how we should pursue protecting the environment.”

“As a team, we cover all the bases. None of us can do it alone. We have to work together and with others in the community,” Sasakamoose continues.

“We want to work with people who want to make Burnaby a better place, where all residents benefit from an inclusive and caring society, vibrant economy and sustainable environment.”

For more information, visit burnaby-citizens.ca.