Canada
Six Filipino-Canadians in the running for municipal elections this month
Teodoro Alcuitas
Editor, PhilippineCanadianNews.Com (PCN.Com)
Realtor Grace Yan seeks to be mayor of the City of Calgary and is joined by five others running for councillors in Alberta, Montreal and Whitehorse.
Grace Yan for Mayor of Calgary, Alberta
Elections: October 18, 2021
By Tony San Juan
“My focus and vision are a Calgary where businesses grow and families thrive.” This is the “battle cry” of Grace Yan, a Filipino Canadian of considerable political ambition and great personal determination.
A commercial real estate broker by trade, Yan “wants the city to attract investment through tax breaks and other incentives for big and small businesses, and turn vacant downtown buildings into housing as part of a broader revitalization effort.”
In 1991, Yan initially pursued a career as a paralegal, helping people from all walks of life. Then she branched out into a successful real estate business. She is currently a Director of Sales and Marketing at Coldwell Banker MC Commercial.
Incumbent Councillor Jocelyn Curteanu is running for re-election in Whitehorse, NWT. She has served three terms since first being elected in 2012. Curteanu is the first Filipino woman to be elected in a municipal council in the NWT.
Courteanu believes it is “mportant for good governance to have a balance on Council of old and new, and people with different backgrounds and perspectives.”
“Experience can provide that corporate history, and speak to the context of past decisions will significantly assist the council as a whole.” she says, adding that in order to “best represent our citizens, we need councillors who reflect the diversity of our Whitehorse population and can bring those voices to the table.”
Stephanie Valenzuela
Councillor, Borough of Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Montreal
Election Day: November 7, 2021
Born and raised in Côte-des-Neiges, Stephanie is a First generation Filipino-Canadian. She began her involvement in her community at an early age. With only a few members of her family in Canada, her parents turned to the Filipino community and volunteering to build a tight-knit network. From joining services such as the yearly flower distribution in the borough of Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce to offering meals at shelters, Stephanie developed a strong belief in giving back to the community and to those in vulnerable situations.
A graduate from McGill University in Political Sciences and International Development, Stephanie has focused her efforts on non-profit organizations and community initiatives. In 2014, post-graduation, she volunteered and worked in Monterrey, Mexico for an NGO called “La Paz Comienza Con Los Niños” (Peace Begins with Children). Through her work, she learned and acquired skills in project management, public relations and fundraising. Her experience in Mexico also led her to return to Montreal with a desire to work on local issues and give back to her community. Today, she is part of the Strengthening Families Program team led by the Côte-des-Neiges Black Community Association. She is also the director of Communications for the Filipino Heritage Society of Montreal.
Stephanie believes that representation is extremely important. Growing up in an ethnically populous borough, she quickly learned that diversity is not a threat, but a strength. Her deep understanding of the needs in her district and her involvement in the community inspired her to embark on this political journey with Ensemble Montreal. She believes that through Ensemble Montreal, with the leadership of Denis Coderre and Lionel Perez, we can bring inclusion, innovation and investments in Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce.
France Clare Stohner
Côte-des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-de-Grâce (CDN-NDG), Montreal
Election Day: November 7, 2021
By Ysh Cabana
France Clare Stohner is a Philippine-born, Montreal-raised psychotherapist and community organizer. If elected, she will become the first visible minority to sit on the council of the Côte-des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-de-Grâce (CDN-NDG) and the first Filipino to hold a public office in the province of Quebec.
Asked what motivated her to run for public office, she said “the Filipino people deserve to be represented” in an interview with the Montreal Gazette. “It’s way overdue, and I really want to advocate for them and for other immigrant communities in similar situations”
CDN-NDG in Montreal is known for its high concentration of racialized working-class population, particularly members of the Filipino community. A monument to Filipino hero Jose Rizal stands in its Mackenzie-King Park.
Stohner also added that the council should reflect the diverse population of the borough.
Her platform includes addressing the current housing crisis and supporting youth in precarious conditions. Having previously worked for NGOs in urban development, she has a background in grassroots work from a social justice and critical race feminist perspective.
“I grew up here. I still live here, and I plan on staying and raising a family here,” she said. “I’m not just a familiar face, I am part of the community,” she said.
The Philippine-born, Montreal-raised diasporic community organizer and psychotherapist completed a Masters of Arts degree in Counselling and Spirituality, specializing in Women’s Studies, a collaborative program between Saint-Paul University and the University of Ottawa. Her undergraduate years were spent at the Simone de Beauvoir Institute of Concordia University, where her education was built on anti-oppressive frameworks, and commitments to the well-being of disenfranchised populations. She previously worked for NGOs in Urban Development for women’s safety in cities, prior to focusing her efforts on advocacy for Filipino community. From 2011 to 2016, she was a radio host and content creator for the Sigaw Ng Bayan radio collective at McGill University’s CKUT 90.3FM, highlighting the importance of community dialogue and uplifting the marginalized voices.
She is running under Courage, the new political party headed by the incumbent CDN-NDG borough mayor Sue Montgomery.
Jyn San Miguel
Councillor, Canmore, Alberta
Election: October 18, 2021
By Mildred German
“As an immigrant and having travelled across Canada – from the Pacific to the Atlantic coast – I have come to understand that Canmore is one of the best places I have ever seen, and I am proud to call it my home. More important than the sceneries that make it outstanding are the people who make it a special place,” according to San Miguel.
A former resident of B.C., San Miguel is not only a traveller, but also a blogger, personal trainer, singer and an artist who started his life in Canmore as a housekeeper. He has lived in Canmore for six years and works seasonally as a settlement worker and a contractual artist in the town of Banff. He shares his talents to the community through Arts, Music, and many community initiatives.
A passionate singer who used to lead a choir of 300 members in the Philippines, San Miguel started the Canmore Singers, an inclusive choir group based in the Bow Valley. During the Filipino Heritage Month celebrations this year, San Miguel and the Canmore singers performed the Filipino folk song “Bayan Ko” on June 2, 2021 at the artsPlace cultural learning circle virtual event called “Focus on Filipino Culture”.
https://philippinecanadiannews.com/canada/bayan-ko-the-canmore-singers-sings-the-kundi man/
Bayanihan
A firm believer in the power of kindness and the Filipino values of “Bayanihan”, San Miguel,who is also a member of the LGBTQ community, has vast priorities for the community.
“I believe in advancing on the path of equitable and affordable access for all persons living in the Bow Valley. I also think that we can have a healthier neighbourhood by seeing the true value of diversity. We can start by reaching out in kindness to our neighbours and celebrate the strengths and abilities that we see within each other,” San Miguel states in his official Facebook page. “Also, it is time that our indigenous community, immigrants, persons of colour, LGBTQ+ members feel as valuable as everyone else.”
The 32-year old San Miguel came to Canada with his family 12 years ago. As an immigrant, he too experienced the struggles of the lack of recognition of foreign accreditations that he found himself having to constantly prove himself. It is therefore not surprising that appreciation for “community contributors” is part of his agenda.
“We also want to appreciate working community contributors such as service workers, housekeepers, doctors, nurses, construction workers, scientists, engineers, business owners, town employees, etc. Furthermore, I also believe that artists and musicians are essential community members in keeping a healthy and harmonious community,” his announcement emphasizes.