DOUG MACDONELL
Age: 59
Occupation: retired RCMP officer
Coquitlam resident: 51 years
Campaign funding: developers and individuals
Current city committees: none
Council meetings attended this year: none
In the 2011 election, Doug Macdonell lost his seat by 102 votes, placing behind Coun. Brent Asmundson, "and I feel there's a lot of business that I would like to still accomplish," he said. Safety issues around the Evergreen Line to Coquitlam are at the top of his priority list as well as a replacement for the Burquitlam Community Police Station. Coquitlam is growing so fast, he said, that attention needs to be paid to parks and "realistic development."
As a councillor, Macdonell was part of city planning but now he's concerned about staff and council's changes to those blueprints, especially with increased density. "I think we need to stick to our plans and we need to have intelligent, sustainable growth," he said.
As a police officer, Macdonell worked around the Lower Mainland and Coquitlam is "the nicest and friendliest and greenest and, I think, the best city," he said. To make the city affordable, council needs to cut spending, he said. "We have to look at even freezing taxes for a few years."
And on Riverview Hospital, Macdonell said he's in favour of having it as a wellness centre. "Market housing, definitely not."
Contact: 604-505-5574 (phone); macdonellcoquitlam.ca (website); electdougmacdonell (Facebook)
