PORT MOODY
A former Green Party candidate who has run both provincially and federally has set her sights on a Port Moody council seat in this fall's civic election.
Rebecca Helps filed her nomination papers last week and vowed that if elected she would work closely with regional authorities to push for construction of the Evergreen Line. She said she would govern "as though the greatest challenge we face is climate change" and wants the city to take a leadership role in the region in combating the problem.
Helps, who has lived in Port Moody her whole life, said her experience as a system analyst would help her in achieving her other goal: streamlining city departments to make them more efficient. For more information, go to www.votinghelps.ca.
Barbara Junker, a 22-year resident of Glenayre, said she will seek a seat on Port Moody council in this fall's civic election.
Junker is a member of the Glenayre Community Association and has volunteered for the Canadian Cancer Society, the Heart and Stroke Foundation and her parent advisory committee. She works for the Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union, representing BC Hydro employees, among other workers.
Junker outlined what she called her five-point plan: complete the new fire hall, place a moratorium on installation of BC Hydro smart meters in Port Moody, lobby for a regional park, lobby for completion of the Evergreen Line and make sure all civic infrastructure meets LEED standards. For more information go to www.barbarajunker.ca.
Rosemary Small has entered the Port Moody civic race, saying she wants a seat on council so she can be part of the decision-making process. Small, who is a payroll manager at Douglas College, said that too often ideas are researched, developed and presented only to be dismissed by council. She would like the city to revisit the idea of a technology park and said Port Moody needs to formulate a business plan to encourage more economic development. A water bus ferry running from Rocky Point to Lonsdale Quay is also an initiative she said she would like to put forward if elected. Small is the president of the Barnet Lions Club and has worked on community projects, including the Golden Spike Days, Hike for Hospice and the shoreline cleanup. She has lived in Pleasantside for 20 years.
PORT COQUITLAM
Port Coquitlam Coun. Glenn Pollock has announced his intentions to seek a second term on council in the November civic election.
Pollock, who was first elected in 2008, said the city needs to find new revenue sources so that homeowners are not overburdened by property taxes. He has been a resident of the community since 1982 where he has coached lacrosse, hockey and has volunteered in support of local sports. In 2004 he was rewarded for his efforts when he was given the Port Coquitlam Volunteer Award.
COQUITLAM
A longtime Coquitlam politician announced yesterday he will seek another term on city council.
Lou Sekora, a current city councillor who previously served as the city's mayor and, briefly, as a Liberal MP, said in a press release via his campaign manager: "I have always put the interests of Coquitlam residents first and will continue to do so."
Currently, Sekora is a member of the city's four standing committees and is on the parcel tax review panel. He also serves as the vice-chairperson of the multiculturalism advisory and the disability issues committees. In the 2008 race, Sekora placed third with 9,043 votes.
