The Tri-City News sent out a questionnaire to all candidates in the local ridings for the 2024 B.C. election.
The following is from Jennifer Blatherwick, BC NDP candidate in Coquitlam-Maillardville.
Name: Jennifer Blatherwick
Age: 49
Profession: Coquitlam School Trustee, former Executive Director for ACCESS Youth Outreach, and small business owner
Residence: Coquitlam’s Maillardville neighbourhood
Biography
- My husband and I have been lucky to raise our five kids in Coquitlam. I am currently serving a second term as a trustee on the Coquitlam School Board, and just finished my term as the Executive Director for ACCESS Youth Outreach. Prior to being elected I ran the B.C. chapter of Odyssey of the Mind, a STEM league for students, and owned a local small business.
Contact information
- Website: jenniferblatherwick.bcndp.ca
- Phone: 604-475-5228
- Socials:
- Facebook: facebook.com/jenniferblatherwick
- X: @jennblatherwick
- Instagram: @jenn.wick
- Threads: @jenn.wick
Questionnaire
Recent legislation designed to get more housing built in urban areas close to transit has created tumult in some communities. How might your government further refine this approach to ensure the new housing that gets constructed also addresses local needs for affordable housing as well as homes for families and seniors?
Throughout this campaign I have been hearing about the need for more affordable housing and to continue addressing the cost of living. That is why we are making it easier to build the kind of housing young families can buy into for the first time, such as townhouses, rowhomes, or fourplexes for multigenerational families, while giving local governments the tools to better require developers to build below market housing. Here in Coquitlam-Maillardville, BC Housing is partnering with SUCCESS and the City of Coquitlam to build new affordable housing sites for seniors next to the Maillardville Community Centre. As your MLA in Coquitlam-Maillardville, I will continue to advocate for more affordable housing partnerships and finding ways so my children are able to find a place to live in Coquitlam. We can’t go back to John Rustad’s approach in government, when we witnessed cuts to affordable housing projects and rampant speculation that drove up the cost of home ownership.
What would your government do to help municipalities provide more supportive housing?
There are too many people living on our streets without a safe place to call home. Since 2017, we have seen 6,000 new supportive housing units open with another 2,700 on the way, and 700 new beds for unhoused people dealing with severe and complex mental health issues. John Rustad cut affordable housing investments by a staggering 75 per cent in one year alone. He let foster kids age out at 19 without any support, leaving many at risk of homelessness. Working as the Executive Director of ACCESS Youth, I witnessed firsthand the difference that support means for foster kids, ensuring they can access job training and post-secondary education, while finding housing. I am committed to working with the City of Coquitlam to find new supportive housing sites and emergency weather response space.
How would your provincial government support municipalities dealing with the increase in growth and demand for infrastructure like schools, childcare, parks and recreational facilities brought on by the new provincial housing regulations?
Recent housing legislation introduced a new Amenity Cost Charge and expanded the use of the Development Cost Charge tool to be able to pay for more amenities like new police stations and libraries. The BC NDP government also provided cities with funding for new infrastructure projects. In Coquitlam-Maillardville, this is helping to pay for the construction of the new Mundy Park Pool and upgrades to Blue Mountain Park. Building complete communities is important to every growing city. As a Coquitlam School Board trustee, I worked closely with the provincial government to expand Charles Best Secondary and on the rebuild and expansion of Montgomery Middle. As your MLA, I will continue to support the needs of our city.
How will your government help make $10-a-day childcare more widely available to more families?
David Eby and the BC NDP are creating childcare spaces at the fastest pace in our province’s history, but there is still more to do so we can get $10-a-day childcare to every family that needs it. To continue this growth we are building childcare into new schools so parents can rely on one pick up and drop off location. We’ve boosted the wages for early childhood educators so we can attract more people to work in this space and we’re supporting childcare centres with operating expenses to bring their fees down. When John Rustad was in government he ignored childcare, leaving it in chaos. There were fewer spaces, low wages that made it hard for daycares to hire workers, and young families were paying more in childcare costs than for their mortgage. We have more work to do, and as your MLA I will continue to push for more childcare investments.
Small businesses are struggling with onerous leases, petty crime, increasing costs. According to a recent survey almost half fear they won't be around in four years. What will you do to make it better for those businesses to have a chance to survive and new ones to start up?
Small businesses are the backbone of our economy. These last few years have been incredibly difficult for small businesses, with pressures ranging from the pandemic, to high interest rates, and global inflation. That’s why David Eby and the BC NDP doubled the exemption for the Employer Health Tax, a big break for small and medium sized businesses, and cut the small business tax rate by 25 per cent. They’ve brought in wholesale liquor prices for restaurants and capped delivery fees, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars in savings for the industry. To help businesses expand, they offered low cost loans and helped businesses hire the workers they need by expanding skills training programs. Unfortunately, too many small businesses have been faced with petty crime. That’s why the BC NDP government set up a rebate program for small businesses that gave $2,000 per year to cover any vandalism and a one time $1,000 rebate to set up preventative measures. As your MLA, I will listen to small businesses in our community and work with them to support the vital role they play in our local economy.
Local governments now have more Emergency Social Services (ESS) responsibilities for mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery for major incidents like fires and floods. Will your government provide a temporary group lodging facility at səmiq̓ʷəʔelə / Riverview Lands as part of a coordinated regional response plan for natural/human-made disasters?
The Modernized Emergency Management Legislation requires local governments to work closely with first nations on matters such as these. As the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm reserve lands are within the floodplain of the Coquitlam River I expect the City of Coquitlam and kʷikʷəƛ̓əm leaders are already, or will be, working together to determine appropriate locations for temporary lodgings in the unfortunate event of a major flood or other disaster. I will always work with first nations, local government, and the community to ensure access to available supports from the province.
Coquitlam RCMP continues to get daily calls about people who have left a mental health facility or group home. The ground- and paper-work involved to account for each person missing from these centres takes hours of police time. How will your government help the detachment and the cities of Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam with resources?
I am proud that Coquitlam has a long history of hosting mental health care facilities in our community. The Red Fish Healing Centre, opened in 2021 on the səmiq̓ʷəʔelə / Riverview lands, is an example of the kind of compassionate care we can offer people with mental health or substance use challenges. I recognize there are challenges with the current system which places an additional workload on the RCMP, and as MLA I look forward to discussing possible solutions with city representatives. In addition, we’ll continue to expand Peer Assistant Care Teams to respond to mental health calls and determine if police intervention is required.
How will your government partner with the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem) First Nation?
I’m a firm believer in real reconciliation. That means working together with the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm nation to find a path where our shared community can prosper, together. Recently the province, the federal government, and kʷikʷəƛ̓əm First Nation announced a joint partnership to upgrade the flood prevention network along the Coquitlam River and to strengthen fish habitats. Real reconciliation means working together and I believe there are tremendous opportunities for our community by continuing to work with the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm Nation.
The Société francophone de Maillardville has been in Coquitlam for more than 40 years and receives provincial funding. What will you do to ensure it has a permanent home in the traditionally French-speaking community?
The Société Francophone de Maillardville is a pillar of the Maillardville community. The work of the society has been pivotal in keeping Coquitlam’s French history alive and sharing it with newcomers. Festival du Bois remains a signature celebration in our city. I am committed to working with the next Minister responsible for Francophone Affairs, the City, and partners to find a permanent workspace for the Society.
Upgrades to the Highway 1/Brunette Avenue Interchange have been on the books for decades. What will you do to make sure this pinch-point is improved, especially for emergency responders?
The Brunette Interchange needs to be improved to better facilitate traffic flow, not just for daily commuters, but also to ensure quick access to and from Royal Columbian Hospital. I know the City of Coquitlam, the City of New Westminster and the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, along with other partners, continue to have discussions about how to best improve the interchange. If elected, I will make it a priority to sit down with all parties to better understand the timelines for this project and will advocate for action on a solution that works for our community.
