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 Samantha Agtarap, BC Green candidate in Port Moody-Burquitlam.
Name: Samantha Agtarap
Age: 47
Profession: Professional Engineer, city councillor and small business co-owner
Residence: Port Moody's Inlet Centre neighbourhood
Biography
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Samantha brings nearly two decades of experience in engineering and climate action, making her a powerful advocate for sustainable development. Her background includes working with Indigenous communities, governments and the private sector to develop and implement effective climate action plans and policies. Currently, Samantha chairs the Climate Action and Economic Development and Tourism Committees as a Port Moody city councillor. A strong proponent of social justice, Samantha believes in the need for robust climate action and equitable economic policies. Samantha is committed to transitioning toward a green, sustainable economy. She lives with her family in Port Moody’s Inlet Centre and enjoys this highly walkable neighbourhood with its proximity to local small businesses and parks.
Contact information
- Website: bcgreens2024.ca/your-candidates/samantha-agtarap
- Email: [email protected]
- Socials:
- Facebook: facebook.com/sam4pomo
- X: @sam4pomo
- Instagram: @sam4pomo
- TikTok: @samantha.agtarap
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?
Infill development is preferable to urban sprawl, and while the latest housing legislation enables and encourages this, the roll-out and the “one-size fits all” approach without flexibility to incorporate the unique features of a community was flawed. The housing legislation does not take into account walkability and instead imposes “as the crow flies” distances. In communities such as Port Moody and Coquitlam (Belcarra and Anmore are not affected by the housing legislation), steep slopes, rail lines and other features mean that in some cases, the walking distance from a bus stop or SkyTrain station is, in reality, much further than 400 m. The government needs to loosen their legislation in such a way that allows municipalities' individual quirks and charms to work with the intent of the legislation — build more housing close to transit.
The BC Greens housing plans includes making existing public land available for nonprofit housing development and acquiring new public land specifically for the purpose of building affordable housing. Additionally, the BC Greens would provide non-profits and housing cooperatives with upfront investment and low-cost financing options. More details on the BC Green Affordable Housing Plans can be found here.
What would your government do to help municipalities provide more supportive housing?
This current system pits other needs of the municipalities’ residents against the need for supportive housing. Providing supportive housing and associated wraparound support services is the function of the provincial government and BC Housing. Many municipalities have limited land and, often, BC Housing programs require the municipality to relinquish ownership or sign long-term leases for minimal amounts, restricting the resources and land available for municipalities to serve all of their residents’ needs. BC Housing needs to be less rigid and provide more flexibility when working with municipalities, so that it’s not a "one-size fits all" approach which is being taken right now, but more of a tailored approach that looks at the unique opportunities that each municipality brings to the table. There are BC Housing programs that sound promising, yet not all municipalities are eligible, or funding is fully subscribed. Housing for everyone is foundational to ensuring our communities are prosperous, vibrant and healthy.
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?
*The candidate did not respond to this question.
How will your government help make $10-a-day childcare more widely available to more families?
The addition of $10-a-day childcare has provided welcome relief to working parents but more needs to be done. The government needs to continue to work to on-board as many non-profit childcare centres as possible and consider options to encourage childcare for shift workers like health care professionals. We also need more Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) to ensure there is access to childcare for all families, so it is important to expand access to training programs, ensure living wages, incentivize childcare centres to take on practicum ECEs, and retool the provincial ECE wage top-up to also include overhead costs of administering the top-up. Providing affordable childcare and childcare choices benefits BC families and our local economy. Childcare is a great social equalizer, especially for single-income households, where one parent stays home to provide childcare because the costs of it are prohibitive to them re-entering the labour market.
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 and medium businesses are key contributors to the B.C. economy and important members of our communities but they are under increasing pressure from rising costs due to rapidly increasing rents, Employer Health Tax, five paid sick days, and increased labour costs. The Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) members have endorsed a number of resolutions calling on the province to enable legislative tools to provide relief to small businesses through commercial rent control, property tax sub-classes for small businesses and other progressive taxation policies. The future government should review the resolutions from UBCM and engage with both municipalities and small businesses on how best to support to support small businesses across B.C. It is worth noting that compared to crime rates across B.C., Port Moody and Coquitlam enjoy relatively low rates.
Our cities are growing into the surrounding wild areas; that’s creating increasing concerns about wildlife encounters and the threat of wildfires, what kind of supports would your government be able provide in those communities to protect wildlife and residents?
We need to continue to protect natural areas through building within urban containment boundaries. In addition, the province can continue to support municipalities in their efforts to educate residents on living with wildlife and address the root causes of wildlife-human interactions through programs like the Province’s Bear Smart Community Program. Both Port Moody and Coquitlam have achieved “Bear Smart” status.
Cities like Port Moody are trying to be proactive in their efforts to address climate change, but that often comes at an expense to local taxpayers who will be on the hook for infrastructure upgrades, emergency planning, etc; what supports can the provincial government provide to ensure all communities are rowing in the same direction at the same time without exerting too much financial burden on those communities?
Climate change is estimated to cost Canadian taxpayers, governments, and businesses billions of dollars annually. The Insurance Bureau of Canada and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities report titled “Investing in Canada’s Future: The Cost of Climate Adaptation” estimates that cities need to invest between 0.2 to 0.3 per cent of GDP on adaptation and mitigation. In other words, this represents an approximately $5 billion per year expenditure, nationally. The long-term financial impacts of climate action — or inaction — make a strong business case. In some extreme cases, maintenance on critical infrastructure has been deferred in favour of keeping expenses (and municipal taxes) low. Delaying action will more than likely increase costs, whether these are in the form of capital costs or increased operating costs, and non-financial impacts to residents’ quality of life. Thinking and planning long-tern will enable the province and municipalities to get ahead of expensive infrastructure and insurance costs now. The BC Greens have pledged to use carbon tax collected from industries to invest directly in communities and fund climate action projects in local communities. This is a much needed investment in improving communities’ resiliency in a changing climate. Read more about the BC Greens proposal for a fairer carbon tax here.
What plans does your government have to expand West Coast Express service?
It is my understanding that it is challenging to expand West Coast Express service as it operates on a private rail line that is also used for shipping goods. Unfortunately, this causes a conflict in use and goals. Passenger rail travel over longer distances can be an efficient way to travel and something that is missing, not only in B.C., but across Canada. I would continue advocacy at the federal level on this topic.
The village of Anmore is considering several large development projects that would increase its population considerably and put more pressure on the only two roads that service the community. Council is making a pitch to force the reversal of Port Moody’s decision to close a former road right-of-way through Bert Flinn Park. What would your government do to address this problem?
This matter is between the municipalities and Metro Vancouver. The province has no jurisdiction and, personally, I hope that all parties engage in collaboration to ensure the best outcome for all residents, both current and future. The provincial government overstepped its jurisdictional boundaries when it comes to municipalities as it has ostensibly limited some local government autonomy around land use decisions. Every level of government needs to support each other and work together on issues such as housing, transportation and healthcare.
What might your government do to improve oversight of municipal governments and ensure they adhere to standards for ethical behaviour?
Municipalities have continued to call for provincial government assistance in establishing a province-wide ethics commissioner through resolutions at UBCM since 2020. It is time that the province listens and implements an office within the Ministry of Municipal Affairs to assist municipal councils and regional district boards in resolving issues related to ethical behaviour and conduct. There are multiple examples where this would be helpful. Additionally, I believe that an ethics course should be mandatory for all elected officials, similar to the requirements of many professions, including engineers. Elected officials in all levels of government should be as educated and equipped as possible to perform their duties to the highest standards of their ethical and professional obligations.
