My vote goes to the Green Party

This upcoming election, I will be voting for the Green Party.  Why would I vote for a party that everyone says has no chance of forming government after May14? Call me naive, but I still believe integrity counts for something.

The letter below to the Burnaby Now speaks for me perfectly.

People say that voting for the Green Party is like "throwing your vote away" because the Greens will not form a government after May 14.  My counter to such an opinion is that we've had a BC Liberal MLA named Richard Lee that has done nothing for Burnaby North during his 12 years in office.  I'M SERIOUS.  HE REALLY HAS NOT DONE ANYTHING FOR HIS CONSTITUENTS AS THE MLA FOR BURNABY NORTH.  As a result, anyone that has voted for Richard Lee has thrown away their vote.

Regardless of what you understand or believe, please get out and vote on May 14th.  Don't throw away your vote by not exercising your franchise, regardless of your political view.

Love letter for the Green party

BY E. HARRISON, BURNABY NOW MAY 10, 2013

Dear Editor:

I have some ideas of what I would like to see happening in my community with respect to government. I love how one of the "green" parties - the "greenest" one I can think of - is running in the upcoming provincial election. Perhaps not at all sure they will win, but running with integrity, because they believe in change - massive change - they know is needed to reclaim democracy from the hands of corporate-owned governments.

Known as the Green Party of B.C., I appreciate their love of the environment, never wavering, always committed to preserving our natural beauty, considering we are each wise stewards of the earth. I love that they are aware that the earth sustains all life forms and that whatever we do to the earth, we do to ourselves.

I love that they know every human being deserves a say in the decisions that affect their lives and not be subject to the will of another. I love that they desire public participation at every level by directly including citizens in decision-making processes.

I love that they know that violence is self-defeating, war must end and crime must be rooted out at its cause. I love that they know punishing crime will not solve or end crime, as punishment does not heal a wrong.

I love that they know that instead of people being subservient to the economy, the economy, when run with love and integrity, naturally provides for human needs within the natural limits of the earth and that local self-reliance to the greatest practical extent is the best way to achieve this goal.

I love that they know that the ethics of cooperation and understanding easily replace the values of domination and control.

I love that they know that all humans celebrate the biological diversity of the earth and the cultural, sexual, and spiritual diversity of the human race.

I love that they realize power must be returned to local communities in order to be reasonably managed with integrity.

I love that they know global sustainability and international justice can only be achieved when responsibility is shared at all levels of society.

I may be called an idealist by some, nevertheless, my ideas of what I would like to see for our future are valid. More than that, some cultures have lived successfully for thousands of years aligned with the planet, until they were introduced to so-called modern-day "progress."

I'm interested in knowing what kind of a future would you like for your community?

E. Harrison, Burnaby

© Copyright (c) Burnaby Now

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Burnaby North All-Candidates Meeting Video

The Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion plan for it's Westridge Terminal was a topic of discussion at the all-candidates meeting held on April 28 and is a major election issue as the NDP and BC Liberals have been accusing each other of being deliberately vague in their positions on pipeline development and increased tanker traffic in and around the Port of Vancouver.

The following video was taken by Burnaby Pipeline Watch and shows the views of 4 of Burnaby North's candidates representing (from left to right in the video) the NDP, and Green Party, Conservative Party, and BC Liberal Party.

Debate over heights; Rick McGowan

Rick McGowan has made some good points on why residents of Burnaby did not speak on the issue of increased density allowances being approved with changes to Burnaby bylaws governing density in the city's town centres such as Brentwood.

Burnaby NewsLeader - Letters to the Editor

Burnaby reaching new heights, and residents should say 'enough'

Published: January 23, 2012 10:00 AM 
Updated: January 23, 2012 10:40 AM

With word of yet more tall towers being proposed or under construction in the Metrotown and Brentwood areas, it bears repeating that the zoning changes that allow them were introduced by this current council without proper consultation with the residents most affected. The Supplementary Community Benefit Bonus Policy or “S-zoning” was not something that residents asked for. It was conceived by planners and developers as a way to build the tax base and maximize profits on a limited supply of land.

At the public hearing held in November 2010, there were no submissions made by the public regarding changes to the bylaw. Perhaps people in the town centres did not recognize that “the proposed zoning bylaw "text amendments" to provide a Supplementary Community Benefit Bonuses” meant high rises would double in height from 30 to 60 storeys.

When new rezoning applications are brought to public hearing, we see both support and opposition. Support comes from businesses, of course, and residents that live well outside the town centers. Understandably, opposition comes from those residing in the shadow of these projects. The concerns raised in Brentwood are raised in Metrotown and will certainly be raised in Edmonds, Lougheed and even UniverCity when the time comes. Control and development in our city is in the hands of a very small well-organized minority. If residents of the four town centres hope to bend the ear of council on this issue, they must come together organized and united and say “enough is enough!”

Rick McGowan,

Burnaby Municipal Green Party

Greens would establish affordable housing in transit hubs

Once again, affordable housing was discussed at the latest all candidates' meeting which took place at Stride Elementary School yesterday evening.  I didn't attend the meeting and, as is the case much of the time, I am using the Burnaby Now as my source of info on this meeting.   The Burnaby Greens candidate Rick McGowan stated that if elected, the Greens will allocate 20% of density bonus money to create affordable housing in areas close to SkyTrain stations.    However, he further stated that the Greens would reduce the allowable density in town centres back to previous levels from the current allowance that Burnaby City Council established earlier this year.  This would essentially reduce the amount of potential money that could go towards affordable housing.

As I have written earlier, it is important to have a program in place to deal with affordable housing for at-risk members of the community before it gets out of control and before available space is taken up by conventional housing which makes the issue more costly to deal with in the future. The Greens have suggested a concrete plan instead of just promises to attempt to work with various levels of government with an excuse later to blame the other levels of government for the lack of action.

There is currently plenty of potential to build more affordable housing in the Brentwood area as developers clammer to have their high-density projects approved.  I like the Green idea of 20% allocation of density funds but disagree with the scaling back of the density allowances that were approved earlier this year.  Greater density will help fund more community amenities as well as allow adjacent single-family neighbourhoods to maintain their low-density character and serenity.

Brentwood redevelopment not discussed at All-Candidates Meeting

Last night I had an opportunity to attend the All-Candidates Meeting at Gilmore School in Burnaby Heights.  Although the topic of Brentwood redevelopment was not directly discussed, the issue of development in the town centres was slightly touched upon with the majority of development-related discussion relating to single-family neighbourhoods.

The issues relevant (remotely or otherwise) to this blog that were mentioned were as follows:

The Burnaby Greens commented on homelessness, walkability, and was the only party to bring up the issue of the Chevron Refinery pollution in North Burnaby.

Team Burnaby appeared to contradict itself when its Mayoral Candidate Tom Tao stated in his opening statement that Burnaby must come to terms of becoming a "global city".  Soon afterwards, his running mate, Garth Evans stated that in terms of development, he is opposed to change and that he wants the status quo.

What immediately came to mind was how Team Burnaby envisions Burnaby becoming a "global city" without encouraging increased density as is beginning to happen in some areas along Hastings Street on either side of Willingdon Ave in the Burnaby Heights neighbourhood.  Increased density brings in more locals to the area that not only support local businesses and jobs but also encourages more businesses and jobs to move into the area as a larger consumer and labour base will result which in turn increases the vibrancy of the neighbourhood.  The current Council has encouraged the type of development that saw Safeway transformed along with the building of nice low-rise development across the street from there.  Currently the old McDonald's site is being transformed into a street level retail complex with overhead residential low-rise condos.

The Green Candidate Adrianne Merlo addressed Garth Evans' statement that he does not want change by stating that change is happening whether he wants it or not as the global population shift from rural to urban areas has continued its rapid pace throughout the world and that Burnaby is no exception.  The Green Candidate continued by emphasizing the need to be prepared for the projected population increase in Metro Vancouver by planning for it now rather than reacting to it later and that density is a way to accommodate more residents in Burnaby.

Although the other Mayoral Candidates addressed the public's questions directly posed to them, Team Burnaby Candidate Tom Tao showed that he is completely unprepared for the job as he failed to answer even one question when he spoke.   Instead of answering the questions at hand, Tao digressed into unrelated topics to the chagrin of the audience and the posers of the questions.  Why he is the Mayoral Candidate for Team Burnaby is indeed one the mysteries of 2011.

Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan and his fellow candidates did a good job answering the sometimes nasty-sounding attacks on their record in City Council.  When pressed on the issue of homelessness and social housing, Mayor Corrigan mentioned Burnaby's previous attempt to build space for battered women in the Burnaby Heights area only to have the Provincial Government pull its support at the last minute most likely to punish Burnaby for its City Council's political stripe being different from that of Victoria.

To his credit, Team Burnaby's Garth Evans admitted that the Provincial Government headed by the party that he supports has failed to live up to its share of the responsibility in Burnaby to tackle the issue of homelessness.

Adrianne Merlow of the Greens chastised Burnaby Council for not being active in dealing with homelessness and suggested that although Burnaby Council is making a technical argument for it's lack of action (provincial-municpal disagreements) but that the issue is more of a moral one that Council has ignored.

When questioned about their opinion on the carbon tax increase of 2 cents per litre recently approved by the TransLink Board of Directors, Burnaby Council gave its usual answer that it opposed the increase.  Team Burnaby Candidate Tom Tao again failed to answer a question while he went on with his usual digressions.  The closest he came to talking about the carbon tax increase came when he had to ask the questioner about which jurisdiction the carbon tax falls under.  Tom Tao appears to not even know what the issue surrounding the carbon tax is about.  I was shocked to say the least that he has not been aware of the carbon tax issue including where the money goes.

Green candidate Merlow stated her support for the carbon tax increase arguing for the importance of constructing the Evergreen Line into Coquitlam which is, in the long term, an important step towards building up sustainable transportation infrastructure in the region.  The Green candidate continued to stress the importance of such initiatives to improve access to and from not only the SkyTrain stations in the town centres of Burnaby, but also the other stations that make up parts of the SkyTrain lines.  Emphasis was placed on improved walkability and cycling from single-family neighbourhoods to transit stations.

One issue not discussed regarding homelessness is the potential for increased numbers of homeless people to migrate into the town centres of Burnaby as increased density in areas such as Brentwood will draw homeless people in search of safety from the isolation that they suffer from in less densely-populated areas that have less amenities.  As the Brentwood area grows, more affordable housing, homeless shelters, and other social services will be required to assist marginalized people seeking safety and opportunities in the area.  To ignore the issue now and  to react to it later as an afterthought will end up costing tax-payers more in the long-run.  Programs must be established and space developed to prepare for the issue to even have a remote chance of adequately dealing with increased homelessness.

One of the issues that residents in the Brentwood area have expressed concerns about is traffic congestion as more highrises bring more people to the area.  In the Brentwood Park area of single family homes, the issue of pedestrian safety has become more apparent as increasingly rude, rat running motorists fail to acknowledge the existence of pedestrians, particularly children.  I have personally even seen speeding motorists pass other drivers that conscientiously drive within the speed limit on Brentlawn Dr which is a residential street on which when cars are parked on both sides, only one car can pass through between them.  Children trying to cross Beta Ave at Brentlawn Dr have been ignored as multiple motorists drive through the stop sign on Beta to turn onto Brentlawn Dr.

From the performance of the candidates last night, I would say the BCA (current Council) and the Greens truly earned their votes.

Municipal candidates share views on development and density

Tonight I will be attending the All-Candidates debate at Gilmore Elementary School to hear the candidates' views on development in the Brentwood Neighbourhood.  Over the past few weeks, some of the candidates have expressed some of their views on the concept of density as the election nears.  For anyone interested in going, the doors open at 6:30.  The following articles/letters are from the Burnaby Newsleader.

Burnaby NewsLeader

Protect neighbourhoods from rapid change: Murchie

By Wanda Chow - Burnaby NewsLeader
Published: November 01, 2011 12:00 PM
Updated: November 01, 2011 12:28 PM

Neighbourhoods around Burnaby’s SkyTrain stations are undergoing significant change as they are being redeveloped to accommodate higher densities. The planning department says it’s all according to its Official Community Plan, the basis of which was created in the 1960s. Other than occasional updates, Burnaby city hall has been working towards fulfilling that vision.

The NewsLeader asked three council candidates: What do you think about the pace of development in Burnaby?

Incumbent Coun. Colleen Jordan, Burnaby Citizens’ Association, is chair of the city’s community development committee and retired former secretary-treasurer for CUPE-BC.

“The key question is whether Burnaby can continue to grow as a diverse, modern city, while ensuring we maintain the values that make us a leader in Canada. The answer is a resounding yes!

Following our Official Community Plan (OCP), and in consultation with residents, we have increased density in our town centres, while preserving green space and single family neighbourhoods.

In the 1980s I lived in Middlegate. Over 30 years the new Highgate area has evolved, complete with new city facilities like a firehall, library, and recreation centre.  Private development replaced the mall, and new housing continues to expand. This is exactly what the OCP envisioned.

As one resident commented respecting the new plan to rebuild the [Station Square] Save-On-Foods site with a pedestrian-friendly urban village, ‘It’s about time.’

Too fast, or too slow, I would say it’s just about the right pace.”

Carrie McLaren, Burnaby Municipal Greens, currently works in the accounting office of a Burnaby firm while studying business at Capilano College.

“From just personal observation, the pace of development looks healthier than in the past few years. Two townhouse developments finally finishing up in my neighbourhood. They had been delayed for a few years leaving empty lots and holes in the ground due to the economic recession.

According to the city’s website numbers, 2011 so far has seen double the new construction starts of 2010. The overwhelming majority is single-family and multi-family developments. One item I’ve noticed, the city seems to depend on developers to create neighbourhood sidewalks—leaving them a patchwork of incomplete sections.

We will need to continue to replace, update and renovate older buildings and homes over the next 20 years or so, and find ways of creating new housing for future population growth (over one million in Lower Mainland cities in the next 30 years, according to Metro Vancouver). Also, we can’t forget the commercial and industrial sector if we are to continue to have a good mix of residential and business in Burnaby.”

Graham Murchie, Team Burnaby, is a retired urban planner.

“When I was Surrey chief planner, our growth rate was much higher than Burnaby’s now. We prepared for it, had up-to-date plans in place, and we talked to the residents, and required that developers consult residents too. Change happened without too much conflict because people knew what was happening. This is not the case in Burnaby today.

1. Burnaby’s plans are hopelessly out-of-date. The Metrotown plan, for example, is 34 years old! We need to create a new vision for Burnaby.

2. Our neighbourhoods must be protected from dramatic change, and residents must shape what happens. Council needs public input on how this growth is to occur, what to do about secondary suites, affordable housing, and so on.

3. The development process must be more open. In every community in B.C. developers are required to consult with the community before bringing forward a new proposal. This does not happen in Burnaby.”

Burnaby Newsleader

Density in Burnaby is good—to a point

Re: Burnaby residents support city centre concept(Letters, NewsLeader, Oct. 21)

Published: November 01, 2011 12:00 PM
Updated: November 01, 2011 12:25 PM

I want to thank Lee Rankin for keeping the issue of densification in the spotlight. It gives the Municipal Green Party an opportunity to educate Team and the BCA about the Green position on the subject.

First of all, Greens support densification. Specifically we support densification within walking distance of transit hubs.

Owing to its geography, Burnaby is fortunate to have 11 Skytrain stations inclusive of the four town centre stations. The decision to densify four of them a half century ago might have been “visionary” at the time, but the world has changed considerably since the Sixties and Seventies (and so have the BCA).

I doubt most people of that time anticipated the worldwide changes in human migration, the reality of a global economy, climate change, ALR encroachment, or local food security.

Another misconception is that council has the capacity to rezone a property against the wishes of the property owner. If a homeowner wishes to rezone a property, they can apply to do so. Those owners with single and two family lots that had the good fortune to buy close to a SkyTrain hub deserve the opportunity to rezone their property to higher density, make a handsome profit from doing so and reduce the ecological footprint of the people that settle there in the future.

One point that we can agree upon with Mr. Rankin is the need for a community “buy-in” to densification.

As far as I can see, when the supplementary density bonus amendment “S-zoning” was introduced and unanimously approved by the current council, there was little, if any, public consultation or input.

New towers being constructed or considered are planned to be 50 to 100 percent taller than anything that existed in the town centers before. These projects will add to congestion and over-crowding. Greens believe the affected neighbourhoods were not given an opportunity to “buy-into” this S-zoning.

If the BCA and Team want to vilify Greens for trying to give a voice to people in the town centers then so be it.

Rick McGowan

Green candidate for city council

Burnaby NewsLeader

Burnaby residents support city centre concept

Published: October 20, 2011 4:00 PM 

Updated: October 20, 2011 4:41 PM

I read Grant Granger’s column “A surreal spin around Metrotown” (NewsLeader, Oct. 7) with great interest. Many of his observations hit the mark and reflect more than three decades of collective wisdom around the issue of urban growth.

Conceived in the late seventies and early eighties, Burnaby’s major town centres—Metrotown, Brentwood, Lougheed and Edmonds—were designed to be hubs of residential and commercial activity, as well as transportation hubs.

The town centre concept has been supported historically across the political spectrum in Burnaby. As a council member and past housing committee chair, I always believed it was important that there was a community “buy-in” to the town centre concept and densification. High density development outside the town centre has been restricted and successive councils have taken care to ensure that multi-family and commercial development in other areas has followed careful consultation.

There has never been much appetite for densification of single and two-family neighbourhoods and it is indeed surprising and a bit troubling that some aspiring politicians are advocating for it now.

Lee Rankin

Team Burnaby council candidate