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Online survey asks New Westminster residents and businesses to identify key priorities

The New West Progressives are holding a series of townhall forums to get input that will help shape their 2022 election platform.

Ken Armstrong, who is the New West Progressives mayoral candidate, has announced a series of townhall forums that will take place in May in the neighbourhoods across the city. Community members are invited to participate in the meetings, which are on May 5, 10 and 17.

In the 2018 civic, our team of candidates developed an amazing and comprehensive 10-point platformthat caught the publics attention, Armstrong said in a news release. It was so good, that the current city council even took a page or two out of it and began to implement some of our ideas.

When asked by the Record what NWP ideas the current city council had implemented, Armstrong cited its platforms promise to "increase the overall visibility and scope of our separated bike lane network and cycle paths. (The citys 2015 master transportation plan prioritized active transportation over motor vehicles, and cited comfortable bicycle facilities as one of its sustainable transportation priorities.)

We also campaigned on making New Westminster a more Fun City, in part by increasing approved patio spaces by 25% within five years, and we're pleased to see the temporary patio program trialled in the summer of 2020 and renewed in 2021 through to at least June 1 this year, he said in a statement to the Record.

(In response to indoor dining restrictions and concerns about the spread of COVID-19, the city expanded opportunities to create seasonal outdoor and curbside patios in 2020, something thats carried on since it was introduced. Council recently considered changes to various regulations aimed at further supporting a patio program.)

According to Armstrong, the New West Progressives will be issuinga report card on how many of current councils promises were implemented.

The New West Progressives townhall forums are taking place at the Queensborough Community Centre on Thursday, May 5 from 6:30 to 8 p.m.; at the Inn at the Quay on Tuesday, May 10 from 7 to 8:30 p.m.; and at the Royal City Curling Club on Tuesday, May 17 from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Now that were able to gather in-person once again to get direct feedback from the community, its important we do so to ensure that our platform reflects their priorities, Armstrong said. This type of policy development and feedback needs to happen more regularly at city hall. Its something our team intends to implement rather quickly after we get elected.

In addition to the townhall forums, the New West Progressives have launched an online survey to garner additional feedback from local residents and small businesses. The deadline to complete the survey is May 31.

The survey includes a section where community members are asked to rank 12 issues in terms of their importance, including transportation and transit, truth and reconciliation, crime and safety, densification, and arts and culture. It then asks respondents to rate the current councils efforts in these areas and to provide additional feedback.

The New West Progressives say theyll use feedback from the survey and townhall forums to develop its council campaign platform that will be released prior to the Oct. 15 civic election.

To provide your input, go to http://www.nwprogressives.ca/survey.

Whos running?

To date, Armstrong is the only candidate to officially declare plans to run in the Oct. 15 civic election. Downtown businessman Paul Minhas, owner of Begbies Tavern and the former Heritage Grill, recently announced he would be seeking support to run on the New West Progressives team.

According to Armstrong, the New West Progressives will be announcing two candidates at an April 7 fundraiser at Frankie Gs Pub in Queensborough and another candidate at an April 28 event at Begbies in downtown New West.

Whats happening with Forward New West?

On Dec. 5, 2021, school board chair Gurveen Dhaliwal and Mayor Jonathan Cote issued a press release announcing the formation of the Together New West Electors Society, a group whose commitments include creating affordable housing, engaging in reconciliation and decolonization, addressing the climate emergency and supporting a strong public education system.

It immediately encountered issues, however, when the Downtown New West BIA voiced concerns that the groups name was the same as the #togethernewwest campaign the BIA had launched in the spring of 2020. Dhaliwal told the media the group had no plans to change its name, but Cote issued a statement apologizing to the BIA and expressing disappointment that the Together New West party executive had decided not to work with the BIA to fully address the legitimate concerns theyd raised.

On Dec. 23, Together New Westminster registered a new name with Elections BC Forward New West. On Jan. 1, Cote announced he would not be seeking reelection in the Oct. 15, 2022 civic election.

The Record has contactedDhaliwal, who is listed as the groups authorized principal official, for an update. More to come.

Follow Theresa McManus on Twitter@TheresaMcManusEmailtmcmanus@newwestrecord.ca

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New West Progressives holding townhall forums to shape 2022 election platform - The Record (New Westminster)