Demovictions, pipelines, political dynasty dominate Burnaby election
Posted October 9, 2018 5:00 am.
Last Updated October 20, 2018 4:34 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
BURNABY (NEWS 1130) – In a region where more than half of incumbent mayors are jumping ship and not seeking re-election, the City of Burnaby is an exception.
Mayor Derek Corrigan is hoping to win his sixth mayoral election victory on Oct. 20.
Three independent candidates hope to unseat the 16-year mayor, with the biggest name among them being retired Burnaby firefighter captain Mike Hurley.
A recent poll suggests Corrigan and Hurley are in a virtual tie. Corrigan holds a slim lead of 43 per cent of decided voters, while Hurley is right behind with 42 per cent. The poll was commissioned by the International Association of FireFighters, which supports Hurley, and conducted by zinc tank, Justason Market Intelligence and Dufferin Research.
“This close race is favourable for first-time mayoral candidate Hurley when you get behind the traditional horse-race numbers,” zinc tank president Brian Singh said. “Corrigan remains well-regarded in his performance in his role of mayor. However his favourability ratings are relatively lower than Hurley, and there is an appetite for change.”
Hurley has also received the support of the Burnaby Teachers’ Association and New Westminster & District Labour Council, with the latter having traditionally supported Corrigan.
Former school board trustee Helen Chang, and 2014 anti-PDA mayoral candidate Sylvia Gung round out the ballot.
Corrigan’s NDP-affiliated party, the Burnaby Citizens Association, has led the city since 1987 and won every seat on council in the past three elections with high winning margins.
This past December, Corrigan unseated Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson to become chair of the Metro Vancouver Mayors’ Council.
Click here to see the candidates for the mayor seat, as well as eight councillor positions and seven school trustee roles.
THE ISSUES
Like most Metro Vancouver municipalities, housing is near the top of the list of election issues in Burnaby, but while affordability is one of the major concerns, another is the practice of so-called demovictions or renoviction. It involves demolishing older low-rise apartments to make way for new condos, and can result in the displacement of old tenants or make it unaffordable for them to move into the new building.
Corrigan has been criticized as not doing more to prevent the practice, a criticism he rebukes. His party’s housing platform includes staying the course of his current council with 1,000 units in 16 affordable housing projects that have either been completed or are underway, with plans to allocate $200 million of “non-taxpayers funds” to support additional affordable rentals and co-operatives.
Hurley’s housing platform promotes solutions include a preventing developments around Metrotown until affordable rental homes can be found for those displaced, allowing laneway homes and using city land for land trusts, non-profit housing and co-ops.
Another hot-button issue includes the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. The construction project runs through the city and comes to an end at the Westbridge Marine Terminal and has prompted protests from environmentalist groups and the arrest of two prominent politicians.
Corrigan has opposed the project, taking it as far as to challenge it in court.
