Advertisement

Find out where your Coquitlam mayoral candidates stand on . . . the future of Burke Mountain

image supplied

Coquitlam council unanimously approved a zoning change earlier this year to add townhouses and medium-density apartments to Burke Mountain in a bid to create a community for families, young couples, seniors and empty nesters.

Do you support Coquitlam’s long-term plan for growth on Burke Mountain? Why?

Local news that matters to you

No one covers the Tri-Cities like we do. But we need your help to keep our community journalism sustainable.

Adel Gamar

Growth in Burke Mountain must be balanced with environmental protection and adequate social and physical infrastructure. Burke Mountain neighbourhoods are currently starved of services and need increased bus service, a library, sport facilities and other amenities. There is also an opportunity for preserving land for outdoor leisure and recreation.

Advertisement

Richard Stewart (incumbent)

While I wish Burke’s foothills hadn’t been designated for development a hundred years ago, our Urban Containment Boundary protects 95 percent of Burke Mountain from development. We’re making prudent choices, balancing protecting green space with supporting housing and community development, schools, large parks, etc. Important recent changes offer more-affordable housing options.

Author

A chiropractor and a folk singer, after having one great kid, decided to push their luck and have one more, a boy they named Jeremy Shepherd.

Shepherd grew up around Blue Mountain Park in Coquitlam, following a basketball around and trying his best to get to the NBA (it didn’t work out, at least not yet).

With no career plans after graduating Porter Elementary school, Jeremy Shepherd pursued higher education at Como Lake Middle School and eventually, Centennial High School.

Approximately 1,000 movies and several beers later in life, Shepherd made a change.

Having done nothing worth writing, he decided to see if he could write something worth reading.

Since graduating journalism school at Langara College, Shepherd has been a reporter, editor and, reluctantly, a content provider for community newspapers around Metro Vancouver for more than 10 years.

He worked with dogged reporters, eloquently indignant curmudgeons and creative photographers, all of whom shared a little of what they knew.

Now, as he goes about the business of raising two fascinating humans alongside a wonderful partner, Shepherd is delighted to report news and tell stories in the Tri-Cities.

He runs, reads, and is intrigued by art, science, smart cities and new ideas. He is pleased to meet you.