Rosalinda Thorleifson enters race for Coquitlam council

Rosalinda Thorleifson has entered the race for Coquitlam city council, promising to focus on managing the city’s rapid growth while attracting jobs and ensuring infrastructure and services keep pace.

Thorleifson announced her independent campaign Friday, Aug. 14, ahead of the Oct. 17 municipal election.

A lifelong Coquitlam resident, Thorleifson said concerns about the pace of development have repeatedly come up while she has been canvassing across the city.

“I grew up in Coquitlam and I love this city,” Thorleifson said in a statement announcing her campaign. “Now I want to bring that same drive to city hall: affordability people can actually feel, the right mix of housing so residents can keep a high quality of life, and a local economy that brings good, well-paying jobs close to home.”

Her platform calls for more two and three-bedroom homes, while ensuring schools, parks and other community services keep pace with population growth.

Thorleifson is also pitching economic development as a way to strengthen the city’s finances and give more residents the opportunity to work closer to home.

Her “Coquitlam Works” proposal calls for recruiting employers to areas near SkyTrain stations and industrial areas such as United Boulevard, with the goal of diversifying the city’s economy and easing pressure on residential property taxes.

She also wants the city to support small businesses and establish a fast-track permitting stream modelled on programs in municipalities such as Surrey and Toronto.

Other campaign commitments include keeping Canadian data stored in Canada, improving street lighting and safety, protecting green spaces and strengthening wildfire resilience through measures such as fire-resistant trees and buffer zones.

Thorleifson said she would also advocate against provincial funding cuts to shelter and outreach services that she argues have shifted costs onto municipalities and property taxpayers.

On governance, she is calling for greater transparency and more opportunities for residents to be heard at city hall.

“At my core, I’m a communicator, a team player, and an advocate,” Thorleifson said. “That means listening closely, building consensus, and learning from everyone around me.”

Thorleifson’s professional background is in marketing and business growth, including work with large companies and Canadian technology startups. According to her campaign, she has helped build departments and teams and assisted companies expanding into Canadian and U.S. markets.

She has also served as president of her strata council, where her campaign says she has been involved in budgeting, infrastructure planning and long-term reserve planning.

Thorleifson said her connection to community service stretches back to her childhood. Her family operated a small business in Coquitlam for nearly three decades, while her parents were involved with Rotary and charitable organizations.

She is the latest candidate to declare a run for Coquitlam council ahead of the Oct. 17 election.