Jonathan Cote: passionate about building a better city

Jonathan Cote wants to do what he can to make the world a better place – starting right here in New Westminster.

The three-term city councillor said he’s running for mayor for the same reason he’s served on city council and returned to Simon Fraser University to get his master’s degree in urban studies: to help build a better city.

“I have a passion for city building and what cities can do to make the lives of everyone better,” he said. “How a city is planned, developed and designed has a huge impact on people’s lives. It has an impact on their happiness. It has an impact on how they get around. It has a huge impact on their health. So designing a city that has good urban design, proper green spaces, really touches on so many different aspects of people’s lives.”

In the weeks leading up to the Nov. 15 election, Cote has been releasing platforms on several issues facing the city: transportation; local economy; public engagement; parks and recreation; and a community that cares.

“We can’t plan the future of our community ad hoc. We actually need to put in some serious thought. I think we need a mayor to really give the time and thoughtfulness that really needs to go into the proper planning of the future of our city,” he said. “We face a lot of real long-term and complex challenges in our city, and I personally believe I am the best person to actually be able to lead a city to deal with and work with those issues.”

Cote was born in New Westminster but lived in a number or Lower Mainland municipalities with his family. Now a father of three young daughters, he and wife Alix moved to New Westminster 12 years ago after booking their wedding at the Inn at the Quay and falling for the city.

“New West had this sense of charm and this sense of place and really drew us as a young couple wanting to start our lives,” he said. “Part of what we saw, being a younger couple too, was it had potential. It had its commercial main streets. It had a bit of grit to it.”

Cote said the city has changed a lot from the days when his wife didn’t feel safe walking the few blocks home from the SkyTrain station and now walks through the same neighbourhood with their kids. While the city has made progress, he thinks there’s more to be done.

“We don’t necessarily need the person that is going to be the best cheerleader for the City of New Westminster,” he said. “We need someone that actually understands and cares about the policies that are really going to build our city into the future and will determine whether 25 years from now we have a city that we can be proud of or activity that has maybe made a lot of mistakes down the road.”

With transportation being the most important issue facing our city, Cote said it would be his top priority as mayor.

“I think it’s critically important for the City of New Westminster to develop an efficient network to help move both people and goods through our city, but we cannot do that at the expense of our neighbourhoods and our commercial main streets,” he said. “I think it is also important that the city work to provide convenient and accessible transportation options to our residents.”

On the economic front, Cote believes it’s critical for the city to preserve and protect its existing commercial and industrial lands.

“There is tremendous pressure in our city to convert those lands to condo development,” he said. “I truly believe the city is not in the business of selling condos. … If you really want to create a livable, vibrant city, it’s got to have a good mix of employment and residents. It’s also so important for our tax base.”

Getting started on redevelopment of Canada Games Pool in the next four years is at the top of Cote’s to-do list.

Other ideas that Cote is putting forward in his campaign include looking into offering a residents-only pass for free parking on weekends, getting a city “community engagement truck” out into the community and exploring the idea of a bike lift that would help cyclists get from downtown New Westminster to Tipperary Park.

“I don’t think the City of New Westminster needs to reinvent the wheel when we are planning the future of our city,” he said. “Cities all around the world are dealing with the exact same challenges we are. I think having a good understanding and knowledge about how other cities are dealing with the same problems is a lot of where my ideas come from.”

Looking back on his nine years on council, Cote said his proudest accomplishments include developing Westminster Pier Park into a park for all residents to enjoy, instead of more highrises on the waterfront.

He is also proud to have been part of a council that helped reduce the street homeless population in New Westminster by 50 per cent, rather than blame other levels of government for the issue and turn a blind eye to its impacts on the city.

While he’s been supportive of the major projects undertaken by council, such as Westminster Pier Park and Anvil Centre and the office tower, Cote said it’s time to focus on New Westminster’s existing facilities and aging infrastructure.

“I think the city always needs to be mindful of the money it is spending and the projects it is moving forward. I think moving forward, the city shouldn’t be looking for that next really big or exciting project,” he said. “My platform is really focusing on our existing facilities and finishing off long-standing plans in the city. I think we also need to be creative on how we raise funds.”

As a three-term councillor, Cote said he’d bring a collaborative leadership style to the mayor’s office and recognize city hall is a team.

He thinks that’s backed up by the fact that the four incumbents seeking re-election are supporting his campaign.

“My leadership style isn’t about who can be the loudest or make the most noise; it’s how do you effectively move council toward where the team wants to move,” he said. “I think I have proven myself over my nine years on council.”