Nomination deadline looms for New West politicos

Some new faces – and some veterans – are entering the political fray.

As Friday’s deadline for filing nomination papers nears, the city’s election office is busy accepting paperwork from mayor, councillor and school trustee candidates. If you’re planning to run in the Nov. 15 civic election, you have to file your paperwork by 4 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 10.

Here’s whose nomination papers were posted online as of 3 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 9:

* Mayor: Jonathan Cote, Vladimir Kras and Wayne Wright.

* Councillor: John Ashdown, Marge Ashdown, Jim Bell, David Brett, Bill Harper, Patrick Johnstone, Tej Kainth, Gerry Liu, Scott McIntosh, Chuck Puchmayr, Mary Trentadue and Lorrie Williams.

*  School trustee: Glen Armstrong, Jim Bell, Cort Ray Caldwell, Jonina Campbell, Michael Ewen, Mark Gifford, James Janzen, Jeremy Perry and Kelly Slade-Kerr.

Ashdowns in the race

John and Marge Ashdown are hoping to take their relationship to a whole new level.

Two Ashdowns will appear on the ballot on Nov. 15, as both John and Marge have declared their intentions to run for councillor. John has run for council in the past, while this is Marge’s first time on the ballot.

John said he wasn’t planning on running for city council in November’s civic election, but felt compelled to after seeing the number of labour-endorsed candidates. As a former member of the IWA and Teamsters, he said he appreciates working union members, but believes the city will become more polarized and fears the city won’t “survive another term” under a labour monopoly.

Donnelly wants to return to council

A veteran politico is hoping to return to council chambers after November’s civic election and bring “a little more balance” to the table.

Calvin Donnelly, who served about 18 years on council and has ran in every election since the mid 1970s, is vying for one of six councillor seats in New Westminster. Since losing his council seat in the 2008 civic election, he’s has remained active with a variety of community organizations and city committees.

“Even though I haven’t been on council, I have been very active,” he told The Record. “I think people, hopefully, will understand that I am not there to play around, I am there for a serious matter. The reason I can be that way is because I have been there, I have experience and I know what council entails.”

With his experience, Donnelly believes he is in a good position to represent the community.

“We know there’s lots of labour people left on the council. I think we need a balance of other points of view. That was one of the great things about New Westminster when I first got involved – we had a pretty good balance throughout the years,” he said. “I talk to a lot of people. Everyone has a different concern.”

City councillor wants another term on council

Coun. Chuck Puchmayr is seeking a fifth term on New Westminster city council.

Puchmayr served as a city councillor from 1996 to 2005, before serving as New Westminster’s MLA from 2005 to 2009. In 2011, he won a fourth term on city council.

“I am really excited about the direction New Westminster is going and I want to continue this progressive change that we’ve done the last few years,” he said of his reason for seeking re-election. “I want to be part of it.”

Puchmayr said he wants to continue working on improvements in the 12th Street/Edmonds corridor, railway anti-whistling initiatives and an evacuation plan for the rail corridors in New Westminster.

Endorsements keep coming in

Mayoral candidate Jonathan Cote is getting support from his colleagues on city council.

Cote, a three-term city councillor, is taking on incumbent Mayor Wayne Wright in the mayor’s race in New Westminster. Councillors Jaime McEvoy, Chuck Puchmayr and Lorrie Williams have joined Coun. Bill Harper (campaign’s co-chair along with school trustee Jonina Campbell) in backing Cote’s bid to become mayor.

“I am please to have such strong support from my council colleagues,” Cote said in a press release. “The support I am receiving from members of council indicates it’s time for new ideas and a fresh perspective in the mayor’s office.”

McEvoy said he’s seen Cote’s commitment and work ethic firsthand, and believes the city needs a mayor who will support “progressive ideas and work” with all of the community.

Williams has supported Wright in the past but believes Cote has a “collaborative leadership style” that the city needs to face its long-term challenges and opportunity.

While the labour-endorsed candidates are backing Cote, former councillor Calvin Donnelly is throwing his support behind Wright’s bid to win a fifth term as mayor.

“I think we have been moving in a positive direction with Wayne as mayor and I think we want to continue doing that, and looking at making sure the entire city is being represented,” Donnelly said.