Meet Patrick Johnstone, Team Cote
Name: Patrick Johnstone
Twitter: @PJNewWest
Website: www.patrickjohnstone.ca
Email: [email protected]
Questions (in 50 words unless specified).
Tell us about yourself. (100 words)
I am a Brow of the Hill resident and professional geoscientist, and have worked hard during my first term to be an open and accessible Councillor. I have reported out, in plain language, all of the decisions Council has made, and answered public questions about the City and the workings of City Hall. Through my blog (patrickjohnstone.ca) I have always sought a balanced and pragmatic approach to council, and am outspoken and honest about our opportunities and challenges. Already a desirable place to live, I want New Westminster to be the most accessible, affordable, and sustainable community in the Lower Mainland.
What are the Top 3 issues facing the City of New Westminster? (100 words)
* The biggest issue today in New Westminster (and the region) is housing affordability across the spectrum from homelessness to the cost of home ownership. New Westminster has been a leader in affordable housing policy, but is still impacted by regional trends and provincial policy - there is much work yet to do. OCP implementation and continuing to forge partnerships are key to future affordability.
* Managing our ambitious capital plan, including the Canada Games Pool replacement.
* Investing in making our transportation systems safer and more comfortable for pedestrians, transit users, cyclists, and people with accessibility barriers.
What is the biggest success or failure of the current city council?
New West has come alive with our street activation programs, the Official Community Plan was adopted, heritage protection was balanced with housing flexibility, and tax increases are below the regional average. However our biggest success has been in maintaining collaborative relationships with community and business organizations, and with senior governments.
The City of New Westminster concluded a lengthy official community plan process and is working to implement that plan. With the city's population projected to grow to 104,000 by 2041, is the city on the right track to accommodating this growth? (50 words)
New Westminster cannot be isolated from regional growth pressures, and our OCP balances the goals of the Regional Growth Strategy and the vision the community expressed during the OCP consultation process. Tracking progress of the OCP is an important part of the implementation – this is a work in progress!
What three people - alive or dead - would you invite to a dinner party? (50 words)
Samuel Clemons, Carl Sagan, and Lee Maracle. A humourist, a scientist, and a poet who all spoke eloquently from very different eras, each wary of their own filters, all deeply concerned about the work needed to make ours a just society.
Editor's note: Candidates were given specific word count guidelines and were cut off if they went over the count.
