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Stop 'crucifying' businesses says New West mayoral candidate

A longtime New Westminster businessman is hoping to give Jonathan Cote a run for his money on election day.
Harm Woldring
Not impressed: Removal of a portion of the Front Street parkade and construction of the new Front Street mews has been "a nightmare" for local businessman Harm Wolding, who told the Record in 2017 that his business has lost thousands of dollars as customers have trouble accessing The Wine Factory. Woldring has announced he will be running for mayor in the Oct. 20 municipal election.

A longtime New Westminster businessman is hoping to give Jonathan Cote a run for his money on election day.

Harm Woldring, owner of the Wine Factory on Front Street, announced on Facebook late this afternoon that he’s filed his nomination papers and will be running for mayor in the Oct. 20 civic election.

In a profile on the City of New Westminster’s election page, Woldring states: “I first moved to New Westminster in 1970 with my mother and five brothers and sisters after my father was killed in a crash on the Hope - Princeton Highway. My mother, who has always been my inspiration, used a small life insurance payout to buy a business, The Book Bazaar on Columbia St. near Eighth Street, and a house on Sherbrooke Street in upper Sapperton. My younger siblings attended school here. My youngest brother was class president at NWSS. I returned to New Westminster in 2004 when I bought The Wine Factory. I moved here in 2011, the year I moved my business to Front Street. Since then I have watched the impacts of our development centric local government on our city. I am running for mayor because I am tired of living and working in what I have come to call Wal-Mart New Westminster.”

Through the years, Woldring has expressed concern about a number of issues, including rising taxes, utility fees and user fees, poor condition of roads, rising costs of administration at city hall, and the impact that some projects have on local businesses.

In the summer of 2017, Woldring told the Record that road closures to remove part of the Front Street parkade and to build the new mews had “been a nightmare” on his business, as the project eliminated vehicle access to his shop. He said that work was the last in a series of projects that had negatively impacted Front Street merchants.

Woldring ran for city council in the 2014 civic election, placing 17th out of 21 councillor candidates. On election night he told the Record that a sweep of all six seats by labour-endorsed council candidates would be a “disaster” for the city and businesses in the city.

“They don’t know a thing about economic development or they wouldn’t be crucifying business in this community,” he said. “You can’t run a small business in this community.”

The Record has reached out to Woldring about his bid for mayor. More to come.