A longtime Queen’s Park resident hopes to advocate for a greener, resident-focused and economically vibrant city as part of the New West Progressives’ team.
Lawyer karima budhwani is the latest candidate to join the New West Progressives council slate. Born in Kenya and raised in Calgary, she has a master’s degree in environmental studies from York University and she received her law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto.
“For over 20 years, budhwani worked in the non-profit sector promoting and enhancing access to justice, including environmental justice in communities across B.C.” said a NWP press release. “She has been a passionate advocate supporting people in resolving their legal issues. As a life coach, she combines her solution-oriented approach and her passion for lifelong learning to help individuals design and live fulfilling and rewarding lives.”
budhwani said she’s keen to draw on the diversity in the community to develop a long-term vision for a vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable New Westminster.
“It’s an exciting opportunity for me to join the NWP, a group of diverse New West residents who want to make progress on a number of key issues that require strong political leadership,” budhwani said in a news release. “We should be guided by a long-term plan that truly takes into account the profound impact on our environment and the future of our next generation. Whether it’s roads and sidewalks in disrepair or recreation and sports facilities that are bursting at the seams with no real plan for investment for our future, New Westminster residents want city hall to roll up our sleeves and get the job done.”
Ken Armstrong, the New West Progressives’ mayoral candidate, is pleased that budhwani will be joining the NWP team as a city council candidate in this October's civic election.
“karima embodies her passion in her everyday life,” he said in a news release. “She has devoted much of her career in the non-profit sector, while never losing sight of the importance of our environment and our future leaders. I am delighted to have karima on our team, a team that has a plan for progress.”
About 100 people attended the New West Progressives unofficial campaign kick-off “meet-and-greet” event at the Royal City Curling Club.
budhwani joins Rick Folka, Daniel Fontaine, Jiayi Li-McCarthy and Paul Minhas on the NWP council slate. Incumbent school trustee Danielle Connelly is the only school board candidate announced by the group thus far.
Last week, the NDP-affiliated Community First civic party unveiled its slate of city council and school board candidates, which includes a mix of incumbents and new candidates: mayoral candidate – incumbent Coun. Patrick Johnstone; council candidates – incumbents Chinu Das, Jaimie McEvoy and Nadine Nakagawa, and new candidates Ruby Campbell, Tasha Henderson and Bereket Kebede; and school board – incumbents Dee Beattie, Gurveen Dhaliwal and Maya Russell, and new candidates Marc Andres, Elliott Slinn and Cheryl Sluis.
