What the Fraser Valley's mayors want from the provincial election

BC’s party leaders are making expensive and flashy promises on the campaign trail in an attempt to woo voters. But the Fraser Valley’s mayors are also concerned about how the next government will support unsexy projects like building new sewer systems and acquiring more industrial land.

During our mid-term interviews with a majority of the Fraser Valley’s mayors, we asked what they hoped to see out of the upcoming provincial election. Many said they wanted continued collaboration between the province and local governments; but they all also had specific local issues they wanted to address. 

The mayors of geographically small communities like Hope and Langley City called for more support for infrastructure like water and sewer systems. Abbotsford’s mayor emphasized flood mitigation and the need for more industrial land. And in Chilliwack, the city’s mayor called for more bricks-and-mortar support for people with mental health challenges.

Mission

Candidates should be talking about policy, not playing politics, Mission Mayor Paul Horn said. When The Current talked to him before the start of the official campaign period, he said he would be paying attention to whether the parties had an actual plan to manage growth in communities. He also said he hoped the incoming government would maintain the same level of collaboration that he had experienced in his past years on council, as the community had benefited from all levels of government being able to work together.

Read Horn’s full response below. (You can find our complete interview with Horn here.)

Paul Horn: From my perspective, I really hope that we're having conversations about complete communities. So real plans. I think in the world, politically right now, we have gotten away from talking about policy. Financial policy, budgeting policy, infrastructure policy, and all of that is what I'll be listening to. Do any of the contestants in this election have an actual plan for how they're going to accommodate the incredible growth in our community and get ahead of the need that we have around health care, hospitals, transportation and other infrastructure?

The other thing I listen for is: Have we got a sense that we're going to be able to work collaboratively with other levels of government? We have been fortunate in the time I've been in office to have a ready connection to our MP and our MLAs. In a matter of a moment, I can be calling up and speaking to Pam [Alexis], Bob [D’Eith] or Brad [Vis], and they will get me information or act on what we need. And we've really benefited from that collaboration. So we're not just paying attention to October. We're paying attention to the federal election next year, and in terms of the atmosphere of collaboration, of partnership, we really want to make sure that continues. We've really benefited from it.

For more on the election in Mission, check out our Abbotsford and Mission Election Hub.

Abbotsford

In Abbotsford, Mayor Ross Siemens said he hopes the next provincial government will remember just how important his community is to BC’s economy. He is looking for renewed support for flood mitigation in Abbotsford, but also a focus on ensuring there is enough industrial land to process Abbotsford’s agricultural output. He noted that Abbotsford’s industrial lands are limited, but vitally important to BC’s economy—and the economy of Canada as well.

Read Siemens’ full response below. (Our complete interview with Siemens will be published in the coming weeks.)

Ross Siemens: All the promises are going to be expensive. It's not getting any cheaper. And so I think a focus on the economy [is important]. We've had a real challenge in Abbotsford with long-term flood mitigation. It’s not going to be cheap, but widening the Trans Canada freeway past Abbotsford through to Chilliwack is vitally important. The long-term flood mitigation plan—if we could get that going—would allow that highway to be widened through there. 

We have [challenges] in the region, not just Abbotsford, but Langley, Chilliwack. We're running out of industrial land, and so understanding the ecosystem of modern agriculture, because the supply chain and transportation: all of those components require us to have a comprehensive understanding of where those jobs are best located, where those businesses are best located. When the Hungerford lands are fully developed on Mount Lehman Road, we're out of industrial land except for a few isolated pockets. So we've got Study Area A and Study Area B—which is growing Gloucester east into Abbotsford, and then those strategic lands around the airport—that's vitally important, I think. The modernization of agriculture and understanding—and Dr. [Lenore] Newman has done some great work on that—the ecosystem of agriculture, which is the backbone of our economy. Also transportation: we're a transportation hub, and understanding where do vehicles get serviced and parked, and how does that all happen? And we don't have land for that to happen. 

When you take a look at the astronomical amount of cost for new industrial land, we've got ourselves into a real pickle here…. Basically, the Fraser Valley is the economic engine for the Lower Mainland and so we have to have an understanding, because if we're going to have all these housing starts, where are people going to work? 

So that would be a key focus that I would love to see the provincial parties understand: Abbotsford’s significance in the economy. I mentioned the transportation, the land, and then, of course, flood mitigation and that ongoing work. We need the provincial government to understand the significant impact that Sumas Prairie has on food security, transportation, and all the infrastructure. I think the provincial government gets it, but you always get a little concerned whenever there's a change. We don't want to lose momentum, so we're hoping that we can continue to get all the parties involved, understanding that, and seeing that's a key component. Most of the things that we're talking about are in Abbotsford, but they've got regional and even national implications.

For more on the election in Abbotsford, check out our Abbotsford and Mission Election Hub. 

Chilliwack

Chilliwack Mayor Ken Popove has been opposed to major elements of the province’s Bill 44 since its implementation. The bill set housing targets for municipalities and ended public hearings for developments that match the community’s Official Community Plan. Popove didn’t explicitly say he hoped those requirements would change after the next election, but he wouldn’t be upset if they did. He also said he felt the province should focus more on building physical supports for people with mental health and addiction issues, particularly in the form of shelters and rehab centres. 

Read Popove’s full response below. (You can find our full interview with Popove here.)

Ken Popove: First and foremost, with the new legislation that they put down, they've taken away the ability to hear from the public, hear from your community, which I think is totally wrong, totally wrong. Because you're working behind a big wall where you don't know what's going on. … I want to hear if [residents are] for it or if they're against it, and that's been taken away, which is unfortunate. 

Probably the most important one is more emphasis on mental health and addiction. I don't think the province is doing enough. What they've been doing is just not working. You know, they've created this phone line. [Editor’s note: In August of this year, the province launched an Opioid Treatment Access Line so people could call if they needed immediate assistance from doctors and nurses.] What's that going to do? We need bricks and mortar. You know, there's 16 beds for 1.5 million people in my region who want to get on that path to get clean, and it's just not available to them, so it's not working what they're doing. So way more emphasis on that.

For more on the election in Chilliwack, check out our Chilliwack and Eastern Fraser Valley Election Hub.

Hope

Victor Smith, the mayor of the Fraser Valley’s most-easterly community, said he will be willing to work with whatever provincial government comes into power. He said he hopes the next four years will bring more funding for local infrastructure like water and sewer, so the province’s communities can keep up with new growth.

Read Smith’s full response below. (You can find our full interview with Smith here.)

Victor Smith: We're always open, and we work with whoever's in power and will work with their agenda. If they're working trying to sell you on lemons, you don't buy oranges, because it probably won't work. And that's the trouble. I see some towns fighting with them. But take a look what it is, and usually, if you work with them, they usually work back with you. You know it's give and take. I'll give you an example of the thing here. So when the flood was here, we're down at the airport and we're getting stuff in, the weather cleared. We sent the planes that had food to Princeton and Boston Bar because the weather was good; they could get through and the roads were blocked. That's what you do. You share with your neighbors. Same with the politics. I realize everybody's got a piece of this, but if we can just get a piece and share with the other ones, we're okay with it. We don't think everything's coming to us.

We have two things in Hope that we would really like to see happen. The first is that we need funding for infrastructure, because if you have the infrastructure and everything's in place, it's way easier to build.

FVC: What type of infrastructure?

Smith: Your water, your sewer and all this stuff. And, you know, do the upgrades and be ahead of the arc. Because everybody's playing catch up, especially when they want people to build new housing, [but] I’m going ‘the infrastructure doesn't support it.’ So that's important there. Another program working on is with FISH, which is building homes for challenged children and the seniors. [Editor’s note: FISH is the Fraser Inclusive and Supportive Housing Society]. It's a great mix with people. And they’ve got the land: that's a great thing about it. You need to do a plan when you're building something to see that it's sustainable down the road, that’s the trick. [Anything can work] as long as you pour money into it. The thing is, how do we make it sustainable so people can afford to live there?

For more on the election in Hope, check out our Chilliwack and Eastern Fraser Valley Election Hub. 

Langley City

Like Smith in Hope, Langley City’s mayor Nathan Pachal is also focused on the practicalities of infrastructure. In his interview with The Current, he said he has been happy with how well Langley City and the province have worked together over the last two years. Now, he hopes whoever forms power after the election will remember the importance of local infrastructure like sewer and water, and support local governments in making those systems better.

Read Pachal’s full response below. (Our complete interview with Pachal will be published in the coming weeks.)

Nathan Pachal: I hope that whoever comes into government understands the importance of investing in local government infrastructure, because there's certainly—I mean, everybody knows that—there's certainly been a lack of investment over the last few decades that we need to catch up on.

FVC: Do you have anything specific with that, any specific infrastructure?

Pachal: I mean, our biggest infrastructure is always water and sewer.

For more on the election in Langley, check out our Langley Election Hub.