It’s Our Coquitlam

Affordability

• Secured Intervenor Status for the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion to ensure Kinder Morgan covers the financial impacts to the city
• Consistent decline in tax percentage increases over 5 years
• Affordability the focus in Adel Gamar’s quest for mayor’s chair

The people who make our city thrive must be able to afford to live here. Affordable housing, cost-effective transportation and supportive community initiatives are essential to making Coquitlam a livable and vibrant city. Our community is a highly desirable location due to its beauty, quality amenities and small-town feel. However, due to the rising home prices and aggressive real estate practices our residents are experiencing pressures to leave the city and employers of all types are having difficulty finding local staff that can afford to live in the community. I believe we as a city government must do more to provide our citizens the opportunity to stay and flourish in Coquitlam. On housing, I have consistently responded to the voices of the residents who live with these affordability issue every day by ensuring the needs of current residents are balanced in the ongoing push and pull between local residents and corporate redevelopment interests. From an affordable housing strategy to fighting to keep our taxes low, to advocating for local business, I will continue to keep the needs of local residents and families the priority in my decision making.

Transparency

• Consistently advocating for the budget deliberations and itemized decisions to happen in a meeting open to the public

Transparency is a term thrown around a lot in politics and is a multi-faceted concept. I believe at its core, transparency is about being open and honest while putting all the
issues out there to be discussed. It’s every citizen’s right to examine the decision-making process of those elected to serve the people. The more transparent, the more opportunity to allow our citizens to engage and provide feedback to continue to improve our city. This is essential to how citizens hold our public officials accountable and I wouldn’t ask for anything less. I align my intentions with my actions as a City Councillor and continue to listen to our citizens to not only respond but understand. From plans to creating a safer community to building an inclusive city, I will continue to be transparent and to ensure as a city we work in the open, under the eyes of our citizens, to build a Coquitlam where everyone is heard.

Inclusion & Equality

• Representing the need for clean air including a restriction on E-cigarettes in parks and city facilities
• Consistently advocated for the creation of outdoor space for pets in all newly developed condo towers and in city parks.
• Advocating for equal access to affordable ride share options

In Coquitlam, we’re extremely fortunate to live in a community made up of individuals with such diverse backgrounds. Our citizens respect and value all forms of our differences as individuals and I believe we must continue to foster this inclusive environment to keep striving toward a community where everyone feels respected and able to achieve their full potential.

As a city we must promote an environment where everybody is given equal access to opportunities and are able to contribute their ideas and concerns. Over my last two terms as City Councillor, I’ve advocated for Gender Equality, access for residents facing physical and attitudinal barriers, clean air, new space for pets (even in condo towers), and the Inclusive Rainbow Crosswalk all in the hopes of helping Coquitlam become an inclusive city we can be proud of. I believe we can achieve this through shared leadership. It is time our public officials listen to our citizens about their individual differences and start promoting inclusion with action.

I believe strongly in this in my role as a City Councillor in Coquitlam. In my two terms on Council I have been the voice for the importance of safe and inclusive Cities. The mosaic of residents of this city have diverse needs and we need to “make room” to hear from them as we plan out our communities, and ensure our infrastructure and services support future demand. Most importantly I have worked tirelessly to allow our citizens to be heard. From long term residents to new comers I have ensured that I am there to
listen and advocate at City Hall on their behalf. I believe as a city we need to find ways to engage the public better not just as a regulated exercise but as to truly respond through understanding. From this understanding we can build an accessible and inclusive city that embraces the present and plans effectively for the future.