A Strong Voice for Coquitlam - Continued Advocacy
While municipalities are responsible for delivering local services, many of the issues residents care most about - health care, education, affordable housing, mental health services, transit - are the responsibility of other orders of government. I believe City Council has an important role to play in ensuring Coquitlam’s voice is heard. That means building strong, respectful relationships with our MPs, MLAs, School Trustees, Indigenous partners, and regional agencies, and advocating thoughtfully and persistently for the investments our growing community needs.
Coquitlam has a strong track record of successful advocacy. Working collaboratively with our partners, we helped secure a Mobile Integrated Crisis Response (MICR) team, supported the opening of a winter shelter with the Province and kʷikʷəƛ̓əm First Nation, and we continue to advance important priorities for our community, including affordable housing for seniors. As Coquitlam continues to grow, effective advocacy will be more important than ever. I will continue to champion the needs of our residents and work collaboratively with other governments to achieve practical, lasting results.
• Champion provincial investment in health care, including an urgent care centre within Coquitlam, schools, and other essential infrastructure so services residents need keep pace with provincially-mandated housing growth.
• Support increased funding for regional transportation improvements, including major projects such as the Brunette Interchange and sustainable funding for TransLink’s Access for Everyone Plan.
• Continue advocating for more supportive and affordable housing, expanded mental health and addiction services, and wraparound supports for vulnerable residents, including at 3030 Gordon Avenue.
• Push for increased investment in childcare spaces and stable operating funding to meet the needs of Coquitlam families.
• Advocate for federal and provincial funding to help municipalities build climate-resilient infrastructure and prepare for flooding, wildfire, and other extreme weather events.
• Encourage federal leadership to accelerate innovative housing solutions, including Canada’s prefabricated and modular housing industry.
• Continue advocating for stable, long-term funding for community safety initiatives, including the Building Safer Communities Fund.
• Support sensible bail reform and stronger coordination across governments to improve public safety while ensuring communities receive the resources they need.