Tom Gill ,
is Surrey First’s candidate for mayor
Four-term Surrey city councillor Tom Gill has been chosen as Surrey First’s mayoral candidate for the Oct. 20 municipal election.
Outgoing Mayor Linda Hepner, who announced in April that she would not be seeking re-election, made the announcement on Friday.“Tom’s experience and commitment to our city makes him a tremendous choice to be Surrey’s next mayor,” said Hepner. “Tom knows Surrey so well, and he understands what needs to be done in the busy years ahead to make sure we remain a great place to live, work and raise a family. Tom will make a terrific mayor and be a strong, decisive and level-headed voice for our community at the regional, provincial and federal levels.” An accountant, Gill currently chairs the city’s finance and transportation committees. He also sits on the police committee and was a founding director of the Surrey Homelessness and Housing Society.
“Our city has a great story to tell and I’m looking forward to leading our Surrey First team so that we can continue building an even better Surrey in the years ahead,” he said.
Gill’s announcement comes one day after Bruce Hayne, a two-term Surrey First councillor, revealed he was resigning from the civic party and will sit an independent. Gill said he was looking forward to running on a slate that included some new candidates.
“This election is a chance to refresh and renew our Surrey First team,” said Gill. “We take nothing for granted, and that means reaching out into our community with some new faces, some new voices, and more ways to make Surrey a great city for all of us.”
On Thursday, former provincial cabinet minister and sitting Liberal MLA for Langley East Rich Coleman told Postmedia columnist Mike Smyth he’s been heavily courted to seek the Surrey mayor’s job and he’s not ruling it out.“I have meetings set up this week and there are a lot of things to consider,” said Coleman said. “There are a lot of factors after doing this for 22 years.”
Coleman is expected to make a decision on his future next week during a meeting with the Liberal Party caucus.
Tom Gill
604.503.0054
Imtiaz Popat,
Candidate for Surrey Mayor
Popat was previously a council candidate with the now defunct Surrey Community Alliance slate. Imtiaz Popat has announced that he is running for Surrey mayor in the upcoming Oct. 20 election.
In a release, Popat said he’s running to “give the people of Surrey a better choice.”
“There is no one running for mayor I can support,” said Popat, who was originally nominated to run for city council with now defunct Surrey Community Alliance. “People are telling me that none of the candidates for mayor are a credible choice.”
Popat said he does not support LRT or Skytrain, but rather the “reactivation of the interurban community rail.”
According to Popat, the interurban was planned as a community rail service south of the Fraser that would run from Scott Road station through Newton, Cloverdale, Langley, Abbotsford all the way to Chilliwack at a “fraction of the cost of the proposed LRT or Skytrain.”“The new high-tech trams would be hydrogen powered and would be even cheaper that buses,” Popat said in a release. “The tracks are intact and have been preserved for commuter rail service. Both LRT and Skytrainwill damage the fragile ecology of the Green Timbers Urban Forest. We don’t need another ecocide after what the outgoing council did with Hawthorne Park. They must be held accountable for what they did.”
Popat said the City of Surrey shouldn’t be pitching in money for the LRT project, that rather, that money should be spend on social housing. In June, the city decided to contribute roughly $24.5 million to the first phase of the project, described as a “modest sum.”
“Both the LRT and Skytrain projects will displace a lot of low income housing,” said Popat. “Where are these people going to go?”
Meanwhile, Popat said he supports a Surrey police force, something proposed by the Surrey Community Alliance.
“I don’t however think we need to increase the number of officers as other parties have proposed, nor do I think we need a referendum that Tom Gill has proposed,” he said. “What we need is a police force that is accountable to community and works with community. We need better sensitivity training so that diverse population trust our police force.”
Imtiaz Popat, has lived in Surrey for over 30 years. His biography says he is counsellor, and a community TV and radio host. He is currently the development officer for the One Love West Coast Festival being held in Surrey in September and a program assistant at the Phoenix Drug & Alcohol Recovery & Education Society.“He is a long-time equal rights and social justice activist,” a release notes. “He founded the Coalition Against Bigotry – Pacific to challenge the rise of bigotry in the pacific coast.” Popat says his understanding as a counsellor will help him “understand critical issues facing diverse communities such as mental health, addiction as well issues around gang violence in order to advocate for more inclusive programs and service that are offered by the city.”
Other mayoral candidates in the upcoming Oct. 20 election in Surrey are Surrey First’s Tom Gill, Integrity Now’s Bruce Hayne, former mayor Doug McCallum with his Safe Surrey Coalition, Rajesh Jayaprakash with People First Surrey, and Proudly Surrey’s Pauline Greaves.
Imtiaz Popet
imtiaz.popat@gmail.com
Adil Awan,
Candidate for council, City of Richmond
I’m really excited to be running for city council for the City of Richmond in the upcoming election. I ran in 2014 and had a great experience. I learned that citizens of Richmond were frustrated with council of the day and were looking for change. As I meet with residents, that frustration has grown even more so with the current council.
The citizens of Richmond want to elect a councillor who will look after their needs and not the special interest groups.
I know that the City of Richmond has issues regarding development, Massey Tunnel project, affordable housing and community and cultural diversity. These issues were important in 2014 and they are at the forefront more so today. In the previous election, the 2 major parties collected almost $250,000 in donations from the development community. These parties have led the way in catering to special interest groups and have forgotten about everyday Richmond residents. Let’s bring city hall and council back to the people of Richmond. I am running independently in order to bring “the voice of the people to city hall and exclusively answer to the residents of Richmond” without being tied to specific party interests.
Since emigrating from Uganda in 1974, my family and I have called Richmond home. Currently, I am employed as an air transport pilot based at YVR. In aviation, communication is absolutely critical to a pilot’s work, and I want to bring the same kind of mind set to City Hall where greater dialogue and two-way communication is absolutely necessary. I am an alumni of 655 Air Cadet Squadron and a graduate of Quilchena Elementary, Burnett Jr. High and Richmond Senior High (1984).
The values of hard work, persistence and dedication were instilled upon me by my parents, Mahmood and Mahmooda Awan at a very young age. I will bring the same values as councillor to City Hall.
I hope to tackle the city’s housing crisis, transportation and infrastructure and advocate for increased transparency at city hall.
Please check my website as I will be posting new information about the issues and current events.
Thank you for your support
Adil Awan
www.adilforrichmond.com
778-928-7369
adilforrichmond@gmail.com
Asad Syed ,
for council, City of Surrey
Asad Syed has been a resident of Surrey for the past 24 years along with his wife and three children. He is a community activist and advocate for interfaith harmony, as well as the founder and past president of The White Rock Muslim Association. He served on the Government Relation Committee FVREB, as well as the BVOR Syrian Refugee Sponsorship and settlement program as a partnership between the WRMA and the First United Church. He volunteers for several charities and not for profit organizations. He is self-employed as a realtor and private business owner. When elected, he hopes to bring Affordable Surrey back to Citizens and shelter to those most in need. Local municipal police ,Affordable and social housing, homelessness, transportation, environments, and schools are his platform items .
Asad Syed
604.537.9407
E.mail: asad736@hotmail.com
Abubakar Khan,
for council, City of Vancouver
When Abubakar Khan talks about his run for Vancouver City Council, he speaks with an inspiring amount of passion.
“That word [young] needs to change,” he said to me. “Age should not be such a big, defining factor. I really hope that young people realize that we can do this [run for office] as well. We don’t need to wait until we’re 40 or 50 to take a chance or to make a difference civically.”
At the age of 24, Abubakar could be Vancouver’s youngest City Councillor to date. To him, that means he’s defying the stigma of young people being inexperienced. He’s out to prove that young folks have a perspective that’s just as valuable as any other.
“Young is a new perspective. It’s one that’s been missing in this arena especially. There are about 110,000 millennials in Vancouver, but no voice representing that on City Council.”*
Abubakar told me he’s running for office because he had no other option. He volunteers his time with multiple groups and attempts to contribute his thoughts, but often feels overlooked. “I’m taking on initiatives, attending rallies… and I’m often stuffing envelopes. You’re in the room, but you’re not taken seriously. Are we just checking a box for someone?”
He also mentioned how British Columbia’s new campaign finance rules level the playing field and allow younger candidates to have a better shot at making it into office. “It’s no longer about who has the deepest pockets — it’s rendering that useless. The power of social media can bring people together more than ever. You don’t need hundreds of thousands of dollars to get your word out anymore.”
Abubakar Khan
E.mail: khanforcouncil.ca.
Shakeel Gaya,
for council, City of Vancouver
The City of Port Coquitlam is facing challenges of housing and transportation due to a lack of cohesive pro active planning to receive and benefit from this population growth. There is an urgent need for designating the city with different levels of density. Increase in crime and lack of safety of the neighborhoods is another issue which needs attention; especially around the children’s play areas. The area around Fox Park is an example where the needles are being extracted on a regular basis.
It is my intent to run as a councilor to bring this reality to the residents of Port Coquitlam and to help the City better plan to manage and benefit from the growth. We as a community must face up to the reality of the growth of population and recognize the limited space that we have as a resource. Better planning in defining density zones will enable us to achieve sustainable growth and provide additional green space. This will lead to an improvement in the quality of life for all the residents.
Shakeel Gaya
604.375.7011
E.mail: shakeelgaya@gmail.com
Yousef, Ahmed,
for council, City of Maple Ridge
ENERGY, ENTHUSIASM, EXCELLENCE
Ahmed Yousef is a consensus builder with the energy, determination, and courage to bring progress to Maple Ridge.
He will strive to enact policies focusing on everyday things like feeling safe on the streets, shopping at home, creating more recreational opportunities, and respecting taxpayers’ pocketbooks.
Yousef will fight for people’s right to be heard; for equal and consistent enforcement of laws; and for real help, not warehousing for the homeless.
He wants to deliver progress people can see and touch.
He has lived in five countries, visited more than 30, and has learned to find common ground when differing opinions are involved.
Yousef and his wife moved to Maple Ridge almost a decade ago to raise their family.
He has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a Master’s degree in International Relations. He runs his own business and is a hard-working community volunteer and advocate.
The words provided are that of the candidate. The City of Maple Ridge does not endorse any candidate.
Yousef, Ahmed
Tel: 604-715-5627
Email: voteyousef@gmail.com
Nasima nastoh ,
for council, City of Surrey
I am running for Surrey City council because I have lived in Surrey for 26 years and I believe in what Surrey represents. Surrey is a diverse city made of different cultures and ethnic background all of whom work hard to form this beautiful community. I came as a refugee to Canada 33 years ago following the Russians invasion of Afghanistan. The journey was difficult. We had to escape though the mountain on horseback to save our lives while I was one month pregnant with my first son. Having been an immigrant, I know the difficulties immigrants face to integrate into a new society. They need strong advocate to fight for them to give them access to affordable housing, reliable public transportation and safe community. Adversity makes us strong but people working together to reduce adversity that makes us all stronger. I feel that it is time to listen to the concerns of Surrey residents. I am ready to fight for residents of surrey to make surrey an affordable and safe city to live. I have talked with many residents and I have heard what people said. Among the key issues were public safety, public transportation, and housing affordability. I believe strongly that politic should be about people and elected official should advocate for issues that impact the residents of the community. Usually those with the loudest voices gain attention. It is time to listen to all voices. No voice is too small. If elected, I will provide community leadership by listening, by being open and transparent, and by being inclusive and responsive. On October 20, vote for Nasima Nastoh and I will promise that I will be your strongest voice in Surrey City Hall!!
Nasima nastoh
<nnastoh@hotmail.com
Phone : (604)37-70756
Afshan Kamran,
for council, City of Surrey
Afshan Kamran is a successful mortgage broker. Surrey has helped her achieve the dream of opening a successful financial business.
Her goals are to be able to add voice to make decisions that enable the community to prosper and thrive.
She will speak up and She will address the topics that some politicians sweep under the carpet, while at the same time being flexible and open to all views.
Afshan’s background in finance makes her an ideal candidate to provide reasonable, responsible and non-partisan decisions paving the way to a better profitable and sustainable community whatever the culture may be; for today and for the next 7 generations.
Her focus will be to tackle the challenges of crime and safety, housing affordability and availability, transportation, economic development and environmental balance. All with the will and desire to develop a strong stable community for the next 7 generations in honor the Indigenous land we share.
Get to know her. She is approachable, open, hardworking, passionate and determined. Your vote means She will work as many hours as needed to ensure you see your concerns addressed. Vote for Afshan Kamran
Afshan Kamran
Phone778-772-1786
Afshan.kamran@gmail.com
Mayor Candidate Tom Gill and other Council Candidates Met Community members
Independent Surrey Voters Association inaugurate the campaign office in Surrey
