Coquitlam Councillor Chris Wilson

Chris Wilson is serving his second term on Coquitlam City Council and currently chairs the City's Economic Advisory Committee and is Vice Chair of the Universal Access-Ability Advisory Committee. An advocate of improved housing affordability, Mr. Wilson has pushed for increased subsidized housing with developers and supports greater access to rapid transit.

In our first interview with councillor Wilson we focus on his work outside of City Council. as executive director of KidSport, Tri-Cities and manager of the regional Operation Red Nose program.

KidSport is a national not-for-profit organization that provides financial assistance for registration fees and equipment to kids aged 18 and under. Through a confidential application process they provide grants so they can play a season of sport. Nationally, KidSport is comprised of a network of 11 provincial/territorial KidSport chapters and 178 community KidSport chapters.

Since its creation in 1993, over 450,000 kids across the country have been given the chance to play sport through KidSport grants and sport introduction programming.

KidSport believes that no kid should be left on the sidelines and all should be given the opportunity to experience the positive benefits of organized sports. KidSport provides support to children in order to remove financial barriers that prevent them from playing organized sport.

Operation Red Nose just ended its 36th annual road safety campaign with positive results. The organization was successful in mobilizing no less than 48 606 volunteers in one hundred communities across Canada to safely drive home 69,029 motorists who had reached out for a safe ride.

In British Columbia, 3,031 courageous volunteers braved winter conditions and their dedication allowed the organization to provide safe rides to 5,399 motorists during the festive season, proving the importance of the safe ride home service offered by Operation Red Nose.

The dedication of volunteers, donations from clients, as well as the work of local non-profit organizations hosting the safe ride home service in their community make the annual road safety campaign possible over the holiday season. Together, these people help raise more than 1,9 million dollars which are entirely redistributed to support local youth and amateur sports organizations.