Interview with Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West

At the age of 33, Brad West became the youngest mayor in the lower mainland when he was voted in with what could be called a landslide victory in Port Coquitlam in 2019. At that time Mr. West had already served as a city councilor for over a decade and was endorsed by the popular incumbent, Greg Moore.

Tri-Cities Community TV reporter Nick Young had an opportunity to set down with Mr. West to discuss a number of issues of concern in the city of Port Coquitlam.

Mayor West's creation of the Mayor’s Citizen Advisory Roundtable to create a forum for Mayor and Council in order to: hear from members of the community, exchange ideas about how to address challenges, and seek input on a variety of topics, from budgets to City projects and community development.

Council will consider the group’s input as it makes decisions on matters throughout the year. Participating in the roundtable is a great opportunity to give back to the community and play a role shaping the City’s future.

The Mayor’s Citizen Advisory Roundtable replaces the citizen advisor positions on previous council committees. A total of 142 residents and business owners in Port Coquitlam signed up to be on the new mayor’s citizen advisory roundtable, of these 17 applicants were selected, including Nick Young.

Also discussed is the expansion of the PoCo recreation center which has been a major undertaking for the city over the course of the last couple of years. The $132-million project spans 205,000 sq. ft. of floor area and includes a leisure pool and a three-lane, 20-metre length swimming area, three ice rinks including a spectator rink with 800 seats, fitness gym, gymnasium, sports medicine office, games room and lounge for youth and seniors, multi-purpose activity rooms, and a new Terry Fox Library. The remaining indoor and outdoor amenities will be completed in the second half of 2021.

In order to secure the funding necessary to go forward with this project which started in 2017 the municipal government tapped various funding sources, including $12.5 million from the federal government, $41.2 million from internal and reserve funds, and $52 million borrowed over a 30-year term.

Remaining funding is generated by a $25 per property parcel tax from 2017 to 2020, $7.3 million in facility levies from 2015 to 2019, and a $17-million sale of city-owned lands — including the former public works yard — for residential and commercial development.