Mithila Karnik joins Nancy Furness (We’ve Got Issues) to share why she is running for Port Coquitlam City Council. Mithila came to Canada in 2016 and felt Port Coquitlam and School District 43 was a great place to raise a family. Previously, Mithila was an Artist Manager in Bollywood which helped her identify her ability to connect with people. She hopes to use this skill to give her community a voice on Council. Mithila meets, converses with, and listens to people in the community. She understands the consequences of isolation having had a baby during COVID. She found new ways to connect with other mothers including via social media. She hopes to draw on the strengths of diversity to create a more resilient city. New mothers, young families, especially those belonging to diverse backgrounds would benefit if the City supported peer-to-peer connections to learn about City programs. Mithila feels the City is doing a fantastic job with infrastructure, city-scape, and development. Her priorities include developing peer-to-peer programs, addressing affordability, and making the downtown core a symbol of inclusivity and diversity without losing the charm. The Recreation Centre could be transformed as a place to bring people together through peer-to-peer programs. Mithila looks forward to learning and working with Council colleagues to address the affordable housing crisis. She feels discussion with developers and other levels of government regarding affordability is important. Cars parked on both sides of the street create safety concerns for pedestrians and round-abouts could create concerns for emergency access vehicles. Mithila feels people should be consulted about changes and developments in their neighbourhood. There is a need to work ‘from the ground up’ with the vulnerable population and there should be conversation around social housing. Urban resilience means having tactics to engage vulnerable community members to combat whatever comes their way. Climate change is intentionally not included in Mithila’s platform as she feels other Council members are raising awareness and planning in place. She would use peer-to-peer interactions to talk to newcomers about environmental issues, including climate change. Respectful workplace means listening, honouring, and acknowledging, whether you agree or not. Representation is crucial to respectful workplace and continuous efforts on Reconciliation are needed. Mithila says she faces greater financial challenges than incumbents.