Nancy Furness (We’ve Got Issues) chats with Paige Petriw (Port Coquitlam City Council candidate). Paige enjoys living in Port Coquitlam because of the quiet, small-town feel and also because it’s on the water, by the river, trails, and nature. She has lived in the TriCities her whole life and owns a small business. She got connected with the community through working with the Chamber of Commerce.

Paige participates on the mayor’s Citizen’s Advisory Roundtable providing input and feedback on City projects and initiatives. She was inspired to run for Council in response to encouragement from the mayor. Paige wants to be the voice of millennial mothers and business-owners, which is missing from Council.

Paige participates in the mayor’s Citizens Advisory Roundtable where participants share concerns and interests. City staff do presentations to educate participants and give insight into projects such as housing and design of redevelopment of the downtown core, as well as some more closed-door items.

Paige has been going to community events, talking to residents, and using social media. The top concern she is hearing is affordability, from young families through to seniors. We need more 2-, 3-, and 4-bedroom homes for growing families and bungalows/ranchers for seniors looking to downsize. Paige says the City has done a good job developing housing guidelines for developers, but more can be done.

Accessibility includes financial, mental, physical, and developmental disabilities, newcomers, refugees, elderly, and First Nations and needs to be on the forefront when making decisions.

Paige says Port Coquitlam is a welcoming community with lots of open greenspaces and playgrounds. The biggest thing needed is just to maintain them. She is excited about the downtown revitalization to make it more welcoming and walkable, and attractive to businesses. She says it needs to preserve nature with little greenspaces. Paige doesn’t have all the information on why 200 largely healthy, mature trees were removed from the downtown core, but feels thought was put into it. The City also needs to do a better job communicating. Social media could be a powerful tool if used right.

Community safety is a concern. Crime rates are declining, but people still feel unsafe. Presence of local community police can help alleviate concerns.

Paige says disagreeing is good, but Councillors need to be respectful.