City Council Roundup September 11, 2023

The September 11 New Westminster City Council meeting took place in Queensborough. It had two lively and important sessions.

City staff member Tobi May presented a report on the progress of the Temesewtx Aquatic and Community Center. The center was initially forecast to open in the fall of 2023 but that date has been pushed back to the spring of 2024 . Pandemic related delays, problems with supply chain issues, and a labour dispute all contributed to the delays.

Mayor Johnstone commented, " In aquatics, like in running, you don't start celebrating until you touch the wall or you touch the tapes... In March 2020 we had to take a step back because the world was falling apart. Kudos to staff for getting us through all of that uncertainty. This is not just something where we turn the lights on and start operating."

Afterwards, a group of bus drivers, union members, and senior citizens stepped up to express their support for HandiDart. HandiDart is part of the Regional Translink Transportation Network. It provides transportation options for handicapped and elderly passengers who have challenges using the regular transit system. The delegation argued that the service is vastly underfunded and needs restructuring.

The Save Our HandiDart organization also offered their perspective. They supported the idea of Mayor Patrick Johnstone bringing the issue to the Mayor's Council on Regional Transportation. They asked the mayor to sign a letter asking for solutions to this problem and urged the council to support this move to keep HandiDart viable.

Councilors Nakagawa, Campbell and Fontaine all spoke of their experiences with HandiDart. Each expressed their support for the continuation of this vital service.

Council discussed drafting a formal statement from the city to the Mayor's Council. But staff was told to investigate and report back to city council with options for a formal proposal from New Westminster to the Mayor's Council on increasing support for HandiDart.