More than one hundred people crammed inside a tiny classroom at Gilmore Community School on Tuesday for Burnaby's first all-candidates meeting.
The question-and-answer session, hosted by the Heights Neighbourhood Association, attracted frontrunner Derek Corrigan and opponents Daren Hancott, Helen Chang and Sylvia Gung. Questions covered an array of topics, including Kinder Morgan, education and taxation.
Burnaby First Coalition (BFC) supporter Gordon Shank asked the panel if they had received campaign funding from trade unions, and if so, would it influence their decision-making process.
"I know as a business person, if a huge customer, that gives me a lot of money, if he asks me to stay out at the bar until midnight, I'd probably do it," Shank told the NOW. "If it was up to me, I would get rid of campaign sponsorship because it's not a level playing field."
BFC answered no, while the Burnaby Citizens Association (BCA) answered yes, insisting the money does not affect how they go about doing business.
Coun. Nick Volkow was also handed the microphone and asked BFC's Matthew Hartney about his intentions to carry out services with a zero percent tax increase.
Hartney responded by saying the BFC would stay true to the numbers by creating an effective budget.
"For the city of Burnaby, the issue is poor budgeting. Every year, they're over inflating their expenditures and undervaluing their revenue," he said.
Another resident asked the candidates about an emergency response plan should an oil spill happen around the Kinder Morgan pipeline route.
Coun. Anne Kang admitted the city does not have enough resources to respond to such a disaster, but added that council will continue to fight the company's plans to increase the number of tankers in North Burnaby.
Meanwhile, independent school board trustee candidate Elias Ishak was vocal about Kinder Morgan, arguing "this anti-oil sentiment is a religion almost. Do we expect everyone to start riding bikes to work? No oil? Do you want to go back to the Stone Age?"
The debate got heated when a member of the audience made the claim that performance within the public school system is suffering. BCA members countered the statement by saying the system is one that's envied outside city limits.
"We have to make due with funding that we feel is inadequate and have to do a balance of where we send that money, but we have over the years, come up with new programs that attracts students," said school board trustee candidate Larry Hayes.
BFC's Ben Seebaran fired back with statistics related to declining provincial exam results, the graduation rate and enrolment.
Another question asked of the panel was "What is your policy on a biking community?"
Mayor Corrigan explained how the city has bought all the land on Willingdon Avenue and how plans to build a path for pedestrians and cyclists between Brentwood and the Heights are in the works.
The BFC responded by saying "a single path does not constitute long term planning."
Another all-candidates meeting is taking place Friday, Nov. 7 at the Metrotown Community Resource Centre, between 6:30 and 8:30 p.m.
