The Burnaby NOW asked every candidate running for office in the Oct. 20 civic election to fill out a questionnaire. We hope this helps you make an informed decision at the ballot box.
Candidates were given strict word limits and a deadline to submit their answers. Those who missed the deadline will not have their questionnaires posted and answers exceeding word limits will be cut off.
More candidate questionnaires can be found here and more of our election coverage can be found here.
Name: Claire Preston
Current occupation: Claire Preston Technical Writing and Editing Inc
DameC Designs
Administration Assistant Temp
Skip the Dishes Driver
Tell us about yourself.
Claire Preston wants a city council that proactively confronts the challenges facing Burnaby head on. Demovictions and affordable housing; our impact on the environment; and traffic, transit, and road maintenance. Claire consider herself to be politically left and a democratic socialist at heart, as more and more studies and real life evidence shows that this is the best way to help people. While people will always want to go out and better themselves and their lives, we need to make sure it doesn’t continue to be done in ways that harm the rest of us
What are the top three issues in Burnaby right now and what would you do to fix them?
1. Community displacement due to demovictions, Ideally I would have emergency modular housing build to move the families into until a more permanent solution can be worked out.
2. Ending the housing crisis, have the city of Burnaby work together with BC Housing to build new affordable buildings.
3. Greatly reducing the city's contribution to climate change, from small initiatives like bike sharing and naturescaping to larger projects like incentivising the installation of wind turbines and solar panels on residential, commercial, and industrial buildings.
If you have run for office before, what have you learned? If you have not, why are you running now?
I have not run for office before, I became interested in politics as a teenager and I started voting as soon as I turned 18. I have always used my platforms and vote to try to improve our society, but I don’t feel like that’s enough anymore, if I want to see a better world I need to take action.
What is one achievement and one failure of Burnaby council in the last four years?
An achievement of the current city council is the work they have put into updating and building parks.
A failure of the current city council is that they have allowed the housing crisis to continue and have even made it worse by supporting the demovictions at Metrotown.
What would make you a good councillor/mayor?
I am willing to listen to people about what issues they are facings and work together with them and to find modern and progressive solutions.
What movie is most relevant to your life and why?
How can voters reach you?
clairep4burnabycouncil@gmail.com
facebook.com/clairep4burnabycity
@ClaireP4Burnaby
clairep4burnabycouncil.com
