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: Heather Leung
Current occupation: Occupational Therapist
Tell us about yourself.
“Love your neighbour” is my motto. My family has been living in Burnaby for 15 years. My activities are community focused. I’m active in my Church, attend community events and always try to take an in-depth interest in community matters. The drug overdoses epidemic and all the related tragedies are my top area of advocacy. This cannot be reduced to a death count, people are ending up in permanent care and whole families are suffering.
What are the top three issues in Burnaby right now and what would you do to fix them? (50 words for each answer; 150 words total)
1. Traffic. Details add up, tasks must be finished. For example, advance left turn lanes are great but left turns need to be curtailed on the streets immediately following. Take Kingsway and Imperial for example. Details matter, I pay attention to details.
2. Affordable housing has become a crisis. It cannot be eliminated but there are strategies which can alleviate the hardships. A ‘too little too late’ reaction approach doesn’t work’. I’ll work endlessly to attack this crisis proactively and from all sides.
3. Marijuana. B.C.'s solicitor general warns that that Canadians who work or invest in the legal cannabis market could face a lifetime ban from entering the United States. People cannot suffer negative consequences from doing their job. I will resist moving ahead until this matter becomes clear.
If you have run for office before, what have you learned? If you have not, why are you running now?
I have run before and each time have come closer to being elected. I’ve learned that when people do not feel that their voice counts, they often don’t bother voting. Having an abysmal voting rate is a travesty, we have over 100,000 eligible voters who didn’t vote and decisions are being made for them, without their participation. I can see the appeal of using a PR electoral system.
What is one achievement and one failure of Burnaby council in the last four years?
Taking the advice from an opposition member, a rarity in Burnaby, budgeting for future needs has produced a great financial success. This blessing also becomes a curse when it a significant deficit are created on all the important non-financial factors.
What would make you a good councillor/mayor?
In the community and at work, I interact with diverse groups of people, diverse age groups and many different ethnicities. Working with a very wide range of people and being a minority woman myself, I feel that I can bring new and fresh perspectives to the table.
What movie is most relevant to your life and why?
127 Hours (2010). How does one decide between their hand or their life? I was inspired the main character’s ability to make a very difficult but necessary decision and the sub-theme of missing something very dear only after it’s gone.
How can voters reach you?
Email, HeatherLeung@burnabyfirstcoalition.ca
Phone: (778) 801-5515 (please leave a message.)
