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: Linda Hancott
Current occupation: Administration
Tell us about yourself.
Having lived in Burnaby for over 15 years, Linda’s candidacy for Councillor is driven by her passion to make a difference by giving Burnaby residents a choice and a voice at City Hall. Linda was fortunate to have teachers who helped her to integrate academically, socially and culturally when she first moved to Canada. She graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering Technology degree and completed her MBA in Global and Human Resources Management. Linda has a diverse work background and knows how to work with multicultural stakeholders. Linda played the piano for sing-alongs at a Seniors' Residence and enjoys volunteering.
What are the top three issues in Burnaby right now and what would you do to fix them?
1. Poverty. People are telling me that Burnaby is becoming to expensive to live in and housing and its costs are making a difficult situation worse. Younger families are forced to leave, older residents are finding it harder to stay, and there is little employment for youth in our city.
2. Local road maintenance and traffic management. Too much redundant maintenance and too long to complete projects. It seems projects are ad hoc and unfocused while most take too long. Have focused projects and have them completed before starting others to avoid large areas of traffic congestion at the same time.
3. Waste collection, water and sewer. I would focus on reducing taxes and improving services. I do not like the bi-weekly waste cycle and its issues especially during the spring and summer when bears are attracted to the smells and house and storage units smell bad.
If you have run for office before, what have you learned? If you have not, why are you running now?
Lessons learned from running for Council in 2014:
1. You cannot sit on the sidelines and expect to make a difference, you must be involved.
2. We have a duty to create a better city for all to live in by dedicating time, resources and effort to make it a reality.
3. You cannot expect to win the first time, which is why I am running again.
What is one achievement and one failure of Burnaby council in the last four years?
Burnaby is a great city to live in, but it has become too expensive for many. The current mayor and council have lost touch with reality and the current costs for most residents. The city has always raised taxes when it does not even need the funds which I think is an absolute mistake and it generally does not do a good job with allocating the reserve funds to meaningful priorities. It generally receives good returns on the reserves it has taken from tax payers, but I am sure that could be improved upon as well.
What would make you a good councillor/mayor?
I like to listen to people’s concerns, gather people to come up with innovative solutions, look for best practices and then solve the problem. I would also look for the best citizen volunteers to staff every community, empowering citizens to improve their local communities.
What movie is most relevant to your life and why?
Awakenings by De Nero and Williams. Because it says a lot about our current situation “that the human spirit is more powerful than any drug—and THAT is what needs to be nourished: with work, play, friendship, family”
How can voters reach you?
info@ burnabyfirstcoalition.ca
Tel: 778 801 5515
Facebook: Burnaby First Coalition
