The Burnaby Citizens Association has nominated two women to run for seats on council once a byelection is announced - joining two women running for the local Greens.
On the ballot will be former Burnaby school trustee Baljinder Narang and environmental activist Alison Gu.
“When consulting BCA members and other progressive voters about our strategic plan last fall, we heard loud and clear that people wanted more equity and diversity in our candidates for council and school board,” said BCA president Leila Lolua, in a news release.
Burnaby currently only has one woman on council, Colleen Jordan.
The byelections have not yet been called, but the city has been preparing bylaws around voting in the pandemic, including adding more advance voting dates.
The byelections were made necessary after two city councillors – Nick Volkow with the Burnaby Citizens Association and recent independent Paul McDonell – died within a few weeks of one another last summer.
City council has been operating with just seven councillors since then, and it is required by law to hold byelections to fill the vacancies before the 2022 general election.
The byelection is expected to be held sometime this spring.
“Our city’s strength is our diversity, and I stand for social justice and affordable living,” said Narang. “I will collaborate with community partners for an environmentally and economically sustainable Burnaby as we recover from COVID-19.”
“My commitment is to work for climate justice, truly affordable housing and racial equity,” said Gu. “When we prioritize our collective wellbeing, we thrive as a community.”
When the byelection is called, they will be running against Mehreen Chaudry and Teresa Rossiello, who are running for the Burnaby Green Party.
- With files from Dustin Godfrey
