There’ll be one new face but no new parties around the Burnaby school board table next month.
The Burnaby Citizens Association swept the trustee seats in Saturday’s election, adding Katrina Chen to the board in place of James Wang, who won a council seat.
“I’m very thankful that a lot of people trusted us and supported us,” Chen told the NOW. “I think people trust that we are a team of very experienced and stable candidates.”
Chen came in third in the school board race, winning 23,116 votes, according to preliminary results.
Ron Burton, who will have served on the board for 31 years by the end of his new four-year mandate, topped the voting with 24,189 votes.
He was followed by Larry Hayes, who was elected to a fifth term with 23,249 votes.
Current board chair Baljinder Narang won 18,552 votes and a third term, while Harman Pandher was elected to a second term with 18,345 votes.
Burton attributed his party’s domination to its solid record.
“I think it says that we’re on the right track. We reflect what the community wants, and that’s the most important thing.”
Trustee candidate Janice Beecroft came closer than any other Burnaby First Coalition candidate to spoiling the BCA’s third consecutive sweep of both council and school board, coming in 2,934 votes behind Pandher.
Beecroft said it was tough running against a party that’s been in power for so long and was so well resourced.
“It’s like you’re just up against a wall, but eventually that wall’s got to crumble a little bit,” she said. “Nobody thought the Berlin Wall was going to crumble, and here we are celebrating the anniversary.”
Beecroft said Burnaby First has built a good foundation for the next election.
In the meantime, she plans to continue her involvement in the school district at her kids’ school, the district parent advisory council and school board committee meetings.
“Hopefully we’ll get some change going even if we still have to be a loud voice from the outside.”
Trustees will be sworn in to their new term at an inaugural meeting on Dec. 9.
For full election results, visit www.burnaby.ca/Our-City-Hall/Elections/Preliminary-Election-Results.html.
