Editor’s note: This is a different Paul Holden than the current CEO of the Burnaby Board of Trade.
Editor:
The main issue in this year’s municipal election is housing, and on that issue (Mayor Derek) Corrigan and the Burnaby Citizens Association have failed us.
The BCA tells us it is powerless to modify the zoning laws in areas like Metrotown, which is one of the hardest hit by demolitions of affordable rental housing. Yet this is the same neighbourhood where just over a year ago, the BCA completed a major rezoning through the Metrotown Downtown Plan. How is it that the BCA thought it had the authority to do that 15 months ago, but today is powerless?
The BCA also tells us it is powerless to negotiate with developers to ensure preservation of rental housing stock after a redevelopment. In a hot housing market, the City of Burnaby has a very powerful bargaining chip in its hands: the authority to grant zoning changes and building permits. By claiming it has no bargaining power, the BCA is not saying it’s not possible.
What they’re actually saying is that they are unwilling to negotiate on behalf of Burnaby residents to get a better deal for Burnaby. The BCA is refusing to take its statutory duties seriously by improving services, improving housing and allowing Burnaby residents to share in the city’s growth.
The mayor and sitting counsellors should be judged on their record. The housing crisis was a well-known problem when the current council’s term started. Other municipalities have acted, but Burnaby has, through its acts of omission, made the problem worse.
The BCA should not be judged on its promises for the future. It should be judged on its record. The BCA has shown, by making excuses and making the problem worse, that it is not competent to govern the City of Burnaby. The BCA should be removed from office on Oct. 20.
Paul Holden, Burnaby
