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LETTERS: Blame the BCA for lack of diversity at Burnaby council table

Editor: Re: Council for old white men, NOW , Oct. 26 Why is Burnaby’s diversity not represented at city hall? The number 1 reason is because the majority of council and school trustees are made of BCA members. Let’s look at the stats from Oct. 20.
Burnaby city council
Who do you blame for the lack of diversity in these faces? This letter writer places blame squarely at the feet of the Burnaby Citizens Association.

Editor:

Re: Council for old white men, NOW, Oct. 26

Why is Burnaby’s diversity not represented at city hall? The number 1 reason is because the majority of council and school trustees are made of BCA members.

Let’s look at the stats from Oct. 20.

The BCA had 15 candidates running for city council and school board, (and) of those 15 only three were women. The Greens ran at total of eight candidates, three men and five women. Half of the council candidates were women, while their only two candidates for school trustee were women. The BFC ran a total of six candidates for city council - half were women.

Now, interestingly enough, two of the three independents running for city council were women, and three of the four independents running for school trustee were women.

In this election, more women ran for public office in Burnaby than is represented at city hall. The outcome can be attributed to vote splitting, money and who votes. That is a whole other discussion.  I completely disagree with Coun. Collen Jordan. There are no disadvantages for women and, in fact, all the women running outside of the BCA were professionals who were younger and not retired. The only party to have retired people over-represented is the BCA.

By continuing to say “voters unconsciously see a man as more professional and credible than a women” is ridiculous, unless of course you are a member of the BCA, and only nominate three women of 15 candidates to run for office.

Janice Beecroft, Burnaby

Editor’s note: Janice Beecroft was an independent candidate for Burnaby city council