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Imtiaz Popat: Running for Mayor to give Surrey a credible choice
9-19-2018
I am running for Mayor of Surrey because there is no one running for Mayor I can support. People have told me that none of the candidates for Mayor are a credible choice. No one is raising the critical issues that I want to raise in this election.
On the transit issue, I do not support LRT nor Skytrain. I support the reactivation of the Inter-urban community rail that was originally supported by Diana Watts and Surrey Council, but was hijacked by Linda Hepner with her LRT project. The Inter-urban was planned as a community rail service south of the Fraser that would run for Scott Road station through Newton, Cloverdale, Langley, Abbotsford all the way to Chilliwack at the fraction of the cost of the proposed LRT or Skytrain. The new high-tech trams would be hydrogen powered and would be even cheaper that buses. The tracks are intact and have been preserved for commuter rail service.
Both LRT and Skytrain will damage the fragile ecology of the Green Timbers Urban Forest, particularly in the construction phase. The Skytrain noise will permanently disturb the diverse ecology of the forest. The massive concrete is also bad for greenhouse gas. We don’t’ need another ecocide after what the outgoing council did with Hawthorn Park. They must be held accountable for what they did. They still propose to build LRT through Hjorth Elementary school space which is going to affect the safety of the student.
Translink is responsible for transit. So why is $ 24 million for LRT coming out of Surrey City’s budget? If they want to build Skytrain to Langley, then why isn’t it coming out of Langley’s budget as well? This money can be spent on Social Housing which Surrey has built very little of. Both the LRT and Skytrain projects will displace a lot of low income housing. Where are these people going to go?
Tom Gill, who is not running for Mayor with Surrey First, cleaned up tent city just before the election. But the homeless are not gone. They are sleeping on the parks. Some of them are complaining about the parks not being cleaned. Don’t we deserve clean parks, they ask me? So, we need more shelter and social housing in Surrey. I am also calling on the provincial government to stop the 4.5% rent hike limit and put a freeze on rent increases and then put in rent controls that are sustainable. I also propose a housing registry to that we rents and rent hikes.
Doug McCallum with Surrey Safety Coalition didn’t make Surrey Safe when he was Mayor and the gang problems started. He did do anything about it then. The Bruce Hayne and Integrity Now Slate has a hand gun advocate running on their slate. Both Integrity Now and Proudly Surrey want to increase the size of the police force. But that is not going to solve the problem.
I originally had proposed a Surrey Police force when I was with the Surrey Community Alliance before it dissolved. I don’t’ however think we need to increase the number of officers as other parties have proposed, nor do I think we need a referendum a Surrey Police Force that Tom Gill is proposing. What we need is a police force that is accountable to community and works with community. We need better sensitivity training so that diverse population trusts our police force. I have heard numerous complains of racial profiling by the Surrey RCMP. We also need to hire more community and youth workers like other cities have to deal with safety, gang violence as well as addiction and mental health issues.
My understanding as a counsellor will help me understand critical issues facing diverse communities such as mental health, addiction as well issues around gang violence in order to advocate for more inclusive programs and service that are offered by the city.
Imtiaz Popat, is a Counsellor, and a Community TV and Radio host. He is currently the Development Officer for the One Love West Coast Festival being held in Surrey in September. A long-time equal rights and social justice advocate, He founded the Coalition Against Bigotry – Pacific to challenge the rise of bigotry in the pacific coast.
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