IN THE LANGLEY TOWNSHIP COUNCILLOR RACE: Carey Poitras

Carey Poitras

RUNNING AS AN INDEPENDENT

Commercial account manager, no age given

Willoughby resident who’s lived in Langley 38 years

My name is Carey Poitras; I am a Metis person. I have grown up in and now have raised my children in Langley.

I am an experienced commercial account manager with success in building relationships in all levels of business while helping supply chains improve their sustainability.

I feel my experience in sustainability, managing account metrics and financials, combined with my collaborative style will allow me to be effective on the Township council – to keep Langley moving forward in a positive way.

I am an independent candidate for Langley Township council, and I am asking for your support Oct. 15.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100068371730658

Website: shorturl.at/EFSU3

Phone: 778-878-0462

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Have you held office in past? If so, please specify: No.

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CLICK TO CHECK OUT OUR FULL ELECTION GUIDE ONLINE

Questions:

(These answers are presented as the candidates submitted them)

1. Should the Township set targets for the creation of more low-income and seniors rental spaces, social housing units, and/or co-op development to improve home security?

Yes. Building more density is not going to solve the affordability issue. Development will produce market rate options that are out of reach for many in our community. I believe all levels of Government need to take a proactive roll and I do support having municipal targets so we can harness the private market to serve the needs in our municipality. A developer could be given an option to provide affordable units or contribute to an amenity fund. As fiscal constraints limit the ability of municipal government to contribute to capital-intensive projects, this policy would allow municipal government to still create the needed affordable spaces.

2. Should the Township create a performing arts venue within the next council term?

Don’t know. Personally this is a project I would like to see happen sooner than later. However, we need to get growth to pay for growth prior to committing to large capital projects. Once we have this done we can work on getting the infrastructure in place without placing an unreasonable tax burden on residents. We need to make sure our DCC program is reviewed and updated within the budget process so we are not falling behind in providing the amenities such as a preforming arts venue.

3. Does the Langley Township fire department need to be expanded in terms of crews, equipment, and/or halls?

Yes. Looking at the NFPA 1710 standards you see where we are falling short. It highlights the thee main guidelines:

• It takes a minimum of 15 firefighters for a house fire.

• A minimum crew of four per fire truck.

• The quicker the response time, the better the outcome for everyone.

Currently, the Township has four career halls responding to calls. Brookswood residents do not have a career hall and are experiencing an average fire department response time of 13.5 minutes.

Fort Langley residents do not have a career hall and are experiencing an average fire department response time of almost 13 minutes.

Murrayville residents are covered by full-time career staff with an average urban response time of less than eight minutes.

The industry standards recommend one firefighter per 1,000 residents; currently, the TOL has one firefighter per 1,542 residents. The Township of Langley provides the same staffing levels as we did in 2010, while the population has grown from 105,000 residents to 140,000.

Our firefighters need to be supported, and I will make this a priority to ensure this issue stays at the forefront and see the Township move closer to the industry standards.

Public safety must be a priority.

4. Should property tax increases be restricted to the rate of inflation or lower?

Yes. As a council we need to exhaust all avenues before we ever look at increasing property taxes.

5. Should the Township encourage greater housing density in new and existing neighbourhoods?

Yes. This needs to be done with sustainability at the fore front in the planning; with essential greenspaces and tree canopies preserved. If we increase the density, we need to make sure we are creating a livable walkable space at the same time.

6. Should the Township do more to build and upgrade roads, sidewalks, and bike paths in fast-growing areas?

Yes.

7. Is the Township’s population growing too fast?

No. I have watched our community struggle with accelerated urban area growth and still have the resources for parks and green spaces. It will take vision, communication and compromise. We can sustainably plan for this type of growth while balancing creating a livable heathy community and making sure it is planned in the right areas.

8. Should the Township consider switching to a municipal police force, instead of using the RCMP?

No.

9. Does the Township have enough parks and public spaces to meet the needs of its growing population?

No.

10. Should the Township commit to making a decision on proposed new developments within 12 months or less?

Yes.

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CLICK ON OUR ELECTIONS 2022 TAB TO FIND A WIDE VARIETY OF RELEVANT STORIES

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EDITOR’S NOTE:

How the questions were presented to each candidate

Langley Advance Times readers have repeatedly told us how much they value this important, straight-forward reference guide that helps orient them with the range of choices on the ballots – both at the council and school board levels.

Towards that end, we have attempted to make this package available (along with the following instructions) to each of the candidates in a timely fashion ahead of the Oct. 15 election.

Please read carefully before you start to fill this out.

To help voters in Langley make their choices on election day, the Langley Advance Times is asking local candidates 10 issue-based questions.

You must provide a ‘yes,’ a ‘no,’ or a ‘don’t know’ (Y, N, D) response to EACH of these questions.

Each question MUST be answered with yes (Y), no (N), or Don’t Know (D). This will be published in a grid in the Oct. 6 edition. Any questions not answered will be LEFT BLANK.

Candidates may also expand on ANY OR ALL of these questions (to a maximum of 200 words each). Please note any responses longer than that will be cut off at the 201-word mark.

Due to space limitations, we can only guarantee to run one of these answers in the Langley Advance Times print edition ahead of the election. You must CLEARLY indicate which expanded answer you want to see published in print. If you do not specify, we will choose. Any and all expanded answers provided will be published online at www.langleyadvancetimes.com.

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