Nancy McCurrach has done a lot of knocking on doors since deciding to run for civic office. As of the third week of October, the CUPE-backed candidate had spoken to residents or placed promotional brochures at 3,800 homes and 20 businesses.
She said she has heard an earful of concerns, ranging from the Fremont connector and transportation to policing and green space protection.
Property tax rates are also a hot-button issue on the campaign trail and, if elected, she vows to keep them low.
McCurrach is one of three citizen advisors on the city's smart growth committee and has spoken against using Cedar Drive as a Fremont route because of the number of children walking to and from Cedar Drive elementary school.
On traffic, McCurrach said the city needs to lobby for more services from TransLink "and be more involved in their discussions" for future routes. She also believes municipalities should have a role to play when it comes to the upcoming provincial referendum on transit funding.
McCurrach said she supports community policing and wants to see more on-street visibility by RCMP officers.
She's also pressing for a living wage policy in PoCo, such as the one implemented in New Westminster. In 2011, the Royal City became the first municipality in Canada to enact a bylaw that raises the minimum wage paid to city workers, for companies that receive city contracts and for firms that receive economic development money from the city (the figure for 2014 for the Lower Mainland is $20.10, assuming no benefits are provided by the employer).
Asked if this would be a detriment to attracting business to PoCo, McCurrach responded: "It's a big issue but if we tackle it one city at a time, I believe our community will be stronger."
Website: nancy4portcoquitlam.ca
