Eight candidates — including one previous councillor — will try to win a seat on Port Moody city council in the Sept. 30 byelection.
They’re vying to fill the seat on council that was vacated by former councillor Rick Glumac, who was elected as the NDP MLA for the riding of Port Moody-Coquitlam in the May 9 provincial election. He resigned his seat on council in June.
The candidates who filed their nomination documents before the Aug. 25 deadline are:
• Richard Biedka, who works in sales for a seafood company and has lived in Port Moody for more than 25 years.
• Cathy Cena, a business development manager for a company that manufactures identity products and interior signage.
• Jeanette Jackson, an executive and entrepreneur in the clean tech industry who has lived in Port Moody for 12 years.
• Sager Jan, who lists himself as retired on the financial disclosure documents filed with his nomination.
• Shane Kennedy is a manager who has lived in Port Moody for 20 years.
• Gerry Kent, a retired educator.
• Hunter Madsen, a co-organizer of the group Save Bert Flinn Park.
• Karen Rockwell is a labour relations professional who previously served on council for nine years.
Three polling stations will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. for general voting day on Sept. 30; they are: Port Moody rec complex, 300 Ioco Rd.; Heritage Mountain community centre, 200 Panorama Pl.; and Glenayre community centre, 492 Glencoe Dr. There will also be advance voting opportunities on Sept. 20 and 23 at the rec centre.
As well, the city will be announcing details of a mail-in ballot program in September.
To be eligible to cast a ballot in the byelection, voters must be: 18 years of age or older on general voting day; a Canadian citizen; a resident of Port Moody for at least 30 days and a resident of B.C. for six months immediately prior to being registered on the provincial list of voters.
If you are already on the list of voters, you are already registered to vote in the byelection. If not, you can register at the time of voting provided you also meet the requirements to be a registered voter and have two pieces of identification to prove residency and identity.
Property owners in Port Moody who don’t live in the city can be eligible to register as a non-resident property elector provided they are 18 years old on voting day, a Canadian citizen, a resident of B.C. for the previous six months and a registered owner of property in Port Moody for at least 30 days before registered to vote.
The city has posted profiles for most of the candidates, as well as links to their nomination and financial disclosure documents, on its website at portmoody.ca/index.aspx?page=1556.
• The Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce will hold an all-candidates meeting for the Port Moody byelection on Sept. 21, 7 to 9 p.m., at the Inlet Theatre, 100 Newport Dr., Port Moody. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and admission is free.
