Coquitlam Council has granted me a leave of absence until after the election so I won’t be attending to formal Council duties for the next 28 days which means that I won’t be commenting on Council activities here on my blog.  I do invite you however to take a look at my decision-making history by checking out posts I have made here over my years on Council.

I have learned so much about this community and about governing these past five years and I look forward to the opportunity to demonstrate that I am the best candidate in Coquitlam-Maillardville to represent constituents in Victoria.

I will certainly be around the community over the coming four weeks, talking to residents, listening to concerns and making sure that I understand the issues that matter most here in Coquitlam-Maillardville.  It’s what I have been doing for over five years and it’s what I hope to keep doing on behalf of Coquitlam-Maillardville residents.

If you have any questions or need to reach me:

email: selina.robinson@bcndp.ca

phone: 604.936.7595

twitter: @selinarobinson

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/selina.d.robinson.7

website:  http://www.selinarobinson.bcndp.ca

Here’s Dimitri’s thoughts on a recent Council debate about our collective position on whether to support the request to extend pub hours at Micky’s Pub located at United Blvd and Golden. I have provided some of my own comments in brackets for clarification purposes.

Yesterday I witnessed one of the liveliest debates the Coquitlam City Council has had in the past few months. The debate was about the city extending the hours of service at Micky’s Public House, a local pub. (Selina’s note: the city only gets to provide comment to the Province on whether we support/not support a particular application – the Province actually makes these decisions)

Current Hours

• 10am to midnight Monday thought Thursday
• 10am to 1am Fridays and Saturdays
• 11am to midnight Sunday

Extended Hours 

• 9am to 1:30am Mondays thought Thursday
• 9am to 2am Friday thought Sunday

The main argument was about morals and whether the municipal government had the right to deny them these extended hours. Some councillors believed there was no reason to deny the pub extended hours: however, the moral dilemma came in when multiple councillors pointed out the dangers of drunk driving. The pub is not around residential housing, making it a “drive by bar” as one of the councillors mentioned.  The only transit around the area is a bus that comes every hour, but does not operate after 1am. There were other points made for and against the extended hours plan. The details of the plan can be read here: http://www.coquitlam.ca/Libraries/Council_Agenda_Documents/RegularCouncil_2013-02-04_item13.sflb.ashx

The debate between councillors can be watched here:  February 4^th, 2013 Item 13.

By the end of the debate, the situation became highly controversial; each of the councillors and the mayor could have voted either way. Watching the debate kept me deliberating between the right of the business and the need to keep citizens safe. In the end, council voted 3-2 to deny the application to extend hours. Selina voted with the majority to deny the application, due to the danger of keeping a pub open when the only way to get home from the pub past 1AM would be by car. (Selina’s note – I also found it helpful to learn that when the pub first made it’s application to open as a business years ago, it was to cater to the local businesses in this industrial zone – a place for lunch and after work eating/drinking – this extension was for a completely different intention and crowd than the original intentions of the business)

I believe the council made the right decision on this issue because it is the municipal government’s duty to protect its citizens. Turning a blind eye to the danger of drunk driving in this case could easily have resulted in a tragic situation. As Abraham Lincoln once said “You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today”. The pub can resubmit an application that could instead extend its morning hours and any other requests.  – Dimitri Ossinsky

Polly Krier, Selina Robinson, Diana Dilworth

February 24th is the 3rd Annual Oscar Night that I am co-hosting with my Diva friends:  Polly Krier and Diana Dilworth.

Why do it?  Why put in hours of time, ask dozens of local businesses for support and make hundreds of collaborative decisions?  I have asked myself that question for the past three years in the weeks leading up to the event.  It’s typically when my to-do list is overflowing and the pit in my stomach feels most intense.  Every year I come up with the same answer.

I do it because I believe that our community charities need to know that they have community support.  Having worked in the non-profit sector for most of my professional career I understand the challenges that come with making a meaningful difference in the community.  I understand what it means to do your work on a shoestring budget and to have to constantly seek out funds to make that difference.

I do it because we ALL benefit when there are resources in our community that we can turn to … that our neighbours can rely on … that pays attention to things we often don’t even notice.

I do it because it strengthens and engages our community in a way that highlights our capacity to take care of one another.  That’s good enough for me to tolerate that pit in my stomach and get the things done on my to-do list.

So ….. walk the red carpet, make your way through the paparazzi, sip champagne and enjoy delicious appies as we watch the Academy Awards in style while 100% of the proceeds support this year’s three local charities:  Coquitlam Foundation, Port Coquitlam Foundation, Port Moody Foundation.  (Past recipients are: SHARE Family and Community Services, Crossroads Hospice, Society for Community Development, New View Society, Kidsport, Eagleridge Hospital Foundation)

Join us on Sunday February 24 Coquitlam City Hall – Doors open 3:45, Red Carpet 4pm and Academy Awards 5pm.  Tickets are $65 available for purchase at Coquitlam Centre Guest Services (lower level by The Bay).

Join us because it’s a great night out and it supports the community you care about too.

My understanding is that the class conversation about the sexualization of girls and women stemmed from several concerns – a recent inappropriate comment made by a DJ toward the Premier (students noted that if the Premier were male a sexual comment would never have been made), and the fact that some of the male students from the school frequent a strip club in nearby New Westminster.

These two issues led the students to consider asking the City of New Westminster to shut down the strip club.

As a City Councillor from a neighbouring community, I recognize my own political boundaries and have every confidence that my colleagues in New Westminster will handle these concerns appropriately.

As a community leader and a politician I think we ought to be supporting our next generation in getting their voices heard, whether it’s a local, provincial or national issue.  We wring our hands when we see the low voter turnout, especially among the youth vote.  It’s easy to give voice to the concern, but what are we doing about it.

I am helping these students to understand political process.  I am helping them find their voice and encouraging them to use it.  I am going to be at their rally on Saturday in New Westminster at 6th St. and 6th Ave. cheering them on, giving them advice and reminding them that what they think and what they want matters.

What are you going to do?

So for the past few days I have been reviewing our weekly agenda packages. Perusing the work of staff and consultants who studied issues, performed significant research and educated Council on the pros and cons of various decisions. Reviewing these reports reminds me of the varied work of city councillors. Everything from budgets to sidewalks to infill housing. We make important decisions related to community planning that will impact at least three generations. We need to understand enough from the engineering department that we properly budget for street lighting and repaving. Reports informing us on the recreational needs of our constituents and the tensions between the different users of shared spaces reminds us that we can’t always be all things to all people.

As I reflect on the past year I am reminded of the sometimes judiciousness of the role. We have to gather as much information as we can in order to make the best decision. Given that we can’t be all things to all people, we need to consider who we are making the decision for – is it todays’ taxpayer, the next generation or certain lobby groups? We need to consider the source of the information – neutral third party? group with a vested interested?

I have learned that it is helpful to get information and to learn from a variety of sources.

Some things I learned from staff were more technical in nature, things like the impacts of developing on steep slopes, the various angles of sidewalk curb cuts on different kinds of roads, the impacts of one policy on another policy. Other things I learned from my colleagues on Council who exposed me to different ideas, new reading material and how leadership ought to take form. I also learned from other politicians serving other communities. With different communities, there are different dynamics and different opportunities. Hearing about the trials and tribulations of other communities and other Councils help to generate new ideas and different ways of tackling similar problems here in Coquitlam, like finding the sweet spot for the right amount of parking for our community as we learn best practices for becoming a rapid transit community from communities that have already done this.

I learned the most however, from residents who continue to teach me about the issues that matter most to them. Taxes, personal safety, traffic/parking concerns, environmental protection, access to services/parks/recreation come to mind. They continue to remind me of the importance of listening and understanding the real impacts of policy decisions. And it’s when I listen to residents that I am reminded of why I decided to get into politics in the first place: to make a difference, to strengthen community and enrich our lives.

As I reflect on 2012 I hope that the reading, researching, discussing, debating and yes ….listening made a difference, strengthened our community and enriched our lives.

I hope that 2013 brings more of the same.

“Unlike other levels of government, a city is legally not allowed to run a deficit.  This is something I learned yesterday while watching Coquitlam’s City Council approve the 2013 budget. City councillors have to cross ideological lines to work together to put forward a responsible budget for the city, a tight balance between fiscal responsibility and social need. While some councillors wanted to cut as much out of the budget to save tax dollars, others had to prioritize which programs are the most important to the people of Coquitlam. This is why the key to this budget is compromise, allowing the budget to be best for Coquitlam and not a political ideology. One of the priorities of the budget is public safety, which is shown by the funding for a fire hall on Burke Mountain. The property tax on business has been lowered to 2.34%; this will help local business grow in Coquitlam. With a bigger burden being placed on growing cities, I believe this budget does a good job of keeping Coquitlam fiscally responsible while properly prioritizing programs. As well as planning for the long-term not just the short-term, an example which other levels of government should follow. Overall I was pleased to see a budget driven by compromise, fiscal responsibly, and prioritization.”  – Dimitri Ossinsky

This was one of the first statements I made in a political forum.  It was November 21, 2007 – exactly 5 years ago when I attended my first ever public hearing and made an appeal before the Coquitlam Council of the day to support a rather contentious decision to permit temporary cold wet weather mats for the homeless in our community churches.  Little did I know that this appearance before Council would lead me here before you as the candidate for the BCNDP in Coquitlam Maillardville.

Just as Hubert Humphrey’s quote was my guide back in 2007 it has meaning here for me today as your NDP candidate for the May election.  For those who are at the dawn of life, our children – I worry that too many of them are growing up poor without access to the necessities that will permit them to thrive, we are not ensuring that they have access to proper childcare, education and skills training that will prepare them for a real job – a job that will permit them to participate in the economy and provide for their families.

For those that are in the twilight of life, our seniors – I worry that health care won’t be able to meet their needs, that our hospitals are overcrowded, that aging in place is a fantasy and that seniors may suffer unnecessarily.

For those that are in the shadow of life, the sick, the needy and the handicapped – I worry that 12 years of a Liberal government have completely gutted the systems that value their humanity and their potential contributions to our society.

It is this worry for the future that has propelled me forward into Provincial politics and I believe an NDP government is needed to guide the way.  Together we can grow a stable economy by investing in our land base and developing jobs right here in BC.  We need to take full advantage of our natural environment, our strategic access to key markets and our incredible diversity.  It won’t be easy …. Nothing I ever take on is easy as many of you are likely aware. But I have always believed that when you make change one step at a time, anything is possible.

And of course change is never done in isolation – there are many who have been with me along for the journey whether they intended to get on for the ride or not:

My parents – Irv and Rhoda, in-laws Sandra and Gary, my husband Dan, my children Aaron and Leya who continue to be a focus for why this work is so important – they continue to support me and be my guiding lights on this journey.

I also need to acknowledge the history in the room – those who came before, who paved the way, who have worked long and hard to bring us policies, programs and ideas that make us a compassionate and caring community.

• Gloria Levi, a Coquitlam City Councillor in the early 80s and involved in the local NDP under the Dave Barrett government.
• John Cashore, a long serving, well-loved MLA for Coquitlam-Maillardville from 1986-1991 and again from 1996-2001.
• Diane Thorne, Coquitlam City Councillor from 1996-2005 who went on to serve as MLA for this riding since 2005.  Diane has been a friend and mentor giving me sound advice  starting during my first Council campaign in 2008 and has continued to give me advice whether I want it or not.
• Dawn Black, MP for this area from 1988-93 and then again from 2006 until 2009 when she became MLA for New Westminster and is retiring from office this May.
• Fin Donnelly, who succeeded Dawn Black as the NDP MP for us in 2009, after having served 7 years on Coquitlam Council and who is definitely partly responsible for getting me to step up and get engaged immediately after that speech to Council on that fateful November evening back in 2007 when he suggested that I would be a good addition on Coquitlam Council and that I should consider running in the next election.

Gloria, John, Diane, Dawn and Fin – I am honoured to be in your company.  I look forward to representing the residents of this constituency with humility, compassion, commitment and integrity just as you have – I thank you for being such excellent role models.  I also know that those who came before me did not do it alone.  Winning any election requires organization, donors and volunteers.  Those who sit on the Constituency Executives year in and year out, Election Planning Committees, door knockers, phone canvassers, campaign donors, sign volunteers … the list goes on and on.  YOU win the campaigns. YOU create the legacy.  YOU make the difference.  So I thank YOU and I ask that you continue this legacy and that we continue to work together to ensure that we replace the current Liberal government:

• With a government that will say what it’s going to do before it acts.
• With a government that will say what it’s going to do and how it will pay for it
• With a government that has its eye on skills training so our children are ready for the future and that the economy is humming with local workers
• With a government that recognizes how precious the environment is to us and won’t abdicate responsibility for its stewardship to Harper’s Conservatives.
• With a government committed to decent politics where we challenge the ideas and the policies and we recognize the opposition as people.
• With a government that will bring a change for the better – one practical step at a time.

That’s the kind of government I am looking forward to and it’s the kind of government and leadership we will see with Adrian Dix and the NDP come May 2013.

Here’s how I see it.

I don’t have a crystal ball.  I cannot predict exactly how much parking will be needed.  I do know that we are in a state of transportation transition.  Our traditional, car-centric suburban ways are starting to shift.  We are using our land base differently by mixing in residential, employment and commercial activities and we are actively supporting other modes of transportation (not as much as I would like, but that’s a different conversation).  Given this transportation transition we need to make changes to our parking requirements – but how do we know how much change is enough change?

The development community, as represented by the Urban Development Institute, published a letter in the local paper arguing that the proposal doesn’t go far enough to reduce parking requirements and they take great opposition to the optional program permitting even further reductions in parking requirements by participating in a cash in lieu program. (They also argue that this severely impacts affordable housing ….given the price of land around these stations I highly doubt that any of these developers really intend to build ‘affordable housing’ … but that too is another conversation)

Given the rock and hard place predicament it’s critical to seek the evidence.  Given that other communities have had to deal with this transition before us, it makes sense to see what they have learned.  Other suburban communities have learned that with the arrival of rapid transit and transit oriented development, the demand for residential parking does drop.  We also know that car ownership for the higher transit corridors, even in Coquitlam, is lower than in other less well transit served neighbourhoods.  We have also learned that shoulder areas (neighbourhoods adjacent to transit stations) are at risk for becoming park and rides thus requiring parking restrictions so that these residential neighbourhoods don’t become de facto parking lots.

While I agree with the UDI representative that the next generation may do away with car ownership, I think we need to remember that the developers are banging on our doors now and that some of these projects will come on-line before the Evergreen line is finished, meaning that these folks will likely have cars.  Additionally it will be years before the ‘generation’ transition – when younger, bike-friendly hipster types take up residence along the Evergreen corridor.  Come to think of it, given affordability challenges, I question if the next generation will even be able to afford to live along the Evergreen Line.  Given these unknowns I think a cautious parking reduction is in order.  Changing the parking requirements for 2 bedroom units from 1.5 spaces to 1.35 spaces moves us in the right direction while respecting the transition and the existing residents.  As more and more buildings come on-line and with careful monitoring we will be able to adjust parking requirements accordingly.

Finally, making a big deal about an optional pay in lieu parking reduction where developers who may be struggling to meet parking requirements in order to make a project work and need to reduce by a couple of stalls or have the whole project stopped dead in its tracks is silly.  This is just an option for the developers to help them make their projects more viable if they choose.  If they don’t want to make use of it they don’t have to.  In fact, if there is no uptake on this option, it tells me that we found that sweet spot – just enough parking for the market and for the community.

November 2, 2012

Coquitlam City Councillor Selina Robinson will be the Coquitlam-Maillardville NDP candidate for the May 2013 election.  Robinson was the only person to submit nomination papers in the seven weeks since sitting NDP MLA Diane Thorne announced her retirement in mid-September.

“We are thrilled to have Selina as our candidate for the May 2013 election.” said Anne Dubois, Coquitlam Maillardville’s NDP Constituency Association president.  “She has a well established support base in this community, topping the polls in the 2011 civic election. She has been a strong advocate on Coquitlam Council on a range of issues from the environment to help for the homeless that make her a fabulous candidate and eventually MLA for our community”.

“I am excited to be the NDP candidate for Coquitlam-Maillardville,” Robinson said. “The opportunity to serve this community at the provincial level means that I can bring everything that I have learned as a community volunteer, advocate and city councillor to the job.”

Selina has lived with her husband Dan and children Aaron and Leya in Coquitlam for 19 years.  Selina was first elected to Coquitlam Council in 2008.  Prior to political life, Selina worked for SHARE Family and Community Services and UBC’s Life and Learning Centre while maintaining a private counselling and family therapy practice.  Selina has a long history of volunteering in the Tri-Cities.  She served on the Dr. Charles Best PAC and School Planning Council, managed her daughter’s hockey team with husband Dan and served on several non-profit boards.  Selina currently volunteers to coordinate the Coquitlam Terry Fox Run and Connect Day for the homeless. She participates on the Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce Membership Committee and is one of the Three Divas, hosting the Annual Tri-Cities Oscar Party to raise funds for local charities every year.

The NDP Constituency Association will be hosting a Nomination meeting on Sunday, November 25 at the Canadian Legion – 1025 Ridgeway Ave, Coquitlam 12:15pm.  The community is welcome to attend.

Selina Robinson can be reached at selinarobinson@shaw.ca or twitter: @selinarobinson

These indicators are useful, but they imply that the city acts alone –  that there are no other resources supporting our goals.  We know that this is not the case.  There are many in our community working together to strengthen our neighbourhoods, build our local economy, support physical activity and creativity.   We know that there are many working hard to enhance our quality of life.  Seeking indicators from other groups like School District 43, BC Housing and the Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce will broaden our information and help us make better decisions.  I look forward to seeing the next iteration of our strategic plan and I hope that we will see a bigger picture that will help us identify gaps and support us in working together to make Coquitlam all it can be.

Given that we don’t work in isolation, I thought I would use some of this space to let you know about upcoming activities all focussed on strengthening our community:

Sunday October 28 10am- Tri-Cities HUB chapter is hosting a tour of Coquitlam cycling infrastructure.  Cyclists of all abilities are invited to join them - Details

Monday October 29 6:45pm -  The Coquitlam Library in honour of Homelessness Action Week is hosting Jagrup Brar – The MLA who spent a month as homeless person – Details.

Thursday November 15 6pm - The Coquitlam Foundation is celebrating 20 years of service for the community – Details.

Sunday February 24, 2013 4pm – The 3 Divas (Polly Krier, Diana Dilworth and myself) are hosting their 3rd Annual Tri-Cities Oscar Night to benefit the Coquitlam Foundation, Port Moody Foundation and the newly formed Port Coquitlam Foundation – save the date and join us to celebrate with all the glam of the Academy Awards and our local Foundations. - Details.