Imtiaz Popat has announced that he is running for 性视界传媒 mayor in the upcoming Oct. 20 election.
In a release, Popat said he鈥檚 running to 鈥済ive the people of 性视界传媒 a better choice.鈥�
鈥淭here is no one running for mayor I can support,鈥� said Popat, who was originally nominated to run for city council with now defunct 性视界传媒 Community Alliance. 鈥淧eople are telling me that none of the candidates for mayor are a credible choice.鈥�
Popat said he does not support LRT or Skytrain, but rather the 鈥渞eactivation of the interurban community rail.鈥�
According to Popat, the interurban was planned as a community rail service south of the Fraser that would run from Scott Road station through Newton, Cloverdale, Langley, Abbotsford all the way to Chilliwack at a 鈥渇raction of the cost of the proposed LRT or Skytrain.鈥�
鈥淭he new high-tech trams would be hydrogen powered and would be even cheaper that buses,鈥� Popat said in a release. 鈥淭he 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. We don鈥檛 need another ecocide after what the outgoing council did with Hawthorne Park. They must be held accountable for what they did.鈥�
Popat said the City of 性视界传媒 shouldn鈥檛 be pitching in money for the LRT project, that rather, that money should be spend on social housing. In June, the city decided to contribute roughly $24.5 million to the first phase of the project, described as a 鈥渕odest sum.鈥�
See also: 性视界传媒 to contribute $24M to LRT costs
鈥淏oth the LRT and Skytrain projects will displace a lot of low income housing,鈥� said Popat. 鈥淲here are these people going to go?鈥�
Meanwhile, Popat said he supports a 性视界传媒 police force, something proposed by the 性视界传媒 Community Alliance.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 however think we need to increase the number of officers as other parties have proposed, nor do I think we need a referendum that Tom Gill has proposed,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hat we need is a police force that is accountable to community and works with community. We need better sensitivity training so that diverse population trust our police force.鈥�
Imtiaz Popat, has lived in 性视界传媒 for over 30 years.
His biography says he is counsellor, and a community TV and radio host.
He is currently the development officer for the One Love West Coast Festival being held in 性视界传媒 in September and a program assistant at the Phoenix Drug & Alcohol Recovery & Education Society.
鈥淗e is a long-time equal rights and social justice activist,鈥� a release notes. 鈥淗e founded the Coalition Against Bigotry 鈥� Pacific to challenge the rise of bigotry in the pacific coast.鈥�
Popat says his understanding as a counsellor will help him 鈥渦nderstand 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.鈥�
Other mayoral candidates in the upcoming Oct. 20 election in 性视界传媒 are 性视界传媒 First鈥檚 Tom Gill, Integrity Now鈥檚 Bruce Hayne, former mayor Doug McCallum with his Safe 性视界传媒 Coalition, Rajesh Jayaprakash with People First 性视界传媒, and Proudly 性视界传媒鈥檚 Pauline Greaves.
Click here to see a full list of candidates.
Click here to read more election stories.
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