The competition to be Maple Ridge mayor now has four contenders.
Doug Blamey, who ran for a councillor in the 2014 election, said on Wednesday that he’s seeking the mayor’s spot during the Oct. 20th civic election.
Council veterans Mike Morden, Ernie Daykin and Craig Speirs earlier announced they’re running for mayor.
“We have some really strong issues to be dealt with,” said Blamey, a resident of Maple Ridge for more than 40 years.
He said he’ll bring different perspectives to those issues. He’s proposing that a new shelter and supportive housing facility be located in the Albion Industrial Area near the Maple Ridge Recycling Depot on 236th Street. Then people living in the shelter can get job-training positions at an expanded recycling depot.
“They can directly help us with our garbage and recycling system, totally. Move them out of town, they’ll get a job, give them a paycheque every two weeks.”
He also wants homeless people to be involved in building the shelter.
B.C. Housing has said that homeless shelters need to be located in central parts of the city so people want to stay at the shelters and can access services. Maple Ridge council, in May, defeated at first reading a B.C. Housing proposal to build an 85-unit shelter and housing facility on Burnett Street.
Blamey also proposes having regular community fund-raising dances to help out the homeless or any family in need. That will bring the community and people together, he said.
“We’ll have a closer municipality than the way it is now.”
Blamey is a retired railway worker and collector of antiques and has his front yard decorated with old vehicles and a replica of a First World War aircraft.
He also doesn’t like the high population-density housing developments.
“Over-crowding, you’re going to end up with the slums of the future.”
Blamey earned 441 votes when he ran for council in 2014.