Maple Ridge city councillor Kiersten Duncan has announced she will be running for re-election in October.
In a press release, Coun. Duncan said she plans to continue fighting for solutions to homelessness, to build more affordable housing and to reduce transportation costs.
She said she has supported every proposed solution to homelessness that has been brought forward by the province and has advocated for housing and health care services, especially mental health and addiction, for homeless residents in Maple Ridge.
She added that she has worked to implement the policies needed to create affordable rental units and homes for seniors, single parents, students and those living with disabilities, helping to secure over 600 rental units.
Duncan called herself “a fierce advocate for affordable public transportation” and said she will continue to fight any future mobility pricing or distance-based charges, that would dramatically and unfairly increase the cost of transportation for Maple Ridge residents.
“Many of our residents drive long distances for work and need to use their vehicles as part of their jobs,” she said.
“This funding model unfairly targets our residents who already receive little in service from TransLink. It will be unaffordable for seniors and anyone who has to drive to Vancouver for medical treatment.”
Duncan said she has supported policies and initiatives intended to protect the environment. She has funded conservation efforts, supported the new tree bylaw, and the creation of the Environmental Advisory Committee. She has also opposed exclusion applications from the Agricultural Land Reserve.
Duncan said she advocates for sustainable, long term development that will keep taxes low, reduce servicing costs, allowing residents to better connect with their community, and increasing the opportunity for them to work, play, and live in Maple Ridge.
“I am very humbled to have been chosen to serve our community for the past four years as a city councillor, and am excited to run for re-election; to continue the work you asked me to do.”
She’s currently studying geography at the University of the Fraser Valley focusing on environmental science and urban development with supporting courses in communications and political science.