For Maple Ridge council
• Name: Bruce McWilliam.
• Residence: : Port Coquitlam (relocating to Maple Ridge in 2015).
• Occupation/education: professional planner.
• Volunteer work: pro-bono work for community organizations, also reduced fees for humanitarian causes.
• Who do you support for mayor: Ernie Daykin or Mike Morden. I believe it should be by someone who has experience on council.
Question: Please provide an example of what you have done that qualifies you for council.
Answer: Look to the west in the Pitt Meadows highland area, the Bonson waterfront village, Meadowtown centre and the Westfair Foods warehouse, most of the urban infill, townhouses, apartments, small lot subdivisions and town centre development occurred while I was the only planner Pitt Meadows had on staff, between 1990-2004. I know how to bring the money into the community and facilitate responsible urban development and bring jobs, and not just housing. I also know what can be accomplished by one staff member with 2,000 paid hours of work each year.
Q: Who is funding your campaign?
A: Mostly myself, professional colleagues, and friends and family.
Q: What makes you stand out from other candidates?
A: Professional background, 25-plus-year career in urban planning and development, equally divided between public sector planning (City of Vancouver and City of Pitt Meadows) and private sector planning; self-employed businessman and Canadian and B.C. registered professional planner.
Q: How do you see the City of Maple Ridge developing in the next 10 years?
A: Re-development and infill west of the town centre and create an urban village in Hammond, taking advantage of all the amenities in place – jobs, commuter rail, shopping, golf, schools, parks, recreational facilities, hospital.
Q: What will be your top priority if elected to Maple Ridge council?
A: Economic development and balanced growth, fire and protective services.
A primary focus for me is to create alternate sources of income for the city, as opposed to arbitrarily increase property taxes annually.