Angela Sealy is running for New Westminster City Council, and she answered my questions!
1. There are two types of people in the world: people who like simple pop-culture “what type of cheese are you” quizzes that they can then share on Facebook, and people who don’t. Sadly, I don’t have a quiz for you but this is close enough: are you an order muppet or a chaos muppet? Which muppet are you?
Angela: I am more ordered.
2. When was the last time you visited City Hall? What changes would you propose to make City Hall more welcoming? When was the last time you attended a City Council meeting? What changes would you propose to make City Council meetings more welcoming? Sorry, I guess that was kind of four questions.
City Hall does require some structural upgrades.
3. Buy Low Foods recently shut its store in Uptown, leaving a hole in the market for grocery stores. What will you do to ensure that there is proper competition among grocery stores and a Save-On Foods opens in that location, restoring the competitive marketplace that the Competition Bureau foisted upon us in 2014?
I believe we can invite grocery stores to come but I think the grocery store industry has a policy about location which would prevent another Save-on-Foods from opening in that location. I would also need to see a study of why Buy-Low was closed.
4. New Westminster has a number of advisory committees, task forces, and working groups. Upon being elected, which one would you like to chair the most and why? No need to restrict yourself to an existing one either, if you feel strongly that a new one needs to be formed (that you’d obviously chair) feel free to answer that!
I would continue on the committee I am on at the moment and that is the Multicultural Advisory Committee.
5. What is your favourite neighbourhood, and why is it Brow of the Hill?
I love New Westminster each area has its own charm.
6. The process leading up to and including the public hearing for the temporary modular housing in Queensborough was… challenging, to say the least. This question is only for the non-incumbent candidates: on the final motion to amend the OCP and rezone the property to allow the temporary modular housing, how would you have voted? Please note that you may describe why you would have voted a particular way, but you must say whether you would have voted in favour of or against the motion on the table.
The issue was passed and there is rule that we should not revisit decisions unless we have new information, at this time I don’t have any new information.
7. Who would be on your sasquatch hunting team?
Dean Martin if he were still alive.
8. How do you propose engaging with renters, new immigrants, and youth?
I have a certificate from SFU in Dialogue and Civic Engagement and my consulting business is about community engagement and various forms of dialogue.
9. With absolutely no apologies to Chris Campbell, what would your entrance music be? Please note that if you dare pick We Built This City by Starship you are hereby banned from ever running for public office ever again.
Thank you Angela!