Category: New Westminster

James Crosty answers New Westminster mayoral candidate questions

James Crosty is running for Mayor of New Westminster, and he answered my questions. Thank you for answering!

I shouldn’t have to say that the questions are satirical and James gave some kind of serious answers. He said it was fun to answer though!

Supporting and growing local businesses will help keep jobs in New Westminster, grow our tax base, provide opportunity for New Westminster citizens to live and work in New Westminster, and bring more people to our fair city. A wide range of businesses is also good for a city, as it diversifies the tax base and does not make us reliant upon any one industry. As mayor, what will you do to bring more Save On Foods grocery stores to New Westminster?

James Crosty: Nothing, there are enough already and I really like Columbia Square with free parking and walking distance from home.

The Bailey Bridge was a source of contention between New Westminster and Coquitlam in 2014. As mayor, what will you do to piss off Coquitlam in 2015?

James Crosty: Nothing, they are already upset, but Wright and Cote denied any wrong doing in this area last night (Ed: Mr. Crosty answered the night after the first mayoral candidate debate). Yet taxpayers are footing the bill when it could have been free.

Fallen leaves from trees are a menace to the walkability of New Westminster, creating slippery sidewalks and clogging our storm drains. What will you do to rid New Westminster of this scourge?

James Crosty: Volunteer Patrick Johnstone to work evenings, weekends, and Friday (because it’s his day off) to rake them all up.

Patrick Johnstone, you’re ineligible to answer this question because we all know you love the trees. Okay, here, if you want to answer a question for #3 here goes: If you love trees so much why don’t you marry one?

James Crosty: I wouldn’t suggest that because his bark is much louder than a tree…

Without using Google, what are the eleven neighbourhoods of New Westminster? Yeah, eleven. I had no idea there were that many. Don’t forget Connaught Heights, everybody forgets them. At least they have a SkyTrain station! Okay, what are the other ten neighbourhoods of New Westminster?

James Crosty: McBride-Sapperton, Massey Victory Heights, Glenbrook, Downtown, Quayside, Queensborough, Uptown, West End, Brow of the Hill and Moody Park. Oh and did I mention Connaught Heights… And I didn’t look it up!

Editor’s note: Nine out off ten for Mr. Crosty! Although he did call it “Glenbrook” and not “Glenbrooke North”… :–) And he forgot Queen’s Park too! Queen’s Park, I think you need to change your name to Uptown!

Speaking of the neighbourhoods of New Westminster, which is your favourite and why is it Sapperton?

James Crosty: Because I used to live there but I like the Quay too and ahh…Massey Victory Heights, Glenbrook, Downtown Queensborough, Uptown, West End, Brow of the Hill and Moody Park oh and did I mention Connaught Heights…..

Why have none of you developed your websites with Of Desks, one of New Westminster’s finest web design and development companies? (Oh man more free press for Of Desks!)

James Crosty: I have an excellent in-house live-in really great designer, besides I may not get any dinner if I went to another designer! No growler for you!!!

As mayor, will you learn how to properly reference someone on Twitter by using the @ symbol in front of their name?

James Crosty: Well I do know how to reference someone on Twitter but not sure when it comes to Mayoral candidates. I don’t want to promote any “Machines”. Besides, none of them follow @crostyca…

Questions for New Westminster mayoral candidates

New Westminster is going to have an election on November 15, 2014, for mayor, city councillor, and school board trustee positions. There are four men running for mayor: current mayor Wayne Wright, current city councillor Jonathan X. Cote, local businessman James Crosty, and electrical engineer Vladimir Krasnogor. I have some questions for them. In fact, any of the people running for councillor can answer these too.

All Candidates

  1. Supporting and growing local businesses will help keep jobs in New Westminster, grow our tax base, provide opportunity for New Westminster citizens to live and work in New Westminster, and bring more people to our fair city. A wide range of businesses is also good for a city, as it diversifies the tax base and does not make us reliant upon any one industry. As mayor, what will you do to bring more Save On Foods grocery stores to New Westminster?
  2. The Bailey Bridge was a source of contention between New Westminster and Coquitlam in 2014. As mayor, what will you do to piss off Coquitlam in 2015?
  3. Fallen leaves from trees are a menace to the walkability of New Westminster, creating slippery sidewalks and clogging our storm drains. What will you do to rid New Westminster of this scourge? Patrick Johnstone, you’re ineligible to answer this question because we all know you love the trees. Okay, here, if you want to answer a question for #3 here goes: If you love trees so much why don’t you marry one?
  4. Without using Google, what are the eleven neighbourhoods of New Westminster? Yeah, eleven. I had no idea there were that many. Don’t forget Connaught Heights, everybody forgets them. At least they have a SkyTrain station! Okay, what are the other ten neighbourhoods of New Westminster?
  5. Speaking of the neighbourhoods of New Westminster, which is your favourite and why is it Sapperton?
  6. Why have none of you developed your websites with Of Desks, one of New Westminster’s finest web design and development companies? (Psst, Wes, you can get me a growler from S&O next time I see you)

Wayne Wright

  1. Your website lists your accomplishments without saying what you will do in the coming four years. Should we take this to mean that you’re going to bulldoze everything you’ve done and do it again?

Jonathan X. Cote

  1. It’s been shown that using a middle initial makes you look smarter. As the only candidate to use his middle initial in this campaign, why do you need this advantage? What are you hiding?
  2. Much ink has been spilled about The Machine that runs your campaign. What fuels The Machine — gas, solar power, or the tears of your vanquished opponents?

James Crosty

  1. As mayor, will you learn how to properly reference someone on Twitter by using the @ symbol in front of their name?

Vladimir Krasnogor

  1. What do you have against machines? Are stocking frames safe in New Westminster under your mayoralty?

Answers can be sent to me at brad.cavanagh@gmail.com or, if you’re James Crosty, you’ll probably tweet them to me anyways at @CanSpice. I fully expect none of you will respond, but be warned that I’ll put your responses up here when I get them!

Update: A number of candidates have answered these questions:

Cycling on sidewalks in New Westminster

Did you know that it’s perfectly legal to ride your bicycle on the sidewalk in New Westminster?

Well, strictly speaking that’s not true, but it’s perfectly legal to ride your bicycle on most of the sidewalks in New Westminster.

British Columbia’s Motor Vehicle Act Section 183(2)(a) states:

A person operating a cycle must not ride on a sidewalk unless authorized by a bylaw made under section 124 or unless otherwise directed by a sign.

Section 124(1)(v) states:

The council of a municipality may, by bylaw not inconsistent with or derogatory to this Part, provide for the following:

the use, in places, under conditions and in circumstances specified by the bylaw, of sidewalks and crosswalks by persons riding cycles.

That means that municipalities in British Columbia have the power to allow people to ride their bicycle on sidewalks. New Westminster exercises this power through the Street Traffic Bylaw No. 6027, 1991. Sections 501.2 and 501.3 state:

501.2 A person operating a cycle on any sidewalk, footpath, or walkway in the City shall operate the cycle only in such a way that it will not interfere with a pedestrian lawfully on or using said sidewalk, footpath or walkway.

501.3 No person on a cycle shall operate the cycle on any sidewalk, footpath, or walkway set out in a Schedule attached to and forming part of this bylaw.

So there you have it. Section 501.2 states that you can operate a cycle (which in New Westminster is defined as “a device having any number of wheels that is propelled by human power and on which a person may ride”) on any sidewalk in New Westminster, as long as you don’t interfere with pedestrians.

But there’s also Section 501.3 which refers to a Schedule attached to the bylaw. That would be Schedule 7 – Sidewalks, Footpaths and Walkways Where Cycling, Roller Skating and Skateboarding is Prohibited. There are nine stretches of street listed in that Schedule. Instead of listing them, I made this handy Google Map showing the roads along which you are not allowed to cycle on the sidewalks.

The roads are mostly in commercial areas with high foot traffic. The only exceptions to this are the small stretch of Twentieth Street (there are some small strip malls here but hardly any foot traffic) and the Waterfront Esplanade, which strictly speaking isn’t a road or a sidewalk.

There you have it. You’re allowed to cycle on most of the sidewalks in New Westminster. Just remember that pedestrians have the right-of-way, so don’t go mowing people down. And pedestrians, remember that for most of the streets in New Westminster bicycles are allowed, so don’t get shirty when you see one coming towards you.