23 candidates so far for Delta mayor, council and school board

Municipal elections are just over 100 days away and the race for Delta mayor, council and school board is beginning to take shape.

Major change is a certainty this election, and the impending shakeup starts at the top as Mayor Lois Jackson is set to retire after 19 years at the helm.

Counc. Ian Paton resigned his seat on July 1 to concentrate on his work as MLA for Delta South, and Counc. Heather King is not seeking re-election as she and her family are moving to Vancouver Island. And with Counc. Sylvia Bishop running for mayor, that leaves three of six councillor seats up for grabs.

Five-term school trustee Fabian Milat announced on June 12 that he would not be running again this election, guaranteeing at least one new face on Delta’s seven-person school board.

So far three candidates for mayor, 14 for council and six for school trustee have officially announced their intentions to run for office. Mayor, council and trustee hopefuls have until 4 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 14 to file their nomination documents, so there’s still plenty of time for more candidates to come forward.

Voters head to the polls on Saturday, Oct. 20.

Here’s a list of candidates who have officially declared their intention to run for either mayor, council or school board so far:

(Editor’s note: All bios and photos were submitted by either the candidates or their representatives. This list will be updated as more candidates are announced.)

CANDIDATES FOR MAYOR:

BISHOP, Sylvia (Team Delta)

Bishop is a life-long Delta resident and a retired teacher. She’s served two consecutive terms on council and is active on the seniors advisory sub-committee and the parks, recreation and culture committee. Bishop is determined to protect the environment, supports agri-business and believes Delta should not incur any new debt.

Website: teamdeltabc.ca │ Twitter: @Bishop4Delta │ Facebook: @sylvia.bishop.754 │ Instagram: @sylviabishop

CESSFORD, Jim (Independents Working for You)

Cessford devoted himself to serving Delta as chief of police for 20 years. He offers Delta community-based leadership with integrity, the ability to work collaboratively and a proven track record of putting people first.

Website: independentsworkingforyou.ca │ Twitter: @CessfordJim │ Facebook: n/a

HARVIE, George (Achieving for Delta)

A Tsawwassen resident for over 40 years, Harvie and his wife Gillian have two children, Tim and Taryn. George’s career as a city manager spans four decades. He became Delta’s chief administrative officer in 2001. At that time, Delta was $60 million in debt. Today, Delta is debt free.

Website: achievingfordelta.ca │ Twitter: @Harvie4Delta │ Facebook: @Harvie4Delta

CANDIDATES FOR COUNCIL:

CAMPBELL, Robert (Team Delta)

Campbell is a retired lawyer and an experienced member of Delta council. A resident of Delta for the past 27 years, he is deeply committed to our city and has demonstrated his passion for creating the best fields, parks and facilities possible for local Delta residents.

Website: teamdeltabc.ca │ Twitter: @rpcbeachgrove │ Facebook: n/a

COPELAND, Dan (Achieving for Delta)

Copeland has spent 36 years as a firefighter, and the last 11 years as Delta Fire chief. As chief, Dan was instrumental in having Delta Fire licensed to provide enhanced medical aid on emergency calls.

Website: achievingfordelta.ca │ Twitter: n/a │ Facebook: n/a

GREEN, Darcy

A Delta resident for over 16 years, Green has spent his professional career in the non-profit and small business sectors, including founding non-profit Drizzle Environmental Society. He believes in a connected Delta where everyone’s voice is heard, industry thrives, sustainability is top of mind and housing is more affordable.

Website: darcygreen.ca │ Twitter: @dgvancity │ Facebook: @dgvancity │ Instagram: @dgvancity

GREWAL, Param (Achieving for Delta)

Grewal is an entrepreneur, a social activist and an advocate for the farming industry. He has worked in non-profits, social services, and at both the federal and provincial levels of government.

Website: achievingfordelta.ca │ Twitter: n/a │ Facebook: n/a

GUICHON, Alicia (Achieving for Delta)

As a young farmer and entrepreneur, Guichon opened Backroads Family Farm Market four years ago. She comes from a long line of Delta farmers and is passionate about the preservation of agricultural land.

Website: achievingfordelta.ca │ Twitter: n/a │ Facebook: n/a

HANSEN, Joan (Team Delta)

Hansen is an optometrist and business-woman who has lived in Delta for 35 years. She has served on the Delta police board and is a charter member of the Tsawwassen Rotary Club. Hansen has also served as president of the B.C. Association of Optometrists and the Canadian Association of Optometrists.

Website: teamdeltabc.ca │ Twitter: @drjoanhansen │ Facebook: n/a

KANAKOS, Jeannie (Independents Working for You)

Kanakos’ professional experience in community development and negotiations has made her an effective three-term councillor. Passionate about quality of life in Delta, she is known for doing her homework and for working collaboratively to find solutions.

Website: independentsworkingforyou.ca │ Twitter: @JKanakos │ Facebook: n/a

KENDALL, Kim (Team Delta)

Kendall has been exceptionally active in Delta, and currently serves as the newly-elected president of the North Delta Rotary Club. Kendall also works on the board of the Tour de Delta, is a past board member of Tourism Delta, and served with the Delta Hospital Foundation’s Moonlight Gala committee.

Website: teamdeltabc.ca │ Twitter: @KimKendallDelta │ Facebook: @KimKendallDelta

KRUGER, Dylan (Achieving for Delta)

Kruger comes with extensive governing experience at both the federal and provincial level. He is passionate about keeping young families in Delta and making sure the next generation of Deltans are set up for success.

Website: achievingfordelta.ca │ Twitter: @dylankrugerbc │ Facebook: n/a

MCDONALD, Bruce (Independents Working for You)

McDonald is an effective and responsive councillor with incisive analytical skills and deep knowledge of Delta’s local history and issues. For over 30 years, he has been serving and advocating for our community.

Website: independentsworkingforyou.ca │ Twitter: @McDonald4Delta │ Facebook: n/a

PANDHER, Sandeep (Independents Working for You)

A professional project manager, Pandher is dedicated to listening actively, taking ideas to action and delivering tangible results. His focus is keeping Deltans moving, building a family-friendly city and accelerating our leadership on environment and climate action.

Website: independentsworkingforyou.ca │ Twitter: @Sandeep_Pandher │ Facebook: n/a

SHEARER, Garry (Independents Working for You)

Shearer has a record of success in hi-tech start-ups in Delta. His commitment to community includes securing the Hospice property as president of the Delta Hospice Society, and enhancing our community as president of the Tsawwassen Rotary Club and governor of Rotary in B.C.

Website: independentsworkingforyou.ca │ Twitter: @GarryShearer3 │ Facebook: n/a

TRAVERSY, Cal (Achieving for Delta)

A former chair of the Tour de Delta, and Medal of Bravery recipient, Traversy recently retired after a 27-year career as a police officer, including 10 with the Delta Police Department. He is passionate about community safety and working with youth.

Website: achievingfordelta.ca │ Twitter: @Sgt_Cal │ Facebook: n/a

WALIA, Simran (Team Delta)

Walia is a mom, career-woman, mentor and a passionate community leader. She is a business intelligence manager with an international firm and serves on Delta’s seniors advisory sub-committee and parks, recreation and culture committee. Her proudest achievement is being a role model for her two sons, Divraj and Sahib.

Website: teamdeltabc.ca │ Twitter: @Walia4Delta │ Facebook: @Walia4Delta │ Instagram: @walia4delta

Johann Ackermann, who ran for council in 2014, has told the North Delta Reporter that he intends to run again in 2018, but has yet to make a formal announcement.

CANDIDATES FOR SCHOOL TRUSTEE:

ANDERSON-FENNELL, Randy (Kids Matter)

A resident of Delta for eight years and an electrician in the Surrey School District for 11 years, Randy Anderson-Fennell has seen first hand how public education cuts hurt classrooms. He is running for trustee to ensure Delta schools are safe, inclusive and provide opportunities for all children to succeed.

Website: facebook.com/DeltaKidsMatter │ Twitter: @unsung32 │ Facebook: n/a

DIXON, Laura (Independents Working for You)

A 20-year advocate for Delta’s children, youth and families, Dixon has served as a school trustee for three terms and as board chair for the past five years. Dixon works hard to create an atmosphere that supports innovative teaching and student success.

Website: independentsworkingforyou.ca │ Twitter: @Dixon_Delta │ Facebook: n/a

ESPINOZA, Victor (Kids Matter)

Espinoza has lived in Ladner since 2006 and has three children, the oldest two attending Delta public schools. He is a 20-year veteran teacher in the public school system, hard-working, intelligent, principled and focused on making the right decisions for students. He plans to work together with trustees and staff to cultivate neighbourhood public schools that are safe, inclusive and meet the learning needs of all Delta children and families.

Website: facebook.com/DeltaKidsMatter │ Twitter: n/a │ Facebook: n/a

KANAKOS, Nick (Independents Working for You)

Kanakos is a retired Delta teacher and has served seven years as a Delta school board trustee. He understands the education system from the inside out. Kanakos provides the experience and leadership that ensures a high quality education for Delta students.

Website: independentsworkingforyou.ca │ Twitter: @Nick_Kanakos │ Facebook: n/a

MUEGO, Joe (Independents Working for You)

An architect, Muego brings both a professional and a parent lens to the Delta School District. He is a long-time parent leader in the Delta School District, having served as a PAC chair at Beach Grove Elementary and now as chair of the Delta District PAC.

Website: independentsworkingforyou.ca │ Twitter: @JoeMuego │ Facebook: n/a

REID, Bruce (Kids Matter)

Website: facebook.com/DeltaKidsMatter │ Twitter: n/a│ Facebook: n/a

Incumbent trustees Rhiannon Bennett and Val Windsor have both told the North Delta Reporter that they intend to seek re-election, but have yet to make a formal announcement. Bennett said she intends to form a new slate with two as-yet unnamed women, while Windsor intends to run as an independent.