Abbotsford voters go to the polls on Saturday, Sept. 25 for a byelection taking place to fill the vacancy left by Bruce Banman after he was elected the MLA for Abbotsford South in the October 2020 provincial election. Nine candidates are vying for the councillor position. These are their responses to three questions (each with a 100-word limit) posed by The Abbotsford News.
1. Why are you running to be a member of city council?
The reason I am running for city council is because I came to Canada as a refugee in September 1985 and am thankful to Abbotsford residents. I have had a wonderful time living in the beautiful Abbotsford as my hometown for the past 36 years. To give back, I had the opportunity to volunteer with many programs in the city, school and Salvation Army. I would love to run for city council to keep serving the people and the community in Abbotsford. I hope to work together to make Abbotsford a better place to live for everyone.
2. What skills and attributes do you have that would make you a good councillor?
As a business owner, I always have time to work, listen, and serve the people and understand their perspective on any issues within the community. My skills include: a good listener with positive attitude, understanding the point of view from the younger generation, and understanding the needs of people in Abbotsford regardless of class. My attributes are: working as a volunteer at a homeless shelter, volunteering to teach kids about bicycle safety, volunteering on Canada Day, being a bell-ring for the Salvation Army, and volunteering for Ride to Work Week to reduce pollution.
3. What do you believe are the two biggest issues in Abbotsford and how do you think they should be addressed?
The first issue is expensive home rentals for the lower income class. The second is the ongoing issues with the homeless community. To resolves both issues, I will work hard to ask for the assistance from the federal and provincial governments with more funding. With the sufficient funds, we can together work on planning the best way to help the people in need.
