Burnaby Citizens Association members confirm slate for fall elections

BCA candidates for the fall election are shown above, back row from left, Councillor Richard Chang; Councillor Paul McDonell; School Trustee Larry Hayes; Councillor Sav Dhaliwal; Mayor Derek Corrigan; Councillor Dan Johnston; School Trustee candidate Harman Pandher; Councillor Nick Volkow and School Trustee James Wang. Front row from left are Councillor Pietro Calendino; Councillor Colleen Jordan; Councillor Anne Kang; School Trustee Baljinder Narang; School Trustee candidate Meiling Chia; School Trustee Ron Burton and School Trustee Gary Wong.

May, 2011 – More than 250 members of the Burnaby Citizens Association gathered at the Confederation Seniors Centre in north Burnaby on Saturday, May 14 to select the BCA slate of candidates for this year’s municipal election, taking place on Saturday, November 19, 2011.

Members approved Mayor Derek Corrigan as the Mayoral candidate for the BCA. Also approved as candidates for City Council are incumbent Councillors Pietro Calendino, Richard Chang, Sav Dhaliwal, Dan Johnston, Colleen Jordan, Anne Kang, Paul McDonell and Nick Volkow.

With the retirement of School Trustees Diana Mumford and Tony Coccia, all positions were open for the Board of Education Trustees. Six nominees vying for election to the BCA slate joined incumbents Larry Hayes, Ron Burton, Baljinder Narang, Gary Wong and James Wang. The nominees were Katy Alkins-Jang, Meiling Chia, Harman Pandher, Cherene Groundwater, Ramzan Anjum and Kaitlin Burnett.

Members listened as each School Board candidate was given three minutes to address the assembly. BCA President Gord Larkin thanked the all the candidates who were seeking election for the BCA slate of Board of Education Trustees for their time and interest.

Mayor Derek Corrigan addressed the crowd and reminded members that BCA has a strong and proud history of civic leadership in Burnaby and that “we can’t take anything for granted” in the fall election.

After members voted and the ballots were counted, BCA Executive member Carol Riviere announced the results. Incumbent Trustees Larry Hayes, Baljinder Narang, Ron Burton, Gary Wong and James Wang were elected as candidates and they will be joined by newcomers Harman Pandher and Meiling Chia.

Harman Pandher was born in Vancouver, raised in Burnaby and is a graduate of Cariboo Hill Secondary. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education degrees at UBC. He currently works as an elementary school teacher in the public school system in Surrey and has an active history of community involvement in Burnaby with the South Burnaby Neighbourhood House and Burnaby Multicultural Society. He lives in Burnaby with his wife and son.

Meiling Chia is originally from Taiwan and works at Surrey’s Taxation Centre. She has been active with many PAC events at her daughter’s school, is married and lives with her family in Burnaby.

The Burnaby Citizens Association is a progressive, community based organization seeking to continue its long standing and proud record of providing strong civic leadership and making Burnaby the best place to live, work, learn, play and do business.