Two Special Guests, City Matters Momentum & A Look at New West’s Rising Costs

Episode 103 of For the Record with Councillor Daniel Fontaine and Councillor Paul Minhas features two special in-studio guests and a deep dive into sports, community engagement, and the latest developments at City Hall.

Councillor Minhas speaks with Ray Porcellato, the highly regarded and well-known general manager of the New Westminster Salmonbellies.

In the interview, Ray discusses:

• The team’s emotional and hard-fought run for the Mann Cup
• The state of local sport and recreation facilities in New Westminster
• What more can be done to support youth athletes across lacrosse, hockey, soccer, and more
• How investments in sport and recreation in New West can reduce crime in our city

Ray’s longstanding involvement in local sports gives this segment real depth and community insight.

Coun. Daniel Fontaine sits down for an interview with Maryann Morrison, volunteer chair of the NWP and facilitator for the new NW City Matters initiative.

A longtime Sapperton resident, Maryann shares:

• Her vision for City Matters
• What she heard from residents at the first Massey Victory Heights event
• Why neighbourhood-driven engagement will be vital in the months ahead

Her update offers listeners an inside look at how the initiative is evolving.

This episode also includes an excerpt from Daniel Ampong’s vodcast, where the Columbia Street small-business owner sat down with Councillor Fontaine for a one-hour conversation.

Listeners will hear part of that interview - Daniel interviewing Daniel - offering a unique perspective from a local entrepreneur’s point of view.

Fontaine and Minhas wrap up the episode with a quick review of recent council decisions, including:

• Large utility rate increases proposed over the next five years
• A new 1% capital levy (effectively an added tax) to help pay for a growing list of capital projects - some of which critics describe as mayoral “pet projects”

They outline what these financial changes could mean for residents and businesses.

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