A familiar name in Delta is tossing her hat in the ring for the upcoming civic election.
Longtime local resident Sylvia Bishop made it official Thursday by announcing her intention to run for a Delta council seat in the Nov. 19 election.
"I am declaring my candidacy today to give me the chance to meet with as many Deltans as possible to listen to their concerns," said Bishop. "They deserve a strong and articulate voice on the issues that matter most to them. I bring that voice and I am ready to go to work for the people of Delta."
A familiar name to many, Bishop ran in Delta's by-election last year, placing second behind Ian Paton.
"I was gratified so many people throughout all of Delta supported me last year," she said, noting she topped the polls in many areas but could not overcome the support Ladner threw behind Paton.
"I hope that everyone who voted for me last year will do so again this Nov. 19th. I hope those that didn't will consider me as one of their six choices."
Bishop brings a wealth of community experience to her campaign. She is a dedicated volunteer with a strong community spirit. Bishop has served on the Mayor's Youth Task Force, the South Delta Artists Guild and co-founded the Winskill Youth Drop-in Centre. In 1992, she was recognized as one of Delta's Outstanding Citizens for the hard work she performed as chair of the youth task force. Bishop's community service has been acknowledged several times with volunteer appreciation awards from Delta.
A longtime Tsawwassen resident, Bishop is concerned about the proposed development of the Southlands.
"There is no doubt, the single most important issue in Tsawwassen is the proposed development of the Southlands. The loss of farmland, traffic congestion and impact on Delta's infrastructure are top concerns."
Bishop is also concerned about issues in other parts of Delta.
"In North Delta, we see the erosion of Burns Bog with encroaching development while the need for improved infrastructure in neighbourhoods is ignored. The character of our community is changing drastically. Who's sticking up for that?"
The loss of farmland to development, the possibility of an incinerator located here and the expansion of the port are other concerns.
"We need council members who will insist the community is included in discussions and their input welcomed right from the beginning."
Bishop also stated there is a growing dissatisfaction with the performance at municipal hall.
"Many residents I've spoken with do not feel they are being heard or listened to. When they do speak up, they are accused of being uninformed," she said, citing the Southlands public meetings as an example.
"There is a perception that council is out of touch with the concerns of its citizens. Confidence in municipal hall and its processes must be restored. I will do this working together with the community, all members of council and staff."
Bishop has long roots in Delta, moving to the area in 1966.
She has two grown children and lives in Tsawwassen with her husband Rob. Bishop is a graduate of Delta Secondary and was a teacher in the Delta school district for more than 20 years.
She also served as a faculty associate at SFU and was an assistant director of the B.C. Teachers' Federation.
Bishop writes an opinion column for the Delta Optimist. She has volunteered on many projects, including saving Delta Hospital and organizing volunteers for the anti-HST campaign.
