Three of the six Delta mayoralty candidates took part in a debate for the Probus Club today.
The morning event at the Beach Grove Golf Club in Tsawwassen saw George Harvie, Sylvia Bishop and Jim Cessford answer a series of questions for Probus members in what was the final mayoralty debate before Saturday’s election. The event saw some spirited back-and-forth between Harvie and his opponents.
Asked how Delta should deal with the legalization of marijuana, Cessford, the former police chief, noted, "The province says we are literally building the plane as we fly and that’s what we have to do.”
He promised he’d appoint a staff person to deal with the issue as well as a team from the community, a group he would lead. Cessford also described the issues already emerging including the smell emanating from the Canopy Growth marijuana greenhouse in East Ladner.
“That’s not a large skunk, that’s a marijuana grow operation and it’s pungent,” he complained.
Harvie pointed out that as city manager he made sure Delta prohibited retail cannabis stores in all zones as a pre-emptive move, putting the power in council’s hands, so it could decide if and where shops can open.
"I want to go slow on this…we do not have to go so quickly in our city,” he explained.
Saying marijuana is a gateway drug that poses a threat to youth, Harvie noted he would establish a special public safety committee. It would have former Delta police officer Cal Traversy and former fire chief Dan Copeland, both on his election slate, as members.
Harvie also described the city’s fight to shut down a dispensary that opened illegally on Scott Road a couple of years ago and how current Police Chief Neil Dubord went undercover to buy product at that location. It was sent for testing and was found “to be spiked with everything.”
Saying the current council has been on for too long, George Harvie noted the only incumbent on his slate is Lois Jackson who brings valuable experience
He added that the only areas where a retail store might be allowed is within industrial zones.
Also saying pot was a gateway drug, Bishop noted B.C. stands to gain $400 million in taxes and that Delta needs its fair share for policing and regulating.
“I would advocate vigorously for a portion of that come to Delta. We need to get those funds,” she said.
On what to about increasing traffic on 56th Street, Harvie admitted the city is “in tough shape” trying to create another exit out of Tsawwassen. English Bluff Road doesn’t work as an extension because it leads to Tsawwassen First Nation lands where much residential development is taking place. Adding that redevelopment at the town centre should require more dedicated turning lanes, Harvie said future developments must take into account traffic on 56th and 52nd streets.
Saying traffic has become more clogged, Bishop talked about the need to improve transit service including frequency.
She also mentioned her support for a new bridge to replace the George Massey Tunnel, saying it would be a less impactful option on farmland than building another tunnel.
Cessford described traffic on 56th Street as “very, very serious” and that a new traffic management plan is needed which includes another exit out of town.
Noting Delta’s relationship with TransLink wasn’t good, he said another solution could include an inter-community shuttle to get people around.
Cessford also took the opportunity to talk about a tunnel replacement, saying he supports a new bridge but would go along with another solution that’s considered less impactful environmentally.
Probus Club members heard what the candidates had to say on a series of questions on local issues that were sent to them in advance
Asked for their position on port expansion, Bishop pointed out Delta seems to be the one place in Canada where mega projects are dumped. If it doesn’t look like the environmental concerns raised could be mitigated, Terminal 2 shouldn’t be built.
Cessford said, “I say no to any more development at the port.” He warned of the environmental impacts including what could happen to the Pacific flyway. He also noted that if the feds approve T2, the government needs to mitigate the impacts which includes building a new crossing.
Pointing out Against Port Expansion’s Roger Emsley’s work on the issue, Harvie said the “subject is worrisome” and asked “how much is enough?”
He also said the port projects have been “flawed since day one” because the Port of Vancouver’s assessments end at port gates, while jobs would not be coming because the new facility would be fully automated.
Harvie also asked, “How could they expand a port when our infrastructure is choked, absolutely choked?”
Harvie added he’d fight any attempt by Burnaby Mayor Derrek Corrigan “to get his way” and move the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion to Delta.
After Cessford and Harvie had a back-and-forth over the bridge project when Harvie said he was the only one to support the idea from the beginning, the candidates got to talk about the municipal debt and whether Delta should borrow funds for worthy projects.
Sylvia Bishop noted she is the only candidate with council experience which is more important than having experience as city manager, while Jim Cessford talked about his record as head of Delta's police department
Cessford said it was former Mayor Beth Johnson who, in fact, had started the debt reduction program, adding, “Let’s give credit where credit is due, I think that’s really important.”
Saying he was concerned about the state of Delta’s facilities and the poor condition of infrastructure, Cessford also suggested, “Perhaps we need to do a financial audit and look at how to mitigate the damage that has been done.”
Harvie, noting Delta’s high ranking among Canadian cities in publications, scoffed at Cessford’s claims, adding there is a plan in place for infrastructure replacement. He also said that the municipal debt was around $60 million when he became city manager in 2002 and now it’s paid off five years earlier than anticipated.
“Despite what you’re hearing, the sky is not falling and Delta is doing extremely well,” Harvie assured.
About debt reduction, Bishop said, “I don’t think that’s fair that a couple of people are taking credit for that.”
She also argued with Harvie about the bridge, saying she always supported the lowest impact option.
The three also argued when it came the Enviro-Smart issue with Harvie talking about “fake facts” being reported by his opponents. Noting Metro Vancouver and the provincial’s government’s roles, he said the new owner of the facility has over $20 million ready to invest in enclosing it and that the permit application needs to be moved along right away.
Bishop talked about Harvie having been identified as the Delta senior staffer who “vigorously opposed” an air quality permit being needed for the facility back in 2013 and that it was not at council’s direction, while Cessford suggested an investigation be launched into the entire matter.
“It’s all fine and dandy saying we’re going to do this and that, but why wasn’t this dealt with four, five or six years ago?” Cessford asked.
Harvie rebutted that his opponents are making accusations while leaving out facts, including information indicating he was doing his job by doing what council had instructed.
Asked about what to do with Delta’s casino revenues, Bishop said funding should be used in a health care action plan which includes recruiting for family doctors. She also noted her husband, who passed away from cancer, when diagnosed didn’t have a GP, and nobody should have to go through that. She also noted Delta has the lowest ratio of family doctors to residents in B.C.
Cessford, saying the casino revenues should not be tucked into general city revenues, said the money should be part of an overall Delta strategic plan, one that has the community in charge instead of the city manager.
Saying he was surprised Cessford doesn’t know the Local Government Act because it’s the mayor, and not city manager, who has authority, Harvie pointed out that the TFN were interested in a casino. He added the Town & Country Inn site is remote enough and was seen as acceptable from a policing point of view.
There was only enough time in the session for one question from the audience and it was about TFN development. All three said the TFN is a separate jurisdiction, free to develop their lands as they see fit, but that it was important to work with the First Nation on issues such as traffic and policing.
Also running for mayor are independent candidates Moneca Kolvyn, Alex Megalos and Vytas Vaitkus.
