Building Bridges announces slate for District of North Vancouver council

DNV Mayoral candidate, Ash Amlani, announced that four new candidates will join her under the banner of Building Bridges.

The Building Bridges team for DNV Council includes:

• Mathew Bond, P. Eng, incumbent DNV Councillor, a traffic systems engineer, former President of the North Shore Mountain Biking Association and father of two
• Carleen Thomas, B.Ed., Special Projects Manager – Treaty Lands & Resources Tsleil-Waututh Nation, former teacher in SD44 & SD45, former 16-yr elected Councillor with the Tsleil-Waututh Nation and grandmother of five
• Sameer Parekh, MBA, Marketing Manager, former small business owner and volunteer with Habitat for Humanity

The Building Bridges candidate for School District 44 Trustee is Devon Bruce, former Educational Assistant with the SD44 and a Program Manager with North Shore Connexions where he works to find employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

“Together we bring leadership, experience, passion, and a commitment to service. This exceptional team of professionals share a common vision: a North Vancouver community where people who work here can afford to live here, and where people and goods move easily.”

Their top priorities mirror the main concerns of residents: addressing traffic congestion, housing affordability and maintaining our desirable lifestyle.

The group seeks to turn the tide on the exceptionally low voter turnout that has plagued the DNV (22% in 2014).

“There are no simple answers to the complex and intertwined challenges we face on the North Shore. It will take a whole suite of actions, aligned in a common direction, to bring relief to the people of North Vancouver and maintain our high quality of life in a growing and changing region. That is one of the many reasons I am delighted to be working alongside Ash Amlani and the Building Bridges Team,” said Matthew Bond.

Another candidate Carleen Thomas said growing municipalities need to understand the power and the opportunities they have to help protect the lands, air and water.

“Through my work running a family business in the district, I’ve learned the importance of financial responsibility. I’m also passionate about protecting our environment. I want to make sure we do as much as possible to ensure our actions consider the interests of residents and businesses in the DNV,” said Sameer Parekh

Mayoral candidate Ash Amlani said the challenges in DNV are complex and the solutions will require a united team. Building Bridges is that team. Together we bring leadership, experience, passion, and a commitment to service. This exceptional team of professionals share a common vision: a North Vancouver community where people who work here can afford to live here, and where people and goods move easily,” she said.