Community First New West nabs majority on council

Mayor-elect Patrick Johnstone will have four of the six people he ran with joining him on council, after his fellow Community First council candidates Chinu Das and Bereket Kebede nabbed just 7,027 and 5,786 votes, respectively. 

Unofficial results for the office of councillor

• Ruby Campbell received 8,354 votes (Community First New West)

• Jaimie McEvoy, an incumbent, received 7,927 votes (Community First New West

• Tasha Henderson received 7,704 votes (Community First New West)

• Nadine Nakagawa, an incumbent, received 7,663 votes (Community First New West)

• Paul Minhas received 7,252 votes (New West Progressives)

• Daniel Fontaine received 7,189 votes (New West Progressives)

• Chinu Das, an incumbent, received 7,027 votes (Community First New West)

• Rick Folka received 6,283 votes (New West Progressives)

• Karima Budhwani received 6,204 votes (New West Progressives)

• Jiayi Li-McCarthy received 6,012 votes (New West Progressives)

• Bereket Kebede received 5,786 votes (Community First New West)

• Daniel Ampong received 3,743 votes (Independent)

But it's also worth noting that four of these councillors have never served a term on council—one came close in the 2018 election: Daniel Fontaine came in seventh place, just missing the cut-off to be elected. 

Nadine Nakagawa is heading into her second term, and while she was the councillor in the last election with the most votes, this time she placed fourth. Jaimie McEvoy was first elected to council in 2008 and will be serving his fifth term. 

While speaking to reporters, Patrick Johnstone said the make-up of the council wouldn't be an issue, and that he was committed to working with all six to make sure they could work towards each person's goals for the city. 

So, who are the names and faces that will be representing council?

Ruby Campbell

Campbell is a first-time councillor who managed to nab just over 8,000 votes. She lives in the Sapperton neighbourhood with her husband Jason, her teen daughter, and a dog named Coco. Campbell has experience in intergovernmental relations and community organizing and works at Simon Fraser University as the director of advancement and alumni engagement in the faculty of arts and social sciences. 

Jaimie McEvoy

Nabbing second place in last night's election means McEvoy will be serving his fifth term on council. The Ginger Drive/Victoria Hill resident is an historian who has a background in community and policy work. He lives with his partner Stacy and their cats. McEvoy is also a published author, writing The Life and Destruction of Saint Mary's Hospital. The book looked at the hospital's beginnings in 1887 to its closure in 2004. 

Tasha Henderson

While Henderson is a newbie to the realm of municipal politics, she's worked with municipalities on anti-poverty initiatives. Along with working as a coordinator for the Surrey Poverty Reduction Coalition, she's also been a faculty member at Douglas College. Prior to that, she was a social planner for the City of Coquitlam. Henderson lives with her partner, two children, and a dog. 

Nadine Nakagawa

Heading into her second term as councillor, Nakagawa is a community organizer and a local activist, working on issues ranging from housing to reconciliation. She was named 2017 citizen of the year and works in the not-for-profit sector. Nakagawa has served as chair of the city's Reconciliation, Social Inclusion, and Engagement Task Force, along with the Environment and Climate Advisory committee. She lives in the Brow of the Hill neighbourhood with her cats Bill and Moo. 

Paul Minhas

This is Minhas's first term as councillor, but Minhas is fairly well-known in the community for owning Begbie's and the Heritage Grill, the latter of which burned down in 2021. The downtown New West resident has spent 30+ years involved in New West. Minhas previously said he was motivated to run for office amid safety concerns in downtown New West. 

Daniel Fontaine

Fontaine ran in the last election, coming up just short of the votes needed to make it onto council. The Quayside resident has past experience working in the private and not-for-profit sectors, as well as government. His last job was with Metis Nation BC as the deputy minister and chief executive officer. He is a Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal recipient, and is an active volunteer with the New Westminster Minor Hockey Association. He is married and has one son.