Policy Positions
Transportation
On council, I’ve worked to ensure everyone will have options for how they move around. Whether you walk, roll, drive or take transit, you should be able to do so safely and responsibly. And it should be fun too!
Over the last four years, the City has built new protected mobility corridors—like Esplanade and West 1st Street—improving connections with our neighbours and creating a more complete transportation network. More needs to be done, of course, and we need to work closely with the District of North Vancouver. But we’re making headway.
We’re making transit better too. We worked with TransLink to implement the new RapidBus service—dedicated bus lanes were created and now move thousands of commuters across the North Shore. Research and local experience tell us we can’t build our way out of traffic congestion. The only way to manage traffic is by giving people other options. Alternatives to the single-occupancy vehicle don’t just make mobility cheaper, easier and more efficient…they’re also more healthy and fun.
- Vote to create a safe and complete mobility network for all ages that supports transportation choices
- Support active living by expanding shared transportation options and supporting improved lighting and sidewalks for pedestrians
- Work with Translink to increase public transit frequency, create more priority bus lanes and improve bus shelters
Housing
During my term as councillor, I strongly supported policies to create more housing options for everybody, including accessible, affordable and social housing.
The city has done a good job of diversifying home shapes and sizes to meet the needs of people in our community. We built more on major corridors which, due to a coordinated effort with other levels of government, are now supported by the RapidBus service.
Today, many new rental projects are coming online. In the last four years, the City has seen the largest increase in rental units since the 1970s. I supported increasing protections for long-time renters and helped people impacted by new buildings to relocate.
I will continue to support more purpose-built rental projects, non-market co-housing and co-operative housing for people of all incomes while helping our most vulnerable including seniors and youth.
We also need to integrate rental housing with commercial areas, such as retail and office developments — just like they do in some of the most vibrant and livable cities in the world.
- Increase the creation of housing options and require more community amenity contributions from developers
- Encourage more co-ops, social & co-housing by tapping into federal and provincial government subsidies and municipal tax breaks
- Advance a plan for workforce housing options to enable more people working in our community to live here instead of commuting
- Continue to support housing density in neighbourhoods served by frequent transit
Public Spaces
In cities similar to North Vancouver elsewhere in the world, public spaces are valued just like transportation and housing.
In North Van, public spaces mean community, and they mean economic opportunities. Public spaces also support mental health through fitness and social connection, two big pieces of the North Shore lifestyle which we must protect and build on.
I’ve supported initiatives to increase public amenities across the city—new parklets, more dog parks, expanding street tree coverage, and the new skate park.
Living, moving and playing go hand-in-hand-in-hand, and I’m focused on making the City of North Vancouver a leader in public spaces.
- Ensure accessibility for all in all public spaces. Making sure people of all ages and abilities can access our public spaces is fundamental and public spaces must include washrooms.
- Protect existing mature trees and look for more green space from developments
- Manage urban noise and find solutions that mitigate the health impacts of urban noise including landscaping equipment, modified vehicle exhausts, and construction.
- Secure tennis and pickleball court access, upcoming projects will impact existing facilities so new locations are needed.
- Expand ‘mini’ public spaces and art such as parklets, barklets, dog runs, and outdoor art installations
- Support green mid-block connectors between streets for pedestrian use, pocket parks, and improved transit access
Jobs & The Economy
The City of North Vancouver can be a more complete community with more opportunities to work closer to home.
A strong local economy means a strong North Vancouver. Dynamic, local economies reduce demand on our transportation network and give us more time with family and friends.
Along with our booming health care sector, our port industries and export terminals create good local jobs and a diverse industry base. We’ve also created new commercial space to run businesses in Lower and Central Lonsdale.
Many small and family-run services businesses cannot find workers and are struggling to pay sky-high property taxes. This is where housing affordability links to economic sustainability. We need to think about workforce housing to support people who work here to live here. The city can do more to both support small businesses and attract knowledge economy players by continuing to enhance transportation and housing options.
The last time the city updated its economic development plan was 2008. Today, an update to the Economic Development Strategy is underway. This new plan must consider changing global trends, including climate change and the re-localization of supply chains. The update will be critical to defining where the city goes next and will address the needs of our large port industries as well as our many new home-based businesses.
Tony will:
- Advocate for reform to business taxation regime – businesses are currently taxed based on the highest and best use of land which puts enormous financial pressure on owners and operators
- Build on our strengths by supporting the City’s business clusters, like the healthcare cluster in central Lonsdale and the film cluster in the Bridgman area
- Advance planning for workforce housing options that let people who work in North Vancouver, live in North Vancouver
- Investigate and support local logistics hubs to enable the efficient movement of goods coming to the City of North Vancouver while reducing traffic congestion