Hi! I'm Hanzhi.
I first started thinking about running for mayor after the last Burnaby election, which was unopposed. While our city is fairly well run, an uncontested election did not seem very democratic.
As I thought more about the issues facing Burnaby today, I realized that while we are doing a lot of things right, there are so many things we could — and should — be doing better. In today's world, trying to appease to the status quo is no longer enough — we need new and radical ideas if we want everyone to thrive.
Read on below to see how I plan to build a better Burnaby, for everyone.
Email: hanzhiw@hotmail.com
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@hanzhi4burnaby
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The Metro Vancouver region's housing crisis is a long-standing issue that successive councils have been ineffective in solving. The high cost of housing in Burnaby — one of the highest in Canada and in the world — is not a ranking that we should be proud of.
Housing is a basic human right and it's clear that our current approach isn't enough. I will lead a bold shift in our approach to housing and zoning to remove red tape and get shovels in the ground to build the housing that this city's residents deserve.
Burnaby has some of the lowest property taxes in Canada, less than a third of the national average. We currently make up the shortfall by charging astronomical amounts to new developments — over $80,000 per unit in some cases. Not only does this discourage new housing from being built, it's also an unsustainable funding source as it requires a constant stream of new developments to fund critical infrastructure.
I will work to shift this tax burden — which currently falls on higher density housing where the most people actually live — to the mansions owned by the wealthiest among us, to make them also pay their fair share.
Burnaby has a lot of massive, expensive single-family homes, and a lot of smaller, more affordable apartments high rise buildings, but not a lot in between.
This is the missing-middle in our housing — medium density developments that help make our suburban neighbourhoods more vibrant, and provide affordable housing options for families.
The city currently makes these developments difficult to build due to high permitting costs and long, drawn-out consultation processes. I will work to streamline this process so that we can build the housing this city needs.
Providing places for people to live is only part of the story. To build truly vibrant communities we need neighbourhoods where people can work and play, not just live. I will work on updating our archaic zoning bylaws to allow more mixed-use neighbourhoods which have been proven to improve quality of life in parts of Europe and Asia.
The next generation of Burnabians start today, and we need to provide them with a strong foundation. In this age of social media, AI, and rampant misinformation, we must do more to arm them with the tools they need to thrive.
As any new parent will know, getting a child into daycare is a Herculean task, often requiring getting onto waitlists before conception. While provincial legislation and subsidies have brought down the cost of daycare, there is still the simple issue of there not being enough spaces.
One of the main hurdles in providing more daycare spots is the long and complicated permitting process involved in setting up new child care facilities. I will work to streamline this process while keeping the necessary checks and balances in place, as well as open up new city-run daycare locations that are accessible for everyone.
While Burnaby currently has a program to subsidize school lunches in some of its schools, the funding largely depends on charitable contributions from parents and non-profit organisations. No child deserves to go hungry, especially while they are trying to learn, and the current system disproportionately affects lower-income families.
I will work to secure full funding for the school lunches program in Burnaby, so that every student will have access to a free school lunch should they need it.
The pervasive use of AI is the biggest emerging threat to education today. While it's unrealistic to expect students to avoid AI use entirely, we do have the responsibility to guide the new generation in this changing world. In addition to the AI policies already in place, I will work with the school board to expand training programs for educators so that they can continue to be effective in this new age.
Burnaby has made some progress in recent years in making our streets safer, but ultimately transportation planning still puts cars first. As our city grows, we need to put people, not cars, first. I will work to make the streets accessible and pleasant for everyone, not just those in cars.
I will work with Translink and provincial authorities to reclaim some of the copious amount of space we have given over to cars in this city, and return that space back to the people in the form of wider sidewalks, separated bike lanes, and transit priority corridors.
Not only does this allow us to use more of the street space we all pay for, a single bike or bus lane also moves over four times as many people as a car lane, at a fraction of the cost to build. By providing good alternative forms of transport across the city, it makes it cheaper and faster for everyone to get around.
When it comes to traffic safety, a small number of reckless, impatient, and excessively noisy drivers make the streets feel hostile and unpleasant for everyone else. I will work to add physical traffic calming measures such as speed bumps, concrete barriers, and modal filters to our residential streets as well as the necessary enforcement along with it, to discourage antisocial behaviour on our roads.
Burnaby has one of the most diverse demographics in the region, with over 2 in 3 people being a visible minority.
In our digital age it's increasingly important that we provide opportunities for people to connect in person via access to public spaces and events.
Burnaby's parks are something we can all be proud of. Over 25% of the land in Burnaby is park space, one of the highest in North America.
I will work to expand the facilities offered in our public parks and community spaces and make them easier to access so that everyone has the chance to experience the best that Burnaby has to offer.
There has been increasing concerns over public safety in recent years, especially around urban areas. While Burnaby is still an exceptionally safe city, we can do more to make people feel safe in public spaces, especially after dark.
While my housing policies will see fewer people ending up on the streets in the long term, in the more immediate term I will add more lighting and create inviting spaces where people can linger, in order to drive away antisocial behaviour.
The year-over-year record attendance for Burnaby's free public events, such as Central StreetFest, Hat's Off Day, and various Car Free Days, have shown a clear demand for in-person community events.
As neighbouring municipalities pull back funding for public events, Burnaby has a unique opportunity to establish itself as a cultural hub for the region. I will increase our investments into hosting these events, and work with local neighbourhood associations to establish new occasions for people to meet and mingle.