Episode 89: Mayoral Announcement, Downtown Crime, E-scooter Injuries, The Record 2.0?, New Minister, Take out the Trash

🎧 For the Record – Summer Heat, Big Headlines & Political Teasers

After a two-week break, For the Record with Daniel Fontaine and Paul Minhas is back — and packed with everything you’ve missed (and then some). From billion-dollar blunders to e-scooter injuries and a potential NWP mayoral announcement, this 60-minute episode is stacked with stories making waves in New Westminster and beyond.

💰 Metro Vancouver’s $4 Billion Wastewater Mess

We kick things off with breaking news from Metro Vancouver, where officials have abruptly hit pause on an independent review into the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant fiasco. Once a $700M project, the cost has ballooned to nearly $4 billion — and now the public may never get the answers they were promised. Why the silence?

🛑 Downtown Disorder: Global News Hits the Streets

A new three-part series by Global BC puts a spotlight on crime and public disorder in downtown New West. Small business owners share how rising incidents are affecting their livelihoods — while some local Community First politicians insist the stats show things aren't that bad. So, what’s the reality on the ground?

🛴 E-Scooters & Flag Swaps: On The Mike Smyth Show

Daniel Fontaine joined The Mike Smyth Show to discuss the surge in e-scooter injuries reported by the Canadian Institute for Health Information. Are Canadian cities doing enough to protect riders and pedestrians alike? And what’s the real story behind the U.S. flag being finally being removed from Queen’s Park Arena?

🗞️ Saving Local News: Who’s Really Behind the $100K Ask?

 A new campaign titled “Save Our Local News” is aiming to raise $100,000 to launch a community newspaper this fall. But questions are surfacing: Who’s behind it? What’s Unifor’s role? And who is the Union Cooperative Initiative that’s supporting the drive? Veteran reporter Theresa McManus presented the pitch at city council — but not everyone is sold.

🏛️ Cabinet Shuffle: Christine Boyle Takes Over Municipal Affairs

BC’s new Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Christine Boyle, brings close ties to Premier David Eby and a track record of hard left politics. Will she push for overdue reforms at Metro Vancouver? Or will it be more of the same under a different name?

📣 Big NWP Announcement Coming September 18

Mark your calendars. Coun. Paul Minhas teases a major announcement that could shake up the 2026 municipal election. Could this be the moment New Westminster’s mayoral race officially kicks off?

☕ The Future of Councillor Cafés

With the election countdown beginning, what’s next for the ever-popular Councillor Cafés? Will they continue into the campaign period, or be shelved until after votes are cast?

🎙️ All this and more on a special summer edition of For the Record.

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