Stewart has ‘very productive meeting’ with provincial ministers in Victoria
Within days of his inauguration, and before chairing his first regular city council meeting, Vancouver’s new mayor was venturing across the Strait of Georgia on Thursday.
Newly sworn-in Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart, a former federal NDP MP, visited the provincial capital Thursday morning for what he called “very productive meetings” with cabinet ministers from the B.C. NDP government.
Stewart said the Island trip was intended “to open lines of communication on very important files,” and “convey a united message from the City of Vancouver council on our top priorities,” including the opioid crisis, housing and transit.
Vancouver’s new mayor and council will have their first regular council meeting next week, with an agenda including motions on issues including opioids, affordable housing and the creation of a city-wide plan.
Tuesday’s agenda includes a motion from Stewart seeking council’s support for the creation of an opioid emergency task force to “advise council on short- and long-term interventions to mitigate the massive harm that this crisis is causing to our residents, families and communities.”
Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Judy Darcy said her Thursday meeting with Stewart was “a productive discussion about how we can co-operate and co-ordinate our response to the overdose crisis.”
“This is an important shared priority of our government and the City of Vancouver,” Darcy said in an emailed statement.
“Work to date on expanding the Take Home Naloxone program, harm-reduction services and treatment options have saved hundreds of lives in Vancouver and there is a lot more work to do ... we discussed next steps and how we are looking for innovative solutions to address the toxic street drug supply.”
Stewart also met with Minister of Finance and deputy premier Carole James, Minister of State for Child Care Katrina Chen, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Selina Robinson, and Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Claire Trevena.
Stewart said one goal of Thursday’s meetings with provincial ministers, as with his meeting last week with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, is “to establish formal lines between my chiefs of staff ” and senior governments, so they can have “an ongoing dialogue.”
Stewart has named two co-chiefs of staff for his office: Anita Zaenker, formerly the B.C. Federation of Labour’s director of organizing, and Neil Monckton, Stewart’s campaign manager for his mayoral run this year.
Stewart’s two chiefs will have distinct focuses: Zaenker will be focused more on dealing with Vancouver’s council and city hall, while Monckton will be communicating with regional bodies and senior levels of government. Alvin Singh will serve as the mayor’s director of communications, the same role he filled for Stewart’s campaign.
On the subject of transportation, Stewart reiterated his desire to ensure the planned Broadway Subway extension goes all the way to UBC during the initial phase of construction, instead of ending at Arbutus Street, as the current plan calls for.
Stewart met with UBC president Santa Ono on Wednesday to discuss the subway. But for any changes to the established plan from the Metro Vancouver Mayors’ Council on Regional Transportation, Stewart would need support from the other mayors across the region.
The new Mayors’ Council, on which 17 of its 23 members are, like Stewart, newcomers this year, has its first meeting next Thursday, Nov. 15.