Bill Petrovas

My contribution to climate action comes from combining environmental education, technology, community action and systems thinking. As a Science Teacher, I organized Enviro-Tech Week at my school and helped establish an environmental club. I was later invited to speak at an environmental education conference in Boulder, Colorado. As a director of the Edmonds Business & Community Association, I organized community clean up day. My executive education at the Wharton School of Business, including programs in critical thinking and strategic partnerships, strengthen my systems-thinking approach. Environmental challenges do not stop at municipal borders. Traffic, air pollution, housing, transportation and climate change are regional issues, so municipalities need to work together rather than operate in silos. As COO of BC Diabetes, I expanded virtual care to First Nations communities and clients throughout the Lower Mainland, reducing unnecessary travel while maintaining access to care. Five years ago, I stopped driving and made public transit and walking part of my daily life. My entire mayoral campaign is paperless and conducted by transit. I believe I am the candidate who walks the talk. Burnaby has approved tens of thousands of housing units, but infrastructure and transportation must keep pace. Poorly coordinated growth in Metrotown and Brentwood, causes more congestion and vehicle emissions. Climate action also requires fiscal responsibility. The bucket cannot be endlessly emptied. A 7% tax increase and major cost overruns can reduce our ability to invest in parks, environmental education and sustainable transportation. Announcements are not accomplishments. Debt free is not waste free.

Environmental sustainability should be based on measurable results. As mayor, I would bring a CEO approach to City Hall: listen first, establish clear objectives, measure performance and make sure every tax dollar delivers value. I want to change the culture from one focused on announcements to one focused on service, responsiveness and results. Climate can increase costs. Tariffs and supply chain disruptions can increase construction and operating costs. Project delays, redesigns like Deer Lake swimming pool, duplication and weak project oversight like WasteWater Treatment plant can add costs of our own. Residents deserve transparent reporting and accountability. Our city task forces, reviews and planning processes should lead to action - not simply another report. The same applies to our parks and green spaces. As density increases, we need corresponding investment in trees, parks, habitat, stormwater management and climate resilience, as outlined in my Vision 2030 plan. When projects are cancelled after substantial planning expenditures, such as
Confederation Park, we need to examine the opportunity cost and ask what lessons should be applied to future projects. As mayor, I'd hold city hall accountable. My leadership principles are simple: listen to every voice, respect every tax dollar, measure what matters and report. My approach comes from home. My father was a barber in Metrotown for 50 years. He taught me that you listen first and respect every viewpoint. He also had one of the best gardens I have ever seen, growing food from tomatoes to grapes . Practical, local, and sustainable.

My Vision 2030 is about transportation that works for everyone. Burnaby needs specific policies that reduce congestion and emissions while making walking and transportation safer. First, I'd adopt an Infrastructure Before Development policy. Major developments should identify required road, intersection, pedestrian, cycling and transit improvements before approval - not after residents experience congestion. The congestion around Brentwood Town Centre and Metrotown is unacceptable when it reduces residents quality of life, increase travel times and makes walking and cycling less safe. Growth must be matched with transportation capacity. Second, I would establish a Safe Streets 2030 program, prioritizing high risk intersections and corridors for better lighting, sidewalks, protected bike lanes, pedestrian signals, raised crossings and traffic calming, with annual public reporting. Third, I would implement my proposal for a continuous perimeter walking pathway around Central Park and use it as a model for creating connected walking and active transportation rounds in other parts of Burnaby. Fourth, I would develop a Metrotown-SFU mobility plan, coordinating transit priority, cycling, pedestrian routes and intersection improvements to reduce car dependency. Also, I would create green space within 10 minute walk anywhere within Burnaby. Finally, I would create a public Transportation Results Dashboard measuring congestion, collisions , transit performance, active transportation and emissions. Announcements are not accomplishments. Debt-free is not waste-free. Every tax dollar should produce measurable results. After eight years, we should ask: Is congestion less, are streets safer, and is quality of life improving? If no, you have your reason to vote.

I would be a strong transit advocate for Burnaby at TransLink. As Mayor, I would fight for Burnaby while building one team - Burnaby, neighbouring municipalities, TransLink, businesses, residents and senior governments - working toward measurable results. I would push for more frequent service and double decker buses on overcrowded routes, particularly connecting Metrotown, Brentwood, SFU, Lougheed, Edmonds and neighbourhoods. I would also advocate for transit priority and better connections so buses spend less time stuck in traffic. For the Burnaby Heights transit route, I would fight for a solution that improves transit without unnecessarily removing parking directly in front of businesses or changing the character of the Heights. I would ask TransLink to go back and listen to the residents parking concerns and to examine Boundary Road as an alternative corridor, using evidence on traffic, safety, engineering and impacts on local businesses. Vision 2030 : I would prioritize repairing crumbling roads, coordinating traffic signals and improving winter maintenance so buses, drivers, and pedestrians can move safely and reliably. I would establish Safe Routes to School, improving crossings, sidewalks, lighting and traffic calming so children can walk safely. With SFU's computing expertise, we can analyze transportation data, identify bottlenecks and measure whether investments actually work. Announcements are not accomplishments. We need measurable results. After eight years, the question is simple: Is transportation better in Burnaby? If the answer is no, residents have a reason to demand a different approach. Your voice is your vote. Debt free is not waste free

Affordability, homelessness and climate change are connected but the solution should be practical, evidence -based and focused on people - not ideology. Step 1: Understand the person and the problem. As a school principal, I used individual student plan when students were struggling with accommodations. unstable housing or couch surfing. Instead of sending families from office to office, we identified the barriers, respected privacy and coordinated the right supports around the student. Step 2. Create one point of contact. I would apply the same model to homelessness: one person contact ands one personalized stability plan. Housing, income, health, mental-health, addiction, employment and other services should work together rather than operate in silos. Step 3: Shelter first - on one outside. No one should be left outside to sleep. We need emergency capacity, including agreements with hotels and other temporary accommodations when shelters reach capacity, while connecting people immediately to longer- term supports. Step 4: Build affordable homes through partnerships, including modular homes. Burnaby cannot do this alone. I would bring together the federal government, BC Housing, Metro Vancouver, Indigenous organizations, non profits, health agencies, SFU and responsible private-sector partners. The City can contribute land, infrastructure coordination and faster approvals with priority pathways and clear standards, while partners bring capital, expertise and operations. Step 5: Build smarter for the future. New housing should be located where infrastructure and transportation can support it, with practical energy-efficiency and climate resilience measures that lower long term costs. Step 6: Measure results.

First, I wrote neutral responses in the electrification section because I am still investigating the evidence, including a German case study on building electrification. I do not want to support or reject a particular technology before understanding its effects on residents, building owners and taxpayers. This neutral position does not mean ignoring climate change or delaying action. Step 1: manage rainwater where it falls. We should treat parks and green spaces as part of Burnaby's stormwater infrastructure. Add gardens, wetlands, permeable surfaces and water-storage tanks to capture rain where it falls and reduce pressure on stormwater systems. It's a safety feature as well since cars can hydroplane. Step 2: Grow food. Expand community gardens, work with schools and fruit trees in appropriate public spaces to increase food production. Create community sharing programs for the most vulnerable like we do in our Suncrest Community group. Make every park, green space and new development work harder for water management, carbon capture, biodiversity and food production - while protecting the green spaces residents value. Step 3. Capture carbon. Protect Burnaby's mature trees and expand canopy in Edmonds area. Step 4. Act on evidence. Work with SFU, businesses and residence to use data, technology and AI to identify practical solutions. Step 5. Measure and report, then report publicly. Coordinating with food banks and community agencies so surplus produce reaches people who need it. We ant to make parks work harder without losing what makes Burnaby special. Announcements are not accomplishments. Results are.