COLUMN: Team Burnaby gets an issue—but will it stick?

Well, it would appear Team Burnaby has finally picked the issue it hopes will define the 2011 civic election.

Having tried to play the crime card the past two elections, very unsuccessfully, the slate has chosen to latch on to former councillor Garth Evans’ pet issue, a homeless shelter for Burnaby.

Since going down to defeat three years ago after a solitary term in office, Evans has pestered local newspapers with letters to the editor on the subject. Last week, Team Burnaby declared it would open a homeless shelter and transitional housing in Burnaby if somehow the slate is able to form a majority on council.

Evans said other communities surrounding Burnaby have worked with the provincial government to provide shelters and it’s high time Burnaby did the same.

Mayor Derek Corrigan and his full set of Burnaby Citizens Association underlings—otherwise known as councillors—have stubbornly dug in their heels on the issue and refuse to provide a shelter because it is clearly a provincial responsibility and the BC Liberals are unfairly downloading the problem onto municipalities.

From Evans’ point of view, Corrigan hasn’t dug his heels in, he’s buried his head in the sand. Evans points out the Burnaby Task Force on Homelessness estimates more than 10 people have died in Burnaby from health issues related to living on the street.

Team said it would provide a place for the shelter that could be operated by a non-profit society with senior government funding. Similar arrangements have been made in other cities like Vancouver and New Westminster. So why, wonders Evans, isn’t Burnaby being compassionate enough to do the same? He says it’s unacceptable council has turned a blind eye to the problem.

Why does Team Burnaby want to do the province’s job for them, wonders Corrigan in return. Where will it go, he asks as well.

Evans suggests Edmonds because “the homeless shelter should go where the homeless are.”

Hmm, that just happens to be an area Corrigan and the BCA are working hard to rejuvenate with a new library, a new community centre complete with an indoor pool, and new highrises.

In 2005 and 2008, the crime issue didn’t turn out to be as big an issue with Burnaby voters as Team hoped it would be. At least this time they’re trying a different tactic, but will it work?

For most voters in Burnaby, homelessness is an issue that doesn’t affect them directly. When it comes to casting their votes, it’s not likely homelessness will be foremost in their minds. When marking their Xs most are more interested in property taxes, community amenities and garbage pickup.

That doesn’t mean Burnaby voters lack compassion, it’s just reality.

Team’s timing in making its announcement to coincide with Homeless Action Week was smart. But with the election just five weeks away it would behoove the slate to come up with a stronger issue to fight the BCA with.

The Parents’ Voice group certainly has hitched its hopes to a specific issue. Whether it is successful in getting anyone elected to school board is another question.

This week the group, which was formed to oppose the school district’s adoption of an anti-homophobia policy, announced five candidates to take on the BCA juggernaut.

Voice’s uncompromising religious-based approach may find an audience. While the slate could split the right-wing vote with Team, the BCA should be fearful Voice will garner enough votes to get one or two candidates elected.

While Team and Voice line up to take on the BCA, the Corrigan clan will gleefully wonder what woodwork the political opportunists came out of. With the exception of Evans and former Coun. Lee Rankin, most of the candidates have had minimal experience at the lower levels of Burnaby community political participation or even shown up at open council or board meetings.

It should be a fun campaign, for a change.

• Grant Granger is a NewsLeader reporter.

ggranger@burnabynewsleader.com