Thank you, Surrey-Cloverdale!

Thank you to the people of Surrey-Cloverdale… I am honoured, and so very grateful!

The journey for myself has just begun, but for the BC NDP and John Horgan and his team, the journey still continues… for the next four years.

I am excited and honoured to be the first BC NDP MLA in Surrey-Cloverdale, and the first professional Fire Fighter to be elected to the BC Legislature.

To Marvin Hunt, I thank you for your years of public service, both as a City Councillor, and as an MLA.  I wish you well in your future endeavors.

The people of BC have made it clear,  the vision of the BC NDP, under the leadership of John Horgan, is what is needed to move British Columbians out of a Pandemic, in a safe and secure manner. British Columbians know the BC NDP is prepared to lead us in an economic recovery at the same time providing investments into our healthcare and educational systems. These investments will lead us in job growth of 18,000 additional jobs annually.

I have spent the last month speaking to the people of Surrey-Cloverdale, in a safe, socially distanced manner. We talked about what matters the most to them and what the BC NDP can bring to Surrey-Cloverdale. We talked about their voices being heard and we talked about the future of Surrey-Cloverdale.

I am sure the residents of Surrey-Cloverdale are excited to have a new hospital coming, with a regional cancer center as part of the new hospital.

I am sure the residents are excited to have SkyTrain connecting them to the regional transit system.

I am sure the residents are excited to have additional school spaces coming to Surrey-Cloverdale

All of the above-mentioned projects, that are coming to Surrey-Cloverdale, will improve healthcare, education and transportation. These are the  things the residents told me they cared the most about. These projects will create many new jobs and help move our economy out of the pandemic. These construction projects will help families in Surrey-Cloverdale.

Thank you, Surrey-Cloverdale - MikeStarchuk.com

I wish to thank my team. They inspired and pushed me every day. Like all good teams, behind them are a great team of volunteers.

Special thanks to the members of Surrey Fire Fighter Association – Local 1271.

Thanks to my friends and family who were a big part of my decision to pursue this next step of my life.

And again, thanks to the people of Surrey-Cloverdale, for putting their trust in me.  I am honoured, humbled, and so very grateful.

 

Mike Starchuk, BC NDP Candidate for Surrey-Cloverdale

Thanks for stopping by MikeStarchuk.com

For those who have been here before, you may already know about me.

For those new visitors, let me introduce myself… 

My name is Mike Starchuk.  Mike Starchuk & Premier Horgan - MikeStarchuk.com

In 2014, I retired holding the position of Chief Fire Prevention Officer, with Surrey Fire Services.  My 32 years of service as a first responder, firefighter and public safety officer have provided me with first-hand knowledge, and a unique perspective on the growth of the city, and its citizens.  During my time with the Surrey Fire Fighters’ Association, I was active with health and safety initiatives in the city and across the province.  I am currently a Partnership in Education Program facilitator for the International Association of Fire Fighters.  I am one of four Canadians who facilitate leadership and political action training for the 320,000 members in North America.  I was one of the founding members of the Surrey Fire Fighters Charitable Society, which is one of the leading charities in Surrey.

In 2014, I was honoured to be elected as a Surrey City Councillor.  I enjoyed the opportunity to work hard on behalf of my community, and make changes and to proudly represent the people of Surrey, whether in my office, out in the communities and neighbourhoods, or representing the City of Surrey in another municipality.

Now, I am announcing that I am running to represent the people of Surrey-Cloverdale, in the upcoming Provincial election.

Mike Starchuk - Surrey-Cloverdale NDP - MikeStarchuk.com

Having lived and worked in Surrey my whole adult life, I feel connected to, and a part of the Community, and with my experience, feel uniquely qualified to address the challenges and help the Community move forward.

I look forward to engaging with voters, as COVID-19 safety procedures allow.

I hope on October 24th, you will cast your vote for me, so I may continue to represent the City I love; the City I have called home for over 50 years; the City I work, live and play in.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Mike Starchuk

 

 

To see a short video about Mike, click the image below…

 

 

 

At The Newton Exchange

A great morning with the transit users in Newton with everyone looking forward to using LRT in the near future.
The riders were excited about the youth passes for those 18 and younger, and all were very happy with the Surrey First platform on public safety.

Remember to get out and vote this Saturday for Tom Gill, Mike Starchuk and the Surrey First team.

Mike Starchuk - With Commuters and Surrey Fire Fighters At the Newton Exchange - MikeStarchuk.com Mike Starchuk - With Surrey First Candidates and Surrey Fire Fighters At the Newton Exchange - MikeStarchuk.com Mike Starchuk - With Commuters and Surrey Fire Fighters At the Newton Exchange - MikeStarchuk.com Mike Starchuk - With Commuters and Surrey Fire Fighters At the Newton Exchange - MikeStarchuk.com

 

 

Reflections On The Past Four Years

Raised and educated in Surrey, I have lived here most of my life. I started my career in public service, as a volunteer firefighter in 1980, which then led to an amazing 32 years of service as a professional Surrey firefighter. The most fulfilling part of that career was as a founding director of the Surrey Fire Fighters Charitable Society. This charitable society continues to be one of the top charitable organizations in our City. I retired in 2014, as Surrey’s Chief Fire Prevention Officer, to pursue a challenging second career, as a City Councillor, and was elected that same year.Mike Starchuk - Surrey First Seniors' Day Announcement - MikeStarchuk.com

I am Chair of the city’s Agricultural Food Security Advisory Committee, the Environmental Sustainability Advisory Committee, Diversity Advisory Committee, as well as vice chair of the Seniors Advisory Committee and City Liaison to Tourism Surrey. I was also appointed to the mayor’s Task Force on Gang Violence Prevention and appointed to a Cannabis Task Group to prepare for the changes in the federal legislation in October. We traveled to Seattle, Portland, Denver and Los Angeles to look at best practices and lessons learned, which has led to the most comprehensive strategic framework in our country.

In my time at Surrey City Hall, I have always accommodated meetings with members of our community, either at City Hall or in their neighbourhoods. I believe this has made me the most accessible Surrey Councillor. I have been invited to meet with all of the neighbourhood associations. We met to discuss their local issues, where I listened and informed them of what is current in the rest of the City.

Mike Starchuk - Enjoying the show at the Cloverdale Rodeo - MikeStarchuk.comI have offered my connections to organizations and individuals to make differences. One example, involved the 2018 Cloverdale Rodeo. As the Chair of the City’s Diversity Advisory Committee, I often run into service providers looking for assistance. DiverseCity had a table set up at an event in City Hall, where I approached them and asked if they could use some passes to the Rodeo. What happened next was one of those “pay it forward” moments.

Through the help of staff, I was able to arrange passes for 20 people, two for DiverseCity staff, and 18 for their clients, giving them the opportunity to experience their “first rodeo”. They had access to the grounds, rodeo and midway rides. When they arrived I had the pleasure of meeting with these young adults from around the world. They had come to Canada for a better life and had ended up in Surrey. Sitting next to a young woman from Syria, she explained how she loved our City and her experiences here.

Part way through the conversation, I could see that she was alarmed by the screams from the midway rides. She interpreted the screams as sounds of distress, rather than the exhilaration of the rides. She was put at ease, somewhat, by my explanation that these screams were similar to those screams from scary movies. No one was being harmed.

Shortly after we said our goodbyes, I ran into the group as they were enjoying the midway. This young woman was on a looping ride, head down, eyes closed and hands holding on to the bar, white knuckled. When she walked down the stairway all I could see was a big smile and wide eyes. She was exhilarated. She was ready to do it again! I’m happy to be a connector and will never forget how I felt, sharing in their experience.

Mike Starchuk - Biggest Blueberry Pie in Surrey - MikeStarchuk.comAs the Chair of the Agricultural Committee I am pleased to be a part of the promotion and education of our Agricultural community where we now have a stand-alone Agriculture Week to celebrate everything local and fresh. We now have “Pie in the Plaza” where we showcase agriculture and provide a free family event that includes BC’s largest blueberry pie.

Part of Agriculture Week is farm-to-table dining on Sundays in September. I met with our local restaurant owners and chefs to come up with the concept of two-thirds of the menu ingredients coming from within the boundaries of Surrey. This September program has become so successful that one of the restaurants in South Surrey (Tap) has a set menu where nearly 90% of the menu ingredients come from Surrey. It was so successful, they extend that menu into October because their patrons so enjoyed dining on fresh local products.

There is crossover between some of the committees I chair. One such instance is that of the Diversity and Environmental committees. My connections have led to the “Foam Free Vaisakhi” program where a grassroots group was able to divert more than 100,000 pieces of styrofoam from our landfills this year. This program is expected to grow to over one million pieces of non-polystyrene kept out of our landfills.

Mike Starchuk - Surrey Fusion Festival - MikeStarchuk.comThe same approach was used at the 2018 Fusion Fest. With the environmental success of the “Foam Free Vaisakhi” pilot, the same principles were applied to Fusion Fest. I’m pleased to say 100% of the items used by the food vendors were either biodegradable or recyclable. As close to zero waste as possible, at a time when the public is asking us to think more about Mother Earth.Mike Starchuk - With Future Surrey Voters - MikeStarchuk.com

 

It has been a privilege representing the Citizens and City of Surrey, on Council, for the last four years. I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to bring fresh and new ideas forward, and I hope on October 20th, you will cast your vote for me, so I may continue to represent the City I love; the City I have called home for over 50 years; the City I work, live and play in.

 

 

Mike Starchuk on Cannabis Legalization

Doug McCallum has come out in opposition to cannabis retail locations in Surrey, two days before it becomes legal.

Two of the main points to legalizing cannabis was to ensure the product was safe for consumption. No cross contamination and an understanding where it’s origins are. The other is to regulate the sales so our youth do not have access in a similar manner to the sales of alcohol.

This is achieved by locating retail cannabis storefronts specified distances away from schools, parks and other locations where those under 19 may congregate. As well, to set distances between retail locations, to fit into the communities.

Doug McCallum’s opposition to retail cannabis stores, two days before the consumption of cannabis becomes legal in Canada, is astonishing. The only winners in his solution are those in organized crime and the losers are the youth we should be protecting and the adult consumers who are looking for a safe product.

The moral issue of cannabis was settled a few years ago when the federal government started the legalization process. Now Doug wants to impart his morals on you. Think about this October 20, when you head to the polls and who is really looking out for the public’s best interests.