 Print
Burnaby Green Party members vote to add diversity to City Council in municipal by-election
2-23-2021
Burnaby, B.C. – At a recent Burnaby Green Party meeting Mehreen Chaudry and Teresa Rossiello were nominated as the party’s two candidates for the upcoming municipal by-election. These two women represent a growing interest to improve diversity on City Council in Burnaby.
“I’m very excited to see these candidates nominated knowing what they could bring to this council,” says Joe Keithley, Burnaby Green Party City Councillor. “Mehreen Chaudry was an excellent Green candidate in the 2020 Provincial election, which saw four Burnaby Green candidates run, and that experience will be a real asset. Teresa Rossiello has been active on civic committees and community-based organizations for more than 8 years. She also knows her way around a campaign having served as the Riding Association Chair for the BC Greens in Burnaby North.”
Both candidates have a passion for local issues like housing affordability, urban green spaces, community planning, poverty reduction, and of course, climate change and the environment. Other key priorities include addressing the need for diversity and maintaining equity in community building and development.
“The Burnaby Green Party and I firmly believe in collaboratively working with our community and facilitating solutions to the challenges facing the city of Burnaby together.” says Mehreen Chaudry, Burnaby Green Party candidate.
“Co-coordinating Burnaby’s homeless count was a rewarding experience that showed me how community members can come together to ensure our most vulnerable neighbours are not overlooked.” says Teresa Rossiello, Burnaby Green Party candidate.
Independent Mayor Mike Hurley has worked closely with Councillor Joe Keithley to advance a wide range of policies aimed at tackling Burnaby’s most pressing issues.
“Electing more Burnaby Greens to council means more support for working collaboratively and effectively with Mayor Hurley and other members of council on the issues that matter most to people in Burnaby,” says Keithley. “After decades of inadequate leadership by former mayor Derek Corrigan and the Burnaby Citizens Association (BCA), we are now making significant progress on issues the public has asked us to address as we shape a more affordable, inclusive and sustainable future in our city.”
The Burnaby by-election has not yet been called but is expected this Spring. Candidate bios below.
For more information contact David Burton, Campaign Communications Coordinator at dburtonvan@gmail.com or visit https://burnabygreenparty.com/ for more information on the Burnaby Green Party.
Mehreen Chaudry Bio
Mehreen Chaudry was born in Ontario and raised in Pakistan as the first in a family of four children. After completing her high school education in Pakistan, Mehreen pursued her dream of higher education, putting herself through university in the United States, earning a Bachelor's Degree with Honours in International Business and Economics, and later, a Master's Degree in Business Administration from the University of Illinois in Springfield.
Since obtaining her Master's Degree in 2007, Mehreen has continued to forge her own path. Through 12 years of project management, Mehreen has developed the vision, grit and determination to ensure the delivery of numerous projects in various industries. Along with this resolve, project management requires excellent interpersonal skills, demonstrated by Mehreen’s savvy ability to negotiate, resolve conflicts and operate as an effective team player. The multitude of stakeholders involved in large projects calls for exceptional communication skills and Mehreen’s ability to build relationships amongst diverse actors has helped her establish effective coalitions throughout her career.
Mehreen made the decision to move to Burnaby with her two young sons in 2016, determined to make for them the best life possible and offer them a brighter future. Having overcome numerous challenges over the past four years Mehreen and her boys have come to love Burnaby and are proud to call this City home. Her commitment to her children and to their future in Burnaby means Mehreen is dedicated to finding solutions to the many challenges Burnaby faces and will face in the years to come.
These challenges are complex as well as urgent. They require bold determination to adequately address the climate emergency at a local level. They require innovative energy and fresh ideas to reimagine how we can support and grow our local economy devastated by the pandemic.
They require a willingness to bridge divides and the ability to reach for common ground; to not allow for political squabbles to get in the way. The residents of Burnaby are the ones that matter and Mehreen believes that they deserve to have their voices heard, their opinions expressed and their problems resolved. Mehreen Chaudry has proven that she has the skills and expertise to work with a multitude of stakeholders to solve these sorts of complex challenges and she is determined to ensure that City Council works for the residents of Burnaby now and into the future.
If elected, Mehreen will be the first Muslim woman to be elected in Burnaby and will be a fantastic representative of the muslim community. Her and Teresa will work hard together to bring this much needed diversity and change to City Council.
Mehreen firmly believes that “As Muslims, we often feel isolated in our faith and culture. We need to have our concerns heard and to have a say in policy-making so our values and rights are safeguarded. We also need to create a sustainable future for our province that preserves our planet as quoted in the Qur’an. “It is He who has appointed you viceroys in the earth … that He may try you in what He has given you.” (Surah 6:165) or we can save this for later.
Teresa Rossielle Bio
Teresa Rossiello is a deeply engaged member of the Burnaby community. She has enriched her community through her extensive volunteering on behalf of some of Burnaby's most underrepresented residents, as a volunteer organizer at her children's schools and through her work as an early childhood educator. With her husband, Teresa is raising her two children in Burnaby and is committed to making Burnaby a more equitable, sustainable and affordable place for all residents, now and for generations to come. To achieve this, Teresa believes that greater communication and engagement with the community is vital.
Teresa has significant experience in outreach and coordination. She is the Chair of the Task Force to End Homelessness in Burnaby, a monthly forum for over 50 government and non-profit organizations. The Task Force is focused on issues related to housing and homelessness. Through this organization, Teresa works to coordinate the actions of numerous stakeholders in improving the lives of some of Burnaby's most vulnerable residents. Teresa is also part of a
team that organizes food and essential services at centres across Burnaby, helping provide more than 120 meals per week to homeless residents. She also co-coordinated the homeless count in Burnaby, instrumental in increasing the visibility of this Burnaby community. For the last two years, Teresa and the Burnaby Greens have also fundraised for the "Coldest Night of the Year" walk to end homelessness. Through these efforts, Teresa has demonstrated leadership in organizing a response to Burnaby's housing crisis and advocating for people affected by poverty and social injustice.
Teresa’s and her family's passion for the outdoors and vision of a fair, inclusive and sustainable future has inspired her to run for City Council. She believes that climate change is both an immediate and long term threat to our city and our environment that must be addressed at the local level. Teresa is committed to championing the development of greener building codes, more urban villages and better active transport and public transit infrastructure. As the co-owner of a small business, Teresa understands the urgent need to support Burnaby's small businesses and revitalize the local economy that has been battered by the pandemic. Along with reducing Burnaby's carbon footprint and strengthening our local economy, she would work to ensure that the housing crisis in Burnaby is adequately addressed.
While raising her family Teresa has learned about the everyday challenges people in Burnaby face, and has worked hard to organize residents and companies to work on solutions to some of these problems. Teresa believes that what is most vital for overcoming these challenges is to address them as a community; to ensure that all Burnaby residents have the opportunity to share their views and feel represented by City Council. Burnaby needs leaders like Teresa Rossiello to help solve the challenges our city and our environment face. We cannot afford to wait any longer.
Footnotes:
|