Mayoral candidate Ken Armstrong announces first two council candidates for Team New West Progressives

Mayoral candidate Ken Armstrong and the New West Progressives are pleased to announce the addition of two council candidates to the team. New Westminster residents Rick Folka and Jiayi Li-McCarthy have been approved by the Board of Directors to be on the 2022 council slate.

“I’m very pleased to have Rick and Jiayi on our team as we head into the civic election this fall,” says Armstrong. “They both want New Westminster to become an even better place to live, work and play.”

Rick Folka was born in New Westminster. He and his family have demonstrated a life-long commitment to improving the Royal City they’ve called home for most of their life. Folka is an accountant and has put his understanding of finances to good use throughout his 40+ year career in the private and non-profit sector. Folka received his accounting designation from the Society of Management Accountants of British Columbia in October 1981 and currently has the designation CPA, CMA.

“Putting my name on the ballot this fall is a great way for me to contribute back to a community I have called home for most of my life,” says Folka. “I strongly believe that we need positive change and a commitment to collaboration on city council this fall. I know that our team will be offering that to voters on October 15th.”

Putting my name on the ballot this fall is a great way for me to contribute back to a community I have called home for most of my life – city council candidate Rick Folka

Jiayi-Li McCarthy is a long-time and active New Westminster resident who resides in Glenbrook North. Jiayi is an accomplished competitive cyclist who was a part of the China National Cyclist Team. She was a champion cyclist all of China for ten years in a row . She also won gold and silver all of Asia at the Asia Games Cycling Championships held in Beijing ,1991. Jiayi also represented Liaoning Province in national competitions in single and team events. She also won \”Women\’s National Champion of China\” from 1985-1989 and placed top 10 in Stuttgart Germany World Championship WWTT.

Jiayi is a proud member of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union local 1518 and has served thousands of local residents as an employee of the Safeway store located at McBride and 8th Ave for the past 15 years. In addition to her extensive experience in the service sector, Jiayi worked as Manager of Business Development for Jiahao Commercial Buildings in Shenyang.

“If I’m elected to council this fall, I’ll be advocating strongly to ensure that our seniors and marginalized citizens have better access to city hall,” says Li-McCarthy. “I’ll also be working hard to make sure that our small businesses have a stronger voice in the decision-making process.”

If I’m elected to council this fall, I’ll be advocating strongly to ensure that our seniors and marginalized citizens have better access to city hall – city council candidate Jiayi Li-McCarthy

The NWP was formed in the fall of 2017 in an effort to provide independent candidates the opportunity to work in collaboration to help bring balance and develop a strong vision for the future of our city and school system. NWP is a diverse group of citizens who live, work and invest in our city and are committed to supporting a non-partisan approach to municipal politics. Committed to a core mission and set of values, NWP is a grassroots registered elector organization that is committed to ensuring the voice of average citizens and neighbourhoods is listened to at city hall and the school board.