Podcast: President Joe Biden & New West Mayor, new hotel on Columbia, Ottawa setting grocery prices

In this summer episode of For the Record, Coun. Paul Minhas joins host Coun. Daniel Fontaine and makes another appearance in studio to analyze the latest activities of New West city politicos.

What do President Joe Biden and the New West Mayor have in common? Well, some say they may both soon have close allies and supporters asking them to step down for the ‘good of the party’. That’s a topic we explore as we undertake a special look ahead to what might transpire in the 2026 civic election year. Will Community First actually have a new candidate for mayor? Or will they hunker down and hope for the best under the current leadership?

A proposal for a new Marriott hotel on Columbia Street above the historic Columbia Theater was on the docket for discussion. How tall should it be? Will it impact a possible redevelopment of the adjacent Army and Navy site? What type of community amenities will we get as a result of this latest tower proposal?

Federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh seems to have inspired – or perhaps heavily encouraged – his political allies in New Westminster to publicly endorse his idea of having Ottawa bureaucrats begin setting the price of our local groceries.

Yes, a motion was brought to council for debate regarding sending a letter to the Prime Minister encouraging him to start setting the price of our ‘essential’ groceries. But just exactly what is classified as ‘essential’? Furthermore, should provincial or federal politics be directly influencing civic debates in New West?

The topic of e-scooters makes it on to the podcast as we play a segment that aired on the Mike Smyth Show on CKNW this week. The switchboard lit up with callers, all of whom had some pretty strong opinions.

Sit back, pop in the earbuds and enjoy this latest podcast. Be sure to tell family and friends to listen too. You can download For the Record on Apple Podcast, Spotify and all major platforms.

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