Spring Update

Hello friends and neighbours,

As news about the Tsawwassen Town Centre brightens our spirits and the sun warms our little town, it’s starting to feel like spring in every sense of the word. In these quieter moments—when we’re not shoulder to shoulder on sidewalks, in community halls, or council chambers—it’s easy to feel disconnected. So I wanted to reach out with a quick update on what I’ve been up to, and share a few reflections on our community, our leadership, and where we go from here.

A couple of weeks ago, I attended the City Council meeting at the North Delta Centre for the Arts. It followed Councillor Boisvert’s letter to the Delta Optimist, and the atmosphere in the room was tense. Frustration flared between councillors, and frankly, it was disheartening. What should have been a forum for thoughtful leadership felt more like a political grudge match—complete with jabs, accusations of backroom dealings, and personal digs. I left feeling concerned. Public service should never be about political ladder-climbing—it should be about the people who live here.

I also had the chance to attend both All Candidates Debates, hosted by the Delta Chamber of Commerce and the Delta Residents Association. A big thanks to both organizations for making space for us to ask questions and engage directly. It’s clear that all the candidates—despite their differences—have put real thought into Delta’s future. Issues like the dike system, health care access, and the tunnel were front and center. I’m confident that whoever wins will bring a strong voice to Ottawa on our behalf. And if you haven’t yet—please make sure to vote this Monday.

Lastly, I want to share a conversation I had recently with two community members about the Town Centre development—not just the proposal itself, but the process that brought us here. We talked about the OCP, how it was pushed through last year with limited transparency and even less public trust. It reminded me of how hard we fought to delay it, and how quickly it was pushed forward regardless.

So moving forward, one of my main areas of focus is on the OCP itself—how it’s written, how it’s approved, and how we can make it better. Because if we don’t fix the process, we’ll be back here again—signs in hand, scrambling to respond to the next surprise proposal. There are other areas zoned just like the Town Centre across Tsawwassen, North Delta, and Ladner. We’ve got momentum, and now’s the time to use it.

On a hopeful note, I recently spoke with Professor Erick Villagomez from UBC’s School of Architecture (You may recognize his name from the Globe and Mail article that was shared a couple weeks ago). He’s done fascinating work on European models of densification—Barcelona in particular—that show it’s possible to build density without sacrificing character.

There are better ways forward, and I’m excited to explore them with all of you.

Onward,
Alex