Burnaby mayoral candidates were putting in the final push on the campaign trail Friday. Voters will choose between six candidates vying for the top job in Saturday’s election. Housing, homelessness, public safety and city spending are among the issues shaping the campaign. Businessman Heymann Yip heads up Burnaby First, which also has three council candidates on the ballot. Yip is campaigning on housing, protecting green space and addressing homelessness. “Some of the key points of interest would be to expand … the original purpose-built rentals, the old what we called apartment buildings,” Yip said. “Second would be to re-establish a committee to tackle parks, green spaces, conservation areas, streams and our trails. And thirdly, we’d want to work on the file on people who are unsheltered and homeless.” Bill Petrovas is campaigning on public safety, preventing homelessness and taking a closer look at city spending. “On day one, we want … an auditor general to do an audit to see where we stand,” Petrovas said. “Then also, for the first 30 days, find out all the renters who might be evicted and get stronger protections for them and identify those who are at risk and make sure we identify every avenue for people so they don’t end up homeless.” Incumbent Mike Hurley is seeking a third term, promising more affordable housing and the completion of several major projects already in the works. “(We’re) building three new community centers, (a) new police station and a new performing arts center,” Hurley said. “Also, our Burnaby Housing Authority … just started a thousand new affordable homes, which will be coming very quickly together. So, those are the priorities.” Three other candidates are also running for mayor. Hanzhi Wang is pushing for more missing-middle housing and transportation improvements. Sabina Hsu is campaigning on economic growth and efforts to lower property taxes. MichaelAngelo Abcrobinhood is proposing a 10-per-cent property-tax discount for seniors and says he would donate his entire mayoral salary to school lunch programs, single parents and people in need. There are also signs of increased interest in the election heading into Saturday. A city official tells CTV News more than 16,000 Burnaby residents have already cast ballots in advance voting, up more than 70 per cent from 2022. Polls will be open across the city Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
