SURREY - And then there were four. Another mayoral candidate has thrown his hat in the ring in Surrey, in what is sure to be the most exciting mayoral race the city has seen in the last decade.
John Edwards, who's lived in Surrey since 1994, is past president of the Rotary Club of Surrey, through which he's worked with organizations such as the Surrey Food Bank and Atira Women's Resource Society.He sees a need for a broader representation of political thinking on council and says he will "position Surrey as a progressive city with an international outlook.""As a former immigrant to the country, I think there are some perspectives that need to be discussed in the interest of everyone in Surrey. I think that's one of the angles I'd like to bring to the table," Edwards told the Now.The Barbados native was trained as a registered nurse and psychiatric nurse in England, and currently has a license in psychiatric nursing in B.C. Edwards has lengthy experience in the medical and pharmaceutical field, including international business development and government relations.And this isn't his first foray into politics, though it is in Surrey. In the 1980s he contested a nomination for what was then the Mission-Port Moody riding. He lost toGerry St. Germain, who was elected an MP, and Edwards turned around to work on his campaign.One of Edwards' big focuses is building a convention centre in Surrey, noting all of the country's big cities have such an attraction. He'd like to see one commissioned within four years.If elected, Edwards says he would also push hard for local job creation, work to attract head offices in the city, engage youth, promote tourism to keep residents from crossing the border to shop, and fight for more sustainable transportation options.Edwards joins Surrey First Coun. Linda Hepner, former mayor Doug McCallum and Vikram Bajwa in the fight for the city's top spot. Coun. Barinder Rasode is expected to seek the job as well.areid@thenownewspaper.com