Both the B.C. New Democrats and B.C. Liberals have had success in Delta-North.
The Liberals won in 1996 and 2001 with current Surrey school board trustee Reni Masi, but a pair of former Delta councillors represented the riding in Victoria before and after.
Norm Lortie held the seat until Masi’s first victory, and after the Liberal MLA stepped aside in 2009, Guy Gentner won a pair of elections. He earned roughly 50 per cent of the vote in 2009.
A pair of current Delta councillors will be seeking to replace Gentner, who did not seek the nomination this year.
Tsawwassen resident and former elementary school teacher Sylvia Bishop will look to defend the seat for the New Democrats.
Four-term councillor and 26-year North Delta resident Scott Hamilton will carry the Liberal banner on May 14.
Conservative candidate Tinku Parmar earned a master’s degree in English while living in her native India, before moving to Canada in 1998.
Bill Marshall is running under the Green party banner.
The Communist party running in Delta-North is George Gidora.
And independent John Shavluk rounds out the race.
One of the most affluent ridings in the South Fraser region, Delta-North also has one of the lowest percentages of divorced or separated people, roughly eight per cent as opposed to the provincial average of 11.6 per cent.
It also has one of the highest percentages of residents under the age of 18. The constituency has the province’s lowest percentage of residents living alone, at roughly five per cent.
North Delta residents are also among the most likely to own their own homes, as roughly 80 per cent reside in owner-occupied dwellings.
According to 2006 census figures, Delta-North is home to the lowest percentage of residents who were not living in British Columbia a half-decade earlier. Its residents are also less likely to move, as roughly 60 per cent have lived in their present home for more than five years.
Delta-North fast facts:
• 2006 population: 51,455
• 2011 Population: 53,945
• Increase: 4.8 per cent
• Median age: 39.4
• Non-English mother tongue: 39%
• Average income: $81,821
WE ASKED THEM
The Leader asked local candidates in the May 14 provincial election to respond to the following questions:
1. What is your name, age, education and neighbourhood of residence?
2. Why should people vote for you?
3. What are the most significant issues facing your riding and what would you do about them?
4. What are the most significant issues facing B.C. and what would you do about them?
Here are the responses from the candidates for Delta-North:
SYLVIA BISHOP, B.C. NDP
1. Name, education, and residence:
My name is Sylvia Bishop. I hold a Master’s degree in Education, am 59 years old and live in Delta.
2. Why should people vote for you?
Delta-North deserves a strong and effective voice to tackle its concerns in Victoria. I have lived in Delta for over 45 years and have a proven track record of being that voice. I care deeply about my community.
People know me to be hard working, diligent and conscientious – someone who is always working on the issues our community cares about. This includes promoting the preservation of farmland and environmentally sensitive areas like Burns Bog, working to save Delta Hospital, and organizing volunteers for the anti-HST campaign.
3. What are the most significant issues facing your riding and what would you do about them?
People on the doorstep are telling me they want change for the better. They see their neighbourhoods congested with traffic. The threat of land development around Burns Bog is a concern. Air quality impacts of railcars shipping coal through the area is troubling. With Adrian Dix and the NDP team I would work toward a regional transportation plan and the strengthening of environmental assessments.
4. What are the most significant issues facing B.C. and what would you do about them?
People are tired of negative political attack ads. Adrian Dix and the NDP are committed to bringing a message of positive change.
People are concerned about jobs, health care and public education. Training for better jobs will be addressed by creating a $100 million grants program for post-secondary students. Better healthcare for families will be achieved by improving community based services. Our K-12 schools will see increased resources for public education to reduce class sizes and improve class composition.
SCOTT HAMILTON, B.C. LIBERALS
1. Name, education, and residence:
Scott Hamilton, age 55. BCIT marketing. Neighbourhood: North Delta.
2. Why should people vote for you?
A 10-year Delta city council veteran, and 27-year resident of North Delta. A long history of community involvement, dedicated to parks and recreation, amateur sports, safe schools and low property taxes.
3. What are the most significant issues facing your riding and what would you do about them?
Traffic and transportation. B.C. Liberal government has started a plan to replace the Massey Tunnel, and is committed to an interchange on 72nd Avenue. Returning an hour a day to people and their families rather than sitting in endless traffic line-ups is key to improving quality of life in North Delta.
4. What are the most significant issues facing B.C. and what would you do about them?
Keeping taxes low, not returning to the days of 54% marginal tax rates that we experienced in the 1990s. Lean government and elimination of deficit.
TINKU PARMAR, B.C. CONSERVATIVES
Editor’s note: Tinku Parmar did not return her questionnaire by The Leader’s deadline. The following information was gleaned from the B.C. Conservative party’s website.
Kawaljit Kaur “Tinku” Parmar was born in the Punjab region of India, where she attended college and earned a master’s degree in English. She immigrated to Canada in 1998, and has been a long-time resident and active community member in North Delta.
On two occasions Tinku has received the Paul Harris Fellowship award for service with the North Delta Rotary Club. She’s also worked as a volunteer fundraiser with the Canadian Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, is a passionate supporter of the North Delta Minor Hockey Association, and owns a small business located in North Delta.
Tinku is married to Bhupinder, and together they have four children aged 14 to 24.
JOHN SHAVALUK, INDEPENDENT
1. Name, education, and residence:
John Shavluk, age 56. I live in Delta-North and have for going on 11 years. I am mostly self-taught but have had the standard indoctrinating public school experience. As well I completed many courses in the Canadian Armed Forces. I have completed many home courses on banking, finance, appraisal, mediation, collection and bailiff work as well as many hobby courses like boat building and other construction, astrology, psychology, electrical installation, propane systems, living off the grid and many many more.
I have many certificates of completion involving many parts of my varied careers in banking, finance, real-estate and collections.
Neighbourhood of residence: Brookside, Surrey. Previously in Newton-Surrey riding till 2005.
Educational qualifications: Bachelor of science in agriculture, diploma in marketing, TESL ESL teaching certificate, emergency communications operator college course.
2. Why should people vote for you?
Because I don’t know anyone else as qualified as I am in this race nor who has already been walking the talk for over 20 years formally with nothing in this race on a national scale.
Plus I actually live here something others can’t even match.
3. What are the most significant issues facing your riding and what would you do about them?
Our riding is just completely ignored, it seems unless they want something from us like to cut a road through or to jam more electrical connections through us. The current battles have already been so far lost with the erosion of Burns Bog and the Gateway highway as even behind my marina now a major construction site with the forest totally cut down.
4. What are the most significant issues facing B.C. and what would you do about them?
The important issues as I see them are right now obviously energy related attacks from outside our province with local leaders abdicating their responsibilities for business’s benefits and their own futures it seems. They seem willfully ignorant on purpose and don’t have the loyalties required as pipelines to give away Canadian oil at all costs just wont fly with me Not until we at least make sure they are at least at the levels of compensation in the original Alberta Heritage Fund.
B.C. GREENS
The Green party candidate in Delta-North is Bill Marshall. When contacted by The Leader to participate in the questionnaire, the party responded by email: "Your article can go to print without Bill's responses."
COMMUNIST PARTY OF B.C.
The Communist party candidate in Delta-North is George Gidora. If he responds to a Leader request to participate in answering our questionnaire, he will be added to this riding profile.
SURREY-NEWTON: If you live within these boundaries, this is your riding:
