District of North Vancouver Coun. Mathew Bond has put his name forward as a challenger for the mayor’s office.
Bond, who has served two terms on council, said he is campaigning on the message that the district needs to be more forward looking when it comes to ensuring North Vancouver remains accessible and its environment remains protected.
“We can address these deepening challenges, whether it’s the housing crisis that makes it more and more difficult for people, young and old, to live here; whether it’s the climate and ecological emergency that threatens some of the natural areas that people love most; or whether it’s having a transportation system where we can provide real choice and options for everyone where people feel safe sending their kids to walk to school, or to bike to school, or to get around the community. These things are all possible.”
Bond has been a consistent "Aye" vote when it comes to votes on housing, climate action and active transportation over the last eight years, but he said the district has suffered from a lack of leadership to prioritize the issues from within council.
“We’ve seen the same types of actions and policies come forward again and again, and it’s clear that they’re not working, so we need to shift. We need to be positive about change. We need to really take to heart our responsibility to future generations, and have a really clear vision and solid leadership,” he said. “Without that vision, council, staff and the community seem to get bogged down in a lot of minutia, and we’re not moving as quickly as we need to towards that positive future.”
Bond earned is way onto council for the first time in 2014 with 5,871 votes. In 2018, he placed fifth overall in the council race with 7,817 votes. In that election he ran under the Building Bridges Elector Society slate.
Outside of the council chamber, Bond is a father of two and professional engineer who lives in the Lynn Creek neighbourhood. Previously, he was the president of the North Shore Mountain Bike Association.
