Mayor to host monthly one-on-one sessions with Vancouverites

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — How would you like to have the mayor of Vancouver’s undivided attention for up to 15 minutes?

On February 5th, Kennedy Stewart has set aside more than four hours to make good on his election promise to be as transparent as possible, with a “Talk to the Mayor” event.

“People just contact my office and they can basically talk about whatever they want. [I’ll] probably just do first-come, first-serve,” Stewart says. “Right now, we’re planning once a month, but if it’s popular, we might do it more often.”

Stewart says he got the idea from former Premier Mike Harcourt, who used to host regular citizen sessions when he was mayor between 1980 and 1986.

“Residents can sign up for a 15-minute meeting with me, come in and discuss their issues and then, I try to take direct action on the issues that they raised,” he says. “Sometimes you don’t to get to hear about stop signs that aren’t in the right place or speed bumps that are needed and this really gives regular folks a chance to come in, and for me to take direct action on the issues that have concerned them.”

The former Burnaby MP says he’s used to hearing a lot of yelling in Ottawa, but he’s expecting Vancouver residents to be civil.

“I haven’t had anybody yell at me yet. Being in the House of Commons for seven years, the way things are happening here is way better than that. Sometimes, dealing with elected officials makes people nervous. This is a way to kind of say, no it’s all cool. Come in and talk about whatever you want. Don’t be the first, but it hasn’t happened yet.”

He adds people are free to call or email him anytime, but he’s also used to having strangers approach him outside office hours.

“I do take transit, so I kind of have a mayor’s office day every morning anyway where people are talking to me on the SkyTrain.”

The first “Talk to the Mayor” event happens Feb. 5 in Vancouver.