Voters will troop to polling stations on October 20 to elect a new set of officials in cities in B.C.
Here in the Metro Vancouver area, there are a number of Filipino candidates who are competing for different positions.
In Vancouver, an adopted son of the Filipino community is running for no less than the mayor of the city.
Hector Bremner is a candidate for Vancouver mayor. He is married to Filipino wife Virginia, and they have two Virginia and two children, Carlo and Gianluca.
In 2013, Bremner was appointed by the B.C. provincial government to serve with the Ministry of International Trade, Ministry of Tourism and Small Business, as well as the Ministry of Natural Gas Development and Deputy Premier’s Office.
Bremner was elected to Vancouver City Council in a 2017 by-election.
Bremner is the only candidate with Vancouver City council experience running for Mayor, and is Yes Vancouver party’s founding mayoral candidate.
Also in Vancouver, Jojo Quimpo is running for city councillor.
Quimpo was awarded The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Award in 2013. He is the lead organizer of the Pinoy Fiesta.
Quimpo is running with the Non-Partisan Association (NPA). He is a paralegal professional of 14 years, and well-known in the community.
In New Westminster, Cyrus Sy is running for school board.
Sy is a professional engineer and hi-tech marketing professional. He graduated from Simon Fraser University with a Bachelors of Applied Science (System Engineering) and is currently a Senior Product Marketing Manager at Sierra Wireless.
A candidate with the New Westminster Progressives, Sy is father to two kids.
In Richmond, former school trustee Rod Belleza is trying to make a comeback.
Belleza served as Richmond education trustee from 2008 to 2014. He advocated for sound financial management and good governance. He helped the Board establish the Audit Committee which helps the Board in financial reporting, risk management, audit and budget process. He campaigned for more support for teachers and students with special needs. He is a candidate with the Richmond Community Coalition.
In the District of North Vancouver, Behl Evangelista is running for school board.
Evangelista was a school custodian for 28 years. He recently retired. He has lived in the District of North Vancouver for over 36 years.