Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley sounded a lot like candidate Mike Hurley in his first address after being sworn into office.
The retired firefighter repeated his campaign promises to stop displacement of renters, address homelessness and review policing in a speech at the Hilton Vancouver Metrotown Hotel Monday evening.
“As your new mayor, I am humbled by the trust Burnaby residents have placed in me to guide our city over the next four years,” he said. “It is a trust that I will uphold and will work very diligently to keep.”
Hurley made the speech after he and the city’s eight councillors were sworn in by provincial court judge Joanne Challenger in front of roughly 500 people in a conference room at the hotel.
The new mayor said he would strike a task force to address housing affordability in the new year.
He also said he would begin work immediately to help the city’s homeless population.
Hurley repeated his vows from the campaign to address affordable housing, reduce homelessness and fight for money for Burmaby's hospital. pic.twitter.com/buDMPwA6Zv
— KelvinGawley (@KelvinGawley) November 6, 2018
“It's not acceptable to allow our citizens to sleep outside in freezing weather conditions,” Hurley said.
Burnaby Hospital is in unacceptable condition, according to Hurley, who said he would fight for new funding from the province to redevelop it.
“We are B.C.'s third largest city, and our hospital has been ignored for way too long,” he said.
The ceremony also marked the first time Joe Keithley of the Green Party has held public office. The DOA frontman has previously run unsuccessfully in provincial politics.
The seven returning councillors also sworn in were Colleen Jordan, Paul McDonell, Sav Dhaliwal, James Wang, Nick Volkow, Dan Johnston and Pietro Calendino.
