Mayor George Harvie revealed the remaining three Achieving for Delta candidates during a campaign event at a packed Surrey banquet hall Sunday evening.

The candidates — Nenah Sandy, Umendra Singh and Rick Ocean, all running for school board — were named and “introduced” alongside the rest of slate to close Harvie’s “North Delta-focused” campaign event, held at the Taj Park Convention Centre on June 7.

The event featured opening speeches from first-term school board trustee Nimmi Daula (who addressed the 650-plus people in the crowd in Punjabi), councillor candidate Inkjot Sandhu, and first-term councillor Jessie Dosanjh, before Harvie delivered a speech outlining his priorities for the next four years — echoing remarks he made at his campaign launch in Tsawwassen on April 15.

Harvie said his team will fight for a “permanent solution” to Delta Hospital’s “health-care crisis,” saying “no family should have to drive past a closed emergency room in the middle of the night.” He also said a council under his leadership would continue to press the provincial government to un-pause construction of the new Beedie Long-Term Care Centre to replace Mountain View Manor.

He said he would “hold the province accountable” for replacing the George Massey Tunnel, including the River Road overpass no longer included in the scope of the project, and advocate for flood protection to keep Delta framers and homes safe in a challenging climate.

Harvie said his council would commit to a 2027 capital plan that “will reflect value in our city,” with every neighbourhood “seen, heard and invested in.” That plan would include long-requested improvements to McAdam Road in North Delta, as well as a dedicated, purpose-built pitch to serve the Delta Falcons Field Hockey Club in South Delta, and a “robust” program to add numerous bus shelters on 112th, 116th and Scott Road.

He also pledged to return public question period to regular meetings of council, and to create standing committees “so citizens and businesses can have a real seat at the table in shaping Delta’s future.” Those committees would include economic development, parks and recreation, public safety, and community services, among others.

He also committed to reviewing the city’s Official Community Plan, in part by forming a mayor’s standing committee to hear from concerned residents.

“The feedback we have received about the first [OCP] was that it just wasn’t meeting the mark,” Harvie said, adding the current OCP, adopted unanimously by council in July of 2024, was rushed due to pressure from the provincial government. “This second look at Delta’s OCP will not be rushed.”

Noting cities need growth to “survive” and keep taxes low, and that the developing community is facing unprecedented challenges, Harvie said council under his leadership would “take direction to support new housing and business development” by reducing unnecessary costs and delays, review and reduce development cost charges and building permit fees to help make projects more financially viable.

“We will also reintroduce the practice of freezing property taxes on development lands at the pre-development level, reducing carrying costs and encouraging projects to look forward sooner,” Harvie said.

“To improve accountability and communication, council will re-establish the development application review committee that includes the mayor and members of council, the city manager and senior staff. This committee will meet regularly with the development community to identify barriers, resolve issues, and ensure permit applications are processed in a timely and efficient manner.

“Significant applications will be brought forward to counseling in an open, regular meeting for the developer to present their development application, receive questions and comments from members of council, and receive comments from interested in community members.”

Harvie said the city under his leadership will start planning industrial development of the Delta-owned closed sections of the Vancouver Landfill, noting the importance of growing the sector as 50 per cent of the city’s tax base comes from industrial lands.

He also committed to keeping taxes low while supporting Delta Fire and Emergency Services and the Delta Police Department, saying Achieving for Delta will “work with the Delta Police Board to ensure our police compliment is at a level where our police are now actively seen in our communities.” He added his party will “never, ever” support the forming of a Metro Vancouver police board.

Other campaign commitments include maintaining free recreation access for residents 18 and under, and 75 and older; continued strong collaboration between the city and school district; and governing with “transparency, humility and the steady hand that these times demand.”

While not much was said Sunday night about the three new candidates beyond their names, their bios are posted to Achieving for Delta’s website.

Nenah Sandy is a mortgage strategist and home financing advisor with more than 20 years of experience. She lives in Tsawwassen, is a PAC member at English Bluff Elementary, and a committee member with the Delta Women’s Network.

Rick Ocean is also a Tsawwassen resident, serving as president of youth soccer association South Delta United’s board of directors. He has over 15 years of experience in the business management and sales development profession, co-founding Body Energy Club and helping it grow to 21 locations across North America, and currently works as manager of business development and partnerships at digital finance exchange Netcoins.

Umendra Singh is a long-time Deltan who currently lives in North Delta. His bios states he is an accomplished journalist, social worker and community activist who has worked in South Asian community newspapers, TV and radio as a reporter and host. Singh is a past president of a local Rotary Club and is a recipient of Rotary International’s highest award, the Paul Harris Fellowship, for his community service and outstanding leadership. He is currently president of the Fiji Canada Association.

Voting day is Saturday, Oct. 17.

For the latest election coverage, visit northdeltareporter.com/category/election.