{"id":506545,"date":"2026-03-01T03:16:24","date_gmt":"2026-03-01T03:16:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/506545\/"},"modified":"2026-03-01T03:16:24","modified_gmt":"2026-03-01T03:16:24","slug":"ashiyana-hanif-on-mike-starchuks-imagine-surrey-team","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/506545\/","title":{"rendered":"Ashiyana Hanif on Mike Starchuk\u2019s Imagine Surrey team"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Mike Starchuk
\nPhotos submitted<\/p>\n

IMAGINE Surrey\u2019s candidates for the 2026 municipal election in Surrey include mayoral candidate Mike Starchuk and Councillor candidates Ashiyana Hanif, William Li, Kevin Wilkie, Narima Dela Cruz and Yousef Aldabaihah with other candidates to be announced soon.<\/p>\n

* Mike Starchuk \u2013 Mayoral Candidate:<\/p>\n

Mike Starchuk has spent his life on the front lines of Surrey \u2014 showing up when things go wrong, standing up for what\u2019s right, and supporting the people who do the hard work that keeps a city running.<\/p>\n

Raised and educated in Surrey\u2019s Newton area, Mike served 32 years with Surrey Fire Services and retired in 2014 as the City\u2019s Chief Fire Prevention Officer. During his firefighting career, he was also deeply involved in the labour movement \u2014 serving as a Local 1271 union officer and was known as a staunch defender of firefighters\u2019 rights \u2014 including service as a workers\u2019 compensation advocate whom the IAFF reports helped secure more than $14 million in wages and benefits.<\/p>\n

Mike\u2019s public service didn\u2019t stop at the station door. He is a founding member of the Surrey Fire Fighters Charitable Society, and he\u2019s been recognized for his many community contributions, including receiving the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and the King Charles III Coronation Medal.<\/p>\n

In elected office, Mike brought forward the same practical, protect-the-public mindset. He served on Surrey City Council and later as MLA for Surrey\u2013Cloverdale. As MLA, he worked on issues that hit working families directly: public safety, health, and the cost of living. Mike served as Chair of the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services, leading provincewide consultations on how to fund the services and infrastructure people rely on.<\/p>\n

Now, as mayoral candidate with Imagine Surrey, Mike is running to deliver a city that\u2019s safer, faster and more affordable \u2014 because for working people, results aren\u2019t theoretical: they\u2019re the difference between getting ahead and falling behind.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Ashiyana Hanif<\/p>\n

* Ashiyana Hanif:<\/p>\n

Ashiyana Hanif is a dedicated, 40-year resident of Surrey where she is a trusted, pioneering media icon and advocate for city-wide accountability, public safety and community service.<\/p>\n

After moving to BC where she now resides in Surrey\u2019s Panorama Village neighbourhood, Ashiyana dedicated herself to understanding the city in which she would raise her family of three now-grown children. She learned to communicate broadly by becoming fluent in Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu, and English. This dedication to language and cultural understanding gives her a unique insight into Surrey\u2019s diversity through personal experience, not just as a distant talking point.<\/p>\n

Since 1992, Ashiyana has become a leader in local media coverage by elevating ethnic representation across Surrey. As the founder of\u00a0Media Waves Live, she has worked tirelessly to connect residents with crucial information and issues including public safety, small business protection and transparent governance at City Hall.<\/p>\n

With Surrey\u2019s rapid growth, issues and opportunities around infrastructure, safety and security, and ongoing fiscal responsibility must align with progress. Ashiyana knows that her vision aligns with the type of city Mike wants Surrey to become. This includes lower home costs and city fees, enhanced public safety through community policing, reduced traffic congestion, and continuing support for first responders like Surrey Firefighters, within whose ranks Mike enjoyed a 30-year career.<\/p>\n

Ashiyana is not entering municipal politics for recognition or as a stepping stone to higher, more distant office. She is running because she believes the City of Surrey deserves experienced and community-focused leadership, especially at a time when we are dealing with many significant issues.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"William Li<\/p>\n

* William Li \u2013 Council Candidate:<\/p>\n

William Li is a committed community advocate, entrepreneur and experienced professional in finance, international trade and investment. William immigrated to Canada with his family at the age of seven. \u00a0Graduated from Simon Fraser University with a Bachelor of Business, he combines proven business leadership with a commitment to community and public service.<\/p>\n

As Sales and Brand Director of an international trading company, he connects Canadian products to global markets, while his entrepreneurial and investment experience gives him a broad understanding of the economic challenges families face today. Beyond his professional life, he serves actively in organizations like the Rotary Club of Surrey \u2014 where he was honoured as\u00a0Rookie of the Year\u00a0\u2014 and the Sunshine Lions Club, supporting scholarship and food programs along with many other charitable initiatives to benefit local residents and people in need.<\/p>\n

Guided by integrity and compassion, William believes leadership is about listening\u00a0and\u00a0really hearing, action and results, not titles. He spent years building trust through everyday service \u2014 helping seniors, supporting small businesses, and volunteering at community and cultural events. He understands what it takes to balance family, work and community responsibilities while consistently showing up for others. For him, public service and his Imagine Surrey council candidacy is about responsibility: doing what\u2019s right even when no one is watching.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Kevin Wilkie<\/p>\n

* Kevin Wilkie \u2013 Council Candidate:<\/p>\n

Kevin Wilkie has called Surrey home for more than 30 years. \u00a0He is a husband, a proud new dad, and an enthusiastic dog-owner.\u00a0 Kevin grew up on the rinks and fields of his city, surrounded by neighbours who looked out for one another and families who shaped the character of Surrey. Those early experiences still guide him today. He appreciates what it means to \u2018belong\u2019 and for a community to welcome and support people from every background and stage of life.<\/p>\n

Professionally, Kevin works in Business Development at Black & McDonald, where he helps businesses operate more efficiently by reducing costs, improving processes and finding innovative, more sustainable solutions. \u00a0Known for his collaborative and practical approach, he brings a future-focused mindset shaped by years of turning challenges into opportunities.<\/p>\n

Kevin entered the public arena during the 2025 Federal Election, running as the Green Party candidate for Cloverdale-Langley City. That experience deepened his understanding of the issues facing local families, businesses and neighborhoods; strengthening his commitment to community-centered leadership with a green vision around climate resilience and urban carbon-capture \/ reduction. It heavily reinforced what Kevin will bring to the Imagine Surrey slate as a council candidate: real progress that comes from hearing people, valuing different perspectives and collaborating on thoughtful, sustainable decisions.<\/p>\n

A committed family man and community advocate, Kevin is passionate about helping Surrey fulfill its promise as a place where everyone can feel at home, grow and thrive.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Narima Dela Cruz<\/p>\n

* Narima Dela Cruz \u2013 Council Candidate:
Narima Dela Cruz is a deeply engaged, longtime resident of Surrey and a leading voice for young people, service organizations and underserved communities of all kinds. An involved parent, Narima served for many years as a Parents\u2019 Advisory Council (PAC) officer at her children\u2019s former schools in Guildford. She is also a passionate, dedicated community volunteer, having contributed nearly two decades of service in various capacities to charitable foundations, immigrant communities and service-oriented groups.<\/p>\n

Narima is the founder and long-standing leader of SPIDS, an organization representing Surrey\u2019s hardworking, welcoming, and vibrant Filipino community. Narima mobilizes and leads diverse groups in a wide range of advocacy and volunteer initiatives, including: community clean-up campaigns, food bank volunteer days, blood donation drives, tree planting efforts, health awareness activities, political engagement and cross-cultural \u2018lift\u2019 initiatives.<\/p>\n

Currently serving on Kwantlen Polytechnic University\u2019s Advisory Committee for Asian Studies, she continues to help shape a future where student and youth voices are given space and weight in society.<\/p>\n

As a parent, Narima\u2019s closest and most personal influence is seen plainly in her two young-adult children, who are making significant contributions to community-building and volunteerism all on their own.\u00a0 The family now resides in Surrey Centre.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Yousef Aldabainah<\/p>\n

* Yousef Aldabainah \u2013 Council Candidate:
Yousef Aldabainah is a proud Canadian of Arab-Palestinian descent who has called Surrey and his Newton neighborhood home since immigrating to Canada in 2010. A devoted husband to Aseel Barakat and proud father of four children \u2014 Ryan, Eve, Amer Joe, and Tia \u2014 Yousef is deeply rooted in family, community and a professional tradition of public service. He began his career as a protocol coordinator before becoming Office Director for the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Palestinian Authority.<\/p>\n

Yousef next worked in settlement and integration services for newcomers, including with OPTIONS Surrey. He later served as Coordinator of Outreach and Employer Relations with WorkBC.<\/p>\n

Yousef plays an active role in fundraising and community-building initiatives supporting multicultural, academic, and humanitarian causes.\u00a0Yousef previously served as Outreach Director for the federal Liberal Fleetwood\u2013Port Kells riding association under MP Ken Hardie, and is a Laurier Club member within the Liberal Party of Canada. His community impact extends out through several respected organizations, including the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), British Columbia Muslim Association (BCMA), Muslim Business Council and the Muslim Food Bank network.<\/p>\n

As Founder and President of the Canadian Arab Forum (CAF) of British Columbia, Yousef leads the non-profit organization to focus on celebrating Arab and Muslim heritage within Canada\u2019s diverse, multicultural society.<\/p>\n

Yousef holds a Bachelor of Arts in French Literature and is fluent in Arabic, Hebrew, French, and English. Yousef currently serves as a professional legal interpreter, facilitating communication and access to justice for diverse communities.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

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