New Westminster City Council
NEW EMAIL ADDRESS FOR MAYOR AND COUNCILLORS
Effective January 2025, you may contact the Mayor and Councillors at their new email address:
New Westminster City Council comprises of one Mayor and six Councillors, who are elected for a four-year term. The primary functions of City Council are to establish administrative policy, to adopt bylaws governing matters delegated to local government through the Community Charter and other Provincial statutes for the protection of the public, and to levy taxes for these purposes. City Council is also empowered to manage, acquire, and dispose of City assets.
A general election for Mayor and Councillors of the City of New Westminster was last held on October 15, 2022. The Inaugural Council meeting for the 2022-2026 term was on November 7, 2022.
For the City Directory, click here.
MEET YOUR CITY COUNCIL
Ruby Campbell
Ruby has spent the majority of her career working to improve public amenities, create community spaces and building strong community partnerships to ensure residents are engaged and welcomed.She has significant experience in intergovernmental relations, community organizing and raising funds for the public and not for profit sector initiatives, including infrastructure development, healthcare, arts and culture, and many social inclusion programs.
Ruby has served on the boards of Arts Council of New Westminster, Massey Theatre, Fraserside Community Service and the New Westminster Police Board. She has also served on numerous other committees for organizations throughout the lower mainland.
Over her career, she has worked with in various positions with BC Lung Association, Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation, Simon Fraser University, the City of New Westminster and has consulted for numerous other organizations including Hyack Festival Association, Fraser River Discovery Centre and the Surrey Board of Trade.
Ruby lives in the Sapperton area of New Westminster with her husband, teenage daughter and dog, Coco.
Daniel Fontaine
Over the course of his 25+ year career, City Councillor Daniel Fontaine has worked in the private and not-for-profit sectors as well as government.He is the Principal and Chief Executive Officer at MICHIFCO Consulting and previously served as Deputy Minister and CEO for Metis Nation BC. Fontaine is a registered citizen of the Metis Nation.
After obtaining his political science degree from the University of Manitoba, Fontaine graduated from Rotman’s Institute for Corporate Directors and obtained his ICD designation through the Directors Education Program (DEP). He also completed the Media Writing and Public Relations Certificate Program at Langara College.
He currently serves on the national Board of Directors for Hockey Canada. He was previously appointed to the Board of Directors for Douglas College and the BC College of Psychologists. He formerly served as the President for the Canadian Association for Long-Term Care (CALTC).
Fontaine was appointed to serve on the National Advisory Panel on Dementia. The Panel worked to support the development and implementation of Canada’s National Dementia Strategy. He is also the founder of the NWP elector organization which was established in 2017.
Fontaine co-hosted #BCPoliTalk, a popular podcast/webcast that focused on BC politics. He also wrote a monthly political column for The Orca online. He is the former weekly civic affairs columnist for 24 Hours Newspaper and political commentator on Global TV & Global BC1 news channel. He actively participated in the weekly civic affairs panel for the top-rated Bill Good Show on CKNW radio. In 2023 Fontaine launched and now co-hosts the bi-weekly For the Record with Daniel Fontaine and Paul Minhas podcast.
In March 2022 Fontaine was inducted into Canada’s Marketing, PR, Advertising and Communications Hall of Fame. In 2012 Fontaine was awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for public service. He remains an active volunteer with the New Westminster Minor Hockey Association (NWMHA). In 2016 the NWMHA presented him with the Volunteer of the Year award.
Fontaine is married with one son and has resided in New Westminster since 2001. He was first elected to city council in 2022.
Tasha Henderson
Tasha is a city planner, policy analyst, and parent. She has worked with communities across Canada tackling issues like poverty, housing, and equity through policy analysis and planning.A champion of public engagement, she has worked to amplify the voices of youth and improve civic engagement through a variety of projects. As a city planner, Tasha is passionate about transformative policy and believes that cities can have a huge impact at the local level. Before completing her Masters in Planning degree, Tasha spent more than a decade working in direct-service with people with urgent needs and her approach to everything she does will always be fiercely people- and community-centered.
Tasha is proud to be raising her young family in Sapperton and wants all families to be able to thrive in our city. On Council, Tasha is committed to ensuring that the City’s services and amenities meet the needs of all families, working to help with housing affordability and childcare, and responding to the climate crisis in the way our kids need us to. When she’s not working out of a local coffee shop you can find Tasha and her trusty sidekick Moose touring the New West dog parks in search of other doodles.
Jaimie McEvoy
Councillor Jaimie McEvoy was elected on November 15, 2008 and is currently serving his fifth term on Council.A New Westminster resident for over 25 years, Jaimie has been actively involved with local issues such as homelessness, poverty, crime and affordable housing. With a strong community and policy background, he has also worked with the city to improve crime in the Twelfth Street neighbourhood.
Jaimie is Chair of the Affordable Housing and Child Care Advisory Committee and Task Force on Housing and Child Care. He is also Co-chair of the Master Transportation Plan Advisory Committee, a member of the International Relations Task Force and Council representative on the Massey Theatre Society and the Fraser Health Authority: Municipal Government Advisory Council. Jaimie is the Council Liaison for the Moody Park Residents' Association and the Quayside Community Board. He is a past president of the Brow of the Hill Residents’ Association, the Twelfth Street Neighbourhood Society, and a past director for the Royal City Humane Society and the New Westminster Heritage Preservation Society.
Jaimie is currently the Director of the Hospitality Project at the New Westminster Food Bank, Shiloh-Sixth Avenue United Church. He lives in New Westminster with his partner Stacy and their cats.
Paul Minhas
Paul Minhas is a small business owner, an employer, and a downtown New Westminster resident.In 2005, Paul opened the much-loved Heritage Grill and operated it until a tragic fire destroyed it in 2021. He continues to operate Begbie’s Pub which opened in 2016.
An ardent supporter of arts and culture, Paul not only turned his businesses into destinations and hubs for New Westminster artists and art lovers, but his belief in the city’s potential as an arts forward community led him to spearhead the Annual Pride Week, the popular Show and Shine and the Food Truck Festival.
Paul believes a thriving local economy and healthy small businesses contribute to a safer, more vibrant, and fun-filled New Westminster. Hence crime and safety, revitalizing our business districts, and promoting New West as a destination are his priorities.
Nadine Nakagawa
Nadine Nakagawa is a community organizer and local activist.Prior to and during her time on council, Nadine has focused on issues relating to housing, public spaces, Reconciliation, and public engagement. She was first elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2022.
For her work in the community, Nadine was named the 2017 Citizen of the Year at the Chamber of Commerce Platinum Awards. She works as an Equity and Inclusion Strategist, runs a campaign school for underrepresented people, is a researcher on representation in local government, and has a Master’s Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. When not working on community projects, Nadine is a creative writer, gardener, and avid reader. She is a renter in the Brow of the Hill neighbourhood.