Angela Girard's Priorities
Priority – A Thriving City Built for Every Day Life
Re-elect me on October 17, 2026 and I will continue to support the growth of more local businesses and local jobs, protect workers, expand distinct economic districts, and build on our cultural precinct.
- Cut the barriers small businesses face — faster permitting, clearer requirements, and a City that’s easier to deal with when you’re trying to open or expand
- Back our Business Improvement Areas — continue supporting the successful work of the Lower Lonsdale BIA in the Shipyards District, and support the new Central Lonsdale BIA, now up and running, to make sure it thrives
- Deliver the Lonsdale Great Street Plan — redefine the City’s central commercial corridor so it draws people in and keeps local businesses busy
- Grow the Health Innovation District — build on Lions Gate Hospital and the health businesses and organizations clustered around Central Lonsdale to anchor health-sector jobs, investment and better health outcomes in the City
- Expand the Brewery District, and develop marine and technology employment in Lower Lonsdale — distinct districts give businesses a reason to cluster here rather than across the bridge
- Build the cultural precinct as a destination — MONOVA, the Polygon Gallery, Presentation House, North Van Arts and the private galleries around them are economic assets for the City as much as cultural ones
- Launch a multi-day annual multicultural community festival — showcasing the many cultures in our city through local artists and performers, with local businesses both supporting it and benefiting from it
- Keep working with the North Shore Chamber of Commerce and local business — the owners and the people running businesses here know what’s holding them back
- Speak up for accessible mental health care — as B.C. finalizes psychotherapy licensing for 2027, press the Province to recognize the full range of therapeutic approaches so residents can find qualified care that fits them
Why this matters to me and my community
The City is the economic centre of the North Shore. What happens on Lonsdale, at the Shipyards and along the waterfront determines whether people can build a career here or must commute out of the community to find one.
We’ve seen what focused investment does. The Shipyards revitalization and the arrival of MONOVA and the Polygon Gallery turned the waterfront into a destination — for residents first, and visitors after. Maclean’s recently called this area one of Canada’s coolest neighbourhoods. That didn’t happen by accident, and it didn’t happen quickly. It happened because Council committed to a plan and stayed with it.
The same approach works elsewhere. Businesses cluster where there’s a reason to: the Health Innovation District around Lions Gate, marine and technology employment near the waterfront, brewing and food production in the Brewery District. Districts create the density of activity that makes a place worth locating in.
A healthy city also needs healthy people. B.C. will begin licensing psychotherapists in November 2027, and the standards deciding who qualifies are being consulted on this fall. I’ll be making the case that the Province and regulator recognizes the full range of therapeutic approaches, so residents can find qualified care that actually fits their needs.
This term I moved the motions to create the Central Lonsdale Business Improvement Area and to endorse the Lonsdale Great Street Plan. Both essentially were about the same thing: giving our main commercial street the organization and the investment it needs to thrive and compete. I want to finish that work — because who doesn’t want to live in a City where people can shop, walk, work, eat and be inspired by local business, great amenities and arts and culture, without leaving the beautiful North Shore.
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Angela Girard is a great Councillor and caring leader in the City. I admire her passion in building a more liveable city for all, and she effectively delivered so by promoting multiculturalism and better mobility options at every opportunity possible. Her vast experience and understanding of small businesses make her a trustworthy advisor and integral part of the business community in parts of the City. Angela is approachable, genuine and always puts others first. I feel so lucky to have known her and wholeheartedly support her to be our Councillor again.
— Tony Sun, Owner, Reckless Shipyards eBikes & More, Former Board Member, Lower Lonsdale BIA & North Vancouver Resident