Full inaugural speech: Coquitlam's first new mayor in 18 years outlines his priorities | Daily Hive

Inauguration of Coquitlam Mayor Craig Hodge. (Craig Hodge)

Craig Hodge, the first new Mayor of Coquitlam in 18 years, says the city’s growth must improve residents’ everyday lives, with affordability, housing choices, public amenities, and support for local businesses among the priorities outlined in his inaugural address.

Last week, the lifelong Coquitlam resident and former photojournalist, who had served on Coquitlam City Council since 2011, outlined an approach to growth that echoed themes from his civic election campaign.

“As Coquitlam continues to grow, our goal can’t be just to get bigger. It must be to get better,” said Hodge on the future trajectory of what is currently the fifth most populous municipality in Metro Vancouver.

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Hodge said conversations with residents during the campaign revealed both pride in the community and concerns about the cost of living, liveability, and public safety.

He called for housing options that allow young people to establish themselves, families to raise children, and seniors to remain in the community.

During his campaign, Hodge promised to encourage more two- and three-bedroom homes, support secured market rental and below-market housing projects, better control the municipal government’s spending, and work to keep property taxes as low as possible.

His public safety commitments included hiring more police officers, increasing visible neighbourhood and foot patrols, strengthening gang prevention and enforcement, improving traffic enforcement, expanding Community Safety Officers, and establishing a wildfire detection system. He also promised to improve how 911 calls are answered, including mental health calls.

On mental health and addiction strategies, Hodge promised to advocate for expanded services, including supporting new treatment and care facilities at the former Riverview Hospital site — establishing comprehensive mental health care on those lands.

Other campaign commitments included improving the Coquitlam Crunch trail, building a trail connection to Crystal Falls, expanding pickleball and tennis facilities, seeking better public transit, and protecting trees and natural areas. He also pledged to cut unnecessary red tape for businesses and attract more employers.

In his inaugural address, Hodge highlighted construction of the Burke Mountain Community Centre and Burke Village, along with plans for a waterfront community centre with a pool at Fraser Mills, as examples of the amenities needed to serve a growing population.

Addressing a City Council with four returning city councillors and four newcomers, he promised a collaborative approach that welcomes disagreement and gives residents confidence their concerns are being heard. He said decisions should balance long-term ambitions with responsible financial management and everyday affordability.

Hodge also thanked outgoing mayor Richard Stewart for his 21 years of service — three years as a city councillor and 18 years as the mayor.

Below is the full transcript of Mayor Hodge’s inauguration speech:

Coquitlam Mayor Hodge’s inaugural speech

Good evening, and thank you to Councillors Chaffee and Peters of the Kwikwetlem First Nations for being here tonight and for starting us off in a good way. Thank you. I look forward to strengthening our relationship and working together in the years to come.

In the audience tonight, I’d also like to acknowledge former Councillor Terry O’Neill, and I believe I saw Neil Nicholson earlier as well.

Terry and I came on the Council together in 2011, we were both journalists, and we made our transition to Council at the same time. And Neil Nicholson and I had a chance to serve with as well.

I’d also like to acknowledge the Freedom of City recipients that are here with us today: Mary O’Neill, Sandy Burpee, and John Cashore. Thank you, all three of you, for being here with us tonight.

Tonight is a special occasion. It’s both an honour and a tremendous responsibility to address you as the Mayor of Coquitlam, so I want to begin by thanking the residents who place their confidence and trust in me and this new Council.

To my wife, Darla, thank you. Your unwavering support means everything to me, and I could not have done any of this without you at my side. Thank you.

To our sons, Robbie, Brandon, and Dawson, you and your generation represent the future of this great city. To my mom and my two sisters who still call Coquitlam home today, and to my brother and all of Darla’s family, having your love and constant support means the world to me. Thank you.

I also want to thank my friends and many of my volunteers who supported me throughout the campaign. Thank you for your encouragement and for your hard work and trust. I’m incredibly grateful.

Coquitlam has been my home for all of my life. I grew up here, went to school here, built my career here, raised my children here. The third generation of my family to call Coquitlam home. And I have served on Council since 2011.

Many of you know I got my start as a photojournalist and have worked across the Lower Mainland taking photos for the past 50 years.

I’ve had a front-row seat to the remarkable changes our city has experienced. I’ve had the privilege to photograph the people, places, and moments that tell the story of Coquitlam, and they are all of our stories. Families that have lived here for generations, the families who are new to Coquitlam and have chosen it as their home, the volunteers giving their time, the local businesses creating opportunities, the seniors who helped to build this community.

All of you care deeply about where we live. This is our home, and we have so much to be proud of.

I want to recognise some people who have helped shaped our community.

I’d like to thank Mayor Richard Stewart for his 21 years of service. Richard guided Coquitlam through an extraordinary period of growth and transformation. His positive contributions to this community will be felt for years to come. Thank you, Richard.

I also want to recognise the members of the previous Council who are not returning: Brent Asmundson, Dennis Marsden, and Trish Mandewo, who are here with us tonight. Thank you all for your service and commitment to Coquitlam.

To our returning Councillors: Teri Towner, Steve Kim, Matt Djonlic, and Robert Mazzarolo. Thank you. I look forward to working together and continuing to deliver for Coquitlam.

So I’m looking forward to working with all of you as you continue to deliver for Coquitlam. Sending all four incumbent Councillors returning speaks to the trust our residents have placed in proven experience.

At the same time, we have four new voices joining us, bringing fresh ideas and a range of experiences. To our new Councillors — Benjamin Perry, Matthew Sebastiani, Harvey Su, Rosalinda Thorleifson — all welcome. Thank you. Each of you bring new perspectives, ideas, experiences, and community connections that I will strengthen our work together.

I believe we have an incredibly strong Council. You have my promise that we will work together to deliver for the residents of Coquitlam, address our challenges head-on, and build a thriving, inclusive city.

I also want to recognise our returning School Trustees. I think most of them are here with us tonight. Chuck Denison, Craig Woods, Rosey Manhas, and along with newly elected trustee, Candace Knoll. Thank you and welcome.

Our City Council and our Board of Education have a proven history of working together and to deliver great benefits to our residents. And I look forward to continuing to build on this relationship.

And there was another election right after ours. So I’d like to recognise newly elected MLAs: Matthew Lang, John McEwen, and Ryan Peterson. And of course, returning MLA, Jennifer Whiteside. So thank you for being here today.

And finally, our Members of Parliament: Ron McKinnon, Zoe Royer, and Jake Sawatzky. I look forward to continuing to work together with you to deliver for Coquitlam.

Running for public office takes courage and a genuine commitment to community. I also want to recognise and thank everyone who put their name forward to serve. Regardless of the outcome, you all contributed to local democracy.

And finally, to our City employees, thank you. Every day, often behind the scenes, your hard work makes Coquitlam the incredible community that it is. The work of the City runs the whole spectrum: supporting local businesses; maintaining roads, parks, and facilities; running top-notch recreation programmes. You deliver your best every day, and it shows.

To our first responders, thank you. You are all there when we call on you to provide the vital emergency services we rely on most. You all make a profound difference in our city every single day. Thank you.

During the election campaign, I enjoyed connecting directly with the residents of Coquitlam, and along with my fellow Councillors, I knocked on thousands of doors.

We sat on your porch, we listened to your concerns, and we learned what you loved most about Coquitlam.

I met my neighbours that I hadn’t talked to for a while. I met former teachers, classmates, who, like me, grew up here and chose to stay and raise their families in Coquitlam. And I spoke with newcomers who had just recently moved to our community, eager to share their hope and vision for our shared future.

And then there was Barbara. She had just celebrated her 98th birthday. She invited me and my wife into her home that she had built with her husband back in 1955, where she had raised her five children. And she proudly told us that she had voted in every single election.

I want to thank everyone who answered the door, flagged me down on the street, asked me a question, or sent me an email. You were generous with your time and honest with your opinions. You gave me an incredible window into what you love about Coquitlam, what you want us to work on, and what matters most to you and your families.

Across every neighbourhood, you shared a clear and consistent message: you truly love Coquitlam.

You love our world-class parks and green spaces.

You appreciate the responsive City services that keep our streets safe and clean.

You value our vibrant, welcoming neighbourhoods and the exceptional quality of life that we enjoy every day.

Most of you love the deep sense of community here. Therefore, it’s a shared pride that you have in calling Coquitlam home and an incredible spirit of looking out for our neighbours.

At the same time, I’ve heard your concerns loud and clear about affordability, liveability, and community safety. The cost of living is rising and every dollar matters. You want city programmes and services to remain affordable and accessible.

You also told me how much you value the moments that bring our community together, like our festivals and free summer concerts. And in just two weeks, we get to celebrate one of our finest traditions when we transform Lafarge Lake into a glowing winter wonderland with a spectacular light at Lafarge.

I heard how you want housing choices that make Coquitlam a place for every generation.

Where families can afford to put down roots and raise their kids.

Where young people can build a future of their own and where seniors can age comfortably in the community that they’ve helped to build and called home for years.

These are reasonable expectations. They’re the foundation of a strong community.

We’re a growing community. And that brings opportunities and it brings responsibilities. We need to make sure our infrastructure, services, and amenities keep pace.

On Burke Mountain, construction is underway on the new Burke Mountain Community Centre and Burke Village.

At Fraser Mills, we’ll be building a new waterfront community centre with a pool, new parks, trails, and public gathering spaces along the river. This new neighbourhood is going to reconnect people to the river, to nature, and to one another.

Throughout the city, we continue to invest in parks and green spaces that we all value so deeply.

We are working to create more housing choices for people at different stages of life, like the affordable seniors housing that’s being built next to Maillardville Community Centre.

These projects reflect a core principle: growth should create opportunities for people to live well.

That means improving and building roads and transportation networks you rely on.

It means creating vibrant neighbourhoods where residents feel safe.

And it means a strong, thriving business sector. The backbone of a dynamic community.

And I support our local economy.

And for me, this is personal. I served as the president of the Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce and both my wife and I ran a small business in our home. And we watched our three boys start a business that helped to pay their way through college and allowed them to give back to their local community and through local charities.

So I know firsthand the hard work, risk, and dedication it takes to succeed. And I’m deeply committed to supporting our local entrepreneurs and unlocking new economic opportunities that make our entire city thrive. These are the kind of investments and decisions that will help maintain Coquitlam’s high quality of growth.

And to my colleagues around this table, I believe the best way that we will succeed for Coquitlam is by working together. We’re not always going to agree on every issue. Honest debate and different perspectives make our conversations richer and our final decisions stronger.

Together, Coquitlam’s residents will know that their voices matter and that their elected leadership is listening and that every decision that we make is reached thoughtfully and transparently.

As Coquitlam continues to grow, our goal can’t be just to get bigger. It must be to get better. That means centring decisions on a simple principle: How will this improve the daily lives of the people who live, work, and raise their families in our city?

It means making thoughtful choices today that will serve our community, not just over the next four years, but for generations to come.

It means being ambitious about Coquitlam’s future.

It means being bold about what our city can become — grounded in responsible financial stewardship and everyday affordability, and committed to delivering the core services that our residents depend on every single day.

This Council has an opportunity to build on the work that has come before us, bring forward new ideas, and establish priorities that reflect the needs and aspirations of our community. And I’m excited about that opportunity.

I want to close by returning to where I started. Coquitlam is home. It’s given so much to me and my family, and it has been a privilege to serve this community as a city councillor.

And it is now an even greater privilege to serve as your mayor. I am proud of the community we have built together, grateful to those who’ve helped to shape it, and optimistic about what lies ahead. Thank you.

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