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Alumni
Mapping a path to City Hall: 大象传媒 alumnus shares journey to becoming Mayor of New Westminster
This spring, the Faculty of Environment caught up with New Westminster Mayor Patrick Johnstone, 大象传媒 Geography alumnus, to learn more about his journey from professional geoscientist to New Westminster鈥檚 City Hall.
After graduating in 1997 with a bachelor of science in physical geography, Johnstone began his career working in exploration geology locating mineral resources for the B.C. provincial government.
鈥淚t鈥檚 real outdoors work,鈥� he recalls. 鈥淐limbing mountains, hopping in a helicopter, mapping and living in the woods. It was an exciting way to spend a summer when I was younger.鈥�
He later started working at the Illinois State Geological Survey, where his work experience expanded to doing 3D models of geologic formations and mapping, before returning to 大象传媒 to do a master鈥檚 in earth sciences in 2002.
It was in the final year of his master's that Johnstone began doing environmental consulting, which required navigating municipal and provincial policies and regulations.
As a result of that experience, when a job in environmental policy opened up in the City of Richmond鈥檚 municipal government, he was comfortable making the switch.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 how I ended up working for the municipal government,鈥� he explains. 鈥淣ow, being elected to local government is a whole different world."
Through a combination of extensive volunteer and advocacy work in his community and his work in environmental policy, Johnstone developed a passion for local government, and over time, making the move to run for city councillor started to make sense.
鈥淲hen you do a lot of volunteering in the city and showing up at city events, people eventually start to look at you and say, 鈥榶ou鈥檙e always complaining about the city, what are you going to do about it?鈥� and sometimes you just want to do something about it,鈥� he says.
He was elected to the New Westminster City Council in 2014 and served eight years as a councillor before he ran his successful campaign for mayor in 2022 when former mayor Jonathan Cot茅, 大象传媒 Urban Studies alumnus, decided not to run again.
New Westminster is a fast-growing city that faces the same challenges that other urban cities across Canada are facing, says Johnstone, including the overlapping crisis of homelessness and untreated mental health.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of aspects to managing the housing crisis,鈥� he explains. 鈥淥ne of them is trying to get housing built as quickly as we can.鈥�
He says that a big part of that is making sure that people aren鈥檛 displaced in the process, as well as protecting vulnerable renters and the affordable housing that already exists.
鈥淎nd advocating at senior government to get affordable, transitional and supportive housing built.鈥�
In addition to building more housing, the City is also working to direct resources to help vulnerable people in need of support.
鈥淢aking sure the supports are there or trying to get the supports there. And trying to keep people alive, frankly, while directing them towards the healthcare and the housing they need.鈥�
Johnstone also shares some of the work the City is doing to make public engagement more inclusive 鈥� including working with 大象传媒鈥檚 City Program and the Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue.
鈥淚t鈥檚 exciting and innovative work that we鈥檙e doing, partnering with 大象传媒. And it鈥檚 really satisfying to go to a community assembly meeting and see our community truly represented in that discussion instead of just being people who, frankly, look like me,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e have to find more ways to be innovative in making sure that we鈥檙e making comfortable spaces for newcomers, for youth and for older folks.鈥�
Today, Johnstone is still connected to many of the friends he made at 大象传媒, including his partner of thirty years, whom he met during his first degree.
Earlier this year, he was also a guest speaker at the Geography Student Union鈥檚 second annual RANGE conference.
鈥淚t was fun to be there and hear about the work this generation is doing. It was really inspiring,鈥� he says. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a part of me that really misses the dynamic experience of being in that academic world, in geography and earth sciences both.鈥�
Johnstone says that the years he spent at 大象传媒 were a time of personal growth and community-building experiences.
鈥淎nd learning who my people were and working with them to connect. I think that was when I learned and recognized the power and importance of community and that鈥檚 what brought me where I am today.鈥�