After years of heated debate over the pace of real estate development in Port Moody, the upcoming civic election is once again focused on whether the Metro Vancouver suburb is growing too fast.
Haven Lurbiecki, an incumbent Port Moody councillor, was the first to throw her hat in the ring in the city’s upcoming mayoral election. For the first time in the city’s history, Lurbiecki will run under the banner of a political party, Port Moody Voice.
The party was founded by concerned residents who believe there is a lack of accountability and transparency coming from city hall.
Lurbiecki is challenging incumbent Mayor Meghan Lahti. Lahti ran in an extremely heated 2022 municipal election. Her then-opponent, former councillor Steve Milani, raised concerns during his campaign about new developments, while Lahti was in favour of growth.
Port Moody’s previous mayor, Rob Vagramov, focused on slowing the city’s growth and at one point blocked plans to discuss towers at Moody Centre during his term in office. But Vagramov’s term ended in controversy after he was accused of sexual assault while in office. The charge was stayed after the mayor completed an “alternative measures program,” but Vagramov did not run for re-election.
The rivalry between Lurbiecki and Lahti has been years in the making. In 2024, Lurbiecki accused Lahti of starting a physical altercation with her at a reception — a version of events Lahti emphatically denied.
Real estate development will remain a key ballot issue in the upcoming municipal election. The Tyee spoke with both Lurbiecki and Lahti, the first two declared candidates in the mayoral race.
As The Tyee was reporting this story, a third mayoral candidate also declared his candidacy. Paul Lambert, a previous federal Conservative candidate for Port Moody-Coquitlam, says he offers a middle ground when it comes to the pace of development. He says he’s also concerned about population growth and doesn’t support “doubling our population.”
“I support a more balanced approach to housing that meets the needs of community with larger units and townhouses for families,” he says on his website.
He has also promised to not take donations from developers.
Development and dissatisfaction
Recently, Port Moody’s council approved the largest towers in the city’s history. The towers, which will be built next to the Moody Centre SkyTrain station, will stand 39 storeys high and have a combined 865 units. Only 44 of those homes will be rented at below-market rates. According to a survey commissioned to gather the opinions of residents on the development of Moody Centre, 57 per cent of respondents disagreed with the vision.
“During the last election, there were clear promises about ‘moderate growth.’ What people are seeing now doesn’t match those promises,” Nishka Valdez, one of the founding members of Port Moody Voice, told The Tyee. “Approving a plan for 14 towers, some up to 40 storeys, in Moody Centre without real public input is not moderate growth, and it’s not good governance. That’s the disconnect people are reacting to.”
During her last term on council, Lurbiecki was the only councillor who voted against the city’s official community plan.
The plan is a document that outlines long-term visions for the city by 2050. It envisions expanded growth near SkyTrain stations and encouraging high-density apartment towers.
Lurbiecki cited concerns about a lack of public consultation and unreasonable development as reasons for not supporting the plan.
She told The Tyee that she is against the construction of the towers at Moody Centre because of the potential loss of the future tax revenue that could be generated by those previously industrial lands. Lurbiecki would prefer these areas to be redeveloped into job spaces.
“People are not against growth, but they want to see moderate growth and not a focus on tall condo towers and small condos,” she told The Tyee. Instead, she said, zoning should be leveraged to encourage affordable and below-market housing within the city.
“I’m not a huge tower lover myself,” Lahti told The Tyee, referring to the towers in Moody Centre. “We expect that there will be pushback from some people, but I do not believe that the pushback represents the majority of people living in Port Moody.”
Lahti accused Lurbiecki of being hypocritical, saying Lurbiecki lives in a highrise in an area that was previously subject to the same anti-development rhetoric that is now common to hear about plans for Moody Centre.
“Living in a condo doesn’t mean you support every condo tower. So let’s get back to the issues,” Lurbiecki said in response.
Lurbiecki called the mayor’s comments a “distraction” from her voting record and said the city needs more developments like Newport Village, the neighbourhood she currently resides in. Newport Village is a mix of highrise and low-rise developments.
“The challenge is that this is not the type of development we are currently seeing in our city.”
Lurbiecki also expressed concern over the lack of enforcement of the City of Port Moody’s policy of ensuring that 15 per cent of units in projects with over 30 units are below-market housing.
Because the real estate market has softened in the past few years, most developments are currently unable to meet the requirement.
“Affordable housing is a priority for every one of us sitting at the table,” Lahti told The Tyee. “But the reality is that affordable housing is not something municipalities have much control over. Provincial legislation that’s been brought in requires density near transit. Our goal is to make sure that whatever density we bring in is right for the community.”
Experience or new ideas?
Lahti was first elected as a Port Moody councillor in 1996.
“It’s hard to think of things in a new way when you’ve been doing things for 30 years,” Lurbiecki said, referring to Lahti’s service. “I really think the community is looking for a change. I think it’s time for a fresh start, because that’s what I’m hearing from people.”
“It’s kind of an odd thing to suggest that somebody who has a lot of experience is the wrong person for the job,” Lahti said in response to Lurbiecki’s comments. “Of course, somebody coming in with less than one term of experience is going to suggest that.”
The mayor highlighted her accomplishments in relieving traffic congestion, reconciliation efforts and climate plans.
Lurbiecki said Lahti does little to engage with community members. The party is calling for accountable leadership, including more opportunities for the public to voice their opinions during council meetings and listening to public feedback on policy decisions. The party also plans to democratize its platform process by holding public engagement town halls to gain input from local residents — its first was held in early May.
“When residents raise concerns, they deserve to be heard with respect — not dismissed, not blamed and not made to feel like they’re the issue,” Valdez said.
Lahti said she’s hosted open office hours for residents to talk about issues one on one.
Another critical issue for Lurbiecki is the independence of the mayor’s office. According to the Tri-Cities Dispatch, Lahti received donations from development company executives and other industry donors. Those include maximum donations from nine executives of Beedie Living, $4,350 from PCI Group executives, $5,000 from members of the Edgar family of Edgar Development, and $1,250 from James and Judy Howard of Woodbridge Homes.
“Elections are expensive. It’s not illegal to accept donations from people. I’ve stated that and felt no obligation to vote in favour of any, any application that comes forward,” said Lahti.
“I ran last election taking no developer funding,” Lurbiecki said. “It’s all about transparency to the public.”
She promised that she and Port Moody Voice will not take any developer funding in the upcoming election.
The path to election
The two candidates are gearing up for what should be a heated race in Port Moody.
Lahti said her team has signed up 100 people to go door-knocking with her in the next election. Although she does not like to campaign while governing, she said, she is ready to speak with residents across the city.
“I’m really looking forward to working over the next few months to get re-elected because there’s more work to be done. I completely understand people’s concern about the changes happening, but I think it’s important to understand that those changes are not happening overnight.”
Lurbiecki emphasized how excited her team is to get door-knocking and share her own vision for Port Moody. “Port Moody Voice is about the future. It’s about positive change in Port Moody. It’s about a new way of doing things.”
“There’s been unofficial political parties in Port Moody for a long time,” Lurbiecki said. She said that the party is transparent in terms of its funding and open to public feedback. Port Moody Voice recently nominated the first of what they intend to be a full slate of council candidates.
Lahti denied being involved in slate politics within Port Moody, instead accusing Lurbiecki of participating in an unofficial slate in the last municipal election with former mayoral candidate Steve Milani.
“I think [municipal political parties] are really negative because they stagnate collaborative approaches,” she said. “When we talk about transparency, what exactly does that look like? We’re one of the most transparent councils around.” ![[Tyee]](https://thetyee.ca/design-article.thetyee.ca/ui/img/yellowblob.png){kind=small}
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