Bill Dingwall has been elected mayor of Pitt Meadows following a contentious mayoral campaign.
Dingwall handily defeated incumbent John Becker, who won the mayor’s seat for the first time in 2014 after serving three terms on council.
There was no love lost between the two candidates, and the race generated a strong turnout in advance polls.
Dingwall has served one term on city council, registering the most council votes in 2014. He had previously served as chief of police for Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows.
Mike Hayes, Nicole MacDonald, Bob Meachen, Tracy Miyashita, Gwen O’Connell and Anena Simpson were elected to council.
Candidates
Mayor
John Becker (incumbent)
Council
Brad Dinwoodie
Janis Elkerton (incumbent)
Mike Hayes
Ariane Jaschke
Nicole MacDonald
Bob Meachen
Susan L Miller
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Tracy Miyashita (incumbent)
Gwen O’Connell
Anena Simpson
Boundary
Pitt Meadows lies on the eastern shore of the Pitt River, and the north side of the Fraser, across the water from Port Coquitlam and Surrey.
Population (2016)
18,573
History
Members of the Katzie Nation lived in the Pitt Meadows area before the coming of European settlers. The Kwantlen Nation was also present there.
The Pitt River would be named by British explorer Capt. James McMillan, and possibly did it after English prime minister William Pitt the Younger.
Settlers would come to Pitt Meadows by the middle of the 19th century, with dairy farming and logging becoming primary industries there.
Then the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) came in 1885, serving as a catalyst for more growth.
Initially part of Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows would become its own municipality in 1914.
The area would draw French and Asian immigrants — Japanese settlers would later be sent to internment camps.
The Pitt and Alouette Rivers were dyked after the Second World War, and that allowed for expanded vegetable and fruit growing.
Forestry would also prosper throughout much of the 20th century.
Median total income of couple economic families with children (2015)/B.C. median
$126,464/$111,736
Crime Severity Index (CSI) — 2016/B.C.
70.39 (-13.31)/93.63 (-0.71)
Violent Crime Severity Index (CSI) — 2016/B.C.
56.72 (-23.14)/74.86 (-9.81)
Political representation
Federal
Dan Ruimy (Liberal)
Provincial
Lisa Beare (BC NDP)
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