Former D.O.A. frontman Joe “Shithead” Keithley was elected to Burnaby city council as a member of the Green Party.
The local punk rock legend was the sole Green candidate to be elected to Burnaby council. He will be joined by seven incumbents from the Burnaby Citizens Association.
“I’m the new kid on the block, so to speak,” Keithley said on Sunday.
Keithley won’t be the only new face at city hall.
Independent Mike Hurley defeated longtime mayor Derek Corrigan of the Burnaby Citizens Association in a race that will no doubt send shock waves across the region.
Keithley said the issue of demovictions is the biggest issue facing the city.
“We have to put a stop to that right away… Housing should be a right, not a privilege,” he said.
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The singer has long been involved in politics, having run for the Greens in the 1996, 2001 and 2017 provincial elections. He also sought an NDP nomination in the 2013 provincial election.
The Greens’ Burnaby breakthrough didn’t end with council. Green candidate Christine Cunningham was elected to Burnaby’s school board.
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Keithley and Cunningham’s wins mark another success for the Green Party, which saw all but one of its candidates elected in Vancouver.
Adriane Carr was elected to council for a third term where she will be joined by fellow Greens Pete Fry and Michael Wiebe. Carr and Fry finished with the highest number of votes of any councillors.
Janet Fraser, Estrellita Gonzalez and Lois Chan-Pedley were elected to the school board and Dave Demers, Stuart Mackinnon and Camil Dumont to park board. Only council candidate David Wong failed to get elected.
— With files from Sean Boynton and Richard Zussman