New Westminster mayor Patrick Johnstone to seek re-election | Daily Hive

Patrick Johnstone. (Patrick Johnstone)

New Westminster mayor Patrick Johnstone has confirmed he will seek another term in the civic election scheduled for October 2026.

Johnstone, who is a geoscientist and was first elected to New Westminster City Council in 2014 and became mayor in 2022, said the upcoming election will determine whether the municipal government continues its current trajectory on housing and social policy.

“This election is about whether we continue building a city that says yes to affordable housing, renter protections, and support for the most vulnerable — the things that make New West the most affordable city in Metro Vancouver and one of the most livable communities in all of Canada — or turn back on the very work that got us here,” said Johnstone.

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Housing affordability remains a central concern across the region, including in New Westminster.

During his term, the City of New Westminster reports it has exceeded provincial housing targets and advanced multiple affordable and supportive housing initiatives, while also strengthening renter protections.

Johnstone also supports the municipally-supported efforts to create a village of 30 “tiny homes” for transitional supportive housing for people currently experiencing homelessness and/or living in shelters. The village on a City-owned waterfront site near SkyTrain’s 22nd Street Station is expected to open before the end of 2026.

The City has also experimented with new governance approaches, including the introduction of a Community Advisory Assembly — part of a broader movement toward citizen assemblies in municipal decision-making across Canada.

“We didn’t get here by pointing fingers; we got here by working together, building partnerships, and finding ways to move things forward,” said Johnstone. “That’s how you get results.”

In the 2022 civic election, Johnston won the mayoral seat with 6,676 votes — coming ahead of Ken Armstrong’s 5,227 votes.

In the 2018 civic election, which was the last election he contested for a city councillor seat, he had a second-best finish with 7,270 votes — just behind Nadine Nakagawa’s 7,764 votes.

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