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Every decision I bring to the council table will be measured against one question: does this make PoCo work better for the people who already call it home?
That question sounds simple, but it's actually a discipline. It means every choice starts by asking who's affected, not what's popular. It means the reports get read, the staff questions get asked, the residents get consulted. It means the work of council is treated like the responsibility it is, not just the seat.
My whole life has been built on showing up. On soccer fields where I earned every touch. In community rooms where I've founded and led programs. On boards where I've made hard calls with limited budgets and small teams. In my own home, raising two kids who are watching how their mother makes decisions. Showing up is the same job at the council table, with more tools and more stakes.
PoCo is at a crossroads. Growth is happening, whether we plan for it or not. The Official Community Plan refresh this year will decide how our city looks for the next decade. I want to be part of shaping that vision in a way that keeps PoCo feeling like home for the families here, and creates room for the young adults who want to build their lives here too. Growth should feel like progress, not pressure. That means matching the pace of housing with the capacity of our schools, roads, parks, and services to absorb it.
I bring a specific perspective to this work. I'm a mother, a business owner, a former professional athlete, and a community leader who has spent over a decade running programs that build community through sport. I know what it takes to make budgets work, to build teams, to serve people who don't always see eye to eye, and to make progress in complex environments. Public service, done well, is the same work at a bigger scale.
On housing, I'd push for smart density near transit, protection of established neighbourhoods, and streamlined approvals that don't sacrifice quality. On community safety, I'd advocate for RCMP resources alongside mental health and addictions support through Fraser Health, plus the everyday basics of clean streets and well-maintained public spaces. On complete communities, I'd fight for the sport, rec, parks, and infrastructure that make PoCo a place families choose. On fiscal responsibility, I'd bring a discipline to every dollar spent, and go after federal and provincial grants aggressively so we're not leaning only on property taxes.
I'm not running against anyone. I'm running because I believe I can bring something to that table that isn't currently there. My experience, my perspective as a mom and a woman of colour raising a family here, and my deep commitment to this city.
Public service is a privilege and a responsibility. I take both seriously.
Trois principaux enjeux
Biographie
I'm Dehara Thompson, a proud PoCo resident, a mother of two, a wife and a lifelong believer in the power of community.
For over a decade, I've built programs that strengthen community through sport. As the Executive Director of She Plays Sports Society, I create opportunities for women and girls in sport across British Columbia. I co-direct the ASCA Annual African Soccer Tournament, one of the largest African diaspora sporting events in the province. I'm also a business owner and previously served as Technical Operations Manager at Surrey United Soccer Club, one of the largest community soccer organizations in the Lower Mainland.
Before founding my current work, I played professional soccer at the Newcastle United Women's level in the FA Women's Premier League. I hold the CSA C National Coaching Certification. Soccer has taken me around the world, but it's PoCo that I've chosen as home.
Born in Canada, I'm the daughter of a Capetonian South African father and a Filipino mother from Kawit, Cavite. Two diasporas, one home. That perspective shapes everything about how I see this city and who it should work for.
I'm raising my family in Port Coquitlam with my husband Xavier and our two children, ages 9 and 12. Watching them grow up here is what shapes my vision for this city's future.
I'm running for City Council as an independent because I believe PoCo is at a crossroads, and I want a seat at the table that helps decide our next decade. My priorities are housing that fits our neighbourhoods, safety rooted in wellness, sport and rec that keep pace with our families, and fiscal discipline that respects every tax dollar.
I'm running to add my voice, my experience, and my perspective to the work of shaping this city for the people who already call it home, and for the families and young adults who want to build their lives here too.
Raison de la candidature
There's more to my case than a résumé, but let me start with the substance.
For over a decade, I've been building programs that strengthen community. I'm the Executive Director of She Plays Sports Society, creating opportunities for women and girls in sport across BC. I co-direct the ASCA Annual African Soccer Tournament, one of the largest African diaspora sporting events in the province. I'm a business owner and previously served as Technical Operations Manager at Surrey United Soccer Club, one of the largest community soccer organizations in the Lower Mainland.
I've founded and led programs, managed budgets, built teams, and delivered outcomes. I hold the CSA C National Coaching Certification. Before founding my current work, I played professional soccer at the Newcastle United Women's level in the FA Women's Premier League.
The role of a councillor is the same work I've been doing, at a bigger scale, with more tools to make change stick.
Here's what I'd push for on council:
On housing: Focus on smart density near transit and along the West Coast Express corridor. Support housing growth that fits our neighbourhoods and the infrastructure that surrounds them. Growth should happen at a pace matched to our community's capacity to support it, our schools, our roads, our services, our facilities. Meeting provincial housing targets matters, but doing it in a way that keeps PoCo feeling like home for the families here matters more.
On community safety: A safe community is a community where everyone feels secure walking their street, sending their kids to the park, and going about their daily life. That means visible, well-resourced RCMP working alongside Fraser Health outreach workers to address mental health and addictions as health issues. It also means the everyday basics: clean streets and public spaces, well-maintained parks, and responsive bylaw enforcement. Safety and cleanliness are not separate conversations. They're both about a city that looks after itself, so residents can trust the environment they live in.
On complete communities: Invest in sport, rec, parks, and infrastructure as core community infrastructure. Support seniors, families, and youth. Ensure covered facilities in our wet climate. Protect our green spaces.
On fiscal responsibility: Every tax dollar should deliver value. That means directing spending toward the amenities and services residents actually rely on: infrastructure that lasts, community facilities that get used, and services that families and seniors depend on daily. It also means pursuing federal and provincial grants aggressively, so PoCo isn't relying only on property taxes to fund what our city needs. Every dollar we bring in from senior governments is one we don't have to ask homeowners for.
Who I am beyond the résumé:
I'm raising my family in Port Coquitlam with my husband Xavier and our two kids, ages 9 and 12. I'm the daughter of a Capetonian South African father and a Filipino mother from Kawit, Cavite. Two diasporas, one home. That perspective shapes how I see this city and who it should work for.
I've spent my life showing up. On soccer fields, in community rooms, on boards, in schools, and in the everyday moments that build a community. If you elect me to council, that's exactly what I'll keep doing, with the added responsibility of representing our whole city.
I'm not running against anyone. I'm running to add my voice, my experience, and my perspective to a council table that will shape PoCo's next decade.
That's the case for voting for me.
People first. Purpose led.
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