Samantha Agtarap
@sam4pomo.bsky.social
Port Moody Cllr, engineer, parent, small biz owner. Opinions my own. Retweets/likes not endorsements.
Newsletter:
https://sam4pomo.beehiiv.com/
Newsletter:
https://sam4pomo.beehiiv.com/
Pinned
This ⬇️⬇️⬇️
“That’s what frustrates me about the polarisation of everything. If you say you care about cycling, you must be anti-car. Or if you talk about safety, people assume you’re against freedom. It’s all nonsense. We all want the same city, we’re just speaking different languages.”
LISTEN: bit.ly/43ho6wQ
LISTEN: bit.ly/43ho6wQ
November 10, 2025 at 11:12 PM
This ⬇️⬇️⬇️
Who knows Tableau? Or something similar? I have a large data set I want to analyze and Excel isn’t cutting it.
I’ve looked at tutorials online but have questions!
I’ve looked at tutorials online but have questions!
November 9, 2025 at 1:44 AM
Who knows Tableau? Or something similar? I have a large data set I want to analyze and Excel isn’t cutting it.
I’ve looked at tutorials online but have questions!
I’ve looked at tutorials online but have questions!
Reposted by Samantha Agtarap
Today, on Indigenous Veterans Day, we honour the courage, service, and sacrifices of Indigenous veterans.
Indigenous peoples have a proud history of military service, defending our freedoms at home and abroad.
We remember their contributions, their resilience, and their enduring legacy.
Indigenous peoples have a proud history of military service, defending our freedoms at home and abroad.
We remember their contributions, their resilience, and their enduring legacy.
November 8, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Today, on Indigenous Veterans Day, we honour the courage, service, and sacrifices of Indigenous veterans.
Indigenous peoples have a proud history of military service, defending our freedoms at home and abroad.
We remember their contributions, their resilience, and their enduring legacy.
Indigenous peoples have a proud history of military service, defending our freedoms at home and abroad.
We remember their contributions, their resilience, and their enduring legacy.
Reposted by Samantha Agtarap
Every last piece of transit & bike infrastructure seems to need to go thru "The Populist Playbook".
Scare, complain, reject; rinse, wash, repeat.
All the while the things we really should fear — generational poverty, climate chaos, species extinction — continue on.
Scare, complain, reject; rinse, wash, repeat.
All the while the things we really should fear — generational poverty, climate chaos, species extinction — continue on.
Have you heard of “The Populist Playbook?”
A few years ago, I posted what I still consider one of my most important messages.
It was about “The Populist Playbook” that I’ve watched play out often over my 33+ years of city planning.
Since then, it’s only gotten worse.
Do the steps sound familiar?
A few years ago, I posted what I still consider one of my most important messages.
It was about “The Populist Playbook” that I’ve watched play out often over my 33+ years of city planning.
Since then, it’s only gotten worse.
Do the steps sound familiar?
November 8, 2025 at 1:06 AM
Every last piece of transit & bike infrastructure seems to need to go thru "The Populist Playbook".
Scare, complain, reject; rinse, wash, repeat.
All the while the things we really should fear — generational poverty, climate chaos, species extinction — continue on.
Scare, complain, reject; rinse, wash, repeat.
All the while the things we really should fear — generational poverty, climate chaos, species extinction — continue on.
Reposted by Samantha Agtarap
Nov 25 is the UN's Int'l Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
Dec 6th is Canada's National Day of Action and Remembrance on Violence against Women in commemoration of the Montreal Massacre.
Want to do something tangible to mark the dates? Let me teach you bystander intervention!
Dec 6th is Canada's National Day of Action and Remembrance on Violence against Women in commemoration of the Montreal Massacre.
Want to do something tangible to mark the dates? Let me teach you bystander intervention!
@julieslalonde | Linktree
Come learn bystander intervention with me - It's free!
linktr.ee
November 7, 2025 at 7:46 PM
Nov 25 is the UN's Int'l Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
Dec 6th is Canada's National Day of Action and Remembrance on Violence against Women in commemoration of the Montreal Massacre.
Want to do something tangible to mark the dates? Let me teach you bystander intervention!
Dec 6th is Canada's National Day of Action and Remembrance on Violence against Women in commemoration of the Montreal Massacre.
Want to do something tangible to mark the dates? Let me teach you bystander intervention!
Reposted by Samantha Agtarap
Hey local electeds! Want to support equitable processes in your community? Join us and @womentcities.bsky.social on Dec 4 at 12pm for Designing for Equity.
This hands-on workshop offers practical tools to build systems where everyone can participate and succeed.
us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
This hands-on workshop offers practical tools to build systems where everyone can participate and succeed.
us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
November 7, 2025 at 7:47 PM
Hey local electeds! Want to support equitable processes in your community? Join us and @womentcities.bsky.social on Dec 4 at 12pm for Designing for Equity.
This hands-on workshop offers practical tools to build systems where everyone can participate and succeed.
us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
This hands-on workshop offers practical tools to build systems where everyone can participate and succeed.
us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
🍁 October Monthly Update 🍁 Hi neighbours! This month’s update covers some big discussions at Council and a few milestones worth noting. buff.ly/AxD5PVF
First, some great news — Port Moody has a local news outlet again! Freshet News, a new worker-owned co-op, has launched to fill the gap ...
First, some great news — Port Moody has a local news outlet again! Freshet News, a new worker-owned co-op, has launched to fill the gap ...
Monthly Update - October 2025
October update
buff.ly
November 7, 2025 at 4:31 PM
🍁 October Monthly Update 🍁 Hi neighbours! This month’s update covers some big discussions at Council and a few milestones worth noting. buff.ly/AxD5PVF
First, some great news — Port Moody has a local news outlet again! Freshet News, a new worker-owned co-op, has launched to fill the gap ...
First, some great news — Port Moody has a local news outlet again! Freshet News, a new worker-owned co-op, has launched to fill the gap ...
Having just watched the PBS documentary The Power of Big Oil, I can see the parallels here.
(You can watch the documentary free on Kanopy with your library card)
(You can watch the documentary free on Kanopy with your library card)
TransMountain(and other pipelines) worked 9 years with B.C. Assessment to change how pipelines are assessed.
The result, if approved by BC’s Finance Minister:
A $100.00 per capita municipal tax break on the backs of every man, woman, and child in my small town -to a federal crown corporation -TM.
The result, if approved by BC’s Finance Minister:
A $100.00 per capita municipal tax break on the backs of every man, woman, and child in my small town -to a federal crown corporation -TM.
“Since April's election, oil and gas lobbyists notched at least 177 meetings with federal officials — a third of which were in September alone. If Tuesday's budget is any indication, they successfully persuaded Prime Minister Mark Carney's government” www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/06/n...
November 6, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Having just watched the PBS documentary The Power of Big Oil, I can see the parallels here.
(You can watch the documentary free on Kanopy with your library card)
(You can watch the documentary free on Kanopy with your library card)
BC’s Rent Bank keeps people housed when crisis hits — preventing evictions + homelessness across the province. It needs continued funding. If you believe in safe, stable housing for all, add your voice 👉
Keep BC Rent Bank funded. Prevent evictions and homelessness.
I just contacted BC's Housing Minister to demand renewed funding for BC Rent Bank—a proven program that's helped 15,000+ people avoid eviction. Join me and add your voice.
buff.ly
November 4, 2025 at 11:24 PM
BC’s Rent Bank keeps people housed when crisis hits — preventing evictions + homelessness across the province. It needs continued funding. If you believe in safe, stable housing for all, add your voice 👉
In the context of Port Moody, decisions about the city’s budget are coming up. What we value is a reflection of those decisions. It is a financially challenging time for most ppl, across Metro, BC & Canada. But what we do now, the choices we make, have long lasting impacts on future generations.
If we don’t fix the climate, pollution, and nature crises, we can’t fix anything. They are already actively amplifying poverty, hunger, and division. They are what stand between all of us, regardless of geography or ideology, and the better future we all seek. That's why I'm convinced that ...
November 4, 2025 at 6:30 PM
In the context of Port Moody, decisions about the city’s budget are coming up. What we value is a reflection of those decisions. It is a financially challenging time for most ppl, across Metro, BC & Canada. But what we do now, the choices we make, have long lasting impacts on future generations.
Reposted by Samantha Agtarap
Dr. Arline Bronzaft was working on this op-ed as part of our "Car Harms" series earlier this year when she took ill. She died on Oct. 29. We are publishing it posthumously as a tribute to her decades of service to New York City and her lifetime of work on noise pollution.
Car Harms: The Physical and Mental Health Effects of Noise and the Lessening of Social Values - Streetsblog New York City
Cities aren’t noisy, cars are. And we need to fix that if we are to retain our sanity, says one of the leading scholars in her final piece.
buff.ly
November 4, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Dr. Arline Bronzaft was working on this op-ed as part of our "Car Harms" series earlier this year when she took ill. She died on Oct. 29. We are publishing it posthumously as a tribute to her decades of service to New York City and her lifetime of work on noise pollution.
November 4, 2025 at 3:35 AM
Reposted by Samantha Agtarap
“Recent studies show that between 80% — 89% of the world’s population wants to see climate action. Members of this ‘silent majority’ come from all walks of life…’” #ClimateChange
‘I worry about the future of my daughter’: the ‘silent majority’ who care about the climate crisis
Readers who are part of the 80-89% of the population who want to see climate action tell us their ideas on how to make their voices heard
www.theguardian.com
November 3, 2025 at 6:00 AM
“Recent studies show that between 80% — 89% of the world’s population wants to see climate action. Members of this ‘silent majority’ come from all walks of life…’” #ClimateChange
🎰 “What’s played here, stays here”. Not really.
In my latest blog post, Cities with Casinos Pay Less, I dig into how communities that host casinos benefit from gaming revenue, while those without them get left behind.
👉 Read the full story here: buff.ly/2uOo3au
📸 Michał Parzuchowski, Unsplash
👉 Read the full story here: buff.ly/2uOo3au
📸 Michał Parzuchowski, Unsplash
October 31, 2025 at 7:15 PM
🎰 “What’s played here, stays here”. Not really.
In my latest blog post, Cities with Casinos Pay Less, I dig into how communities that host casinos benefit from gaming revenue, while those without them get left behind.
👉 Read the full story here: buff.ly/2uOo3au
📸 Michał Parzuchowski, Unsplash
👉 Read the full story here: buff.ly/2uOo3au
📸 Michał Parzuchowski, Unsplash
🎃 Halloween isn't just about costumes and candy. It is one of the best examples of community-led placemaking in action. When neighbours decorate their homes and invite kids to knock on doors, public spaces become shared spaces.
But what about condos? What about building community within buildings?
But what about condos? What about building community within buildings?
October 31, 2025 at 4:54 PM
🎃 Halloween isn't just about costumes and candy. It is one of the best examples of community-led placemaking in action. When neighbours decorate their homes and invite kids to knock on doors, public spaces become shared spaces.
But what about condos? What about building community within buildings?
But what about condos? What about building community within buildings?
Reposted by Samantha Agtarap
2️⃣ Start with children and caregivers: “Cities may not realize their most honest and experienced planning consultants are often the ones pushing a stroller—or riding in one. Children and caregivers possess a deep understanding of the environments they navigate, yet are repeatedly excluded from them.”
October 31, 2025 at 1:38 PM
2️⃣ Start with children and caregivers: “Cities may not realize their most honest and experienced planning consultants are often the ones pushing a stroller—or riding in one. Children and caregivers possess a deep understanding of the environments they navigate, yet are repeatedly excluded from them.”
Positive news to share about the Lime E-Scooter and E-Bike share. The Climate Action Committee received this update from Engineering on Monday and the City manager summarized it for council (next).
October 29, 2025 at 11:36 PM
Positive news to share about the Lime E-Scooter and E-Bike share. The Climate Action Committee received this update from Engineering on Monday and the City manager summarized it for council (next).
This is going to have a brutal impact on communities. There’s no good timing for this news but to be doing this during budgets, with a plan to implement for the 2026 year is egregious.
Port Moody doesn’t have a pipeline but we host other linear assets - rail, which will be reviewed next year.
Port Moody doesn’t have a pipeline but we host other linear assets - rail, which will be reviewed next year.
This assessment change, and possible changes to other utility assessments yet to come, will be an atomic bomb to the municipal and regional district taxation models.
9 years of contact with a industry, one month of “heads up” before it could happen.
thetyee.ca/News/2025/10...
9 years of contact with a industry, one month of “heads up” before it could happen.
thetyee.ca/News/2025/10...
BC Residents May Have to Cover a Property Tax Break for Pipelines | The Tyee
After lobbying, BC Assessment slashed its appraisals of the industry’s infrastructure.
thetyee.ca
October 28, 2025 at 3:15 PM
This is going to have a brutal impact on communities. There’s no good timing for this news but to be doing this during budgets, with a plan to implement for the 2026 year is egregious.
Port Moody doesn’t have a pipeline but we host other linear assets - rail, which will be reviewed next year.
Port Moody doesn’t have a pipeline but we host other linear assets - rail, which will be reviewed next year.
Honestly, not much of a surprise. Walkable cities are great in many ways.
The design of your city can help make you healthier, study finds.
(That should be ANOTHER study)
“A new study in Nature found when people moved from less walkable U.S. cities to more walkable ones, they increased their levels of physical activity & saw health benefits.”
www.cbc.ca/player/play/...
(That should be ANOTHER study)
“A new study in Nature found when people moved from less walkable U.S. cities to more walkable ones, they increased their levels of physical activity & saw health benefits.”
www.cbc.ca/player/play/...
The design of your city can help make you healthier, study finds
A new study in Nature found when people moved from less walkable U.S. cities to more walkable ones, they increased their levels of physical activity and saw health benefits.
www.cbc.ca
October 26, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Honestly, not much of a surprise. Walkable cities are great in many ways.
Reposted by Samantha Agtarap
"Cities are diverse collections of people that form the beautiful, vibrant fabric of where we visit and call home. When politicians reflect this diversity, their cities are more likely to benefit every resident. This is not a feminist agenda. This is just logic."
usa.streetsblog.org/2025/10/20/w...
usa.streetsblog.org/2025/10/20/w...
October 23, 2025 at 8:13 AM
"Cities are diverse collections of people that form the beautiful, vibrant fabric of where we visit and call home. When politicians reflect this diversity, their cities are more likely to benefit every resident. This is not a feminist agenda. This is just logic."
usa.streetsblog.org/2025/10/20/w...
usa.streetsblog.org/2025/10/20/w...
Reposted by Samantha Agtarap
Across Canada, more and more voices are calling for a Youth Climate Corps. With the federal budget set for November 4, the call is growing louder.
📢 Join the 200+ organizations urging Mark Carney’s government to fund a Youth Climate Corps in Budget 2025.
🔗 Learn more: www.goodgreenjobsforall.ca
📢 Join the 200+ organizations urging Mark Carney’s government to fund a Youth Climate Corps in Budget 2025.
🔗 Learn more: www.goodgreenjobsforall.ca
October 21, 2025 at 5:38 PM
Across Canada, more and more voices are calling for a Youth Climate Corps. With the federal budget set for November 4, the call is growing louder.
📢 Join the 200+ organizations urging Mark Carney’s government to fund a Youth Climate Corps in Budget 2025.
🔗 Learn more: www.goodgreenjobsforall.ca
📢 Join the 200+ organizations urging Mark Carney’s government to fund a Youth Climate Corps in Budget 2025.
🔗 Learn more: www.goodgreenjobsforall.ca
In response to the article published on Oct 14, 2025, at 3:59 pm, 4 hours before the Council Meeting, by TriCity Local News titled “Port Moody to mull 12-Storey care facility amid public concern over height and traffic”, I wish to clarify that this is incorrect. The motion was defeated.
October 15, 2025 at 4:53 PM
In response to the article published on Oct 14, 2025, at 3:59 pm, 4 hours before the Council Meeting, by TriCity Local News titled “Port Moody to mull 12-Storey care facility amid public concern over height and traffic”, I wish to clarify that this is incorrect. The motion was defeated.
Reposted by Samantha Agtarap
Point 2 in particular.
The discussion… I get a couple quotes in this one.
Two points to shine more attention on.
1. Recall legislation needs to happen.
2. Covid, combined with the Facebook news ban and the deregulation of social media platforms, has done huge damage to municipal democracy.
thetyee.ca/News/2025/10...
Two points to shine more attention on.
1. Recall legislation needs to happen.
2. Covid, combined with the Facebook news ban and the deregulation of social media platforms, has done huge damage to municipal democracy.
thetyee.ca/News/2025/10...
Mayor of Chaos: How Kamloops Politics Became Infamous | The Tyee
Car dealer Reid Hamer-Jackson won office with charisma and ideas. Then the wheels came off.
thetyee.ca
October 14, 2025 at 4:42 AM
Point 2 in particular.
#portmoody first reading of the draft OCP passed 6-1, onward to second reading. I think the vision for the next 25 years is aspirational, and I’m hopeful we can collectively realize it.
October 8, 2025 at 4:07 PM
#portmoody first reading of the draft OCP passed 6-1, onward to second reading. I think the vision for the next 25 years is aspirational, and I’m hopeful we can collectively realize it.