CANDIDATES
SAIRA AUJLA
A concerned and active member of the Surrey community, Saira Aujla has worked diligently in improving her community. She is a long-term resident of Surrey, calling it home for 31 years. Saira is a successful business woman. She is a community Radio Host, Realtor and a mother of four. She has raised all her children in the Heart of Surrey. As an award-winning realtor in Surrey for the past 26 years, she has witnessed the expansive growth of Surrey. She is concerned with the lack of infrastructure and public transit to accommodate the rampant growth.
Every Christmas, Saira prepares meals and along with her children, personally distribute those meals in the Whalley area. Utilizing her position as a radio host, she stays connected to the constituents of Surrey, keeping the pulse of their concerns and needs. Saira enjoys the interpersonal contact with Surrey’s constituents and is compassionate and engaged. In her role as a community activist, she has supported many individuals in accessing resources and services to improve their circumstances. She is voice for the silenced and disempowered. She always takes the opportunity in public forums to voice the concerns and needs for the disenfranchised.
Being trilingual, fluency in Cantonese, Hindi, Punjabi and English enables her to stay tapped into on a very personal level with Surrey’s multicultural community. She volunteers with many religious groups supporting their events and functions, namely the Guru Nanak Sikh Society and Khalsa Diwan Society.
In 2014, Saira Aujla had a very successful run as a Councillor Candidate for Surrey, she came in with the highest votes for an independent candidate. Once again, exhibiting her commitment to bring about positive change, Saira ran for the constituency of Green Timbers as a Green Party MLA Candidates during the 2017 provincial election. Saira believes that the only way to make change is to actively transform current local government from within. She is looking forward to celebrating the positive improvement that will be made in local governance. Her hope is to be an active participants in improving the lives of Surrey’s residents. Saira is most fulfilled when she is helping raise the quality of life of individuals in her community. Her hope is to bring about changes that enable our community to become further vibrant. She vows to contribute by being a passionate and positive community builder.
Every Christmas, Saira prepares meals and along with her children, personally distribute those meals in the Whalley area. Utilizing her position as a radio host, she stays connected to the constituents of Surrey, keeping the pulse of their concerns and needs. Saira enjoys the interpersonal contact with Surrey’s constituents and is compassionate and engaged. In her role as a community activist, she has supported many individuals in accessing resources and services to improve their circumstances. She is voice for the silenced and disempowered. She always takes the opportunity in public forums to voice the concerns and needs for the disenfranchised.
Being trilingual, fluency in Cantonese, Hindi, Punjabi and English enables her to stay tapped into on a very personal level with Surrey’s multicultural community. She volunteers with many religious groups supporting their events and functions, namely the Guru Nanak Sikh Society and Khalsa Diwan Society.
In 2014, Saira Aujla had a very successful run as a Councillor Candidate for Surrey, she came in with the highest votes for an independent candidate. Once again, exhibiting her commitment to bring about positive change, Saira ran for the constituency of Green Timbers as a Green Party MLA Candidates during the 2017 provincial election. Saira believes that the only way to make change is to actively transform current local government from within. She is looking forward to celebrating the positive improvement that will be made in local governance. Her hope is to be an active participants in improving the lives of Surrey’s residents. Saira is most fulfilled when she is helping raise the quality of life of individuals in her community. Her hope is to bring about changes that enable our community to become further vibrant. She vows to contribute by being a passionate and positive community builder.
Bernie sHEPPARD
Bernard (Bernie) Sheppard has lived and worked in Surrey for 23 years. Bernie has worked in the Arts and Technology sector, all his professional life ranging from small printing companies to one of Canada’s premier space & satellite company, namely Macdonald Dettwiler.
Having studied Earth Sciences from UK’s University of Bristol, Electronics and Electrical Systems at UK’s Gloscat and then Computing Systems in BCIT, Bernie now works with Sources Community Services in their technology department. Bernie is an avid outdoorsman, his concern for the environment led him to dedicate his time and energy, to its improvement by becoming a Venture Scout Advisor. With his knowledge of earth science, he shares his knowledge with scouts and imparts a sense of ownership and responsibility to our community youth
Bernie has been an active and caring volunteer in Surrey for the past 23 years. He has coordinated food donation collection for Northwood United Church. As an "on call" Advisor for immigrants with technological skills for Whalley work BC, he makes himself available to assist whenever there is a need. He brings a passion for sustainable development, technological progress and community capacity building. Bernie has a commitment to social justice, affordable housing and social housing.
Having studied Earth Sciences from UK’s University of Bristol, Electronics and Electrical Systems at UK’s Gloscat and then Computing Systems in BCIT, Bernie now works with Sources Community Services in their technology department. Bernie is an avid outdoorsman, his concern for the environment led him to dedicate his time and energy, to its improvement by becoming a Venture Scout Advisor. With his knowledge of earth science, he shares his knowledge with scouts and imparts a sense of ownership and responsibility to our community youth
Bernie has been an active and caring volunteer in Surrey for the past 23 years. He has coordinated food donation collection for Northwood United Church. As an "on call" Advisor for immigrants with technological skills for Whalley work BC, he makes himself available to assist whenever there is a need. He brings a passion for sustainable development, technological progress and community capacity building. Bernie has a commitment to social justice, affordable housing and social housing.
Asad Syed
Asad Syed has been a resident of Surrey for the past 24 years along with his wife and three children. He believes in interfaith harmony and has dedicated his life to this cause. As a community activist and advocate, he pioneered the establishment of the White Rock Muslim Association. He is the founder and past president.
Active in the community, he has served on the Government Relation Committee of Fraser Valley Real Estate Board. Asad is a member of Blended Visa Office Referred Program at the Syrian Refugee Sponsorship and Settlement Program. He was instrumental in forming a partnership between the White Rock Muslim Association and the First United Church to institute these programs to support refugees. He volunteers for several charities such as Delta Cable, Human Concern International, Muslim Food Bank, First United Church, City of Surrey Crescent Beach Cleanup, Soup kitchens, blanket and warm clothing drives, Recovery Society and participated in the Coldest Night Walk.
Asad is a Realtor and business owner in Surrey. He believes in supporting the economy of the city in which you reside. Affordable housing is a pressing issue that concerns, Asad greatly. His hope is to bring back affordable housing and provide shelter for Surrey’s most vulnerable citizens.
As a Councilor Candidate, Asad wants to be the voice for the common citizens that feel their opinion doesn’t matter. He echoes the sentiment that the current Surrey City Council doesn’t represent Surrey’s hard working citizens. He is worried that Surrey is ineffectively dealing with serious issues such as, law enforcement and policing, affordable and social housing, increasing property taxes and rents, lack of public transit, insufficient schools and compromised environment.
Active in the community, he has served on the Government Relation Committee of Fraser Valley Real Estate Board. Asad is a member of Blended Visa Office Referred Program at the Syrian Refugee Sponsorship and Settlement Program. He was instrumental in forming a partnership between the White Rock Muslim Association and the First United Church to institute these programs to support refugees. He volunteers for several charities such as Delta Cable, Human Concern International, Muslim Food Bank, First United Church, City of Surrey Crescent Beach Cleanup, Soup kitchens, blanket and warm clothing drives, Recovery Society and participated in the Coldest Night Walk.
Asad is a Realtor and business owner in Surrey. He believes in supporting the economy of the city in which you reside. Affordable housing is a pressing issue that concerns, Asad greatly. His hope is to bring back affordable housing and provide shelter for Surrey’s most vulnerable citizens.
As a Councilor Candidate, Asad wants to be the voice for the common citizens that feel their opinion doesn’t matter. He echoes the sentiment that the current Surrey City Council doesn’t represent Surrey’s hard working citizens. He is worried that Surrey is ineffectively dealing with serious issues such as, law enforcement and policing, affordable and social housing, increasing property taxes and rents, lack of public transit, insufficient schools and compromised environment.
Derek Zabel
Being an active citizen who has lived in Surrey for most of his life, Derek Zabel inherits the experience and knowledge in everyday issues that resident of Surrey experience on a daily basis. Derek was a part of the first graduating class of Elgin Park Secondary while living in South Surrey, after his family's moved from North Delta. After secondary school he attended post-secondary, the very popular Kwantlen Polytechnic University located in the heart of Surrey. His career started by becoming a broadcaster and journalist in Williams Lake Terrace. The year 2004 started by a move to Surrey with his young family. Derek’s career started to develop when he became an active member of Coast Mountain Bus Company and Translink. The advance skills of the company were a great learning experience for Derek. He learnt the transit policies, procedure, and all services related to the company, as he worked his way up within the company.
Derek then worked closely with local media to introduce new valuable bus services to Surrey such as the #364 bus service which joined Surrey to Langley and Delta. Making connections with local media, he started broadcasting live with Transit Updates on CTV Morning Live when the news program first launched. The Transit Updates were a staple on the show for two and half years. Presently, he manages Access Transit Services for Coast Mountain Bus which oversees the valuable HandyDART to the Lower Mainland.
This work provided Derek with the valuable understanding of how Transit supports sustainable living communities and of the services that are offered. Throughout his career he enjoyed engaging with residents across Metro Vancouver, attending public open houses, engaging with people regarding issues and concerns, and working with our local governments. He has proudly worked in Surrey at Coast Mountain Bus for the last 13 years and take transit regularly to work and home.
Derek then worked closely with local media to introduce new valuable bus services to Surrey such as the #364 bus service which joined Surrey to Langley and Delta. Making connections with local media, he started broadcasting live with Transit Updates on CTV Morning Live when the news program first launched. The Transit Updates were a staple on the show for two and half years. Presently, he manages Access Transit Services for Coast Mountain Bus which oversees the valuable HandyDART to the Lower Mainland.
This work provided Derek with the valuable understanding of how Transit supports sustainable living communities and of the services that are offered. Throughout his career he enjoyed engaging with residents across Metro Vancouver, attending public open houses, engaging with people regarding issues and concerns, and working with our local governments. He has proudly worked in Surrey at Coast Mountain Bus for the last 13 years and take transit regularly to work and home.