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Media release October 5, 2011

Leadership - Fairness – Integrity

Port Moody.

On October 5, 2011, Zoë Royer announced her candidacy for a seat on Port Moody City Council.

As a successful health administrator, Zoë Royer brings strong business skills and sincere concern for people and their issues. “In my profession, I’ve always worked with people who care for people.” She said. “I also know what it takes to make payroll and run a successful business.”

As a longtime Council observer, Zoë Royer believes that collaboration achieves more than competition. “As a Councillor, it’s important to listen carefully to taxpayers and work with your Council colleagues to create a common vision.”

Zoë Royer polished her political and campaigning experience when she garnered more than 10,000 votes in the 2008 federal election and placed second in a race won by Minister James Moore.

Before moving to Port Moody, Zoë experienced the hardships of being a single mother struggling to make ends meet. She knows what today’s families and persons on fixed income are going through. “What keeps people going during hard times is access to affordable services such as recreation and a library.” Royer said.

A dedicated volunteer, Zoë Royer believes that cities need to nurture civic engagement and volunteerism. She served homeless persons on night shifts at Tri-Cities shelters and hosted fund raising events for the Port Moody Arts Centre and Crossroads Hospice. As former Director of the Golden Spike Days Society, she ran a highly successful fundraising campaign.

The sustainable home that Zoë and her husband designed and built in Port Moody was featured in the Vancouver Sun, magazines and conferences, for its green technology. Passionate for the environment, Zoë hosted Earth Day events to build awareness of climate change and environmental protection.

Zoë lives in Port Moody with her husband and two daughters.

For more information, please contact Zoë Royer at

zoeroyer@hotmail.com cell: 778-899-0095.

The Now News - Election results

Angela MacKenzie, Coquitlam NOW

Published: Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Zoe Royer, the New Democratic Party candidate, phoned Moore to congratulate him on his win.
"I wish you all the best and you did a great job," Moore told Royer on his cellphone.

Earlier in the evening, Royer and her team of volunteers and supporters - including Mike Farnworth, the NDP MLA for Port Coquitlam-Burke Mountain and local politicians - squeezed into her modest campaign office in Port Coquitlam. They stood around a small TV set to watch the election results come in, cheering for fellow NDP candidates who had been declared early winners.
Royer had written words of encouragement and hope across one wall of her campaign office.
"Together we can make a huge difference. Together, we will win this race with integrity."
Royer, a health administrator and mother of two daughters, made the decision to run as the NDP candidate because of her concerns that the Conservative government was "selling out" the countries resources and sovereignty.

She said she was extremely proud of her election team and felt privileged to have run for her party. One woman even wrote a cheque and offered it to Royer as a last-minute campaign donation.
"I'm surrounded by so many supporters," she said. "We're just so proud that we have worked so hard for our community."

The Straight slate to stop Stephen Harper By Editorial

Georgia Straight endorses Zoë Royer
Published: October 9, 2008

The NDP candidate, Zoe Royer, is a health administrator who also volunteers to help the homeless.

Vote for Environment endorses Zoë Royer

Published October 7, 2008

Your federal candidates: Port Moody-Westwood-PoCo

Angela Mackenzie, Coquitlam NOW

Published: Wednesday, October 08, 2008

Zoe Royer is a new Canadian and a newcomer to politics, but felt compelled to run as the New Democratic Party candidate for Port Moody-Westwood-Port Coquitlam to challenge the current direction of government.

Royer's family emigrated from Scotland in 1968, but she received her Canadian citizenship in March of this year.

"And during that [citizenship] ceremony, the judge said that as new Canadians, it's both a privilege and responsibility to vote," Royer says. "It's an incredible privilege in this country, because if we don't like the laws, we can change them by voting. If we don't like the politicians within our communities, if we don't trust them to represent us, then we can run."

The mother of two daughters, ages 12 and 21, has had a long career in health care and currently manages the largest periodontal practice in B.C., located in North Vancouver.

She has also served on the board of directors for the Golden Spike Days Society and is involved in the Tri-Cities cold wet weather mat program, which sees churches provide overnight accommodation to local homeless.

Royer says she was once disgusted by the scandals and rhetoric of politics.

"But today, I got present to the fact that politics has the greatest impact on our lives, on our everyday lives, on our future, than anything else," she says.

If elected, Royer says her priorities will be the economy and the environment.

"I feel like this government is selling out our resources and our sovereignty, and I'm so concerned about the future for Canadians, for our communities and our children."

The Now News - Eyeing gender in government

Female candidates important 'to show young girls we can do this'

Jennifer Mcfee, Coquitlam NOW

Published: Friday, September 26, 2008

Be the change you want to see.

Zoe Royer's forthright philosophy prompted her to put her name down as an NDP candidate for the federal election -- and as the only woman running in the Port Moody-Westwood-Port Coquitlam riding.

"I am the only woman and I represent a large demographic of women in the riding. The fact that in neighbouring ridings there are women at many levels of government, it's very exciting and it gives me a lot of strength. The more women we have, the more we can inspire others," said Royer, a mother of two daughters.

"When you think about it, it's very challenging for women of childbearing years to actually be represented in Ottawa because they're raising a family. It's a tremendous voice we need to bring to Parliament." said Royer.

Royer is federal nDP candidate

Tri-City News

Published: September 16, 2008 6:00 PM

A health administrator who lives in Port Moody has been chosen as the NDP candidate for the riding of Port Moody-Westwood-Coquitlam.

Zöe Royer was acclaimed by members of the local riding association during a meeting Saturday at Pasta Polo restaurant.

Royer has volunteered with the Tri-Cities Cold Wet Weather Math program and has kept an eye on federal politics in Ottawa for a long time.

She said she believes MPs shouldn’t be allowed to switch party affiliation once they are elected and said she is proud to be part of the New Democratic Party, which she said has integrity when it comes to raising funds, setting the party’s agenda and staying the course after each election.

ZOE ROYER

Canada Votes 2008 on CBC.CA

Party: New Democratic Party of Canada

Profession: Health administrator

Marital Status: Married

Children: Two daughters

Career Background: Spent her career in health working with people who care for people. Manages the largest specialized periodontics practice in B.C. Has helped several clinics to achieve increased efficiency and profitability. Opened and operated a new Western Canada market for a national distributor.

Community Activities: Is former director of the Port Moody Golden Spike Days Society. Served homeless persons as part of the Tri-Cities Cold Wet Weather Mat Program. Hosted exchange students from Japan, Korea and Taiwan for two to three years at a time as a way to bring cultural diversity into her home and enrich the prejudice-free lives of her children. Hosted large Earth Day events at her home to bulid awareness for global warming and environmental protection. Volunteered with the local Independent Community Television of the Tri-cities to produce Mother & Daughter Paint the Town Red, featuring local businesses and promoting regional tourism. Mother & Daughter was featured on Shaw TV.

MEET THE CANDIDATES

Tri-City News

Published October 03, 2008

Zoe Royer, NDP:

Make the big polluters pay

Zoë Royer has lived in Canada for 40 of her 42 years and has always kept a close eye on politics.

But it wasn’t until she officially received her citizenship in March of this year that she realized she wanted to put her name forward as a candidate in an election.

“The judge spoke about the rights and responsibilities of being a Canadian, and that means a lot to me,” said Royer. “I really got present to the fact that politics has one of the biggest impacts on our lives.”

It did not take long for Royer to get involved. Today, she is the NDP candidate for Port Moody-Westwood-Port Coquitlam in a battle to unseat Tory incumbent James Moore in the Oct. 14 national election.

Royer lived in Alberta before moving to Vancouver Island and then settling in Port Moody with her husband in 2004. She works as an administrator with Imperio Group Dental Health Specialists.

She has two daughters and said thanks to the fact her husband has two adult children from a previous relationship, she is also a grandmother of three.

Her main issues are:

THE ENVIRONMENT

While Royer’s party has always boasted its support for blue collar workers, green collar workers are the first thing she brings up. “We need to make the big polluters pay,” she said. “We need to set absolute targets and force it by law.”

The money taken from big polluters would be used to re-invest in green collar jobs — those who work in the environmental sector of the economy.

Like most in the NDP, Royer believes that retooling the economy to make it more environmentally friendly will financially help rather than hurt ordinary Canadians.

THE ECONOMY

While the stock market is navigating through some tumultuous waters, Royer said it is the local impacts that are most concerning to her. She points out that there are more than 200 homeless people in the Tri-City area and that those numbers are consistent across the country.

“Many of us are one or two paycheques away from homelessness,” she said. “We need to change course.”

The NDP, she said, is discussing a national housing program that would help alleviate some of the housing issues many regions, including the Tri-Cities, are facing. She also points to what she calls a prosperity gap. Many of the people in her riding, she said, are having a harder time paying their bills, as costs rise and wages stay stagnant, or in some cases, shrink.

“This land is of great abundance,” she said. “But unfortunately the Harper Conservatives see it as winner take all, and it doesn’t benefit all Canadians.”

AFGHANISTAN

Close to 100 Canadian soldiers have died in the war in Afghanistan and Royer and her party believe it is time to bring home the troops. She said Canada should be working more in a rebuilding role, as peacekeepers, rather than fighting.

“We are calling for the immediate, safe withdrawal of our troops,” Royer said. “The best way we can support our troops is by maintaining our legacy of peacekeeping.”

ZOE ROYER FEDERAL NDP CANDIDATE

Port Moody-Westwood-Port Coquitlam by Angela MacKenzie, Coquitlam NOW

Published: Wednesday, October 08, 2008 (Edited for brevity)

NOW: Tell me a little bit about your background, your qualifications?

Zoe Royer: Well, I don't have a political background, Angela. I manage the largest periodontal practice in the province, with a team of 20. I've had a long career in healthcare, dentistry and medicine, and I've managed many small businesses before that.

NOW: What made you decide to run?

Royer: I feel like this government is selling out, our resources and our sovereignty, and I'm so concerned about the future for Canadians, for our communities and our children.

NOW: Have you ever been involved politically before?

Royer: No I haven't, and my commitment is not to be good at politicking. I want to be good as a politician, to bring integrity and better communications to Parliament.

NOW: Have you ever been involved in any sort of organizations?

Royer: Within the Tri-Cities, I was on the board of directors for Golden Spike Days Society. My passion has been with the cold wet weather mat program. And last winter, I served with my eldest daughter, Carola. She is 21. We volunteered to work night shifts when the mat program came to St. Andrew's Church in Port Moody. That was incredible for us. Because whatever we thought we were contributing, we got so much more back. And just by being accessible to the people, by serving them and by listening to them and really being present to them, was amazing. What we got is that they're exactly like us. They just have a whole lot less and there's nothing available for them.

NOW: What is the most important issue to you in this election?

Royer: Our economy. Absolutely the economy. This is about our pocket books and what government has been doing for the last two and half decades, which is investing in big corporations. We need to invest in average Canadians. We need to invest in families. It's definitely about the issues you and I face around the kitchen table, rather than the corporate board room table. So we really need to change course and invest in our families.

NOW: Why should voters support you?

Royer: I believe the New Democrats are the only party with integrity. New Democrat members of Parliament have integrity when it comes to setting the agenda and staying the course after each election. We don't change parties after we get elected by voters. This is why I chose this party and I looked very, very carefully. I became a new Canadian earlier this year, but I've lived in Canada for over four decades. Angela, I'm 42, and for the longest time, I didn't get involved in politics because I didn't like the lies. I didn't like the scandals or the rhetoric. But today, I got present to the fact that politics has the greatest impact on our lives, on our everyday lives and on our future. More so than anything else. And while we choose our relationships, we choose our education, we choose where we're going to work, we can also choose the politics of the country. We have to voice where we're at, we have to vote as Canadians. And I'm really discovering that many other Canadians feel as I did. They don't really care about politics, and yet, we really need to make the connection that politics shape everything and have the greatest impact on our lives.

NOW: You mentioned that you are a new Canadian?

Royer: I immigrated to Canada, well, my family emigrated from Scotland in 1968. I went through the permanent residency and immigration process, and thankfully, I received my Canadian citizenship. And during that ceremony, the judge said that as new Canadians, it's both a privilege and responsibility to vote. It's an incredible privilege in this country, because if we don't like the laws, we can change them by voting. If we don't like the politicians within our communities, if we don't trust them to represent our views, then we can run. And I think that was a turning point for me, and after singing Oh Canada, perhaps thousands of times since I was a toddler, I sang Oh Canada with this incredible pride. I'm so proud to be a Canadian. I'm so proud to be a part of Jack Layton's team of New Democrats. Jack Layton is a strong, strong leader. Jack Layton is the only leader that will make a great prime minister.

NOW: What changes would you push for if elected?

Royer: First of all, we need to protect Canadian jobs. We need to stop shipping them overseas or out of this country. We need to start investing in green-collar jobs. We need to invest in health care. We need to ensure that Canadians have access to doctors. More than five million Canadians are without a doctor. We need to train and hire thousands more doctors and nurses to meet this challenge. We need to stop the privatization of health care in this country. And to protect the environment, we need to stop investing in big oil companies. That's what this government is doing with taxpayers money. They're investing in big polluters. We need to make the big polluters pay. With that money, we're going to invest in clean alternatives. There's a lot of price gouging causing the high cost of gas. We need to turn that around and provide green alternatives, mass transit. That's what I'm committed to doing.

NOW: There are five issues we'd like you to touch on. What's you're main concern regarding health or the health-care system?

Royer: Wait times. Wait times are huge. Beyond wait times in the health care system, there's the high cost of prescription medicine. We need to change that. People with catastrophic illnesses need to have access to medication. In this incredible land that's absolutely abundant in wealth and resources, we can bring decent health services to Canadians. We just need to shift our focus, stop investing in big corporations.

NOW: What is your main concern about the environment?

Royer: I am so passionate about the environment. Do you know that on July 7, 2007, Earth Day, my partner and I hosted an Earth Day event at our home. We invited 45 people. We asked them to bring only food or beverages that were purchased or grown within 100 kilometres. We used candle power, except one TV screen we had playing an Inconvenient Truth. What are New Democrats proposing? We are proposing to create thousands of green-collar jobs. We're proposing to take money from the big polluters and put it into alternatives. Right now, we have a society that is totally dependant on fossil fuels and that's because of government. As I said, government has the greatest impact on our lives. Jack Layton and the New Democrats are committed to making that change. What do we do for the environment? My goodness, where do I start? At home, we recycle. We're in a very long-term project of building a sustainable home. A home that uses grey water, solar panels, geothermal, a green roof, etc. We want those opportunities for Canadians, ordinary Canadians with retrofit programs, things that can make those alternatives affordable. And Canada has an incredible opportunity to lead the way and market new technologies to other countries that are just discovering their middle class and are still utilizing fossil fuels. Canada has a tremendous opportunity to show incredible leadership in investing in the education and innovation for energy alternatives, bringing down the cost of those alternatives.

NOW: Education is often considered a provincial arena, but what is your main concern?

Royer: Our students are saddled with debt. For the ones who can actually afford a university education or post-secondary education, they come out with a huge amount of debt. It's crippling. We are committed to ensuring that Canadians, ordinary Canadians, have access to an education, and it doesn't just stop there. It's in childcare and long-term care. New Democrats are committed to making that happen.

NOW: Transportation is considered a big issue in this region. What's your take on it?

Royer: Right now, the federal government has committed about $67 million to the Evergreen Line. That will bring the Evergreen Line about half a kilometre away from Lougheed Station. That's their investment. Jack Layton is proposing to invest $1 billion per year for five years into transit. We don't want to just bring the Evergreen Line to DouglasCollege. We want to bring it right to Port Coquitlam. When I speak to people in this community, this is what they want. This is their greatest concern - the high price of fuel, the gouging at the pumps and the fact that they don't have an alternative. So we're committed to bringing that. The federal government really needs to step up and Jack Layton and the New Democrats will do just that.

NOW: The last topic is crime. What would your main concerns be?

Royer: You know, Angela, I'm a mom. I shared with you that I have two daughters. One is 12 and one is 21. As a woman and I can tell you that security and safety in our communities is a top priority. We need to get tough on crime. We are absolutely are committed to that. We need more police officers and we need to address the bottleneck in the courts. But we also need to look at the fact that poverty, the widening prosperity gap, the fact that three and a half million Canadians are living in poverty, plays a role in crime. We need to tackle it from all ends.

NOW: What do you like to do in your spare time?

Royer: I love to read. I love as an author, Rohinton Mistry - A Fine Balance, Family Matters. I love spending time with my daughters. I actually love to bake. We haven't done that in awhile. I love to visit the park with my families. We've got great trails around the Tri-Cities. I love art, and that's something that we love as a family. We're very creative. We love to paint. We love to create.