Abby Bike Shop owner Dao Tran has declared his intention to run for a council seat in the municipal election in the fall.
Tran has lived in Abbotsford for 37 years after arriving to Canada from a refugee camp in Hong Kong after escaping communism in Vietnam.
He spent 32 years working for The Bike Shop on Ware Street before owner Ralph Bergen retired. Tran then opened his own business on Gladwin Road.
Tran entered the political fray for the first time in the 2018 Abbotsford municipal election, finishing in 14th place and collecting 5,394 votes. He also participated in the 2021 byelection for a seat on city council and finished in fourth place. He collected 1,346 votes in that vote on Sept. 25, 2021.
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He has spent considerable time volunteering in Abbotsford and noted that he has worked with John Maclure Elementary, Berry Fest, Rogers Hometown Hockey, Abbotsford Centre, Abbotsford BMX Racing Club, AgriFair Abbotsford, Remembrance Day, Canada Day, Earth Day, Living Hope Christian Reformed Church, Gateway homeless shelter, Run for Water, Salvation Army, Archway Community Services and others.
Tran made headlines by donating $10,000 to the Salvation Army in 2020. In 2017, Tran participated in a local high school Art Activism project that told the stories of refugees who had come to Canada.
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He also received the Golden Sprocket award in 2018 during Bike to Work Week for his volunteerism.
Tran joins Les Barkman, Tom Norton and Bharathi Sandhu, who all have already declared. The election is set for Oct. 15.
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