Skip to content

Tom Norton plans to seek seat on Abbotsford council

Former RCMP member to run in municipal election on Oct. 15
29599240_web1_210909-ABB-Candidate-profile-Norton_1
Tom Norton has announced his intention to seek a seat on Abbotsford city council in the municipal election on Oct. 15.

Retired RCMP member and high-performance athletics coach Tom Norton has announced he will seek a seat on Abbotsford council in the municipal election this fall.

Norton is a decorated retired member of the RCMP major crime section whose family has called Abbotsford home since 1994.

He has 35 years of meritorious service in law enforcement and four decades of high-performance coaching in athletics and sport.

Norton previously ran for council in the byelection last September to replace former councillor Bruce Banman, who was elected MLA for Abbotsford South in the last provincial election.

“Municipal government has been a goal for many years, and that time was right for me to step up during the recent byelection in 2021,” Norton said.

He said Abbotsford has “unlimited potential for new families – as the ‘heart’ of the Fraser Valley – yet struggles with its identity.”

RELATED: Norton wins trio of coaching awards

“Abbotsford isn’t just a small farming community anymore or a whistle stop for cheap gas along Highway 1 heading to somewhere else; it’s a city with big-city problems that cannot be ignored and could develop its potential with the right progressive and proactive leadership,” Norton said.

He said among the challenges Abbotsford faces are homelessness, street crime and gang activity that “test the mettle of its emergency services.”

“I offer my decades of experience to help tackle those issues, real issues that affect the entire community from the littles to our most venerable seniors and everyone in between,” North said.

He said his leadership and strategic guidance on employee services – including performance management, policy, discipline, and managing collective agreements – would serve him well on council.

“The city has banked nearly $350 million in the past number of years. I guess my question is why hasn’t that money been used to shore up needed infrastructure, including city works staff or gone to buy at least one sidewalk snowplow – even just one?”

“People always come first, and being out in front on the ground is how you engage with the community, rather than behind a desk.”

Other people who have announced their intention to run for a council seat on Oct. 15 are incumbent Les Barkman, Bharathi Sandhu and Dao Tran.

Current councillor Ross Siemens is the only one who has so far said he is running for the mayor’s seat, which is being vacated by Henry Braun after two terms.

A mayor, eight councillors and seven school trustees will be elected.

RELATED: Abbotsford Mayor Henry Braun not seeking re-election this fall



Vikki Hopes

About the Author: Vikki Hopes

I have been a journalist for almost 40 years, and have been at the Abbotsford News since 1991.
Read more