CONNECT Municipal Dinner 2025

Description

HAVAN’s annual CONNECT Municipal Dinner is a premier event that brings together elected municipal officials and the Metro Vancouver homebuilding industry for an evening of networking, conversation, and collaboration. The speaker is one of the region’s influential elected leaders. 

The CONNECT Municipal Dinner is hosted by HAVAN's Government Relations Committee. This is a sell-out event as members have a unique opportunity to connect with Mayors, Councillors and other VIPS from across the region. The business program offers insight and perspective from three distinguished Mayors in conversation with the Globe and Mail's Frances Bula, followed by a Question and Answer period for attendees.

Interested in sponsoring this event? Limited sponsorships are available. Contact Diana@havan.ca for details.

This event will have a plated dinner featuring three courses:

Appetizer: Cauliflower Truffle Soup with Parmesan & Torsades Au Fromage

ENTREE - Choice of:

• 1. Braised Beef Short Rib with Kalua, Coffee & Onion Jam, Scallion Pommes Puree, Braising Jus
• 2. Sablefish; Miso Glazed, Compressed Rice Cake, Yuzu Beurre Blanc with Tobiko, or
• 3. Wild Mushroom Ravioli, Sundried Tomato Pesto, Sauteed Mushrooms, Parmesan, Basil Oil

Dessert: Opera Cake – Dark Chocolate Ganache, Coffee Buttercream, Jaconde Sponge, Gold Flakes

MEET THE PANELISTS:

Mayor Linda Buchanan, City of North Vancouver

Linda Buchanan is serving her second term as Mayor of the City of North Vancouver. Prior to being elected Mayor, Linda was a public health nurse for 30 years, working with seniors, children and families. She also served two terms as a City Councillor and a term as a School Board Trustee. She is proud to serve as the Chair of Metro Vancouver’s Invest Vancouver Management Board as well as the Chair of TransLink’s Public Affairs Committee. Through her many roles she looks for every opportunity to build a future-focused city and region. Her goal is to build an inclusive and healthy community for all people. By focusing on shared prosperity, mobility, sustainability, vibrancy, and people-friendly places, Linda aims to improve livability across the City. Linda has championed making the City of North Vancouver ‘the Healthiest Small City in the World' and has put the health and wellbeing of residents at the heart of her decision-making. Born and raised in the City, Linda loves her community and raised her own four children here with her husband Kevin.

Mayor Eric Woodward, Township of Langley

First elected to office in 2018, Mayor Eric Woodward is currently serving his first term as Mayor of the Township of Langley after serving the previous 2018-2022 term as a Councillor. Growing up in Langley, Eric was part of the emerging internet industry at a young age. While working on his degree at the University of British Columbia, Eric pursued a network management and software development career. He left UBC during his fourth year to co-found his first technology company, Internet Direct. He then co-founded Mail.com and DomainWorks, which he later sold to focus his efforts on the community. Eric has a BA in Political Science from the University of British Columbia.

Mayor George Harvie, City of Delta

Mayor Harvie, a long-time resident of South Delta, was appointed Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Delta in 2001. Before this appointment, he was employed with the City of Burnaby where he served over 30 years. A strong advocate for the Delta community, he was successful in bringing together senior levels of government to resolve local issues and bring significant benefits to Delta. With his vision and leadership, he transformed Delta’s financial management to place Delta as one of the best managed municipalities in British Columbia. With 45 years of local government service, he provided leadership to all departments to ensure they met their responsibilities and that Council’s directions and policies were carried out. Mayor Harvie has a B.A. in Economics from Simon Fraser University, an Administrative Management Special Certificate and an Environmental Health Diploma of Technology from the British Columbia Institute of Technology. He also studied Advanced Management at Dalhousie University.

MODERATOR

Moderated by Frances Bula, an award-winning journalist with the Globe and Mail who has written about urban issues and city politics in BC's Vancouver region, covering everything from downtown eastside drug addition to billion-dollar development projects since 1994.