When voters head to the polls in Maple Ridge on November 15, their vote will reverberate around “the entire Metro Vancouver region”.

That is the opinion of Donna Passmore, of the B.C. Farmland Defence League. Next month, Maple Ridge mayor Gordon Robson will seek a second term against twin challenges from Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows NDP MLA Michael Sather and Ernie Daykin, a long-time local small-business owner and two-term city councillor.

“All eyes are on Maple Ridge this election,” Passmore told the Straight by phone. “Michael Sather comes from a long background of environmental and agricultural issues. He made a national name for himself when he stood alone on the Tsawwassen First Nation Treaty because of its impact on farmland.”¦He is, in my view, the bravest politician in this country and he is one of the most clear-minded and passionate advocates for agriculture that we have ever seen in this province.”

In a phone interview with the Straight, Sather accused Robson of talking “out of both sides of his mouth” on environmental issues.

“He says on the one hand that he wants to save our agriculture community, while the other time he’s been the leading advocate to weaken the Green Zone,” Sather said. “I think I am the one that can provide the leadership and the vision and direction to have a truly sustainable community, as opposed to my other opponent, Ernie Daykin, who voted 20 times—which is probably a record in Maple Ridge—to remove land from the ALR.”

Responding by phone on October 28, Daykin said of Sather’s claims: “I will agree with that to a point. But we [council] have not sent any applications forward to the ALC [Agricultural Land Commission] since 2004 or 2005.”

Daykin said he would not vote to forward to the ALC any ALR applications slated for residential rezoning, but he insisted he would look at potential business parks and locations for local job creation on “an individual basis”.

“And they would have to make a pretty compelling case,” Daykin added.

On Robson’s Web site, the incumbent claims he has presided over the “greenest council on record”. In a phone interview with the Straight, Robson claimed that the six parcels removed from the Green Zone in Maple Ridge during his term were put in motion before he was elected.

“When it came to our council on the proceeding of the applications, I was outvoted 4-3,” Robson claimed. “The council decided on a 4-3 vote to resubmit those applications.”¦I was opposed to at least one of them and I spoke at the GVRD land-use committee when it came forward. I explained that I was bound to explain my council’s position and their application, but that I had personal reservations.”

Added Robson: “I am the greenest mayor in the valley. Every mayor knows that.”