Amir Bajehkian is seeking election for Park Board Commissioner as part of the Vancouver Liberal team. He wants to employ his experience in advocacy at all levels of government, and in community engagement of New Canadians, to ensure our parks and facilities flourish for existing and future residents.
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Amir’s history of activism and civic engagement, inspired by his family background in politics and the bravery of Iranian citizens in the face of oppression, has given him the experience and skills required to represent Vancouver’s residents. Vancouver is special to Amir as various cultures connect and find common ground, building bridges between them based on shared human values.
Amir grew up in Iran, often wondering how he could make a difference. He moved to Canada after beginning studies in aerospace engineering in Iran and completed his education here in physics, mechanical systems, and aircraft maintenance engineering. His career led him to work at YVR in various capacities including ramp agent, aircraft maintenance, and finally, as a flight data analyst, where he monitored helicopter flights for operational safety.
After witnessing Iran’s citizens protest against suppression following the 2009 presidential elections, Amir was spurred into action, first to raise awareness on human rights in Iran, and later got involved in the Canadian political arena, including several election campaigns and referendums at each of the municipal, provincial, and federal levels of government.
He also worked to strengthen the community engagement of new Canadians in Vancouver and Canada more broadly, by organizing engagement sessions, interviews with elected officials, and preparing materials to raise awareness about Canada’s democratic processes and the political issues that affect all of us. As part of his educating, he emphasized the importance of reconciliation with indigenous people so new Canadians understood the nature of the land they now live on and could be effective allies. He was additionally a member of the Multicultural Advisory Council of BC where he assisted with the development of the Anti-Racism Data Act and a review of the Police Act before playing a key role in the body’s transition into the Provincial Council on Anti-Racism.
His activism otherwise revolved around facilitating international credential recognition, human rights, election engagement, referendum campaigns, and bringing Farsi as a second language option to British Columbian schools.
Amir is running for Park Board Commissioner with the Vancouver Liberals because he believes our parks and recreation facilities are main hubs for people to connect with nature and their fellow Vancouverites. They enhance the lives of our residents and cannot be an afterthought for our municipal government. Amir is an ardent supporter of the Vancouver Liberals’ $1.35B plan to renew our community centres, parks, and pools as they need to be vibrant and usable for generations to come following years of neglect.
He also wants to protect the independence of the Park Board and to ensure transparency, accountability, and integrity so that it functions properly as a democratically elected body. Covered spaces in parks are important to Bajehkian as well, to protect park users from heat as summers warm from climate change and Vancouver’s rainy days. Additional washroom infrastructure, including appropriate safety measures, are also a priority of his.
Amir is an avid cyclist, and he loves to explore Vancouver on his bike. As well, he likes to spend his free time planespotting, enjoying our parks, taking coffee and a book to the seawall, and trying locally brewed beers. He also enjoys cooking and baking, especially when he has a new recipe.
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