“I’m running to improve affordability, healthcare and transit accessibility for people in my community.”

Javad Shushtarian is a longtime Burnaby resident, recent nursing graduate and community volunteer who has called the Forest Grove neighbourhood home for the past 23 years. He grew up in the area, studied at Simon Fraser University and has spent much of his life enjoying Burnaby Mountain and the surrounding natural spaces.

Javad recently completed a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at BCIT and is in the process of obtaining his nursing licence in British Columbia. During his nursing education, he completed placements in hospitals, urgent care centres and supervised injection sites across the Lower Mainland, gaining firsthand experience with challenges including primary care shortages and long emergency-room wait times.

He also worked as an employed student nurse with Vancouver Coastal Health and has previous experience as an administrative assistant in long-term care and as a laboratory assistant at STEMCELL Technologies. His volunteer experience includes work with the BC Cancer Agency and Vancouver General Hospital’s emergency department.

Javad also holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Simon Fraser University, where he developed a strong interest in environmental conservation and the relationship between the environment and community health. He believes health is shaped not only by access to medical care, but also by housing, financial stability, social supports, transportation and the physical environment.

Accessible transportation is another priority for Javad. As a frequent bus and SkyTrain rider, he volunteered with the BC Poverty Reduction Coalition’s All on Board campaign, which advocated for free transit for children under 12. He has also volunteered for several years with Guru Nanak’s Free Kitchen, supporting fundraising for community food programs across the Lower Mainland.

His healthcare and community work has also included co-presenting a workshop on decolonizing and Indigenizing health-science education and organizing a health-promotion initiative at the Tsleil-Waututh Nation Health Fair focused on cervical cancer screening and HPV vaccination.

Javad is running in Burnaby East to advocate for accessible healthcare, affordable housing, reliable transit and stronger community supports, with a focus on the social and environmental conditions that shape people’s health and quality of life.

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