Hi, I amMithila Karnik
Strong Leadership for a Stronger Community
Eight years of pulling up chairs in Port Coquitlam. Now I'm asking for a seat at the horseshoe — to keep doing the work, but from within the system.
Strong Leadership for a Stronger Community
Eight years of pulling up chairs in Port Coquitlam. Now I'm asking for a seat at the horseshoe — to keep doing the work, but from within the system.
About Mithila
Advocate. Builder. Community Leader.
Port Coquitlam, BC · 2026 Campaign · Volunteer of the Year
Mithila Karnik — Port Coquitlam Volunteer of the Year 2026, non profit founder, and candidate for City Council.
I have always been drawn to the spaces where people gather, learn, create and grow together. That instinct has taken me from managing artists in India alongside powerhouse agencies like CAA Kwan and Matrix, to building creative tech ecosystems at DigiBC with 30+ studios and 26 post-secondary partners across BC, to founding a cultural society right here in Port Coquitlam that brings 300 to 500 people together every single year - because they feel like they belong there.
That thread has never changed. I build communities where people can thrive, and I make sure their voices shape the systems around them.
In 2026, MP Ron McKinnon awarded me the Community Champion honour and Port Coquitlam named me its Volunteer of the Year. These are recognitions I am most proud of - and they belong as much to every person who showed up to those events, those roundtables and those conversations - as they do to me.
How to make Port Coquitlam "Proactively Proficient."
Here's how:
"I'm not here to shout about the fires we keep fighting. I'm here to build the kind of city that stops lighting them. Not a louder voice, just a wider worldview. It is time for Port Coquitlam to have a paradigm shift; to move from complacency and reactionary measures to Proactive Proficiency. And that will only happen with young, fresh perspectives — especially those that are engaged in understanding what civic measures were done better elsewhere."
Three commitments. One city.
Built from eight years of listening — at community tables, in recreation centres, and at kitchen tables across Port Coquitlam.
In 2026, Port Coquitlam began rewriting the plan that guides how this city grows for the next decade. I'm running to make sure that plan reflects every family, every neighbourhood and every community that calls PoCo home — not just the ones who've always had a seat at the table.
PoCo For Families
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1,768 residents used recreation financial assistance in 2025. Nobody tracks how many eligible families never applied because they didn't know, couldn't navigate it, or hit a language barrier. I'll fix that gap.
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Nine objections nearly cost this city 65 daycare spaces. The Child Care Action Plan update is due in 2026. I'll track it publicly until it delivers real spaces, not just a report.
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PoCo already requires 25% family-sized units in new multi-family builds. I'll hold that line in every development discussion, not just when it's convenient.
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BC gave municipalities inclusionary zoning and tenant protection tools in 2024. I'll push PoCo to finish its review and adopt them.
My PoCo Journey So Far
- →Arrived in Port Coquitlam and made it Home.
- →Arrived in Port Coquitlam and made it Home.
- →Had a baby girl, began volunteering in the community to help immigrant new moms find a "village". Became a mentor with Didihood to assist racialized young women in creative fields to navigate the Canadian landscape.
- →Nominated to her strata council and continues to be on her condo strata council.
- →Had a baby girl, began volunteering in the community to help immigrant new moms find a "village". Became a mentor with Didihood to assist racialized young women in creative fields to navigate the Canadian landscape.
- →Nominated to her strata council and continues to be on her condo strata council.
- →Adopted a Spot in PoCo.
- →Adopted a Spot in PoCo.
- →Co-organized the first "Diwali Gala" in the Tri-Cities (at Port Moody).
- →Co-organized the first "Diwali Gala" in the Tri-Cities (at Port Moody).
In The News
Coverage, features and community recognition. Click any card to read the full story.
CBC BC Today
Mithila Karnik chats with Amy Bell about AI in the Media & Entertainment Industry ahead of EXNW
Tri Cities Community Television
Mithila Karnik launches Pints & Ponytails at Patina
Global News
DEI Strategist to Run for Port Coquitlam Council
Global News
Diwali Celebrations Light Up Port Coquitlam Community Centre
Vancouver Is Awesome
Photos: Diwali Delights Port Coquitlam with New Cultural Experiences
Community in Action.
Years of showing up — in celebration, in service, and in solidarity.Click any photo to view full size
With Cathy Cena of Tri Cities Community TV post candidate interview
With PoCo Businesswoman Hema Bhatt of Natu'oil
Mithila as Rotary Representative (from Bandra-India) to Germany in Summer 2006 as a Student Delegate
Serves on the Board of PoCo Heritage Museum - elected June 2026
With Actor-Producer and Racialized Icon Randall Park at EXNW 2026
With Culture Writer & Journalist Jeevan Sangha at EXNW
With CBC BC Today reporter Amy Bell and VFX Expert Habib Zargarpour from Los Angeles
At Boozefree Bevies for the launch of PoCo Diwali's Saree Show & Volunteer Appreciation
At Cassandra Cake Co for High Tea with owner Cassie Curtis and Celebrity Chef Ashney Rebello
With Minister Christine Boyle at Granville Island Soccer Viewing Party
With Minister Anne Kang at Granville Island Soccer Viewing Party
Pints & Ponytails Session #1 at Patina Brewing
Hear From The Community.
Lorraine Leon
Port Coquitlam Resident — 60 years
I wholeheartedly recommend Mithila for city council. With an infectious high-spirited energy, she has elevated our city's cultural events, bringing people together and fostering a stronger sense of local identity. Her proven commitment to Port Coquitlam makes her an outstanding candidate.
Laura Thomas
Master Gardener & Photographer
Mithila leads with strength while elevating the political discourse in Port Coquitlam with a spirit of respect & integrity. Deeply connected to our community, she inspires and uplifts everyone she works with, making her an excellent choice to help lead our council forward.
Jerry Gill
Business Owner, Fruiticana Port Coquitlam
A proven community builder who champions diversity, culture, and inclusion — bringing people together to make Port Coquitlam stronger, more welcoming, and representative of everyone who calls it home! My choice for council!
Becca Yu (Lewis)
Business Owner, Citadel Speech & Language Services
She is a true ray of sunshine — a welcoming beacon who brings people together and makes everyone feel they belong. Her commitment to accessibility and inclusion is something she lives and champions every day. She will bring warmth, thoughtfulness, and a strong community focus to the role.
Karen Butler Curtis
Founder, Terraroots and Kics Lemonade
It is my honour to endorse Mithila Karnik as a candidate for Port Coquitlam City Council. I know her to be a passionate supporter of all things Poco! Her sense of community is strong and she actually does the work to make her ideas happen. She will be a fresh, committed councilor!
Ravinder Safaya
Founder, YLSBC
As a long-time resident of the Tri-Cities, I warmly welcomed Mithila to our community a few years ago. Since then, I have watched with admiration as she dedicated her time to community engagement and volunteerism. Her commitment to bringing the South Asian community together has filled an important gap in our region through meaningful events and initiatives we had long been missing. I am incredibly proud of her work and wish her continued success and strength as she helps new immigrants integrate into Canadian culture while embracing Canadian values.
Sarah Harbord
Director of Operations, Patina Brewing
I enthusiastically support Mithila's candidacy for city councillor, as her commitment to affordable housing, green initiatives and vibrant community spaces will create a thriving future for families and a revitalized downtown.
Lorraine Leon
Port Coquitlam Resident — 60 years
I wholeheartedly recommend Mithila for city council. With an infectious high-spirited energy, she has elevated our city's cultural events, bringing people together and fostering a stronger sense of local identity. Her proven commitment to Port Coquitlam makes her an outstanding candidate.
Laura Thomas
Master Gardener & Photographer
Mithila leads with strength while elevating the political discourse in Port Coquitlam with a spirit of respect & integrity. Deeply connected to our community, she inspires and uplifts everyone she works with, making her an excellent choice to help lead our council forward.
Jerry Gill
Business Owner, Fruiticana Port Coquitlam
A proven community builder who champions diversity, culture, and inclusion — bringing people together to make Port Coquitlam stronger, more welcoming, and representative of everyone who calls it home! My choice for council!
Becca Yu (Lewis)
Business Owner, Citadel Speech & Language Services
She is a true ray of sunshine — a welcoming beacon who brings people together and makes everyone feel they belong. Her commitment to accessibility and inclusion is something she lives and champions every day. She will bring warmth, thoughtfulness, and a strong community focus to the role.
Karen Butler Curtis
Founder, Terraroots and Kics Lemonade
It is my honour to endorse Mithila Karnik as a candidate for Port Coquitlam City Council. I know her to be a passionate supporter of all things Poco! Her sense of community is strong and she actually does the work to make her ideas happen. She will be a fresh, committed councilor!
Ravinder Safaya
Founder, YLSBC
As a long-time resident of the Tri-Cities, I warmly welcomed Mithila to our community a few years ago. Since then, I have watched with admiration as she dedicated her time to community engagement and volunteerism. Her commitment to bringing the South Asian community together has filled an important gap in our region through meaningful events and initiatives we had long been missing. I am incredibly proud of her work and wish her continued success and strength as she helps new immigrants integrate into Canadian culture while embracing Canadian values.
Sarah Harbord
Director of Operations, Patina Brewing
I enthusiastically support Mithila's candidacy for city councillor, as her commitment to affordable housing, green initiatives and vibrant community spaces will create a thriving future for families and a revitalized downtown.
Fuel a Grassroots Campaign.
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October 17, 2026
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