Bonita Zarrillo

Municipal politics Beginning in 2013, Zarrillo served three terms on the Coquitlam City Council. Zarrillo's work as a councillor focused on a diverse set of issues, including campaigns to promote anti-vaping and anti-cigarette butt causes, as well as gender equity.

As a city councillor, Zarrillo worked to bring to light issues of housing affordability and management of public works. She was critical of the proposed developments in Burquitlam, stating that the developments resembled "lifeless" developments in Eastern Canada which caused disconnects between the public and public spaces taken over by entities, highlighting concerns regarding housing affordability. On greenlighting the City Centre Area Plan (CCAP), Zarrillo expressed concerns about the displacement of low-income housing.

Zarrillo was criticized following her decision to leave a city council meeting without prior notice to attend a National Day of Action Against Anti-Asian Racism rally at Lincoln station. She stated she wanted to stand up for Coquitlam's Asian community, following a report describing the city of Vancouver as the “Anti-Asian Hate Crime Capital of North America” and a recent incident regarding the racially motivated harassment of a Chinese-Canadian Coquitlam resident.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Zarrillo publicly expressed her discomfort with the city council's lack of transparency during city council meetings which were held in a hybrid format. She stated that the format "[changed] the meeting dynamics and doesn't provide for equal access" and that she was "uncomfortable" with several city council members who attended the meeting in-person who were unmasked in their cubicles, raising public health concerns. Coquitlam was one of the few cities within Metro Vancouver to have in-person city council meetings during the pandemic.

Zarrillo gained a reputation as a dissenting voice during her three-term tenure as a councillor. The final result was a three-way split between the Liberal, Conservative, and New Democratic Party candidates. Zarrillo lost to Shin by 153 votes, falling under the 0.01% needed to trigger a judicial recount. Zarrillo filed for a recount citing concerns of "administrative mistakes", which was later terminated at Zarrillo's request. She stated that she wanted to "give confidence to the community that every vote had been counted." In addition to outgoing MP Fin Donnelly, Coquitlam-Maillardville MLA Selina Robinson, Kwikwetlem First Nation Chief Ed Hall, the New Westminster and District Labour Council, and Unifor Local 2000 endorsed Zarrillo. As she was a sitting city councillor, she returned to her work following her loss.

2021 election Zarrillo ran again in the 2021 election in a rematch against Shin. Fin Donnelly, now serving as MLA for Coquitlam-Burke Mountain in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Amy Lubik of Port Moody City Council, Chris Wilson of the Coquitlam City Council, and Chief Ed Hall of the Kwikwetlem First Nation endorsed Zarrillo.

Zarrillo won in her rematch against Shin, with 62.2 percent of voter turnout in the riding, flipping the seat back to the New Democratic Party. Zarrillo was confirmed to have been elected on September 24, 2021, four days following polling day, after mail-in ballots had been counted. She resigned from her city council seat on October 1, 2021. Coquitlam City Council subsequently unanimously voted to file a request to the Minister of Municipal Affairs Josie Osborne not to hold a mandated byelection for her seat, citing concerns as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and that the replacement would only serve less than eight months on council.

2025 federal election Zarrillo sought re-election as the New Democratic Party candidate in Port Moody—Coquitlam at the 2025 Canadian federal election, but was defeated by Liberal candidate Zoë Royer.

Her loss formed part of a broader collapse in support for the federal NDP in British Columbia and nationally: the party’s seat count and vote share fell sharply in the 2025 election, costing the NDP many incumbent seats. It was the worst election result in NDP history.

Following the election night loss, she publicly expressed pride in her record, stating “I was just proud to be able to stand up over and over again for people that are struggling with affordability in the Lower Mainland and in the Tri Cities, and to be able to be their voice,” and affirmed her commitment to continue advocating despite losing the seat.

Policy positions During her years of service on Coquitlam City Council, Zarrillo became known as an advocate for green jobs and affordable housing. Zarrillo praised outgoing MP Fin Donnelly's work in regards to implementing Canada's ban on shark finning and closed containment aquaculture. Zarrillo highlighted the importance of transitioning away from fossil fuels, and her view that the city of Coquitlam did not need a secondary pipeline running through the city to deliver an additional 900,000 barrels of oil. Zarrillo stated the proposed expansion was "unreasonable and unrealistic based on what the future needs to look like.”

Housing Zarrillo's work as a councillor focused on the issues of housing affordability. Zarrillo said that of the available housing inventory, too much was going towards luxury homebuyers, highlighting the plan for half a million units of affordable housing offered by the NDP.

Personal life Zarrillo was born in Saskatoon and graduated from the University of Manitoba with a degree in sociology. Zarrillo travelled around Canada, living in nearly every province and overseas following her graduation, working as a computer programmer. She later worked as a data analyst to map consumer behaviour for companies such as Walmart. At the age of 48, Zarrillo quit her position as a business analyst after she was diagnosed with breast cancer in order to focus on her treatment and recovery. She moved back to Coquitlam in 2010, and started a business as a jobs recruiter.

Four generations of Zarrillo's family reside within Coquitlam. Zarrillo is a mother of three children.

Electoral history Federal

Municipal 2018 Coquitlam City Council election Top 8 candidates elected

2014 Coquitlam City Council election Top 8 candidates elected Party Council candidate Vote % Independent Craig Hodge (X) 13,495 10.30 Independent Terry O'Neill (X) 11,712 8.94 Independent Brent Asmundson (X) 11,036 8.42 Independent Dennis Marsden 10,372 7.91 Independent Teri Towner 10,223 7.80 Coquitlam Citizens Association Chris Wilson (X) 10,134 7.73 Independent Mae Reid (X) 9,659 7.37 Coquitlam Citizens Association Bonita Zarrillo (X) 7,960 6.07 Independent Justin Kim 7,698 5.87 Coquitlam Citizens Association Neal Nicholson (X) 7,284 5.56 Independent Ben Craig 6,977 5.32 Independent Andy Shen 6,066 4.63 Coquitlam Citizens Association Jack Trumley 5,759 4.39 Independent Massimo Mandarino 5,342 4.08 Coquitlam Citizens Association Shobha Nair 5,281 4.03 Independent Moe Kopahi 2,053 1.57