2026 Municipal Election: Candidate Responses

Responses from Candidates (25 Received)

Mayoral Candidates

Brunie Brunie (Running for Mayor)

There are a few large empty buildings that could be used for that purpose and city owned facilities wherever possible I don’t see

Anne Marie Dryden (Running for Mayor)

Responses from Candidates (25 Received)

Mayoral Candidates

Brunie Brunie (Running for Mayor)

I see no reason why you can’t contribute to city planning your input would be very valuable towards a happier community

Anne Marie Dryden (Running for Mayor)

I plan to have a weekly mayor open door time for people in the community, including non-profits to come and discuss challenges, requests and suggestions. This will help me navigate the needs vs the ability to provide funding.

Sarah Lovegrove (Running for Mayor)

I deeply value the unique knowledge, experience, and contributions of our local non-profit organizations. I believe the City should be working in partnership and collaboration with all non-profit organizations in our community, especially those serving otherwise marginalized populations that tend to be omitted from City planning, development, and budget consideration. This collaborative and inclusive approach to planning will serve as a solution-oriented, upstream, long-term investment that benefits both the residents of our community by being proactive instead of reactive to meeting their unique needs; as well as the sustainability of strong non-profit organizations to promote inter-organization collaboration, teamwork, and long-term success.

Leonard Krog (Running for Mayor)

Information such as the Vital Signs report is helpful in understanding the current status of many indicators in the community. Understanding trends of indicators would be useful in understanding progress. Combined with other information sources gathered by the City and others allows identification of priorities that need attention. Taken together, all of the nonprofits in Nanaimo touch the entire community. Their contributions are huge. We need to be able to streamline how their input can reach city staff end council.

Candidates for City Council

Sheryl Armstrong (Running for City Council)

NPO are engaged with city staff on many projects. They also have the option to present to Council to get their message out and request funding. One of the issues is the competing pressures. I think NPOs should come together to try and find efficiencies. This could be led by the city social planning staff similar to the community sessions held around food security. Better coordination would increase the ability of service providers to provide their services.

Paul Van Ryssel (Running for City Council)

Non-profit organizations often have direct knowledge of the people and neighbourhoods affected by City decisions, and that experience should be heard early rather than after a plan is largely complete.

I would support issue-specific roundtables, advisory processes and targeted consultation when policies, budgets or service changes directly affect the sector. Consultation should be broad enough to include different organizations and perspectives, not only the most established voices.

Just as importantly, the City should report back on what it heard, what was incorporated, what was not, and why.

Listening does not mean every request can be funded or adopted, but good decisions are stronger when Council understands the practical experience of the people delivering services in the community.

Patrick Gunville (Running for City Council)

Non-profits should absolutely have a seat at the table, particularly when decisions directly affect the communities they serve. But they should be one voice alongside residents, businesses, developers and other stakeholders; good City policy needs to balance social needs with financial realities, economic growth and the practical ability to deliver projects.

Jackie Bolen (Running for City Council)

Non-profits are often the ones with the most direct knowledge of the communities they serve, and that knowledge should shape decisions. I would commit to regular consultation with the non-profit sector before major planning, policy, and budget decisions that affect their work, particularly where a decision directly impacts the communities they serve. Their input should come early enough to actually influence the outcome, not just be collected as a formality once the direction is already set.

Angela Hope Waldick (Running for City Council)

Non-profits often see the real-world impact of a policy before City Hall sees it on a spreadsheet. Their frontline experience should be part of municipal decision-making, not an afterthought.

I would support a formal municipal engagement process that brings non-profits into planning, policy and budget discussions early, particularly where decisions directly affect the communities they serve. This could include regular sector roundtables, issue-specific working groups, targeted budget consultations and accessible opportunities for smaller organizations to participate.

I would also support a simple annual “You Said, We Did” report showing what the City heard, what actions were taken, what remains outstanding and why. That creates accountability on both sides.

Engagement should happen before the cake is baked, not when we are simply asking people to approve the icing. The goal is practical partnership: listen early, identify what the City can actually do, assign responsibility, set timelines and report back. If we ask for expertise, we should demonstrate how we used it.

Ken Bennett (Running for City Council)

input should always sought by stakeholder

Andrew Merilees (Running for City Council)

Nanaimo has a committee structure and I would invite the non-profit sector to participate on the committee of their expertise. City Council also hosts delegations wanting to make submissions to Council. As a councilor I would also make myself available to discuss ways that we can address our issues and forward our common goals.

Paul Chapman (Running for City Council)

I think we could offer non-profits seats on committees and hold sector roundtable meeting on a regular basis to leverage the expertise in our community.

Bill McKay (Running for City Council)

The City should appoint a liaison to work with groups such as the Community Impact Committee, which brings together representatives from many non-profit organizations. This would support open dialogue about shared challenges and successes. The City should also advocate to the provincial and federal governments for grants to help fund major infrastructure projects, as we recently saw with the building of the new Loaves and Fishes warehouse.

Janice Perrino (Running for City Council)

Many of local non-profits attend Council meetings of interest to them and speak out when they feel they should. Please feel free to come and see us anytime.

Bryant Marshall (Running for City Council)

Non-profits are often closest to the people and communities they serve, so their experience should be part of how Nanaimo develops policy and sets priorities. I would support regular, meaningful engagement with the non-profit sector, rather than only consulting organizations after decisions have already been made.

I would encourage the City to establish regular roundtables or working groups with representatives from arts, culture, recreation, social services, youth, seniors, environmental and community organizations. Their input should help inform planning, policy development, funding priorities and budget decisions on issues affecting their work. As someone involved in Nanaimo’s arts and cultural community, I understand the value of collaboration. I would also encourage the City to report back on how community input was considered. Good decisions come from listening to the people doing the work and the communities they serve.

Ian Thorpe (Running for City Council)

Certainly non-profits have valuable knowledge about the needs in our community, and that knowledge should be incorporated into planning and budget discussions. When groups approach the City on a piece-meal basis, it is difficult to respond fairly. What is needed is a better coordination by the groups to convey issues and priorities to the City. Perhaps this could be done under the umbrella of United Way or Nanaimo Foundation.

Andréa Coutu (Running for City Council)

Non-profits are Nanaimo’s early-warning system, often seeing changing needs and gaps before they appear in government statistics. We already have valuable sources of that knowledge, including the Nanaimo Acute Response Table, Chamber’s Community Impact Committee, City social planning, community organizations, Accessibility and Inclusion Committee Committee, and City Plan monitoring. I would better connect these and support community impact briefing for the City’s planning and budget cycle, connecting data and frontline intelligence on change, demand, costs, gaps and needed advocacy. In turn, organizations investing scarce time in consultation should be able to see what the City heard, what influenced the decision, what did not and why. Support and grants to other organizations, populations and diversity can help too; leadership is 80% women, 32% 2SLGBTQIA+, 32% have disabilities, 27% racialized and 27% Indigenous.

Cameron J. Leckenby (Running for City Council)

As your Nanaimo City Councillor, I will communicate with local non-profits in advance of making decisions regarding issues that directly impact the communities that they serve. I will listen to our local non-profits and use their knowledge to make better informed decisions.

Paul Manly (Running for City Council)

Non-profit organizations should be included in the budget consultation process especially if the budget affects the programs and communities that the non-profit serves. I have worked in the non-profit sector and there is nothing worse than seeing budget decisions that have not factored in the impact that budget cuts or changes have on the core services that non-profits provide. Cutting funding without consultation can lead to unintended consequences that end up increasing the burden on city services and taxpayers.

I have an open door policy and respond to and meet with any and all non-profit organizations that want to discuss the budget with me. I encourage non-profits to come to council meetings or committee meetings as delegates so they can make their case to council and staff. It’s important for the council to hear from non-profits about the work they do.

Hilary Eastmure (Running for City Council)

The City relies heavily on many local non-profits for their expertise, knowledge, and skills, and already partners with many non-profits to deliver various programs and serve community needs. The “Not For Profit Sector Study” by Nordicity presented to the City of Nanaimo Oct 2024 includes a number of recommendations that I fully support, including enhancing program co-development. The City already has fairly strong relationships with local non-profits, but if more proactive regular meetings would be helpful I would support that, similar to the annual Nanaimo Neighborhood Association Engagement event. I am interested in hearing if there are gaps that need to be addressed, and I am committed to doing what I can as Councillor to support addressing those issues. The City can also work more closely with the Nanaimo Chamber’s Community Impact Committee, which can provide recommendations on legislation and policies, especially those that would assist local non-profits.

Erin Colleen Hemmens (Running for City Council)

Non-profit organizations often see changing community needs first, and the people doing the work every day bring expertise that should inform City decisions.

During my first term, I co-chaired Nanaimo’s Health and Housing Task Force, which brought the City together with Island Health, BC Housing, RCMP and front-line community organizations. That experience reinforced for me that good policy comes from having the right people at the table early, particularly those closest to the issue. I want that approach reflected in City planning, policy development and budget discussions when decisions directly affect the communities non-profits serve.

Engagement also has to respect organizations’ capacity. We should be clear about what input can influence, avoid duplicative consultation, and demonstrate how what we heard affected the final decision.

Marnie Boers (Running for City Council)

I know the City already works closely with many local non-profit organizations, and I would want to build on those relationships. I would do this by ensuring non-profits are at the table as we develop programs and policies that affect the communities they work with, and by creating meaningful opportunities for them to share what they see on the ground. I believe listening to lived and living experience is key to moving Nanaimo forward. Non-profits bring knowledge that comes from working alongside people every day, and that experience should help shape the decisions we make. I would also look for ways to make engagement accessible and ensure that the people and organizations contributing can see how their input informed the final decisions.

Ben Geselbracht (Running for City Council)

Non-profits should be at the table before decisions are made, not asked to react once they are. The City already has many formal and informal ways of engaging non-profit partners across sectors, but improvements can always be made. Non-profits often sit on the advisory committees and task forces that shape policy on housing, homelessness, accessibility, arts and community safety. The Homelessness Response Leadership Table and the Reaching Home Community Advisory Board show how this can work. In the arts, groups work closely with City staff through contract agreements, the grant process and engagement sessions on City Plan initiatives. The City has clear policy and a real effort to engage early and often. Even so, gaps will happen in a non-profit sector this deep and broad. I am committed to being available and open to any organization's feedback, so the City can keep improving its partnerships.

Richard Harlow (Running for City Council)

Six years on the City's accessibility committee taught me two things. Staff bring us drawings before the concrete is poured, and I'm grateful for that. And council never has to say why a recommendation went nowhere. Volunteers who gave their evenings deserve better than a shrug.

The first motion I will bring is a written council response, with reasons, to every recommendation from every advisory body. It costs a paragraph, and it tells people they were heard.

You have already built the table. I will ask council to come to it twice a year, with the fall session before the provisional budget is drafted, because that is when input can still move a number. And I will move to fund a repeat of the City's sector study in 2027, so your advocacy and council's decisions run on the same current numbers.

Meg Fyfe Watkins (Running for City Council)

My goal in office will be to help everyone in Nanaimo feel heard, and to know that their opinions are valued and taken seriously. This extends to those working in non-profit organizations, who often have strong relationships with the people and communities they serve and valuable knowledge about the challenges they are experiencing.

I’d like to see the City build stronger, ongoing relationships with the non-profit sector and make space for organizations to contribute early in the planning and policy-development process, rather than only consulting them once decisions have largely been made. This could include targeted consultation, working groups, presentations to Council, and involving relevant organizations in discussions around policies and budgets that directly affect the communities they serve.

No Response Received:

• Jeff Annesley (Running for City Council)
• Sandy Bartlett (Running for City Council)
• Mark Richard Chandler (Running for City Council)
• Malcolm Cooke (Running for City Council)
• Shane Crawley (Running for City Council)
• Ryan Djakovic (Running for City Council)
• Joe Figel (Running for City Council)
• Anita Gail Greer (Running for City Council)
• Derek Hanna (Running for City Council)
• Steven Mark Johns (Running for City Council)
• Max Douglas MacKay (Running for City Council)
• Matthew Paris Miller (Running for City Council)
• Zaki Mohammed (Running for City Council)
• Rod Moreno (Running for City Council)
• Rob Phelan (Running for City Council)
• Frank Pluta (Running for City Council)
• Austin Seng (Running for City Council)

Candidates We Were Unable To Email:

• Bryan William Gordon (Running for City Council)
• Holden Southward (Running for City Council)

Responses from Candidates (25 Received)

Mayoral Candidates

Brunie Brunie (Running for Mayor)

As MAYOR all future housing developments would have ROOFTOP GARDENS. I would seek investment in HIGHTECH GREENHOUSES providing local healthy AFFORDABLE FOOD. I would grant the poor people living on the street a CAMPSITE WITH FACILITIES for a place of safety

Anne Marie Dryden (Running for Mayor)

These challenges are priorities in our campaign and I believe the city must look at how best to solve them using all resources available. I will look forward to looking at how the non-profit organizations see themselves improving the situation and how we can assist with that with providing spaces and funding.

Sarah Lovegrove (Running for Mayor)

I believe the City has an important opportunity to demonstrate strong leadership in the collaborative community-based response to these concurrent complex crises. The City has a responsibility to the health and wellness of its citizens; and while the provision of many of these services is outside of the scope of municipal government, the City has a leadership role to play in planning that ensures there is an evidence-based, sustainable, inclusive, collaborative, and proactive approach to finding solutions that address these challenges meaningfully and with measurable success. We can convene action and response tables that are inclusive of all non-profit organizations doing this work that promotes a cohesive and collaborative approach, prevents siloing of services and funding competition, and ensures we are effectively and efficiently meeting the needs of our community members who are most impacted while also supporting safety in neighbourhoods.

Leonard Krog (Running for Mayor)

There are so many needs with so much demand for funding, which is never enough. The nonprofits are knowledgeable about their own fields. The City needs to be aware of the recommendations of the nonprofits so that a priority of needs and budgets can be established. Again, coordination is important. As well, the information can be passed along to senior governments where applicable.

Candidates for City Council

Sheryl Armstrong (Running for City Council)

The city is already doing this. The Accessibility and Diversity Committee is one example of this. There are many initiatives underway. The United Way coordinates many of these for the city. We have to be very careful about continuing to take on Provincial downloads as we do not have the tax base to support a lot of these issues. The City also has to continue its advocacy to the senior level of governments.

Paul Van Ryssel (Running for City Council)

The City should be a strong partner and convener, while being clear about jurisdiction.

Nanaimo can influence land use, housing approvals, public safety, bylaws, parks, grants, community facilities and local partnerships. It can also bring non-profits, Island Health, BC Housing, police, businesses and other agencies together around shared problems.

However, municipalities should not be expected to replace provincial responsibilities for health care, treatment, income support or other major social services.

I would focus on defining the problem, identifying who is responsible for each part, coordinating services, removing unnecessary barriers and measuring whether programs are actually improving outcomes.

Compassion, public safety and accountability should be treated as complementary responsibilities, not competing ones.

Patrick Gunville (Running for City Council)

The City should work with non-profits that are addressing genuine community needs, but public funding must come with accountability and measurable outcomes. Taxpayers are effectively the investors in these programs, and they deserve to know what their money is achieving. I would prioritize partnerships that can demonstrate real results, continuously measure their effectiveness and adapt when an approach isn’t working.

Jackie Bolen (Running for City Council)

The City can't solve homelessness, housing insecurity, poverty, food insecurity, or social isolation alone, and non-profits are already doing the frontline work that makes any real progress possible.

I see the City's role as an active partner: facilitating access to land, permits, and City facilities; coordinating through existing programs like HEART and HEARTH; and advocating to the province for the sustained funding these organizations need to keep operating.

I'll also continue to support organizations already doing this work, like Nanaimo Foodshare, Loaves and Fishes, and community gardens on the food security side, and outreach and housing-focused non-profits on the homelessness side.

Angela Hope Waldick (Running for City Council)

The City should use the municipal tools it actually controls: zoning and land-use planning, affordable housing partnerships, community facilities, grants, public spaces, local food initiatives and community safety programs. We can also bring non-profits together with BC Housing, Island Health, businesses and senior governments to coordinate solutions instead of working in silos.

I would support a municipal action plan with clear priorities, responsible partners, timelines, measurable outcomes and regular public reporting. Municipal funding should be predictable where possible, but accountable, with reporting that demonstrates community benefit without burying small organizations in paperwork. The City cannot solve poverty, healthcare or homelessness alone, nor should municipal taxpayers be expected to replace provincial or federal responsibilities. Our role is to use municipal tools strategically, advocate for senior-government investment, remove local barriers and build partnerships that help people move toward greater stability and independence.

Ken Bennett (Running for City Council)

helping by joining beside organizations in times of crisis where possible

Andrew Merilees (Running for City Council)

The City of Nanaimo should play an advocacy role in areas where it does not have sole jurisdiction and use its political influence to bring together stakeholders to address these challenges.

Paul Chapman (Running for City Council)

At roundtable meetings the non-profits and the City could discuss the ways they might support each other through financial and in-kind support of service delivery.

Bill McKay (Running for City Council)

The City should establish roundtable meetings to connect with non-profits, as well as municipal and provincial service providers that are all working to addressing issues such as homelessness, housing insecurity, and food insecurity. Meeting annually—and ideally twice a year—would foster collaboration, improve service delivery, and avoid duplication of services if there is not an identified need.

The City should also advocate with the provincial and federal governments to reduce red tape and simplify the application process for assistance and grants.

Janice Perrino (Running for City Council)

We do so much already by supporting groups to feed people, give them shelter, provide ongoing support and give peer support. Most people don't realize the hundreds of thousands of dollars we give to keep a lid on our social disorder problems.

Bryant Marshall (Running for City Council)

The City should be a partner, convener and facilitator working with non-profit organizations that understand local needs and are already delivering services in the community. Municipal government cannot solve homelessness, housing insecurity, poverty or food insecurity alone, nor should it replace provincial or federal responsibilities.

I would support bringing non-profits, City staff, Indigenous partners, businesses and senior governments together to coordinate resources, share information and identify practical gaps in services. Where municipal funding or facilities can make a measurable difference, the City should provide transparent and accountable support.

My arts, culture and community platform is about creating stronger connections and ensuring people have opportunities to participate and belong. Arts, culture, recreation and community organizations can also help reduce social isolation and build healthier communities.

We need to listen to organizations on the ground, work collaboratively and focus municipal resources where they can achieve meaningful local results.

Ian Thorpe (Running for City Council)

As in the answer above, I believe that improved coordination by the major non-profits organizations is the key. There are many needs and challenges in the community, and City budget decisions are based on recognized priorities. The non-profits could assist in presenting a comprehensive list of recommendations for Council to consider. This would also be useful in advocacy to senior governments. We know there are many needs, and a limited amount of taxpayer money available, so we must make sure it is used as fairly and effectively as possible.

Andréa Coutu (Running for City Council)

Non-profits are often closest to those suffering gaps. They bring expertise, relationships and community trust not easily replicated. They should be partners, not just who we call in a crisis.

Social services, health, faith-based, housing and community development organizations represent 65% of Nanaimo’s non-profits, suggesting inequities and intergovernmental pressures.

The City can convene organizations/government, report, consider access to City space/land, reduce administrative barriers, support community grants, and use procurement and partnerships to strengthen local capacity. Nonprofits should be involved early enough to help shape planning, not consulted as an after thought post decisions.

City government cannot replace the Province. Council should advocate strongly for health care, treatment, housing, income and supports while focusing city resources where they maximize impact.

I support tracking partnership results for housing, food security, social isolation, access to space and services, and prevent crisis. A strong community sector upholds Nanaimo’s social infrastructure.

Cameron J. Leckenby (Running for City Council)

I will advocate that the City of Nanaimo support non-profits in responding to the housing crisis, local food insecurity and social isolation. I will also use my experience working for two federal Members of Parliament and a BC Member of the Legislative Assembly to navigate the bureaucracies of the federal and provincial governments to secure more funding for Nanaimo’s non-profits.

Paul Manly (Running for City Council)

The City of Nanaimo works closely with non-profit organizations that are responding to the complex community needs related to homelessness, poverty, food insecurity and social isolation and has been doing so for years. The city has purchased and provided land for the new Loaves and Fishes warehouse and for BC Housing supportive housing and temporary housing projects. The City funds the NFLA Shower program at Celedonia Park and has funded and provided spaces for warming and cooling centres. The city funded and supported a Hub and has funds on hold when a new appropriate location is identified. The City provides funding for rental supplements and to the rent bank. All of this work needs to continue.

City staff and council take part in the Nanaimo Community Advisory Board for Reaching Home funding and staff are part of the Acute Response Table.

Hilary Eastmure (Running for City Council)

The City is already relying heavily on non-profit organizations to deliver basic services and address critical needs for vulnerable community members. We need to ensure we are funding this important work, however many of these issues also represent direct downloads from upper levels of government, which are ultimately responsible for addressing things like housing insecurity and poverty. So we also need to continue advocating strongly to upper levels of government in partnership with local non-profits to bring adequate funding to our community and the province to address dire issues. However, in the meantime, we can’t let people suffer, so it’s important for the City to continue directing funding responsibly to serve these needs, while at the same time acknowledging that we cannot possibly provide the amount of funding that would truly be required to properly address these issues.

Erin Colleen Hemmens (Running for City Council)

Non-profit organizations are seeing both greater demand and increasingly complex needs. Whether they are serving seniors, youth, families experiencing food insecurity, or people facing homelessness, mental-health and substance-use challenges, front-line organizations are often where the growing pressures in our community are felt first.

The City has an important role as a partner, but it cannot replace the responsibilities of senior governments. Housing, health care, mental-health care and substance-use treatment require sustained provincial and federal investment.

Municipally, we can work closely with non-profits to understand changing needs, reduce barriers to their work, support practical local solutions and advocate together for the resources our community requires. We can also use our convening role to bring governments, service providers and community organizations together.

The goal should be a strong local network in which organizations are able to focus on what they do best while all orders of government, including municipalities, fulfil their responsibilities.

Marnie Boers (Running for City Council)

The City needs to be a supportive and collaborative partner to the non-profit organizations already doing this work in our community. We have growing and increasingly complex needs, and we won’t always make everyone happy, but we have a responsibility to ensure people have access to basic needs like shelter while also working upstream to prevent homelessness and housing insecurity. Social isolation is an important part of this conversation, especially during emergencies. During events like a heat dome, people who are isolated can be particularly vulnerable, so we need strong community connections to help reach people who may otherwise be alone. I know the City is already doing work in this area, and social prescribing is another promising tool for connecting people to community and breaking down barriers to isolation. We should continue supporting non-profits doing this work and look for ways to strengthen these connections.

Ben Geselbracht (Running for City Council)

The City should work closely with non-profits to meet rising needs in our community. The City holds important tools: funding, land, zoning, facilities, the power to bring partners together and a strong voice to advocate for senior government support. We should use these tools in every way possible, and we have over my terms on council. Council has funded increases to rent subsidy programs, pre-zoned for Social Housing, made more accessible subsidized recreation passes, and co-funded the Nanaimo Homelessness Hub (which we are now working to find a new location). The City works closely with service providers through the Homelessness Response Leadership Table and the Reaching Home Community Advisory Board, and keeps pressing senior governments for the resources we need. On housing, I want the City to put more resources and capacity behind a community effort, partnered with non-market providers, to coordinate the development of non-market housing at scale.

Richard Harlow (Running for City Council)

I spent the Christmas week of 2016 volunteering at the overdose prevention site in the City Hall parking lot. Everyone who came in was somebody's kid. DAWN Canada told the National Housing Council this summer that disabled people are four times as likely to be homeless. My community is in your line.

The City does not fund health care or shelter. It holds land, zoning and permits. The 2021 Health and Housing Action Plan was a five-year roadmap. Its five years are up, and last November council defunded the organization built to run it. I will ask council, in writing, who holds it, and push for your seat at the next one.

In my first month I will move to offer a city-owned site for the year-round Hub, with accessible beds above BC Housing's five per cent, and an express permit lane for non-profit, co-op and Indigenous housing.

Meg Fyfe Watkins (Running for City Council)

Homelessness is a community issue that requires all levels of government to work together. We have evidence-based approaches that can significantly reduce homelessness and improve people’s health, stability, and quality of life, but those solutions require sustained commitment and coordination.

Nanaimo should be partnering with and advocating for organizations that provide evidence-based, trauma-sensitive and accessible services, including Housing First, harm reduction, recovery-focused, and preventative approaches. We need to meet people where they are as they look for pathways to stability, so we need to support a variety of services that meet people where they are.

The City also has an important role to play in bringing organizations and other levels of government together, supporting the development of appropriate housing and community spaces, and advocating for the provincial and federal resources needed to address the underlying causes of homelessness. I believe we can reduce homelessness while also reducing pressure on emergency health and policing services, which will improve outcomes for the whole community.

No Response Received:

• Jeff Annesley (Running for City Council)
• Sandy Bartlett (Running for City Council)
• Mark Richard Chandler (Running for City Council)
• Malcolm Cooke (Running for City Council)
• Shane Crawley (Running for City Council)
• Ryan Djakovic (Running for City Council)
• Joe Figel (Running for City Council)
• Anita Gail Greer (Running for City Council)
• Derek Hanna (Running for City Council)
• Steven Mark Johns (Running for City Council)
• Max Douglas MacKay (Running for City Council)
• Matthew Paris Miller (Running for City Council)
• Zaki Mohammed (Running for City Council)
• Rod Moreno (Running for City Council)
• Rob Phelan (Running for City Council)
• Frank Pluta (Running for City Council)
• Austin Seng (Running for City Council)

Candidates We Were Unable To Email:

• Bryan William Gordon (Running for City Council)
• Holden Southward (Running for City Council)

Responses from Candidates (25 Received)

Mayoral Candidates

Brunie Brunie (Running for Mayor)

Arts and culture are the backbone of civilization l would do all possible to keep it vibrant

Anne Marie Dryden (Running for Mayor)

I believe supporting the arts, culture and community is critical to a functional vibrant city. I have long had a desire to form an arts center for youth for example, modeled after the Boston Artists For Humanity and the Winnipeg Graffiti Arts Programming. These centers attract youth struggling with how to fit in and move forward in life as well as some very clear in their direction. These organizations teach entrepreneurship, event planning, artistic training, marketing and team spirit. I was deeply touched when I visited each of theses centers and have long thought such a project in Nanaimo would be great. I contemplated the name Radical Arts Program, RAP. We have many great non-profit orgs here that will need funding and I am in favour of anything that can help the vulnerable or disadvantaged.

Sarah Lovegrove (Running for Mayor)

The unique and growing arts and culture scene in Nanaimo is what makes this community so special to residents, welcoming to newcomers, and attractive for tourism. To promote economic, social, and cultural expansion in our community, we need to be investing in and supporting our local arts and culture organizations, thereby supporting local artists, musicians, and makers. The City has the option to explore vacancy taxation options to incentivize the use of long-standing empty private buildings and spaces for local artists, musicians, organizations, and small businesses. We should also be collaborating with all levels of government to invest in creating and maintaining public art spaces and music venues to support local artists and a growing arts scene in our community.

Leonard Krog (Running for Mayor)

The City should do their best to establish facilities for, culture and community life to thrive. Examples would be the Port theatre, the museum, the art gallery, community centres and the like. The operating side of these facilities end users varies. Some require assistance in operating funding and some are self funding. The City should try to assist if possible. This sector of Nanaimo life should be considered a priority as it has many attractions for quality of life for citizens both current and future. It helps build the community

Candidates for City Council

Sheryl Armstrong (Running for City Council)

Again the City does this through grants and the funding of the Port Theater, OV Theater, Nanaimo Art Gallery.

Paul Van Ryssel (Running for City Council)

Arts, culture and community organizations contribute to quality of life, community identity and the local economy. The City has a role in creating the conditions for that sector to thrive through transparent grant programs, access to facilities and public spaces, partnerships, events and a planning environment that supports cultural activity. I would favour support that has clear criteria, demonstrates public benefit and is evaluated over time, rather than assuming that every worthwhile organization must be funded directly by the City. I would also look for opportunities to connect arts and culture with downtown vitality, tourism, neighbourhood events and community connection. A healthy cultural sector should be viewed as part of a livable and economically vibrant city, while still being subject to the same expectations for responsible spending and accountability as other municipal priorities.

Patrick Gunville (Running for City Council)

Arts, culture and community life are part of what makes a city enjoyable, vibrant and worth calling home, and they deserve support. But sustainable support ultimately depends on a strong economic foundation—we need to do the hard work of attracting investment, creating jobs and growing our tax base so we can afford the amenities and cultural experiences that enrich our community.

Jackie Bolen (Running for City Council)

Arts and culture organizations deserve similar support to the non-profit sector: affordable and predictable access to City spaces and venues, so events, performances, and programs aren't priced out by market rental rates. A vibrant arts and culture sector strengthens Nanaimo socially and economically, and the City's role is to make its own facilities genuinely accessible to the organizations doing that work.

Angela Hope Waldick (Running for City Council)

Arts, culture and community organizations are not just nice extras. They are part of Nanaimo’s identity, quality of life and economy, supporting artists, venues, festivals, tourism, local businesses and jobs. The City’s role should be to create the conditions for this sector to thrive, while being responsible with taxpayer dollars. That can include predictable grants, affordable access to City-owned facilities, support for events and cultural spaces, streamlined permitting, and protecting heritage and community assets. I would also look at arts and culture through an economic-development lens. A vibrant cultural sector attracts visitors, supports local businesses, creates employment and helps make Nanaimo a place where people want to live, work and invest. The City should work with artists, cultural organizations, businesses, tourism and senior governments to identify barriers and opportunities, with clear outcomes for municipal investments. We do not need City Hall producing the art. We need City Hall helping create the conditions where Nanaimo’s creative economy can grow.

Ken Bennett (Running for City Council)

helping by joining beside organizations where possible to encourage and promote growth

Andrew Merilees (Running for City Council)

The City of Nanaimo should promote and support community groups, organizations and events dedicated to forwarding a cohesive and inclusive community. It should also support events designed to increase the knowledge, betterment and enlightenment of Nanaimo's citizens.

Paul Chapman (Running for City Council)

I think that support for our arts and culture is money well spent. The arts generate 10s of millions of dollars in economic activity as well as creating a culture that attracts employers and people to our community.

Bill McKay (Running for City Council)

The City plays an important role in sustaining a vibrant arts, culture, and community sector. It already provides strong support and should continue ensuring that every generation in Nanaimo can experience and participate in these essential aspects of cultural and community life.

Janice Perrino (Running for City Council)

Again, we do a great deal to support Nanaimo's social, cultural and economic life. I believe we need to keep doing this important work.

Bryant Marshall (Running for City Council)

The City should be a partner, supporter and facilitator in building a vibrant and sustainable arts, culture and community sector. These organizations bring people together, create opportunities for participation, support local businesses and contribute to Nanaimo’s identity and quality of life. I would support predictable and transparent funding, affordable access to municipal facilities, community hubs and public spaces, and partnerships that help local artists, performers and community organizations succeed. I would also encourage the City to connect organizations across the arts, cultural, business and community sectors to create more opportunities for collaboration. As President of The Artists Collective, I understand firsthand the challenges local artists and organizations face in finding space, resources and audiences. Arts and culture are not an afterthought, they are part of what makes Nanaimo a community. My goal is to help create more opportunities for people to create, participate, connect and contribute.

Ian Thorpe (Running for City Council)

I believe the City should play an active role in supporting a vibrant arts and culture sector in our City, and I also believe that this brings a good return on investment. We do assist many facilities to operate, such as the Port Theatre, museum, military museum, art gallery, etc. through culture and event grants and co-management agreements. Finding space is a challenge for all groups. For me it is a priority to assist arts and culture groups when we can, but also to encourage them to make efforts to become more self-sufficient.

Andréa Coutu (Running for City Council)

Arts, culture and community organizations help make Nanaimo a place people want to live, visit, invest and belong. Part of our economy, they support jobs, businesses, tourism, downtown vitality and creative industries. The City should be a strong partner without trying to direct the sector. The City can offer stable, transparent community grants, affordable access to City spaces, reduce unnecessary administration, and involve organizations early in planning. We can explore City purchasing, partnerships, public art and events to create more opportunities for local artists and organizations. I support exploring creative asset management to activate underused spaces, enable temporary uses and pop-ups, encourage shared spaces and community hubs, and helping organizations collaborate rather than each building the same administrative capacity. We should measure how investments work, through attendance, participation, accessibility, economic activity, neighbourhood vitality and whether people see themselves reflected. Nanaimo needs places to gather, create, celebrate and belong.

Cameron J. Leckenby (Running for City Council)

Nanaimo’s local arts and culture community organizations are very important to me. I have a Bachelor of Arts in Art History & Visual Studies from the University of Victoria, and I serve as a Board Director for the Nanaimo Art Gallery. As your Nanaimo City Council, I will work to expand access to arts and culture programs in our community. For example, the Nanaimo Art Gallery offers Art Labs for youth to make art and learn various artistic skills. I will work to ensure that residents of all socio-economic backgrounds have equitable access to arts and culture programming, because our society benefits when people express their creativity. I also support including more local artists and musicians in cultural projects led by the City of Nanaimo. As someone who grew up in Nanaimo, I will work to ensure that Nanaimo remains a vibrant place to live and visit.

Paul Manly (Running for City Council)

According to studies, each $1 invested in the cultural sector provides a $4 return on investment: creating jobs, building infrastructure, attracting tourism, and making our communities richer, more enjoyable places to live. The City of Nanaimo has a range of Arts and Culture grants including for special events and operating. I support adding incremental increases to that funding to keep up with inflation. Allowing for multi-year operating funding for established non-profits with solid track records would lower the administrative burden for both the organization and the city while creating financial stability. The city should continue to increase the spaces in the community for arts and culture including more mini-amphitheaters in our parks like the ones being constructed at Beban Park and the boat basin. I would like to see a new art gallery, cultural centre and a large amphitheatre on the waterfront included in the 1 Port Drive development project.

Hilary Eastmure (Running for City Council)

The City has a very important role to play with respect to supporting arts, culture, and community organizations. These are the organizations that make our community more liveable, fun, interesting, and beautiful, both for the people who live here and for visitors and tourists. These sectors are also key economic drivers, while also enhancing our overall quality of life, advancing social justice, providing opportunities for youth, and creating opportunities for social cohesion and cultural exchange. Protecting and enhancing the City’s current level of investment in supporting these sectors is very important to me, because I understand how they’re deeply connected to our collective wellbeing and success as a thriving and growing City. The same way maintaining and building basic infrastructure (like roads and water mains) is central to the City’s work, I see these sectors as critical social infrastructure that has a huge impact on our lives.

Erin Colleen Hemmens (Running for City Council)

Nanaimo is rich in arts and culture. Individual artists and creators, community groups and festivals, and established institutions — including galleries, libraries, archives, museums and the Port Theatre — contribute to a cultural life that is distinctly Nanaimo. Together, they strengthen our sense of place and local economy. During my first term, Council strengthened support through multi-year operating grants to key cultural organizations, giving them greater stability to plan and leverage other funding. I want to continue building on that approach. We also need to plan for growth. Nanaimo Art Gallery has outgrown its current home and is working toward a larger, purpose-built facility. I support continuing the City’s partnership, recognizing that it will require collaboration across governments and the community. After eight years on the Vancouver Island Regional Library Board, including three as Chair, I am deeply committed to strong public institutions and places where people gather, participate and experience community.

Marnie Boers (Running for City Council)

The City plays an important role in ensuring arts, culture, and community programs are accessible to all residents. Arts and culture are a big part of what makes Nanaimo a vibrant community and also contribute to our tourism economy. I hosted a community booth at the Chinese Lantern Festival to bring people together, celebrate our community's diversity, and add to Nanaimo’s tourism appeal. The City can support a strong, sustainable sector by investing in community spaces, supporting local organizations and events like the Jazz Fest and the Fringe Festival, and ensuring opportunities are accessible to all residents across Nanaimo. I also think we should recognize the important role these organizations play in building connection.

Ben Geselbracht (Running for City Council)

Arts, culture and community groups make Nanaimo a place people want to live, work and visit, and they bring real economic benefits. The City's role is to provide stable support. That means operating grants that organizations can count on year to year, well-maintained cultural and recreation facilities, and simpler permits and lower barriers for festivals and events. Over two terms, I have supported major facility upgrades, operating grants and new ideas such as the Van Gogh installation pilot. Next, I want downtown to grow as Vancouver Island's economic, cultural and educational centre, with more space for artists and community groups to create, perform and gather. Culture should also be part of how we plan neighbourhoods, through public art and gathering places that bring people together.

Richard Harlow (Running for City Council)

I am a painter. I paint in high-contrast colours, with textures built into the canvas to be touched, because I lost most of my sight in 2010 and still wanted the work. Culture is how I got a life back. Many people in your programs could say the same. This year the culture and events grants had about $705,000 to give against $930,000 in requests. That gap is cancelled shows and unpaid artists. The last cultural plan ran out in 2020.

I will move for the next cultural plan to be written with the sector, with the grant envelope reviewed against the ask and a three-year operating option so a company can plan ahead. I will back the Art Gallery's search for a building people can get into. Every City-owned stage gets a route onto it. A performer who uses a wheelchair cannot get onto the Beban stage.

Meg Fyfe Watkins (Running for City Council)

Arts, culture, and community organizations play an important role in creating vibrancy across neighbourhoods; while Nanaimo’s downtown core is an important centre for arts and culture, there are also opportunities for this type of programming throughout the city. I believe the City should continue to support and promote projects that highlight arts and culture in our city, from shows at the Port Place Theatre to local art on our street banners.

Arts and culture bring people together, and help make Nanaimo an attractive place to live, visit and invest in. We can support this sector by platforming local artists and organizations, making City-owned spaces available for community use, and creating more affordable and accessible spaces where arts and community organizations can operate.

No Response Received:

• Jeff Annesley (Running for City Council)
• Sandy Bartlett (Running for City Council)
• Mark Richard Chandler (Running for City Council)
• Malcolm Cooke (Running for City Council)
• Shane Crawley (Running for City Council)
• Ryan Djakovic (Running for City Council)
• Joe Figel (Running for City Council)
• Anita Gail Greer (Running for City Council)
• Derek Hanna (Running for City Council)
• Steven Mark Johns (Running for City Council)
• Max Douglas MacKay (Running for City Council)
• Matthew Paris Miller (Running for City Council)
• Zaki Mohammed (Running for City Council)
• Rod Moreno (Running for City Council)
• Rob Phelan (Running for City Council)
• Frank Pluta (Running for City Council)
• Austin Seng (Running for City Council)

Candidates We Were Unable To Email:

• Bryan William Gordon (Running for City Council)
• Holden Southward (Running for City Council)

Responses from Candidates (24 Received)

Mayoral Candidates

Brunie Brunie (Running for Mayor)

Trees are the MOST POWERFUL WEAPON AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE every tree is a blessing and I will save as many as possible

Anne Marie Dryden (Running for Mayor)

My priorities are: Lowering taxes, solving addiction and homelessness, providing transparency, supporting small business and making house building easier. I'm all about people and will want to hear from all who support the Nanaimo residents and especially the unhoused who need our love and support most of all.

Sarah Lovegrove (Running for Mayor)

I wholeheartedly support and believe in the work being done by our local non-profit sector. Non-profit organizations deeply understand the issues our community members are facing, and they deserve a powerful voice at the planning and decision-making table. I look forward to building meaningful relationships with our local non-profits and supporting the important, life-saving work being done on the frontlines of our community.

Leonard Krog (Running for Mayor)

It would be helpful if there was more coordination and leadership in the nonprofit sector. This could help the city be more knowledgeable and able to help. Perhaps some central provision of services could assist smaller organizations in the sector thrive

Candidates for City Council

Sheryl Armstrong (Running for City Council)

Economic growth is needed. We need to attract and retain businesses. We need industrial development which pays a much larger tax and this will help with funding many of these programs and initiatives.

Paul Van Ryssel (Running for City Council)

My priorities are responsible spending and accountability, safer and more livable neighbourhoods, responsible growth and economic development, and rebuilding trust through better listening and clearer reporting. I believe Council should ask what public need is being addressed, what the full cost is, how residents will benefit, and how success will be measured. Non-profit organizations can be important partners in that work, particularly where they bring expertise, community trust and direct experience. I would welcome those perspectives while keeping responsibility for municipal decisions, costs and outcomes clear.

Patrick Gunville (Running for City Council)

The non-profit sector’s long-term survival depends on a strong private-sector economy. Candidates can promise more funding, but without investment, development, good-paying jobs and a growing tax base, those promises are not sustainable. My priority is strengthening the economic foundation that makes reliable funding for community organizations possible in the first place.

Jackie Bolen (Running for City Council)

My two main priorities are food security and the environment. I will vote on all matters in light of these things. If we don't have clean land, air, and water, we essentially have nothing.

Angela Hope Waldick (Running for City Council)

I want Nanaimo’s non-profit sector to know that I see you as partners in building a stronger community, not simply as organizations coming to City Hall asking for money. My priorities are accountability, sustainability and practical collaboration. I want to make it easier for organizations to understand what the City can actually do, access appropriate municipal resources, participate meaningfully in decisions, and know how their input and public funding are being used. I also want to recognize the reality facing smaller organizations. Many are doing remarkable work with limited staff, volunteer capacity and increasingly complex demands. Accountability should protect public dollars without creating a paperwork Olympics that only large organizations can win. Over the next four years, I would focus on building stronger relationships, making better use of City-owned assets, improving communication and coordinating with provincial and federal partners where their responsibilities intersect with local needs. Most importantly, I will listen. I won't promise that the City can fix everything, but I will promise to be clear about what we can do and then work to get it done.

Ken Bennett (Running for City Council)

encouragement and a team approach brings success

Andrew Merilees (Running for City Council)

As a councilor I will commit to open, respectful and thoughtful dialogue to make Nanaimo a safe, vibrant, and welcoming city where its citizens are able to find purpose, express themselves and work towards the betterment of our community.

Paul Chapman (Running for City Council)

I work for an environmental non-profit and I am aware of the crucial roles that NGOs fill in our community. Without NGOs and volunteers our community would be missing some critical services and community building initiatives.

Bill McKay (Running for City Council)

One of my priorities is supporting the Royal Canadian Legion develop housing for seniors and veterans. This is one of many projects the City should fully support to expand affordable housing. I support continued development of non-market housing for Nanaimo’s “missing middle”, individuals working for minimum-wage workers or single-parents with lower paying jobs, those that who cannot afford high rents. I also want to strengthen communication and collaboration between the City and the non-profit sector.

Janice Perrino (Running for City Council)

Keep up the great work you're doing.

Bryant Marshall (Running for City Council)

I want Nanaimo’s non-profit sector to know that I see you as partners in building a stronger community. As President of The Artists Collective, a non-profit theatre company, I understand firsthand the passion, volunteer hours and limited resources that organizations contribute to Nanaimo. Over the next four years, I would work to improve access to affordable space, create more predictable and transparent funding opportunities, strengthen collaboration and ensure non-profits have a meaningful voice in City planning and decisions that affect their work. Arts, culture and community organizations bring people together and I want City Hall to be a partner in helping them thrive.

Ian Thorpe (Running for City Council)

The non-profit sector is crucial to our community. I think the City needs to be better educated on the various groups, services provided, perceived priorities, and costs involved. Ideally this education can be presented in a coordinated manner that allows for more informed and fair decision-making on providing financial support with tax dollars and advocacy.

Andréa Coutu (Running for City Council)

Community impact supports a future that is affordable, safe, inclusive and economically resilient, where people find housing, move around, meet needs, enjoy nature/greenspaces, thrive in arts and recreation, build businesses and careers, feel joy and get support throughout their lives. Non-profits are tasked with doing more amidst rising costs, limited space, unstable funding, staffing challenges and increasing complexities. I support exploring: a social innovation and knowledge transfer incubator; a commissary kitchen to support small business and cultural foods; expanding LEAP and a post-secondary “U-Pass” to include transit and nonprofits; and an annual borrowable library “Nanaimo experience pass” for all.

Cameron J. Leckenby (Running for City Council)

I am concerned about the number of recent employee layoffs in Nanaimo’s non-profit sector. Every time that a long-time non-profit employee is laid-off, our community runs the risk of losing their knowledge and experience. As your Nanaimo City Councillor, I will work to secure more provincial and federal funding to support Nanaimo’s local non-profits that provide good living wage jobs to people who care deeply about our community and the work that they do.

Paul Manly (Running for City Council)

A city study shows that in Nanaimo, non-profits contribute $67.5 million in economic impact annually, supporting 940 full-time equivalent jobs, and generating $53 million in labour income. The study also revealed a deeply connected and diverse workforce. Of those who identified diversity in leadership, 80% of organizations reported having women in their leadership, and 32% noted having 2SLGBTQ+ individuals in leadership roles. I have worked in the non-profit social service and arts and culture sectors. I understand the value they provide to the community and I will continue to support these sectors if I am re-elected.

Hilary Eastmure (Running for City Council)

I am committed to supporting local non-profits and learning more about their specific needs. I have referred back to the Not-for-Profit Sector Study numerous times throughout my term on Council to help inform my approach to serving Nanaimo, and I recognize the enormous amount of work and incredible contributions of our local non-profits. We would frankly not be able to function as a city without our local non-profits and I'm extremely thankful for the work of our many local organizations and the employees, volunteers, donors, and sponsors who support them. Thank you!

Erin Colleen Hemmens (Running for City Council)

The non-profit sector has been a significant part of my life in Nanaimo. Over the past 15 years, I have worked with and for non-profit organizations in community health, housing and food security, and I currently volunteer on the Board of Loaves & Fishes Community Food Bank. That experience has given me enormous respect for this work and an understanding of how much our community relies on it. Over the next four years, I want the City to be a reliable and respectful partner: listening to the sector, recognizing its expertise and working together to build a strong, connected community.

Marnie Boers (Running for City Council)

Thank you for all you do in community. I know the Nanaimo Foundation has a huge impact and I appreciate all your work.

Ben Geselbracht (Running for City Council)

My top priority is building homes people can afford, at scale, with non-profit housing providers as core partners. I will keep pushing for a coordinated health, housing and safety response, so people move off the street and into care. I also want to keep everyday costs down for families and seniors. Many great non-profits are already partnered with the City, and I want those partnerships to grow.

Richard Harlow (Running for City Council)

I was born and raised in Nanaimo, and most of what I know about this city I learned inside your organizations, as staff, on boards, as a volunteer and as a client. I own Blind Eye Works, an accessibility consultancy and art practice, and I'm a member of the Greater Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce. If I lose, the policies do not die. I will keep bringing them through the accessibility committee and the relationships I already have with City staff. What I'm asking you for is a working relationship on policy, whatever happens on October 17.

richardharlow.ca

No Response Received:

• Jeff Annesley (Running for City Council)
• Sandy Bartlett (Running for City Council)
• Mark Richard Chandler (Running for City Council)
• Malcolm Cooke (Running for City Council)
• Shane Crawley (Running for City Council)
• Ryan Djakovic (Running for City Council)
• Joe Figel (Running for City Council)
• Meg Fyfe Watkins (Running for City Council)
• Anita Gail Greer (Running for City Council)
• Derek Hanna (Running for City Council)
• Steven Mark Johns (Running for City Council)
• Max Douglas MacKay (Running for City Council)
• Matthew Paris Miller (Running for City Council)
• Zaki Mohammed (Running for City Council)
• Rod Moreno (Running for City Council)
• Rob Phelan (Running for City Council)
• Frank Pluta (Running for City Council)
• Austin Seng (Running for City Council)

Candidates We Were Unable To Email:

• Bryan William Gordon (Running for City Council)
• Holden Southward (Running for City Council)