IAN THORPE

With recent events of violence and a sense of growing public disorder, there is no doubt in my mind that Public Safety is the main issue in the minds of Nanaimo citizens. We have an increasing population of street people, and an increasing number of property crimes. This is evident in all areas of the city, but especially in the downtown. Public concern has been directed at Council, and on January 28 there was a Nanaimo Safety Rally held in the parking lot near Dairy Queen

Last Monday evening, a main item on the Council agenda was related to 264 Nicol Street. Since April of 2022 the site has been been used as an unofficial Overdose Prevention Site operated by the Nanaimo Area of Drug Users (NANDU). This operation is a "peer support group" of volunteers who supply drugs to users at the property. It is not sanctioned or approved by Island Health, and Island Health does not oversee, manage, or have involvement in the operations of the site. Sin

Mayor Krog has made a number of appointments to important City committees for the upcoming year. To summarize... - Myself and Councillor Perrino were appointed to the Tourism Nanaimo Society Board. - Councillor Hemmens was appointed as a non-voting Director to the Nanaimo Prosperity Corporation Board. - Councillor Brown was appointed to the Nanaimo Systems Planning Organization Board. - Councillors Manly and Perrino were appointed to join Mayor Krog on the Protocol Agreement

January 11, 2023 - This past Monday, Council held a Governance and Priorities Committee meeting. The dedicated topic was Housing, with Council receiving information from staff on several aspects of this complex topic. First was an update on the City's Affordable Housing Strategy. Since its inception in 2018, progress has been made in objectives of increasing the supply of rental housing, supporting infill and intensification in neighbourhoods, diversifying housing forms,

At the last City Council meeting of 2022, Mayor Krog made several committee appointments for the coming year. Among those was the appointment of myself and Councillor Perrino as City representatives on the Tourism Nanaimo Board. This is an area of great interest to me, and an exciting assignment as the City seeks to re-establish its Tourism Nanaimo brand. Led by Chair Ian Simpson, the Tourism Board is comprised of members of the community representing various groups direct