IAN THORPE

I am humbled and grateful at having earned re-election to Nanaimo City Council for a fourth term. My sincere thanks to family, friends, and the many supporters who helped make this possible. At the same time, congratulations to the other successful candidates: Ben Geselbracht, Paul Manly, Hilary Eastmure, Sheryl Armstrong, Erin Hemmens, and newcomers Andrea Coutu and Marnie Boers. As well of course to incumbent Mayor Leonard Krog. A thank you also goes to all Nanaimo cit

I have stated often that I do not believe "slates" of candidates have a place in municipal elections. They lead to "block" voting rather that having individuals think for themselves, and are based on ideologies rather than examining all sides of an issues. They have traditionally not done well in Nanaimo. This year we have an official slate called REAL Nanaimo. And we also have an unofficial slate called Forward Nanaimo. Just today a person came to my door giving out fly

Tomorrow, October 17, is voting day in our civic election. Many has already voted in advance polls, which shows a healthy interest in our City's future leadership. I have been privileged to serve as Councillor for 12 years, and I have seen community priorities change. Eight years ago the focus was on "climate emergency", and many decisions were based on that priority. Of course we all want to protect our valued environment, but there needs to be a balance with development

There is a rule of good governance that an individual cannot publicly criticize a decision of Council. Which I agree with. However, there is nothing wrong with saying that, while you respect the will of Council, you personally disagree with the decision. That was the case several times this past term with me. Here are three examples where I was a dissenting voice and personally disagreed: 1. A motion which passed to limit the ability of new homes to connect with natural

I am hearing frustration from many people about the increasing difficulty of driving in our City. We have more people and more cars, as well as many more delivery vans or trucks trying to get around. And we are making it more difficult for them - impeding traffic flow by such things as unnecessary cement "bump-outs", eliminating right turn lanes, and narrowing roads to allow for wide boulevards and dedicated bike lanes - evening in industrial areas. We are also reducing pa

Hopefully the long weekend has allowed everyone to pause and consider how fortunate we are to live in this part of the world. Yes we have our problems like everyone else, but surely we need to be grateful for all we have: a thriving city in a beautiful part of the world, and a stable democracy which allows us to conduct civilized and fair elections. And of course we should be thankful for family and friends who mean so much. There is much to give thanks for, and it's impor

In this civic election, there seems to be a noticeable divide among many candidates. I have already stated that I don't support "slates". I like some of the REAL candidates as individuals, but overall don't support some of the group's beliefs and values. On the other hand we have a community group called Forward Nanaimo which is endorsing their group of candidates. Again, some are good people as individuals. But the group focus is entirely on Climate Emergency, saving en

Voting begins today for the upcoming municipal elections. Voters can avoid the rush and cast advance ballots from 8am to 8pm at the Beban Park Social Centre at 2300 Bowen Road. There will be another advance voting opportunity on October 14 at Beban Park, then the main voting day on October 17 at numerous locations around the city. Who is on your local City Council matters, and they make decisions that affect you directly. There are some good candidates running, and I hope

My thanks to the Dover Community Association for hosting a Council candidate forum last night at Oliver Woods Centre. Nice to see residents take an active interest in municipal politics. A dozen candidates, mainly incumbents, took part in a series of moderated questions. In his concluding remarks, I thought Mayor Krog made an excellent point: electing someone similar to hiring someone. And that means looking carefully at the person's resume - what have they contributed to

With a total of 44 candidates running for Mayor or Council, how do you decide who to vote for? Here are my personal thoughts... Try to do your homework to see what values each candidate brings. Check their website or facebook page, talk to your contacts and compare notes. I would look for candidates that give a professional appearance, and show common sense and some understanding of municipal responsibilities. Avoid one-issue candidates. Look for people who are independe