THE WORK SO FAR
Eight years on Council have given me a close view of both the opportunities and the pressures facing Nanaimo.
Local government can be slow. Big problems rarely have tidy solutions, and progress is often incremental. But over two terms I’ve seen ideas become policy, infrastructure and services — and stronger partnerships develop to support them.
Here are some of the areas where I’m proud of our work together.
Housing and belonging
Housing has dominated much of my eight years on Council, and for good reason.
Council has changed how Nanaimo plans for housing, made City land available, examined permitting challenges, supported tools such as the Rent Bank and Rent Supplement programs, and worked with other governments and community partners to get more homes built.
There is nowhere near enough yet. We need to keep using the tools we have, advocating for the ones we don’t, and finding practical ways to house a growing city.
How we move — and how we grow
One of the things I’m proudest to have championed is safer, more accessible ways of moving around Nanaimo — sidewalks, trails, safer crossings, cycling infrastructure and stronger transit.
The changes are visible now. So are the growing pains. I don’t expect everyone to agree with every decision we’ve made, but I believe a growing city should be safe and accessible whether you are eight or eighty, walking, cycling, taking transit or driving.
Protecting what makes Nanaimo special
As Nanaimo grows, we need to plan for climate impacts and protect the parks, natural areas and systems that make our community more resilient — and make this such an extraordinary place to live.
Those considerations belong in the everyday work of planning neighbourhoods, infrastructure and growth.
A strong local economy
Serving on the Nanaimo Prosperity Corporation Board has given me a valuable window into the economic forces shaping our city.
Around that table are leaders from Snuneymuxw First Nation, the Nanaimo Port Authority, Nanaimo Airport, Vancouver Island University, the Chamber of Commerce and the City of Nanaimo. We don’t always arrive with the same perspective, but we often share the same larger goal: a prosperous Nanaimo that remains a great place to live.
I believe we can welcome investment, create good jobs and support local businesses while recognizing that our natural environment is one of Nanaimo’s greatest assets.
Working across organizations and governments
Many of the biggest issues facing Nanaimo aren’t ours to solve alone.
Over eight years, I’ve contributed to stronger working relationships with Snuneymuxw First Nation, provincial and federal governments, community organizations, healthcare partners and businesses. I’ve also had the opportunity to work beyond Council through the Vancouver Island Regional Library, the Regional District of Nanaimo and the Nanaimo Prosperity Corporation.
Good work depends on getting the right people around the table, listening carefully and finding common ground.
Difficult issues deserve serious conversations
Homelessness, addiction, mental health and community safety have been among the hardest issues of my time on Council. They affect people experiencing profound vulnerability, businesses, neighbourhoods and frontline workers — and they test the limits of what municipal government can do.
I don’t think it serves anyone to pretend there are easy answers. I do believe we have a responsibility to keep doing the work, listen to the people most affected and make the best decisions we can with the tools available to us.
Watch me at work
In June 2026, I chaired a special Governance and Priorities Committee meeting about recovery-oriented housing in Nanaimo. We heard from people with lived experience, healthcare professionals, service providers and community members about what is working — and what is missing. That meeting and long standing community conversation ultimately resulted in the provincial government respecting our request and confirming that the new units at 250 Terminal will be dry.
Listen in
In this CHLY conversation, I talked about the Hub, homelessness and the difficult balance between providing essential services and responding to the very real impacts experienced by the neighbourhood I call home.
Bike Lane Barbie
Sometimes you just have to own it.
A few years ago, during the debate over Nanaimo’s Front Street bike lanes, someone dubbed me “Bike Lane Barbie.” It wasn’t intended as a compliment, but my pals at Coal City Cycles made me some stickers and I embraced it.
The Discourse told the Bike Lane Barbie story as part of a much broader look at Nanaimo’s evolving cycling network and the work still ahead.
Read the story: How city officials and cycling advocates are addressing Nanaimo’s patchwork of bike paths
Want your own Bike Lane Barbie sticker? They are $20, and will, of course, be delivered by bike. Send me an email to get a sticker.