Simplify (re)zoning permits and business licensing processes, and incentivize the development of $10-a-day childcare spaces; with priority for 24 hour/day, 7 days/week option for healthcare and shift workers. 

Advocate to the provincial and federal governments for a renewed commitment to affordable, nonprofit $10-a-day spaces.

Support local organizations who engage with families and children impacted by addictions, substance use and the Toxic Drug Crisis, including culturally-safe and trauma-informed grief and bereavement support. 

Support and invest in local organizations that address Adverse Childhood Experiences through evidence-based programming that enhance protective factors, mitigate risk factors, and minimize long-term impacts including, but not limited to, child and youth recreation, early learning opportunities, literacy, and life-skill development. 

Uphold the (municipal and/or provincial) commitments made to UNDRIP by ensuring that municipally-led reconciliation work is adequately resourced.

Protect and maintain SOGI 123 curriculum in public schools.

Institute an equity policy for event permitting to ensure publicly owned venues and spaces are not used to host anti-2SLGBTQIA+, racist, or otherwise discriminatory events.

Expand investment for public libraries and index this investment to inflation, recognizing the increased pressures on staff and greater utilization of public library spaces in lieu of adequate daytime cooling and warming spaces.

Offer municipally-funded learning & training opportunities to cross-sector public service providers in crisis deescalation, overdose response, and Naloxone administration, including public libraries, recreation spaces, and public-facing local businesses most impacted. 

Adequately fund and staff municipally-run and/or non-profit contracted year-round shelters, drop-in centres, outreach centres, cooling and warming spaces, and community support programs.

Expand scope of Advisory Committee on Accessibility and Inclusiveness to incorporate and recognize mental health and substance use disorder(s) as documented disabilities for consideration in committee priorities and decision-making.

Enact processes wherein the municipal government formally recognizes the realities and impacts of geopolitical violence and unrest on the wellbeing of local citizens and advocates for human rights on a global scale. 

Enact Sanctuary City policies across municipal facilities, programs, and services to ensure that all community members can access City services without being asked about their immigration status.

Explore vacancy taxation options to incentivize the use of long-standing empty private buildings and spaces for local artists, musicians, and small businesses. 

Collaborate 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.

Enhance accessibility and bikeability of the city. 

Expand free transit changes to include all students, meaningfully exploring options for free public transit for all. 

Establish a community-informed approach to identify necessary areas of improvement in efficiency, availability, and accessibility of local public transit options (for example, improving availability and accessibility of public transit between North & South Nanaimo). 

Improve the accessibility of transit infrastructure by adding benches and covers to bus stops wherever feasible.

Ensure public transit is run as a public service, not contracted out to private companies.

Advocate for collaborative Island-wide investment in advancing the multi-use function and accessibility of the Island Corridor Rail system.

Increase opportunities for working people.

Living Wage for all municipal employees and contractors.

Institute maximum safe working temperatures and air quality policies and protections for all municipal employees and contractors.

Advocate to the Ministry of Labour for maximum safe working temperature regulations and workplace protections across industries in BC.

Dedicate municipal funding to support compliance with these workplace safety standards.

Enhance municipal support for frontline and first responders, recognizing the significant changes in environmental workplace stressors, including increased risk, impact, and psychological toll of required responses. 

Invest in an adequately-staffed municipal public service to maintain reliable and timely access to public services.

Collaborate with local transit authorities and Elections BC to develop and implement mobile voting stations in both rural and urban areas.

Work with local transit authorities to ensure free public transit during elections.

Ensure that appropriate resources are dedicated to enabling voter participation of people without a fixed address or personal identification who demonstrably live within the municipality.

Advocate to extend municipal voter enfranchisement to permanent residents.

Explore options for electoral reform to reflect equitable approaches to public election processes, including (but not limited to) establishing parameters for spending on signage to mitigate environmental impact, as well as leveraging municipal power to advocate for proportional representation in both provincial and federal elections. 

Prioritize conscious partnership and intentional consultation processes with Snuneymuxw First Nation in all council decision-making processes.

Commit to engaging in equity-oriented, ethical, and evidence-based governance, decision-making, and fiscal management that is human rights-based and strengthens the social determinants of health.

Work with the community to identify barriers and improve access to governance processes for greater equity, inclusion, and transparency. 

Enhance government transparency through improved public communications, including improved use of social media, to provide sufficient public notice of events, nomination processes, and calls for public feedback and participation.

Establish a streamlined municipal public concern/complaint process to ensure concerns are heard and sufficiently addressed through the appropriate channels.

Promote public education and understanding of municipal governance and participation.

Improve tone and culture of public meetings for safety, equity, accessibility, and enhanced public participation, including the immediate removal of hierarchical title use (i.e., “Your Worship”) in municipal proceedings and workplaces. 

Reassess existing municipal budget and areas of excessive spending to fund the interventions and services our community needs without adding to the burden of individual taxpayers.

Implement a sustainable strategy to reallocate fiscal resources from areas of excessive spending toward developing and upscaling evidence-based interventions that address upstream preventative solutions to improve safety and wellness for all, while saving taxpayers money and costs in other areas such as reducing pressures on the hospital, emergency department, first responders, neighbourhoods, and local businesses.

Explore options for the municipal implementation of a progressive wealth tax. 

Utilize these long-term savings to fund much-needed infrastructure development and improvement efforts, thereby minimizing the burden on taxpayers beyond annual inflation rates as determined by the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

Ensure that every public dollar is spent effectively by shifting funding toward programs that demonstrate results.

Increase municipal investment in sustainable and inclusive youth programming, organized recreation, employment, and violence prevention initiatives.

Strengthen victim services, sexual assault supports, domestic and interpersonal violence supports, and restorative justice programs.

Expand annual compensation limits and scope of Vandalism Relief Fund to be inclusive of all businesses within the City of Nanaimo. 

Acknowledge that not every emergency requires the same type of response and advocate to the provincial government to fund 24/7 community-led crisis response teams for mental health and substance use emergencies, established through local community partners. 

In collaboration with Island Health and community partners, adopt minimum standards for overdose prevention services to enhance safety, improve consistency, and ensure greater oversight for clients, staff delivering life-saving services, and members of the community.

Ensure any municipal committees or tables that address housing and/or community safety are inclusive of people with lived and living experience with homelessness, displacement, substance use, and/or carceral practices such as involuntary care. 

Establish systems to regularly evaluate which interventions demonstrate reduction in crime, improvements in public and individual health, and enhance neighbourhood safety.