By Dominic Abassi

Councillors list priorities heading into strategic planning workshop

Jun 15, 2016 | 11:21 AM

Nanaimo city councillors are hunkering down Wednesday to identify their top capital priorities.

All of council will spend June 15th in a boardroom at VIU for a workshop designed to identify priority projects for the remainder of their term.

Mayor Bill McKay says his hope is that they come out of the meeting with half a dozen projects with priorities placed on them.

“We’ll then take them out to the community and start talking to the community and let them prioritize which ones they want to actually invest in,” said McKay.

McKay says narrowing council’s priorities will allow for more focused input from the community.

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“While some folks are into sports, other folks are into culture and other folks are into the outdoors. So now it’s going to allow us to put some focus on it based on what we know and take it out to the community. We might be quite surprised.”

Island Radio News emailed each member of council, asking them which priorities they were taking in to the workshop.

Via emailed responses, several councillors identified development of the south downtown waterfront land as a priority.

Bill Bestwick states this is the first “get together” in 20 months for an extended period to plan and prepare for future growth in the city.

Bestwick wants to encourage economic revitalization through creating passive and participatory attractions. He also wants to stimulate employment opportunities with short and long term investment in attractions.

Councillor Ian Thorpe identified upgrades to Maffeo Sutton Park as something he would like to see happen. Harewood youth park and covered sport facility, as well as downtown event centre/multiplex were on his list.

It won’t be an easy task considering how long the wish list is, according to Councillor Wendy Pratt. She identified the Beban Park Master Plan, a link to Snuneymuxw lands on Newcastle Island via Maffeo Sutton Park, sports tourism and the attraction of a mid to higher end hotel to accompany the VICC as her priorities.

Entering the meeting with “no agenda”, Councillor Gord Fuller states he wants to see a comprehensive affordable housing strategy to make Nanaimo a better place for all citizens. Fuller states he will keep an open mind to the priorities of others.

Councillor Diane Brennan highlighted a paddling centre on the Newcastle Channel, as well as a project that is “for Nanaimo”.

Councillor Jerry Hong had a top four list, including high speed fibre optic cable to Vancouver, LED lighting and a multiplex.

Councillors Kipp and Yoachim did not respond to the emailed request.