Tasha Brown is running for Mayor of Nanaimo in the October election, on a platform of housing, homelessness, habitat and harmony. (submitted photo/Tasha Brown)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

mayoral candidate

Long-time local resident bringing new ideas for challenges Nanaimo faces

Sep 8, 2022 | 1:13 PM

NANAIMO — A local resident for the last 35 years says her heart hurts when she sees and hears about the city’s ongoing challenges.

Tasha Brown is running as a Mayoral candidate for Nanaimo in October’s municipal election and was spurred to campaign after a reported incident in March involving a woman being robbed of money in the downtown.

Brown told NanaimoNewsNOW she read about the situation on social media and it pushed her over the edge to do something about it.

“That solidified my desire to take back our city and bring safety to our city because that could have happened to any single one of us. Since March, there has been even more horrific things happening in our city and I can’t be a bystander anymore.”

The 49-year-old Brown moved to Nanaimo with her family in 1987 as a child, when her parents bought a small store on Victoria Rd.

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She said Nanaimo was a safe place to grow up, but the situation has changed in the 35 years since.

As part of her 4H campaign platform of housing, homelessness, habitat and harmony, Brown is proposing congregating marginalized individuals into a single area to better provide support and services.

“Create somewhat like a campground facility with all the amenities in that area. This is short-term, this isn’t ideal, however at least it would be efficient and that’s the kind of person I am in my life. I’m efficient, I want to save money, I want direct action and direct solutions.”

She said having challenges related to social disorder spread through the city is stressing residents in all corners of Nanaimo and spreading emergency resources thinner and thinner.

Brown said she’s taken long looks at financial statements for the City and would advocate for a tax rate freeze for at least one year in a bid to help residents and businesses alike.

“Taxes in the last four years have gone up about 18.5 per cent, there is money in the bank. Us everyday citizens and businesses really deserve a break for everything we’ve been through.”

Her larger, more long-term goals include funding healthcare initiatives, investing in facilities and bringing back a sense of community to Nanaimo.

“I feel we really are disconnected in so many ways. I would love to be the female version of Frank Ney, because in my heart I know he had so much passion for the city and he had that balance of business sense and community sense.”

Brown said a dream of hers would be to lead an effort to bring a world-class entertainment and tourist attraction to the central Island, such as a water park.

She feels it could be something all residents could be proud of and further put Nanaimo on the map as a destination place.

“Nanaimo is the landing city. We have two ferries coming here, people land and a lot branch out from Nanaimo, they go to Tofino, Campbell River, etc. Yet here we have all these tourist dollars we are not capturing in my mind.”

Brown is currently a secondary school teacher in Parksville with School District 69 but lives in Nanaimo.

More information on Brown and her platform is available on her Facebook page.

As of publishing time, four candidates have announced their intention to seek election for Mayor of Nanaimo in October.

Leonard Krog held a public event in late August, while NanaimoNewsNOW has published a feature on Brunie Brunie, and will profile Agnes Provost on Friday, Sep. 9, along with any other declared Mayoral candidates ahead of election day.

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