By Dominic Abassi

Thorpe, Armstrong announce re-election bids for Nanaimo Council

Jun 29, 2018 | 5:15 PM

NANAIMO — There will be at least two incumbents on the ballot in Nanaimo for this fall’s municipal election.

Current councillors Ian Thorpe and Sheryl Armstrong confirmed to NanaimoNewsNOW they intend to run for re-election. Thorpe is seeking a second term on Council, while Armstrong joined the current group last July after winning a byelection in a landslide to fill a vacated seat.

Thorpe said there’s no denying the last four years have been difficult, causing him to invest a lot of time and deep thought into his decision to run again.

“I am expecting there will be a significant change in Council for the coming term. I think that’s needed but I would also think there’s some room for some continuity and I could provide that moving forward,” Thorpe said.

Thorpe, 66, served 35 years as a teacher and administrator in Nanaimo’s school district prior to his first time in public office. He said he’s already seen great names stepping forward for the election and he wants to contribute to a “different mix” on Council.

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“Over the last four years I’ve learned a tremendous amount…The bottom line for me is it’s an honour to represent the City and I would love to be able to continue doing that for another term.”

Armstrong, 56, looks to build off a dominating win in last summer’s byelection to fill the seat left vacant when Wendy Pratt resigned. The 35-year veteran of the RCMP took nearly half of the 7,400 votes cast running against 12 other candidates.

She hoped for a new dynamic on Council, one of teammwork and respect.

“A lot of times we do come together on stuff but I think it’s always been marred by the so-called division in Council. I think we need to build on being more cohesive,” Armstrong said.

She said people seemed to appreciate her straightforward approach and open line of communication.

“I tried to keep people informed of my decisions that are controversial, all they need to do is go to my Facebook page and they’ll see why I voted the way I did. I pledge to continue to do that.”

Many people wanted an “RCMP skill set” at the Council table, she said. “There are RCMP investigations underway now into events at City Hall and I want to thank the staff that stepped up and provided the information to myself as well as the police.”

She said reestablishing a solid economic development function is critical for the City.

Coun. Diane Brennan is the only other incumbent to officially declare their intentions, announcing earlier this week she would not seek re-election. It was reported last month veteran coun. Jim Kipp would not run, however he has yet to make a public statement.

NanaimoNewsNOW emailed all remaining councillors, with Bill Yoachim saying he’s still discussing the matter with his family and Bill McKay saying he won’t make a decision until later this summer.

Nanaimo MLA Leonard Krog shook up the landscape, making a high-profile mayoral bid official earlier this month. Don Hubbard is the only other mayoral candidate at this point. Meanwhile, several other community members have already declared their intention to join the competition for councillor in October.

dom@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @domabassi