Don Hubbard

2015-2017 I was an adjudicator for the Province of BC Premiers awards. 44 years prior to this- Lafarge Canada Inc & Warren Materials Group of Canada retiring as GM, Lafarge VI North West Division.

Presently director of VIU international high school and VIU Foundation, member Nanaimo Haven Society fundraising committee, director of Queen Alexandra Foundation (Children’s Foundation.)

2006-2015 National Director & BC Senior Director of conservation for Ducks Unlimited Canada. 2007 Nanaimo Citizen of the Year.

Question 1: Describe, in detail, what you view as the most important duties associated with the role of being a councillor/mayor?

Be the political face & voice of Council, serves as the ambassador of the City. The most important duty of the Mayor is to serve, communicate and protect the interests of the citizens. Consultation, budgeting & making tough decisions in the best interests of our city.

Organize & set agenda for Council meetings, assure meetings are run in a respectful, efficient & responsible manor, make decisions, & ensure all issues are dealt with. Make the best use of the Council, staff’s time and resources.

Ensure all business requirements flow through to the one & only employee of Council- the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). It’s crucial that council does not undermine the CAO & vice-versa. Our staff cannot have 10 bosses to report to.

He must sit on various committees, task forces, etc., & must appoint appropriate councillors to various community boards to represent the city. There are a diverse amount of committees, I hope that we elect a diverse council. He has a duty to represent the City at various public functions & must act as negotiator, city advocate & spokesperson when dealing with others levels of government including RDN, provincial, federal and First Nations for the betterment of Nanaimo.

Question 2: Describe your vision for Nanaimo beyond the next four years

Nanaimo is situated in a location that is approximately 50 km from the largest economic market in western Canada. We have untapped business opportunities everywhere. With just a different mindset, some innovative thinking and a lot of hard work, we can provide opportunities for existing and new business that will in turn provide careers and meaningful employment for our residents.

Improve existing infrastructure, safety and transportation routes to reduce our carbon foot print.

Invest in alternative modes of transportation that are cleaner & more people friendly. This will make it easier for everyone especially the growing seniors and young student population.

Provide better access to public parks, green spaces, boating, fishing & hiking. Higher density in our core populated areas especially in our downtown core. Move forward with the Snuneymuxw First Nations on a community & economic front that benefits all. Build on the successes of Nanaimo Airport, our forest industries, technology, VIU, etc.

Solve housing affordability issue with more inventory, effective planning, permitting, less red tape & an improved economy. Let’s make life affordable for all citizens & remove poverty with a hand up approach.

With hard work and the will to make things happen, let’s change the reputation of this city.

Question 3: If you were making a list of your top three strategic priorities for the incoming Council to focus on over the next four years, what would they be and why?

Priority 1

Governance- respectable behavior & civility at all times regardless of the type of meeting. Provide guidance & leadership to staff by selecting a top quality Chief Executive Officer to lead the organization.

Priority 2

Improve the image of Nanaimo as a place to do business and invest. Bring back an arms length privately managed business development office. Utilize some of our greatest assets like Nanaimo Airport, Vancouver Island University, skilled labour force, accessible land & water, which will in turn

create an environment with multiple opportunities for people of all diversities & demographics.

Priority 3

Return us to a safe & happy city, where we treat our less fortunate with kindness & a helping hand up. Where we provide access and transportation for our students and our seniors. . Where we treat our minorities like a member of our community. We have culture, spirit, kindness, and openness. We sometimes we get caught up in daily negativity and that’s not my Nanaimo. We all brag about what a great place this is to live, we need to make it that way again.

Question 4: What is your strategy for dealing with the intense pressure and scrutiny placed upon elected officials, especially from those who may not agree with your decisions or viewpoints?

I have worked on many public boards and private boards. The Council must have all the known facts & if not ask for them. Never assume, ask lots of questions, seek out answers, find solutions & act in a professional manner at all times.

We must instill that old “city father/mother” image & pride back into our mayor & council. You are a leader of this city, you’re not here to represent any particular cause or group, you’re here to represent all of the citizen’s best interest. If we act like we should, we should be able to dust off any pressure or scrutiny that comes our way.

People have a different points of view, there is always another side to everything. As a council, we must never rush to judgment but we also have a duty to make a decision & can’t procrastinate or get mired down. Making decisions for our city is what we were elected to do.

There is a code of conduct for our council and we will all learn it and abide by it. It’s a thankless job which makes it hard to recruit good candidates to run and that has to change.

For respective financial information, click here.

by NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

Don Hubbard

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