Nanaimo is growing.
But growth alone isn’t enough. We need a City Hall capable of delivering the infrastructure, approvals and services that growth requires.
Throughout this campaign, I’ve talked about getting City Hall back to basics, growing our commercial and industrial tax base, competing for investment, creating opportunities for six-figure jobs, and demanding measurable results for the money taxpayers spend.
It all comes back to one fundamental question:
Can our City actually deliver?
Council can approve growth in principle, but without adequate water and sewer infrastructure, employment lands, timely development approvals and the capacity to get projects built, that growth doesn’t happen.
Housing doesn’t get built because we talked about housing.
Businesses don’t invest here because we passed another motion saying economic development is important.
Infrastructure doesn’t appear because we commissioned another study.
At some point, somebody has to make a decision and deliver the result.
I work every day with businesses, investors, developers and property owners trying to make projects happen on Vancouver Island. I see firsthand what happens when infrastructure isn’t available, approvals take too long or uncertainty makes an investment impossible to justify.
The same principle applies when we talk about Nanaimo’s hospital.
I attended the Fair Care Alliance public health forum on September 24, and I heard the message loud and clear: Nanaimo needs a cardiac catheterization lab and a new patient tower.
Those decisions ultimately rest with the provincial government, but they also illustrate a larger challenge facing Nanaimo: our critical infrastructure is not keeping pace with our growth.
I’m not a health-care professional. I look at this from a business and economic-development perspective.
If we want Nanaimo to attract major employers, investment, skilled professionals and families, we need the infrastructure expected of a growing regional centre. Businesses considering a major investment don’t look only at land prices or tax rates. They look at the community around that investment: transportation, servicing, public safety, housing and health care.
City Council cannot make provincial health-care decisions, but it can be a strong advocate for Nanaimo and work constructively with other levels of government to advance our community’s interests.
More broadly, we need elected officials willing to take responsibility for the decisions that are ours to make, work effectively with others when responsibilities overlap, and focus on getting results.
We cannot keep inviting growth and then acting surprised when the infrastructure isn’t there to support it.
That means planning ahead, setting priorities and executing.
Growth requires infrastructure. Investment requires confidence. And both require leadership willing to make decisions.
I don’t believe leadership is measured by how many initiatives you supported, how many studies you requested or how many times you said the right thing.
Leadership is making decisions, delivering results and taking responsibility for the outcome.
The question should be:
What did we actually accomplish?
There will be difficult decisions. There will be criticism. Sometimes decisions will need to change as new information becomes available.
But Council still has to decide.
We need councillors who are prepared to make those decisions, measure the results and own the outcome — not continually look for someone else to take responsibility when things get difficult.
That’s what I mean when I say Back to Basics.
And now I’m asking for your help.
With 40 candidates running for eight Council seats, I don’t want to leave this election to chance. In these final weeks, I want to increase our advertising, reach more Nanaimo residents and make sure voters know there is a candidate running on these priorities.
If you believe in what this campaign is about, please consider making a personal campaign contribution.
Under Elections BC rules, the maximum contribution to a local candidate in 2026 is $1,429.70. Contributions must come from your own funds, and contributors must be B.C. residents and either Canadian citizens or permanent residents. Organizations cannot contribute.
You can e-transfer your contribution to:
Please include your full name and residential address and be prepared to provide the information required to confirm your eligibility under Elections BC rules.
Whether it’s $25, $100, $500 or the maximum, every contribution helps me reach more Nanaimo voters before Election Day.
And most importantly, please vote.
Advance Voting: October 7 and 14
General Voting Day: October 17
Nanaimo is growing. Let’s make sure our infrastructure, our economy and our City Hall are capable of growing with it.
It’s time for a City Hall that can deliver.
Patrick Gunville
Candidate for Nanaimo City Council
Less Politics. More Results.
P.S. This is the sixth and final message in my series on Nanaimo’s future. From here, aside from a few reminders about advance voting and Election Day, this is it.
Over the past several weeks, I’ve tried to lay out clearly what I believe Nanaimo needs, what we can realistically accomplish, and the kind of leadership I hope to bring to City Hall.
If these ideas resonate with you, I’d be grateful if you shared this message with a friend, neighbour or family member who cares about Nanaimo’s future.
And most importantly, please vote!
Questions? Let’s talk about Nanaimo. Get in touch ➝
