City Council advocates for Nanaimo at UBCM

NEWS RELEASE - Distributed September 29, 2023 2:00 PM

The annual Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) convention took place from September 18 – 22 in Vancouver, BC. Members of Nanaimo City Council and senior City staff attended and met with Cabinet Ministers and their staff to discuss a range of topics that are a priority for the City of Nanaimo.

The City of Nanaimo brought forward one resolution on appropriate resourcing of emergency warming shelters that was endorsed.

Council met with Premier Eby, Minister of Health Adrian Dix, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Jennifer Whiteside and Island Health. Topics discussed included public safety, the 2019 Memorandum of Understanding with BC Housing, expansion plans for Nanaimo Regional General Hospital and the critical need for shelter spaces in Nanaimo. In addition, staff met with representatives from the Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation and the Ministry of Transportation.

These meetings at UBCM provide an opportunity for local governments to highlight some of the topics that matter most to their constituents and advocate for provincial support. Some key takeaways include:

• Had positive discussions regarding the 2019 MOU with BC Housing, with assurances that BC Housing will continue to work with the City to establish a site for a Navigation Centre.
• Confirmed that Council will receive regular reporting on the repeat violent offenders initiative, which had been announced by the Province in May 2023.
• Confirmed that the Ministry of Public Safety is looking to expand the Vancouver Island Integrated Crime Unit island-wide.
• Assured Council that new treatment beds will soon be announced for Nanaimo.
• Noted that the Nanaimo Regional General Hospital (NRGH) Cancer Centre, which was announced by the Province earlier this year, is a considerable investment and the Ministry of Health are considering concept plans for the delivery of other critical services.
• Assured Council that Nanaimo's healthcare needs are "front and centre" for the Provincial government.

Nanaimo City Council looks forward to continued collaboration with the Province of BC and is committed to working together with senior levels of government to address the challenges, and opportunities, for Nanaimo.

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