NANAIMO — Candidates for the 2022 municipal election in the city are beginning to hit the campaign trail.
The nomination period opened Tuesday, Aug. 29 and afforded candidates the opportunity to publicly declare their campaigns, platforms and begin vying for votes on Oct. 15.
NanaimoNewsNOW will provide a weekly look at all Nanaimo City Councillor candidates in the lead up to October’s vote. Beginning in late September, we will introduce more formal coverage with declared candidates including a new Vote Compass survey.
Candidates are presented below in no particular order and are included because they have publicly announced their candidacy, directly reached out to NanaimoNewsNOW and/or are listed as a candidate on CivicInfoBC with campaign information available, as of end of day Friday, Sep. 2.
Any candidate who has declared they are running, but not officially launched their campaign or provided public campaign information, will be included on future lists of candidates at the earliest possible opportunity.
Michael Ribicic
A Nanaimo school teacher who ran for office in 2018, finishing 18th in a field of 40 candidates for City Council. A life-long Nanaimo resident, Ribicic said he’s running because he wants to make a positive impact in the community.
“I want to help our citizens and our community as a whole succeed. I feel strongly that I have the energy, integrity, and experience that it takes to be an effective City Councillor,” Ribicic’s campaign website notes.
Ribicic is also a director with the Nanaimo Art Gallery, vice-president of the VIU Alumni Association board and administrative director/vice-president of the Rotary Club of Lantzville.
More on Ribicic is available on his website.
Ian Thorpe
An incumbent Nanaimo city councillor, Thorpe is seeking a third term at the Council table. He placed 6th in 2014 and 7th in 2018, where he was just one of two incumbents returned after a tumultuous time at City Hall.
Thorpe said he’s running again on a platform of financial stability.
“In this time of high inflation and cost of living, I believe that Council must focus on financial responsibility, keeping tax increases to a minimum, and staying within our mandate of providing basic services to our citizens,” Thorpe said via a release.
Thorpe works closely on various committes with the Nanaimo Port Authority, Snuneymuxw First nation and School District 68. He’s also a former chair of the Regional District of Nanaimo board.
More on Thorpe is available on his website.
Norm Smith
A first-time candidate for City Council, Smith is a former member of the Nanaimo RCMP and has served with a wide array of community groups since moving to the city in 1989. He’s worked as a coach and referee for Nanaimo Minor Hockey Association, volunteered with the 7-10 Club and been the D.R.I.V.E program instructor which is a program teaching at risk youth about safe driving.
Smith said he wants to bring the community together, not divide it over the issue of social disorder and homelessness challenges facing Nanaimo.
“I fully understand the difference between the unhoused experiencing mental health, substance abuse and poverty issues, and those who are wreaking havoc and committing crime in our community. In my opinion, our community needs to understand trauma.”
Smith is also passionate about public safety and is campaigning for a louder voice from a local level to change the criminal justice system in Canada.
More on Smith is available on his Facebook page.
Viraat BK Thammanna
Thammanna ran in 2018 and finished 29th out of 40 candidates. He is Canadian Armed Forces veteran a local business management processional with experience at McDonalds, Canadian Holiday Inn, Nortel among other companies. He is passionate about volunteering, spending the last four years essentially devoting all his time to local causes.
Thammanna wants to focus his efforts as a City councillor to closer working relationships with provincial health to solve addictions and mental health issues. He also wants to work to resolve a local shortage of family doctors.
“Nanaimo has been evolving. Our city is no longer the same old mining town that it used to be,” Thammanna’s platform reads. “Let’s put our efforts together to bring about a well balanced, positive difference in our city in a timely manner.”
Thammanna also aims to support local farmers and identify opportunities for children and youth to grow.
More on Thammanna is available on his website.
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