Visioning Nanaimo

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Viewpoints

A frequently held – and often mistaken – assumption is that local issues exist only locally and are exclusive to ourselves. More accurately, similar experiences and challenges are also occurring or have occurred elsewhere and have resulted in other perspectives being published and available online. Accessing this material might provide helpful information and contribute to a broader than purely local view.

Similarly, reading one perspective on how a cited article might inform our views on local issues could trigger our own analysis. For this reason, each post begins with my thoughts on why the item found elsewhere could have local relevance. The wish is to provide a context. Because the found article is the viewpoint on which each item rests, each post in “Viewpoints” ends with the link and source information for the cited article, itself.

Items are grouped into five topics that can be accessed through the drop-down menu in this page’s header. Articles frequently appear in more than one sub-category as their topics often overlap. (WordPress also shows all posts in all sub-categories on this page sorted only by date.)

Be careful when deciding your votes for Nanaimo Council

There may be no better time than an election to consider the values on which we wish to structure our communities. The article below provides a timely and relevant think-piece given the introduction of current national “populist” views by some… Continue Reading →

More than just the political landscape, this peril concerns the social fabric

It isn’t just a federal issue. Rather, it concerns the very heart of community – whether community is defined municipally, provincially, nationally, or as the global collection of humankind. This article by Charlie Angus, first published in Policy Magazine and… Continue Reading →

How we did under crisis. And will do in the future?

This article might be best read not just as an analysis of how Canadians reacted (and still react) to the ongoing pandemic, but as an object lesson predicting our behaviour during the various crises still with us and ahead. Using… Continue Reading →

How about we elect only candidates who have the moxie to fight Victoria?

By Don White Okay, full disclosure. I’m still really shocked by the lack of enshrined rights of municipalities in provincial/federal constitutions. But even more concerning is how the lack of such rights is routinely used by some provinces to effectively… Continue Reading →

Another article you won’t want to (but really should) read

To really understand the consequences of BC Public Health’s questionable abandonment of mask and distancing mandates, you should take a look at this. Off the top: “Despite strong levels of vaccination among older people, Covid killed them at vastly higher… Continue Reading →

A silent majority can mean rule by minority

It may turn out – in the end – that communities can actually benefit from the so-called “freedom” protests. Not benefit directly but benefit from more inclusive counter-reactions to the inverted flags, yelling, and parading-blockading that began with the trucker… Continue Reading →

From the Shoulders of Bonnie Henry to Yours: How the Failure of Public Health Puts the Onus on Communities

A just-published study provides evidence for what many have suspected all along. “People who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 contribute disproportionately to the risk of infection among those who have been vaccinated.” As a consequence, the authors say, the… Continue Reading →

Where there’s community will, there’s a way

Here is an impressive example of what a small community, even one within a city, can accomplish when it has the will. Bristol community secures funding to build tallest wind turbine in England. The Guardian. April 16, 2022. “Residents of… Continue Reading →

So Nanaimo Council’s big change is to opt for no change?

It was dismaying to watch Nanaimo City Council’s last regular meeting on Monday, April 4, 2022, Particularly the presentation to Council on the “State of the Nanaimo Economy” by Amrit Manhas, Economic Development Officer. And equally disturbing to read the… Continue Reading →

Not over ’til it’s over: It’s not the time to lower our defences or our caring

Two viewpoints today that are worth a read and some consideration. The first, I fled my country to find freedom in Canada. Let’s not lose sight of what freedom really means was posted by CBC News back on February 17,… Continue Reading →

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