A Nanaimo environmental and social advocate who rarely misses an election campaign is back on the ballot.
Brunie Brunie is one of four candidates running for mayor of the City of Nanaimo.
The 80-year-old former real estate agent is running on a platform of social compassion, environmental protection, food security and active transportation.
“The city must respect the well-being of all people and the health of the planet,” she said. “A green Nanaimo is important to our future and yet every downtown public green space on unceded [First Nations] land is gated.”
She argues for a new approach to helping people experiencing homelessness, suggesting “facilitated campsites” with military-style tents and washroom and cooking facilities.
“There’s a minimum standard of living to which every human being has a claim, yet the poorest in the city have no toilets, no water, no shelter and are constantly harassed by bylaw [officers],” she said.
She would like to see active transportation improvements around the city. She envisions a car-free Commercial Street – “they’re spraying poison in the air where people sit,” she said – and wants to replace parking along streets like Stewart Avenue with lanes suitable for biking and skateboarding.
Brunie says more food has to be grown locally for food security, to combat inflation in grocery stores, and to limit the carbon footprint from produce being shipped around the world. She said she thinks there are some “really good farmers” locally who are in position to scale up their business, and she would incentivize greenhouse businesses and rooftop gardening in city limits.
She promises to rock the boat in Nanaimo with new approaches to city building and city priorities.
“The council never looks around to say, ‘we should save that’ or ‘we should save that.’ It’s all develop, development, take your bulldozer and go through,” she said. “We’ve got to stop that mentality. I will stop that mentality.”
Brunie said Nanaimo’s current mayor knows how to run a meeting, but she said it’s something she could do if given the chance, and if she falls on her face at first, she’ll pick herself up.
“I’m a strong force,” she said.
Other mayoral candidates in Nanaimo are Tasha Brown, Leonard Krog and Agnes Provost. There was a fifth candidate, Tim Dorman, who submitted nomination forms to the city, but he has since withdrawn.
Anyone running for mayor or councillor in the City of Nanaimo or the District of Lantzville, regional director in the Regional District of Nanaimo’s Area A, B, C or E, or school trustee in School District 68 is asked to contact the Nanaimo News Bulletin to set up an interview or invite us to a campaign launch event. Phone Greg Sakaki at 250-734-4621 or e-mail editor@nanaimobulletin.com.
ELECTION 2022: Candidates in Nanaimo, Lantzville, RDN and SD68
editor@nanaimobulletin.com
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