About Matthew
Healthcare professional. Union leader. Community advocate.
When I began my career in healthcare, I was drawn to this city by the mid-island lifestyle, employment opportunities, and the natural beauty of the region. It is a story shared by many who call Nanaimo home: families relocating from the mainland to raise their children; young adults building a life and dreaming of owning a home; retirees seeking the idyllic climate on the West Coast. Over the last several years, I have worked with patients of all backgrounds at our regional hospital, and that experience gradually gave me a window into the needs of a whole community. A community who deserves to live in a city they are proud to call home.
As a volunteer in the community, I have focused my spare time on supporting our local hospital foundation to fundraise for medical equipment at NRGH, and I fully support publicly funded healthcare and social services in our province. In addition to my medical imaging position, I serve as a regional director with the Health Sciences Association of BC, representing over 2,300 healthcare and social service workers on Vancouver Island.
The combination of my front-line and governance experience has led me to a perspective that will be an asset to decision making in this community. I know what it means to be one of the voices at the table when decisions affect the people working in my industry, and I am motivated to seek election to Nanaimo City Council so I can build a coalition that can reach the consensus needed to produce consistent, meaningful change.
Nanaimo is a community that holds tremendous potential for development, tourism, and industry, yet it is stifled by outdated bylaws and a council that is hesitant to take decisive action.
In my interactions with community members, one of the themes that repeats itself is that this city's potential remains unrealized. We need a city that is focused on economic vitality through both private investment and municipal intervention when necessary. It is time to reevaluate the priorities of our city, because the current path we are following is not leading to the prosperity needed to meet the needs of the very people who depend on a thriving business environment for their livelihood.
Being a new homeowner myself, it is not lost on me that many of my neighbours feel the increasing pressure of the tax burden levied on their homes each year. Ever since I moved to Nanaimo, I have met dozens of industrious small business owners who are struggling to survive amid a homelessness and toxic drug catastrophe in the downtown core. Without a concerted effort to support these entrepreneurs, and reforms to expedite the rezoning process which will result in more taxable commercial development, residential property bears the brunt of the city's revenue shortfalls. For many of the financial issues facing our community, part of the solution is finding the political will to confront the real sacrifices that will create a real impact, and then act accordingly.
I am running for City Council to serve the residents of Nanaimo with integrity, and in doing so, I pledge to ask uncomfortable questions and make unpopular motions if that is what ensures the city does what benefits future generations, and not merely what is convenient to justify another term. Providing quality healthcare to my patients is part of my identity, and I commit to the same standard of dedication and integrity to the residents of Nanaimo.