Peter Lee
Website: www.peter4nanaimo.ca
Facebook: @peter4nanaimo
Twitter: @peter4nanaimo
Instagram: @peterfornanaimo
Other: TikTok and Youtube: @peter4nanaimo
Are you associated with or running as part of a slate? If so, which one?
No.
Do you live in the municipality where you are running, and if so, for how long? If not, what is your connection to that community?
Yes – I have been a Nanaimoite for 13 years.
What is your occupation, and for how long?
I am a recent graduate of the University of Toronto, with an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy.
Tell us about your previous elected and/or community experience.
I have been a Nanaimoite for 13 years, and I’m grateful to be a part of the Nanaimo community and to live amongst the city’s beautiful nature. I am currently a volunteer tutor with VIU and a Rotarian.
Why are you running? What’s your motivation?
I want to move Nanaimo forward – with a fresh pair of eyes to address our current issues, and to have a comprehensive vision for a more liveable future. I see city streets overrun with violent and property crime. I see our city’s housing supply unable to affordably match people’s incomes. I want Nanaimo to be a city where people are empowered within their business, career, and family – and that’s why I’m running.
What are your top three issues?
Public safety is my top priority. Our city needs to regain the confidence to work, live, and play without fear. I will take the necessary measures to tackle crime, to reclaim our streets from violent and repeat offenders.
I want to provide more affordable housing options to match people’s incomes, through encouraging high-density development and building more non-market housing for those experiencing homelessness.
I want to foster sustainable development, encouraging new transit infrastructure and evaluating city policies through a sustainable lens.
What’s your vision for your community in 25 years?
My vision is simple – I want Nanaimo to be a city where people are proud to call home. I want everyone in Nanaimo to feel safe in their homes and on the streets. I want our city’s growing housing needs to be served by more affordable options. I want Nanaimo’s future economic development to be sustainable and forward-looking. I want Nanaimo’s city government to be collaborative with our citizens, businesses, non-profit organisations, provincial government, federal government, and First Nations governments. I want Nanaimo to be a city where people are empowered to raise their family, advance their career, and to live their best life.
What’s one “big idea” you have for your community?
I want Nanaimo to have a comprehensive and cohesive approach to public safety. This will involve tackling the issue from both sides, taking a firm approach to address the symptoms of crime and looking at its root causes. The former I will tackle with more police presence downtown, improved street lighting, installation of video surveillance in crime hotspots, targeted bylaw enforcement against nuisance houses, and establishing a registry of valuable and theft-prone goods. The latter I will address through working with the province to bring more mental health and addiction funding down the pipeline, and working with non-profits to provide integrated services and lasting restorative justice.
