I'm Paul Manly, your Nanaimo City Councillor seeking re-election.

 

I previously served as the Member of Parliament for Nanaimo-Ladysmith and have extensive governance experience as a non-profit executive director, manager and board member. As a filmmaker, local business owner and community advocate, I'm committed to working hard for our community, using my skills and experience to make a positive difference. I was born and raised on Vancouver Island and I am the third generation of my family living in the Nanaimo area. I’ve lived and worked in other parts of Canada but returned to Nanaimo 25 years ago to raise my family. 

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Our community faces significant challenges that demand action. We have an affordable housing and homelessness crisis. Community safety is a big concern. In recent years, we've seen how trade disputes, supply chain disruptions, and climate change make us vulnerable to shortages of food and the rising cost of imported goods. Addressing these issues requires a deep understanding of the problems. I'm focused on using my knowledge of these issues to serve the community and implement solutions that have been demonstrated to work. It is possible to improve affordability, safety and community resilience with the right policies in place.

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We live in a very special part of the world. To maintain the quality of life that attracts people to our city, we need to manage growth thoughtfully. To retain workers and enable our children to raise their families here, we must ensure affordability. To strengthen our local economy, we need to create the conditions for small and medium-sized business to thrive.

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I believe in working collaboratively with community stakeholders to achieve results. Just as I worked across party lines in parliament, I bring the same cooperative approach to my work on city council. As your elected representative, I remain committed to listening to residents, being responsive, and working hard to meet the needs of our community during these challenging times.