CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR NEW TEAM!

The voters of Nanaimo have spoken, and we have a new Mayor in John Ruttan to lead the new City of Nanaimo council for the next three years.

John is well known and respected in the Nanaimo business community, and will provide the city with continuity in its ever strengthening relationship with the current government in Victoria. We congratulate John on his resounding victory at the polls, and we look forward to watching as he unveils his list of priorities and leadership style in the coming months.

We also congratulate the successful candidates for city council: Bill Bestwick, who once again topped the polls; Jim Kipp, Diana Johnstone, Fred Pattje, Larry McNabb, Loyd Sherry, Bill Holdom and Merv Unger. There are four new faces, and all of the councillors bring valid viewpoints and insight to the table. We expect this council to be more inclusive and welcoming of divergent political opinions, which should make for a more cohesive unit.

We hope the new Mayor and Council works towards making a more welcoming environment for private interests to successfully investigate the prospects of building a new Entertainment and Sports Multiplex in Nanaimo. This would be a tremendous economic driver for the city, pulling much needed revenue in as people from all over Vancouver Island would come to Nanaimo for events and concerts. While here, they'd buy gas, eat meals and perhaps stay in our hotels.

Let's hope this Council will steer away from decisions which had several serious interested parties steer away from building a Multiplex in Nanaimo. And that they let the private sector operate such a facility - meaning no burden to city taxpayers.

It would also be very progressive if the new Mayor and Council would move towards creating an Economic Development Commission that provides an operating model where the function operates outside the direct supervision of City Hall, yet remains accountable. Having Commissioners from the private sector involved in a meaningful way would yield great benefits to Nanaimo, as it does in other jurisdictions operating with Commissions, like the Comox Valley and Kelowna.

I would like to thank the many people who voted for me in the civic election, and for those who worked so hard behind the scenes to try and get me onto council. Your support was and is truly humbling, and I am grateful for our many friends, and for the whole experience. I met lot of new people and had to wrestle with several new thought provoking issues, expanding my horizons.

For now, it's back to concentrating on the four newspapers we have at Invest Northwest Publishing Ltd.: Business Vancouver Island, Business Fraser Valley, Business Thompson Okanagan and Business Peace Cariboo Skeena. And writing a column in the Nanaimo Daily News on Thursdays. But I'll also be keeping my eye on what's happening in our new Council.

You never know what the future holds!