Work has started on a 'Nanaimo Accord' to create a shared vision of Nanaimo's future among the city's major institutions.
Conceptualized by the mayor's leaders' table earlier this year, the accord is expected to detail a shared vision statement of what stakeholders want Nanaimo's future to be, which can be used to help attract investment into the community as well as ensure strategic priorities are aligned.
"The ultimate goal really is that there is a number of organizations that sign on and contribute to and buy into this vision of our community," said Bill Sims, Nanaimo's general manager of engineering and public works. "We use this unity to demonstrate to the world outside and demonstrate to senior governments that Nanaimo is worth investment and Nanaimo is worth attention, and this is how we as a community is going."
The accord was most recently discussed by the mayor's leaders' table on Friday, July 4, with an update and timeline for project on the agenda.
"A number of folks sitting on the mayor's leaders' table feel that Nanaimo is sort of at a unique point in its history," Sims told the News Bulletin. "It's tipping itself into a big city and we often hear the commentary that there's so much potential here, etc. There are so many organizations in the community all doing very good work."
Donna Hais, member of the mayor's leaders' table, said the early meetings will be for staff, who will then be able to inform applicable organizational boards.
"For instance for the port, it will be for our CEOs and VPs for them to participate in the process…" Hais told the table. "Staff would be updated on what it more fully looks like before they even go back to the board."
The accord differs from the Nanaimo ReImagined city plan strategic document, but Sims said it is expected to be adherent with it, crafted by the group of organizations invited to collaborate. Those invited include the Nanaimo Port Authority, Nanaimo Regional General Hospital, Nanaimo Airport, Vancouver Island University, Snuneymuxw First Nation, Regional District of Nanaimo, Greater Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce and Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools.
Sims said local non-profits as well as arts and culture organizations may potentially be involved.
"The other piece that sort of gets appended to this nice accord is a portfolio of community-relevant projects: what projects are important to the community," he said. "The most important example probably in all of our minds is the hospital – the need for an improved hospital."
The first Nanaimo Accord co-creation workshop is set to take place in August, then a review and refinement session in September. Sims said the aim is to have it ready for late October to present at the annual State of the Island Economic Summit, organized by the Vancouver Island Economic Alliance.
