Hilary Eastmure
Website: www.hilaryforcouncil.ca
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085543605720
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, for 9 years (since May 2013)
What is your occupation, and for how long?
Caseworker for the Member of Parliament’s office (MP Lisa Marie Barron) since fall 2021 (also for previous NDP MP from Aug 2016 – May 2019), and former reporter for 91.7 Coast FM in Nanaimo.
Tell us about your previous elected and/or community experience.
I started as a radio reporter for 91.7 Coast FM in 2013, which gave me a solid understanding of the key issues at play and a deep appreciation for the vibrant arts community in Nanaimo. I got involved with organizing the Vancouver Island Short Film Festival and had the honour of being a Tour de Rock media rider in 2015. In 2016, I started working for the Member of Parliament’s office. As a Caseworker, I help people navigate federal bureaucracy and advocate on their behalf. I’ve also worked as Literacy Central Vancouver Island’s Bookstore Manager.
Why are you running? What’s your motivation?
I’m running to be a strong advocate for all residents, and to help build a more livable, accessible, and sustainable city for everyone. I see the serious challenges we’re facing when it comes to issues like affordability and health care access. Our local government can take a more proactive role in helping to address these critical areas that have a huge impact on our daily lives. I want to listen to what residents need and want, bring those ideas to the table, and report from the inside so they can be more informed and involved in decisions impacting our future.
What are your top three issues?
My top three issues are livability, accessibility, and sustainability. Livability includes housing affordability, access to health care, recreation, and feeling safe in our community. These are basic factors that determine whether current and future residents can build a fulfilling life here. Under accessibility, my platform includes prioritizing pedestrian safety upgrades, expanding transit, connecting safe cycling routes, and making city facilities and parks more welcoming for people with mobility challenges. Sustainability includes protecting Nanaimo’s watershed, enhancing our urban forest, local food security, and making decisions that reflect the fact that we’re in a Climate Emergency.
What’s your vision for your community in 25 years?
My vision for Nanaimo is a community that is welcoming, safe, affordable, and environmentally conscious. It’s a community where people of all ages and abilities have a secure place to live that fits their budget, easy access to health care, and opportunities to participate in activities that bring them joy. It’s a city that has a vibrant downtown core with no empty storefronts, where artists and small businesses have access to affordable spaces to establish themselves, and an effective transit system that serves the needs of all residents. It’s a city that values public input and participation in decisions that affect the long-term wellbeing of the entire community.
What’s one “big idea” you have for your community?
My “big idea” for Nanaimo revolves around changing how we measure the success of our city. Population growth is not an indicator of success. We need to shift our perspective so we’re measuring our success based on the overall livability, accessibility, and sustainability of our city. If we’re building lots of new apartments but the rent is much more than any average worker, family, or senior on a fixed income can afford, then who are we really serving? If we’re attracting new residents but they won’t be able to find a doctor or even go to a walk-in clinic on a weekend, is that sustainable? We need to be measuring our success based on how proactively we’re addressing these basic shortfalls.
