Forward Nanaimo was created by a small group of volunteers who live right here in Nanaimo, and we want our local government to prioritize the needs of all people, within the means of our living planet.
Our Organizers
Heather Baitz is a climate activist, clinical psychologist, and food forest enthusiast. She serves as a volunteer board member for the Rock City Neighbourhood Association and the Nanaimo Climate Action Hub. She loves commuting to work by e-bike along Metral Drive in the summer and wants to see more safe bike routes like this one.
Bethany Ricker is a family doctor, co-chair of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment – British Columbia, and a board member of the Nanaimo Climate Action Hub. She loves exploring the outdoors of Vancouver Island, especially hiking and skiing! She loves exploring the outdoors of Vancouver Island, especially hiking and skiing, and wants to make sure the places she loves remain beautiful and accessible to all. She sees how her patients’ health depends on having things like accessible green spaces, protection from extreme heat and smoke, safe active and public transportation options, and the community services they need – all reasons to vote in this municipal election!
James Boak is an professional engineer, entrepreneur, community organizer, and gardener. He’s passionate about decarbonizing the built environment, and a just transition away from fossil-fuels. He also serves on the board of the Rock City Neighbourhood Association.
Ian Gartshore is an active community-building volunteer, a Registered Clinical Counsellor, a champion of healthy transportation options, and a lover of planet Earth, our collective (and only) habitable planet. Municipal governments have the most direct impact on our lives; he wants Nanaimo to be livable, affordable, clean and have a sense of community.
Forward Nanaimo 2026 