Sarah Lovegrove in front of Nanaimo City Hall. She hopes to be elected in the fall as mayor. (Jesse Woodward / CHLY 101.7FM)

Another candidate has announced their intention to run for mayor in the City of Nanaimo this fall.

Sarah Lovegrove has announced that she intends to run for mayor, joining Anne Marie Dryden and incumbent Leonard Krog in the race.

Lovegrove is a registered nurse and professor of nursing at Vancouver Island University in her late 30s. She made her announcement online on Monday morning August 10th. Lovegrove has a long history of community advocacy around issues of harm reduction and human rights.

In an interview with CHLY outside Nanaimo City Hall, Lovegrove said she made the decision this summer to run locally in Nanaimo, deciding more recently to run for the mayor’s seat rather than council.

“Well, I originally put my name forward as a potential candidate for city council, but I recognize that there's a, um, opportunity within the mayoral race, um, for a progressive candidate to come into play, and I believe that our community deserves options of the entire spectrum when it comes to democratic elections, and I decided to put my name forward because I think this community deserves change.”

Lovegrove saidsays she does not consider Krog to be a progressive candidate for mayor in Nanaimo.

She expandeds on her background, and what experience she brings to the table as a candidate for mayor.

Lovegrove believes change is needed this fall. (Jesse Woodward / CHLY 101.7FM)

“I am highly educated. I spent 10 years in post-secondary education, including a Masters of Women and Gender Studies as well as a specialty in emergency nursing. I have been a leader since I was in eighth grade. I, um, served as, on the executive board of the Harm Reduction Nurses Association and since 2019 have served on the Nanaimo Community Action Team on the overdose crisis.”

She said she’s centring her platform around the social determinants of health.

“The issues that I find most pressing in our community now are housing affordability and availability, um, access to health services and social services, food security and environmental justice,.” said Lovegrove. “Everyone I talk to is primarily concerned about what they're seeing on the streets of our community and the number of people suffering, and I don't see a candidate running for mayor right now who's even willing to address that.”

Krog has long argued for involuntary care of people with severe addiction, mental health, trauma and brain injury issues. He stated at a 2025 forum organized by the Save our Street coalition that the 2012 closure of Riverview Mental Health Hospital in Coquitlam was a “huge mistake”.

In a recent B.C. Supreme Court ruling, provisions of the Mental Health Act, part of the Eby government’s involuntary care regime were found to be unconstitutional, violating a patient’s Charter rights in the areas of equality, and rights to life, liberty and security of the person. The court ruled that the province has six months to amend the act.

On the mayor’s seat, Lovegrove said she feels there is a consensus on the need for change in representation and tone.

“I am h- I'm hearing a- almost 100% consensus from people in the fact that they need a, a change in leadership, particularly around tone and culture. Um, they don't feel that the current and incumbent, incumbent candidate is able to represent the people and the values of our community.”

She said she sees people in her community who are compassionate who want to make Nanaimo a better place, but does not see it reflected in the tone and messaging of the mayor’s office.

Dry housing has been at the forefront of discussion for Nanaimo City Council when it comes to supportive housing needs for those currently homeless, or facing homelessness. Council most recently issued a letter to the Ministry of Housing this past June asking that a planned housing facility at 250 Terminal Avenue use a dry housing model.

Lovegrove said she believes Nanaimo needs housing of all kinds to meet everyone’s needs.

“I believe that people who are coming straight from recovery or for treat- from treatment are in need of a place where they can, they can do the healing work that they need to do, and that inc- includes dry housing.”

She said that health professionals know that relapse is an anticipated part of recovery, and she has concerns around whether a proposed dry housing framework in Nanaimo would take that into account.

“If someone experiences a relapse in their relationship with substances, do they maintain their housing? So I would like to approach the conversation around dry housing with a little bit more nuance and a little bit more, um, understanding of the conditions of that housing and how it will unfold.”

Lovegrove has also heard that property taxes and cost of living are a huge concern for residents in Nanaimo.

“Well, I, I am hearing from everyone that, um, property taxes and the cost of living in the city is, is a huge concern, um, throughout this campaign. And I want people to know that my interventions and the priorities I have set in place, um, are established within a framework of our existing budget. I believe there is ample room there to reallocate and reorganize the funds that we do have already to offer a more affordable city for us, and one that meets the p- the needs of people.”

“And so I recognize that, um, property taxes inherently go up with inflation, but I don't anticipate, um, incurring any more cost on the taxpayer to help folks who are in need in our community.”

She also said she sees the city facing issues that are meant to be resolved by higher levels of government. Lovegrove singled out housing as an area where she said there hasn't been the attention provided from the province to meet everyone’s needs.

“I see our provincial government moving further and further away from actually addressing human rights and human needs. So I see that as a big strain.”

Lovegrove said she is prepared to meet with the province to advocate for Nanaimo.

Lovegrove is the third candidate to declare in the mayoral race. She joins incumbent Leonard Krog, a former BC NDP MLA, and Anne Marie Dryden, a financial planner running under the ‘REAL Nanaimo’ banner, an electoral slate with right-wing ties. When asked about the potential of vote splitting, Lovegrove said she thinks voters deserve a full spectrum of options.

“There are a number of folks who have right-wing beliefs in our community, and I don't anticipate that they would, they would vote for me anyways. Um, in terms of v- splitting the progressive vote with our incumbent, um, former NDP MLA, I think it's important for the public to understand that the, the NDP and an identity alongside the NDP is not synonymous with progression.”

Lovegrove said she thinks Nanaimo needs a diverse council.

“We need people who represent all values in our community, and I recognize that there are a variety of voices here,” she said. “And I see a huge number of candidates coming in with a l- variety of values, a variety of approaches, a variety of lenses that I think could really serve our community and create, um, a collaborative team that will put Nanaimo's needs and values first.”

She closed with the following.

“I think it's just time for change. I think we need, um, it's time for a new voice, a new face, a new council, and someone who can meet the needs of our times, and I'm ready to do that.”

Nomination packages are available from the City of Nanaimo, and must be filed between September 1st and 11th before the 4 p.m. nomination deadline. More election information can be found online at nanaimo.ca.

British Columbians go to the polls October 17th.

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