Mike Butler campaigns on jobs and investment for Parksville

Parksville mayoral candidate Mike Butler and councillor candidate Alana Barager are pitching an economic-development campaign centered on jobs, investment and local business opportunities across Vancouver Island. Their push includes more trade relationships, local procurement and a stronger role for Parksville in Pacific commerce.

Why it matters: - Butler and Barager are making jobs and investment the core of their Parksville campaign. - Their pitch ties local politics to broader economic development across Vancouver Island. - The campaign frames Parksville as a place that should capture more spending, supply-chain activity and business growth.

What happened: - Mayoral candidate Mike Butler and councillor candidate Alana Barager said they want to create more jobs, investment and economic opportunities for people in Parksville and across Vancouver Island. - Butler said the goal is to create jobs locally so residents can build careers, local businesses can grow and young people can stay on the Island. - Butler and Barager said economic development requires relationships with governments, businesses, investors and international partners. - Butler and Barager were invited to meet with the Honourable Mark Miller, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture, at a meet-and-greet in Parksville at the McMillan Arts Centre from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. - Butler said the meeting was an opportunity to put Parksville and Vancouver Island’s interests on the table.

The details: - Butler said Vancouver Island should look at trade, commodity trading, ports, logistics, manufacturing, marine industries, technology, tourism and skilled trades. - Barager said investment has to turn into work for local businesses and workers, not just capital arriving in the region. - Butler and Barager said they have traveled to Ottawa, Florida, Texas, Switzerland, Germany, Italy and Amsterdam for meetings with elected officials, governments, businesses, investors, financial institutions and international companies. - Those discussions included companies such as Fincantieri, TKMS and Damen, along with talks on trade, investment, infrastructure and industrial development. - Butler said the goal is to turn those relationships into investment, business opportunities and jobs. - Vancouver Island received a Foreign Trade Zone Point designation from the Government of Canada in 2018, which recognized its potential to support exports, investment and manufacturing. - Butler said Vancouver Island has a strategic Pacific location, ports, transportation infrastructure, skilled workers and businesses that already understand international trade. - Butler said the region should also look at commodity trading, logistics, warehousing, manufacturing, processing, marine services and value-added production. - Butler said commodity trading should be part of the Island’s economic future because global goods move through trading, transportation, storage, processing and logistics every day. - Butler said Canada once built ships with Canadian workers, trades and suppliers, but much of that work moved overseas over time. - Butler said renewed focus on building things in Canada is about jobs for Parksville and Vancouver Island, not only ships. - Butler said major projects create demand for welders, electricians, machinists, engineers, fabricators, truckers, technicians, construction companies, professional services and logistics. - Butler said Parksville businesses should be able to supply major projects elsewhere on Vancouver Island so the economic benefit does not stop at the project site. - Barager said municipal policy can help connect local businesses to larger opportunities through local-first procurement, support for locally operated businesses, local career opportunities and practical partnerships. - Barager said Parksville businesses should have a chance to compete for city purchases and infrastructure work. - Barager said keeping more spending in the local economy supports businesses, employees and families. - Butler said he has worked with people and governments from different political backgrounds, including Jack Layton, Bob Rae, Danielle Smith and the Mark Carney government. - Butler said a mayor has to work with whatever federal government is in power, along with Victoria, the RDN, First Nations, businesses and investors.

Between the lines: - The campaign is trying to move the economic debate beyond day-to-day municipal services and toward industrial strategy, procurement and trade. - The emphasis on international relationships suggests Butler and Barager want to present Parksville as a participant in larger economic networks, not just a local residential community. - Their messaging also reflects a practical appeal: local voters may respond to a promise that outside investment can translate into local jobs and contracts.

What's next: - Butler and Barager are likely to keep highlighting trade, investment and local procurement as central campaign issues. - The Parksville meet-and-greet with Minister Miller gives the campaign another chance to promote that message publicly. - Their next challenge will be showing how those broader relationships can produce direct benefits for Parksville workers and businesses.

The bottom line: - Butler and Barager are running as pro-jobs, pro-investment candidates who want Parksville to capture more of the economic activity flowing through Vancouver Island and the Pacific region.