FCM role of city's mayor helps brings Canada to Nelson
By Nelson Daily Editor
The luck of the Irish had nothing to do with this.
During the June annual meeting of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities held in Halifax, Nelson Mayor John Dooley was re-elected to his fourth term on the organization’s board of directors.
The FCM represents the interests of its 2,000 member municipalities — including Canada’s major cities like Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal and Saskatoon — on policy issues that are handled at the federal level.
The FCM has become strategic in prioritizing the needs of municipalities and advocating on behalf of municipalities, especially on key issues like housing, infrastructure and transit, said Dooley.
“I sit at the table with representatives from Quebec City, Montreal, Moncton and many other towns and cities. And while I have invariably heard of their cities, I might be introducing them to Nelson for the first time,” said Dooley.
“We learn from what they are doing, and how they deal with issues, but they also hear how we are doing things.”
Mayor Dooley normally travels to FCM board meetings across Canada three times a year. However, he’s happy to be able to stay home for the next meeting, which will take place in Nelson, Sept. 7-10. Over 100 municipal leaders from across Canada will be coming to Nelson.
“As a national organization, FCM attaches great importance to holding our board of directors meetings in a variety of towns and cities across Canada,” said Brock Carlton, the organization’s chief executive officer. “This allows our board members to not only discuss municipal issues face-to-face, but also briefly experience life in these communities and thus gain a broader perspective that ensures FCM truly represents all Canadian municipalities.”
Landing the meeting was an extensive two-year selection.
“It’s a great opportunity to showcase our region,” said Mayor Dooley. “We are looking forward to providing a forum for discussion, right here in Nelson, for issues of concern to municipalities all across Canada.”
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