Experienced politician aiming at return to Armstrong council

An Armstrong man with nearly two decades of experience on city council is seeking a return to office.

Ryan Nitchie is running for council in the Oct. 15 municipal election. He has served both elected and staff positions in local government for 26 years, including 18 years on Armstrong council from 1996 to 2014. At 22 years of age, he was the youngest elected official in Armstrong history, and in fact the youngest elected official in the province at the time.

Born and raised in Armstrong, Nitchie stepped down from council in 2014 to become the team leader of community services for the Columbia Shuswap Regional District, a position he still holds to this day.

The husband and father of two was the director of both the Okanagan Mainline Municipal Association and the Municipal Insurance Association of B.C., while also serving as vice president of the Southern Interior Local Government Association.

“My interests for running are authentic, I simply like contributing to help shape and lead our community and serving the residents of my hometown,” Nitchie said.

“Through my experience both as an elected official and local government staff I feel that I’ve come to fully understand the role of elected officials as community leaders who are entrusted by the residents to use their best judgement to make decisions in the best interest of the community.”

Nitchie says he has always respected the role of council as high level policy decision makers and has committed himself to making informed decisions by thoroughly reviewing staff and professional reports, listening to local concerns and discussing the issues with council to make decisions.

He says Armstrong faces similar issues to many small communities around the province, including affordable housing, infrastructure and asset management environmental sustainability, land use planning, parks, trails and recreation programming, local and regional economic development and overall corporate fiscal management.

“The city has been progressive in all of these matters in the past and it is important to continue responsible management of all of these issues,” he said.