Nelson’s arts, culture and heritage sector plays a significant role in the social, cultural and economic life of our community. In advance of the 2026 municipal election, we are inviting candidates to share their perspectives on the sector and their priorities should they be elected. The Arts, Culture & Heritage Candidate Survey is conducted by the Nelson & District Arts Council, Nelson Museum, Archives, and Gallery, Oxygen Art Centre, Kootenay Regional Arts Council, Tapatía Collective, and The Capitol Theatre.
The 2026 local election will be held Saturday, October 17, 2026. Eligible voters will elect one mayor and six councillors, as well as two School District 8 trustees.
Two advance voting opportunities will be held at City Hall, 2nd Floor, Council Chambers, on Wednesday, October 7, 2026 and Wednesday, October 14, 2026 from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. For more information, visit the City of Nelson website.
In this survey, we hear from Jesse Pineiro, a Candidate for the office of Councillor.
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Civic Experience
What experience do you have working in politics?
What is your knowledge in regards to municipal politics and responsibilities?
What vision of community would you bring to city council?
I have been lucky enough to serve on Nelson City Council for the last four years. I also have previous experience as a constituency assistant for both the MLA (Michelle Mungall) and MP (Alex Atamenenko). I believe working in all three branches of government has given me a good understanding of what is possible in Municipal government and how to navigate the relationships and responsibilities necessary in the role.
I will advocate for an affordable, resilient, and creative community where the needs of residents are prioritized, and challenges are dealt with through a local lens for the benefit of the community.
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Community Engagement & Transparency
How would you encourage residents, community organizations, and local non-profits to participate meaningfully in City visioning and decision-making?
How would you ensure transparency and accountability in your own decision-making?
I believe the best way the community can be heard is through participation. Being in a council meeting when the gallery is full of passionate people all mobilized around an issue has been a profound experience. I think people underestimate the power they have to influence decisions if they show up and get heard. Writing letters to council, showing up at council meetings, speaking at public participation time, and applying to appear as a delegation all have an effect on council decisions. If that doesn’t work a well-organized, peaceful protest can also be very effective.
Personally, I believe that our role as councillors is to amplify the voice of our constituents, not further our own ambitions or impose solutions that don’t fit the community. I am always available to listen to anyone who has an issue or a solution to the challenges that we face here in Nelson.
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Understanding Nelson’s Arts, Culture & Heritage Sector
What is your impression of Nelson’s arts, culture, and heritage sector?
What role do you believe it plays in our community?
The very identity of our town is tied to the Arts and Culture community. Nelson has been a centre for creative people since long before I moved here in 1995 and this legacy has been continued and added too by many brave and visionary people over the years.
The arts are not simply about making pretty things or entertaining tourists. They provide an outlet for people to express themselves. I think this has shielded our community from the worst effects of a globalized hopelessness that is one of the side effects of our consumer culture. The arts and culture sector therefore not only provides the livelihood of a significant segment of our community, but it also benefits everyone else by holding up a mirror to our society, bringing light on dark days, and being a catalyst for positive change within our community and beyond.
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Understanding the Non-Profit Sector
Are you familiar with the operational realities and funding models of non-profit arts, culture, and heritage organizations?
What do you see as the primary challenges facing these organizations today?
Funding challenges, space constraints, and volunteer burnout are major challenges facing the non-profit sector.
The city has helped and should continue to help organizations that contribute to the well-being of our community. The ongoing collaboration with the Nelson Civic Theatre Society, and the KSA building are good examples of the city sticking by local non-profits through a very challenging series of events.
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Truth, Reconciliation & Indigenous Relationships
Arts, culture and heritage organizations have an important role to play in truth, reconciliation and decolonization.
What learning have you undertaken with Indigenous peoples, histories, and communities connected to this territory?
Have you built relationships with the Indigenous community?
How do you see City Council leadership contributing meaningfully to this work?
I have a good working relationship with the Autonomous Sinixt matriarch Marilyn James both personally and through my business.
I believe it is our responsibility in Nelson to engage with the Sinixt and to consult respectfully with the matriarch before making decisions on the land.
Unfortunately I feel that much of what passes for Indigenous consultation in Nelson is codified to the point of meaninglessness. Indigenous relationships here in Nelson are complicated by the colonial context in which present day Indigenous governments operate. While we may be well intentioned with our efforts at indigenization and reconciliation, we have to be careful that we are not adding to historical and ongoing colonial injustices in the process.
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Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Accessibility
What learning or experience have you had related to equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility?
If elected, how would these principles influence your work as a City Councillor?
I grew up in Nelson as a Latino person at a time when the city was much less diverse than it is now, and I am married to someone who immigrated to this country and who’s first language is not English. Nelson has changed a lot over the years but challenges and barriers still exist for racialized people and minorities. Finding connection and seeing oneself reflected in the surrounding community can be difficult and racism and discrimination are still an experienced reality for many people.
I want to be part of a city council that works to make everyone feel valued, and seen for who they are. I believe our strength as a community lies in our diversity of cultures, identities and experiences.
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Participation in Arts, Culture & Heritage
How often do you attend an arts and culture event in the community?
Do you or have you ever volunteered for an arts, culture, or heritage non-profit?
Do you purchase local artworks or support the sector in other ways?
I enjoy art, music, the theatre and the cinema. My wife and daughter dance with Slava’s Dance Fusion and Tapatia Collective, and my business, the Nelson Boxing Club, has a permanent rotating art exhibit in the entranceway and has hosted artwalk exhibits, performances, and the poetry slam.
My wife Xochilt Ramirez is an accomplished poet, artist, and activist and I love supporting her many projects.
List 8 cultural organizations and businesses that deliver community-based arts.
- Tapatia Collective
- Dance Fusion
- Discover Circus
- Nelson Poetry Slam
- Nelson Art Walk
- Nelson Civic Theatre Society
- Capitol Theatre
- Oxygen Arts Centre
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The Future of Arts, Culture & Heritage in Nelson
What do you believe are the most important contributions arts, culture, and heritage make to Nelson?
What would you as a councillor do to support the sector’s growth?
How do you think the sector could be strengthened over the next four years?
I would just echo my answer to question 3 here. The arts provide an outlet for self-expression, a mirror for our society, a catalyst for positive change, and a very real and viable economic lift to our community.
As a councillor, I would continue to support organizations and individuals who make art and provide a space for others to do so. I think the council’s support for the KSA and the Civic Theatre Society has been a positive move, and I look forward to similar collaborations in the future as needed.
Artists need space to create. More studio space would be great as would exploring possibilities for developing the film industry here in town.
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Municipal Investment
Do you believe municipal investment in Nelson’s arts, culture, and heritage sector should be maintained or increased?
How would you balance investment in the sector with the other demands on the City’s budget?
As is stated in the question, the city’s investment in any public sector is always a balancing act. The city is obligated to maintain city infrastructure and provide essential services. However, the arts and culture sectors provide a tangible benefit to our community and need to be supported as much as possible. If we can do it we should do it.
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Affordable & Accessible Cultural Space
The cost and availability of cultural spaces is an increasing challenge for artists, cultural workers and non-profit organizations.
What role do you believe the City should play in protecting and supporting affordable spaces for arts, culture, and heritage services in Nelson?
What role do you believe the City should play in developing affordable cultural spaces?
Under-utilized city properties can be repurposed for artistic and cultural use (the chapel at Selkirk just got turned into a temporary theatre) and the city can offer preferential rental agreements on city property that recognize the arts and cultural sector’s contributions to our community’s health, well-being and economy.
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Arts, Culture & Heritage in City Planning
How should arts, culture and heritage be considered within broader municipal decisions related to the following:
- Economic development and tourism?
- City and specifically downtown planning and the development of public space?
- Affordable housing for cultural workers?
- What role do arts, culture and heritage play in community wellbeing?
I believe nothing exists in a vacuum, so economic development, tourism, housing, and public space all need to be considered complementary and interconnected. It’s hard to make art if you don’t have a warm place to sleep at night, and it’s hard to afford tickets to the theatre when one’s business is empty or if one has been laid off from one’s job.
Affordable housing continues to be one of the greatest challenges facing the city and we need to focus on projects that give people working, performing, and creating in the city the opportunity to live here as well.
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Your Commitment
If elected, what is one concrete action you would like to see City Council and the City of Nelson take during the next Council term to strengthen arts, culture, and heritage in our community?
I would like to see how under-utilized or empty city buildings could be repurposed for affordable studio space. Let’s continue to cultivate relationships with the arts sector that honor the special contribution it makes to our cultural and economic well-being and our identity as a community.