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 Woodward, a Candidate for the office of Councillor.
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Civic Experience
What experience do you have working in politics?
Two terms (8 years) on Nelson City Council
What is your knowledge in regards to municipal politics and responsibilities?
Two terms on Council has given me a wide and solid base of knowledge of how municipal politics works in relation to both city governance as well as its relationship to Provincial and Federal jurisdictions and the corresponding responsibilities of all three levels of governance that often need to work together to achieve current and future needs for Nelson.
What vision of community would you bring to city council?
I bring a “big tent” community vision for Nelson where Council attempts to serve the widest number of citizens, from all socioeconomic backgrounds, with fair, equitable and transparent decision-making. Nelson is a complex and diverse community with many competing needs and visions for our future goals and direction. I have always been guided in my decision making on Council by a desire to see Nelson remain vibrant and thriving for all of its citizens regardless of background or wealth. I see Nelson as an authentic working town full of folks who are doing their best to add to our community in the ways that they can and I want to support that authentic nature in any way that I can. I guess you can say by “keeping it real” and open to all who want to call this town home.
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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?
Be active and involved in City call outs for community engagement events. Come and participate in the monthly Community of the Whole meetings. Join City planning committees. Come and sit in on monthly Regular Council meetings to learn more about how the city makes decisions. Write letters to Council to offer ideas and possible solutions to issues. Make requests to Council and City staff concise and direct with very specific requests so that Council and staff can move forward with direct and concise responses to the requests.
How would you ensure transparency and accountability in your own decision-making?
By sticking to what I have always done over the last 8 years on Council…make decisions from my heart because I deeply love and care for Nelson and its community. It’s my hometown of over 35 years and my objective, as a member of city council, remains as it always has been, to do everything I can to see Nelson thrive and prosper for all of its citizens.
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Understanding Nelson’s Arts, Culture & Heritage Sector
What is your impression of Nelson’s arts, culture, and heritage sector?
A grouping of super dedicated, creative, hardworking and focused community members that go above and beyond to make Nelson’s arts, culture and heritage sector the incredible and diverse entity that it is. The depth, history and broad spectrum of Nelson’s arts, culture and heritage sector is remarkable and impressive and continues to expand with each passing year. Without a doubt, it’s a remarkable achievement for a small mountain town of 12 thousand citizens to have such depth and resilience in this particular sector.
What role do you believe it plays in our community?
A vital and critical role due to its cultural inputs into our community. Its vitality goes above and beyond by giving citizens many possible ways to experience Nelson and the surrounding region but also plays an active role in shaping those experiences by allowing citizens to get involved and become part of Nelson’s arts, culture and heritage sector current and future evolution.
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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?
Yes, very familiar, especially from the City Council perspective where we make yearly decisions through the City budgeting and granting processes. Also frequently Council will help through letter requests and support to upper levels of government for funding and grant streams.
What do you see as the primary challenges facing these organizations today?
Year over year operational funding and capital reserve budgets. Also their ability to generate important positive revenue streams but, at the same time, keep community participation cost low so that everyone can take part in and experience all that Nelson’s arts, culture and heritage sector has to offer.
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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?
Primarily through the City Council governance lens and the work that Nelson’s arts, culture and heritage sector does with the City’s truth, reconciliation and decolonization efforts.
Have you built relationships with the Indigenous community?
My experience in built relationships with the indigenous community has been within my role over the last 8 years as a Nelson City Councillor alongside the deep work that the Nelson’s arts, culture and heritage sector has been doing to expand and develop this engagement.
How do you see City Council leadership contributing meaningfully to this work?
Continue on the path that has been developed by the City and Nelson’s arts, culture and heritage sector over the last number of years. Good progress has been accomplished but continued and sustained efforts and greater understanding will be needed to build and deepen this vital relationship.
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Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Accessibility
What learning or experience have you had related to equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility?
In my experience these are essential and important factors in all decision making at the Council table. Nelson’s future must include these factors in all of its decision making, for without them, decisions are not fair or inclusive and do not serve the greater good and largest number of citizens.
If elected, how would these principles influence your work as a City Councillor?
They have been for 8 years and will continue to be a central part of my Council decision-making processes.
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Participation in Arts, Culture & Heritage
How often do you attend an arts and culture event in the community?
Many times, per year whether it’s an art show, a street market, music or theater performances. I am often astounded by the high level and quality of the arts and culture events that we get to experience in our little mountain town of 12 thousand. It is pretty amazing that is for sure.
Do you or have you ever volunteered for an arts, culture, or heritage non-profit?
Yes.
Do you purchase local artworks or support the sector in other ways?
Yes.
List 8 cultural organizations and businesses that deliver community-based arts.
- Nelson Museum Archive and Gallery
- Nelson and District Arts Council
- Kootenay Regional Arts Council
- Capital Theater
- Oxygen Arts Centre
- Craft Connection
- Nelson Farmers Markets
- Nelson ArtWalk
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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?
A deepening of our local culture overall, an inclusion of our community into that process, a vital and important revenue generating sector of our town, a documentation of the evolution and development of Nelson and the surrounding region and a participatory addition to the experience of visitors to our city.
What would you as a councillor do to support the sector’s growth?
Make sure that the City is supporting and funding, within the budgetary process, Nelson’s arts, culture and heritage sector at fair and equitable levels. Promote and support Nelson’s arts, culture and heritage sector through endorsement, official governance supports and marketing. Working with Nelson’s arts, culture and heritage sector to find innovative ways to assist with operations and infrastructure needs.
How do you think the sector could be strengthened over the next four years?
Help in these key areas…funding, promotion, grant assistance and infrastructure needs.
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Municipal Investment
Do you believe municipal investment in Nelson’s arts, culture, and heritage sector should be maintained or increased?
Maintained with increases if the yearly City budgetary process allows for increases that do not negatively impact other operational areas of the city.
How would you balance investment in the sector with the other demands on the City’s budget?
Equitable investments to all areas of City operations is an important and vital function for me as a two-term Council member as I have seen, up close, the critical importance of making sure all aspects of Nelson operational responsibilities are fairly funded on a yearly basis with the addition of long-term budgetary planning.
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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?
A lead role due to the many publicly owned buildings it has in its building inventory including current spaces like Capital theater and NMAG. As arts, culture and heritage services are a key sector of Nelson, City supports are going to be vital moving into the future as affordability becomes ever more challenging for artists and art spaces.
What role do you believe the City should play in developing affordable cultural spaces?
Much in the same way that the City approached the 606 Art Space redevelopment at the KSA building I think the City could help in similar capacities for other spaces if the opportunities arose.
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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?
A key component in both of these sectors as arts, culture and heritage services generate important revenue streams and local employment opportunities
- City and specifically downtown planning and the development of public space?
Arts, culture and heritage is already well represented in the downtown core with many beautiful and refurbished heritage buildings, art and culture focused spaces, murals, public art, art and craft shops. The maintenance, continuation and sensible advancement of these assets is vital for the success of Nelson downtown core
- Affordable housing for cultural workers?
An interesting idea but with the cost of new construction being so high it would seem that this kind of idea might work well in retrofitted pre existing spaces creating affordable housing options in already built infrastructure.
What role do arts, culture and heritage play in community wellbeing?
Plays a crucial role as arts, culture and heritage bring community together in shared spaces and shared experiences which helps to resist the ubiquitous isolating influences of modern technologies on all of our lives.
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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?
If the budgetary process allows for it in an equitable way would be to make sure operational funding for our arts, culture and heritage organizations in Nelson are at the levels they need to be for long-term sustainable operations so that sustainable growth and hiring practices can occur in this sector.