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This week’s city council meeting was a sleepy affair with presentations about Scotch broom, an update on the Vancouver Island Conference Centre’s operations, and some zoning and bylaw changes.

A motion by councillor Paul Manly to reconsider the changes that will ban electronic devices and recordings at city council meetings was withdrawn as the councillor said he wanted more time to work on the specific wording of it.

I spoke with Manly after the meeting and he said that the blanket ban on recording at city council meetings is “too broad” but the city also needs to find a way to protect staff from being harassed by individuals who are recording them.

Manly, a former independent journalist and filmmaker, said he thought it was “too big a cudgel” and that the city needs to find a way to use a finer point on how to deal with what he calls “despicable running commentary where people are livestreaming and targeting specific staff members.”

Thank you for reading,

Mick Sweetman

Meet some of Nanaimo’s powerful women

This International Women’s Day, The Discourse looks back at our stories about inspiring women and gender non-conforming folks making an impact in Nanaimo.

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“I love the in-depth coverage of the various issues not often covered elsewhere.”

— Denise B., supporter of The Discourse Nanaimo.

On the Island

🌊 Comox Valley Nature is offering guided workshops on mother trees, tree structure and root systems. Read how you can learn more about Vancouver Island’s amazing trees.

In other news

👉 CHLY’s Joe Pugh spoke with Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog and city councillors Hilary Eastmure and Paul Manly about the changes to the city’s council procedure bylaw that will ban photography and recording of city council meetings. You can listen to the full interviews on Midcoast Morning.

👉  “Love wins!” The Vancouver Island University women’s basketball team brought home the gold medal from the provincial championships, defeating the Columbia Bible College Bearcats 69-59. The win was extra sweet as the team had previously boycotted playing at Columbia Bible College after VIU star forward Harriette Mackenzie said she was targeted by the Bearcat’s coach in the fall for being trans. Mackenzie picked up the tournament MVP award and was named PACWEST’s woman athlete of the week with 22 points a game in the playoffs. The Nanaimo News Bulletin has the story.

👉 The provincial budget was announced this week, but there was no money in it for the promised patient tower at the Nanaimo Regional General Hospital, which was a major election issue. Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog was not impressed with the broken promise. “I appreciate the difficult circumstance we are all in but a new patient tower is literally a decade-plus overdue and will take another decade to build from start to finish,” he said. The Times Colonist has the story.  

👉 A Nanaimo woman has pled guilty and been given a conditional discharge for death threats against Nanaimo—Ladysmith MP Lisa Marie Barron. The woman, who was upset about Lisa Marie Barron’s response to the crisis in Palestine’s Gaza Strip, wrote that “Assassinations will come for you and all you world f**king leaders. Count your days, World War 3 is about to begin and you are one of the first f**king targets.” Nanaimo News Now has the full story.

👉 The Snuneymuxw First Nation’s Petroglyph Development Group has announced plans for a trucking company that will haul loads for forestry, construction and mining companies. "With the launch of Sarlequun Transport Inc., Snuneymuxw continues to strengthen Vancouver Island’s infrastructure and expand economic opportunities for our people and the region at large," said Snuneymuxw First Nation Chief Michael Wyse in a press release. The Nanaimo News Bulletin has the details.

👉 Snuneymuxw First Nation members have also approved a $42 million land claim settlement for the federal government’s failure to uphold the Sarlequun Snuneymuxw Treaty of 1854 that resulted in 23.5 hectares of land — that was supposed to be protected for the use of Snuneymuxw — being given to settlers. The Nanaimo News Bulletin has the story. 

👉 After concerns that it would have to close 85 per cent of its clinics, Options for Sexual Health will remain open for at least another year. CHLY 101.7FM has the story.

Be part of it!

You can now find us on Bluesky, along with millions of others who have flocked to the new social media platform, which has become a positive alternative to other social media sites. The best part is they don’t block Canadian news! Keep an eye out for more posts about our reporters' extraordinary work at @thediscourse.ca. You can also follow our journalists and sister publications in the Discourse Community Publishing network by clicking “follow all” in our starter pack.

Community photo

In the midst of a trade war with the United States local businesses, such as Serious Coffee in downtown Nanaimo, have been displaying the Canadian flag as part of an effort to encourage people to buy from Canadian-owned businesses. Photo courtesy of Kim D Arthouse.

International Women's Day

Saturday, March 8, 2:30 p.m.: Longtime readers of The Discourse will know that International Women's Day (IWD) is an extra special time of year for our small team. As a women-led and founded independent news outlet, we've tried to mark each IWD with special reporting and solutions-oriented community events.

This year, we organized a special action-focused panel discussion co-hosted by The Discourse and IWD Cowichan Valley this Saturday, 2:30 p.m. at the Craig St. Brew Pub, traditional and unceded Quw'utsun' territory.

A series of stellar local panelists will join Island editor Shalu Mehta to discuss the question: What supports are needed to help women make empowered and informed decisions, whatever those decisions are?

Confirmed panelists are:

Debra Toporowski (Qwulti’stunaat), Cowichan Valley NDP MLA and Provincial Secretary for Rural Health.

Alistair MacGregor, Cowichan-Malahat-Langford NDP Member of Parliament.

Beverly Suderman, executive director of the Cowichan Women’s Health Collective, community planner and educator.

Laura Interlandi, manager of Lelum ‘u tu S’tsa –ehl teyt-en, House of Honourable Mothers, a House of Friendship program and transition home with a mandate to reduce child apprehensions locally by offering supports to mothers and kids.

Dr. Emily Stuart, medical doctor with the Vancouver Island Women’s Clinic in Victoria, which offers a range of services related to reproductive health for individuals with a uterus. 

Register here to secure your spot!

Tickets for the in-person event are pay what you can afford, $20-$30, with all proceeds going to support The Discourse's independent news service and House of Honourable Mothers.

Can't make it in person? Register for the virtual event to get your free Zoom link. 

We will also Livestream to our YouTube.

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