Welcome to Nanaimo This Week, your source of community news and local solutions. Did a friend forward this email to you? Subscribe to this newsletter.
|
|
|
| This week’s major earthquake near Russia that triggered tsunami warnings along B.C.’s coast has me thinking about how prepared I am for an emergency.
But it's not just the big one we have to worry about, the fire danger rating for Nanaimo has been updated to extreme, the highest rating that indicates fire risk is “very serious” and new fire will spread rapidly and “challenge fire suppression efforts.”
There was a recent wildfire near Nanaimo Lakes Road and today there is a 20 hectare wildfire on Wesley Ridge on the north side of Cameron Lake that is currently burning out of control.
I’m busy working on a story about supportive housing in Nanaimo, but I took a look through the archives to find a few stories that could help you if there is a wildfire in your area or an earthquake hits.
Thank you for reading,
Mick Sweetman
|
|
 |
|
|
| As wildfires burn, here’s how you can get prepared and stay safe
| Top tips for house fire and wildfire safety
|
| Read the full story
| | On the Island
|
| How likely is a big earthquake in the Cowichan region?
| We asked a seismologist what damage the Cowichan Valley could expect if a major earthquake strikes, and how to get prepared.
|
| Read the full story
| | I support The Discourse because... |
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Lots of good news stories."
— Elise B., from our newsletter survey.
|
| Support us
| | Council corner
|
At the special city council meeting on Monday, Coun. Paul Manly apologized for suggesting that people who are experiencing homelessness should be shipped to Gabriola Island “in front of the MLA’s house.”
"I would not want to disrupt the home life of any elected official or the bucolic lifestyle of her neighbours, but I was frustrated, feeling frustrated, and hearing the frustration of constituents in Nanaimo that we hear from over and over again and what I said was irresponsible," he said.
At the meeting, council:
Authorized a new agreement with E-Comm to provide 9-1-1 services. Accepted the results of an Alternative Approval Process to remove park dedication from a portion of Elaine Hamilton Park so a road can be built to a future development. Adopted a Media Accreditation Policy for journalists to use electronic devices to record council or committee meetings. Granted a property tax exemption to Central Vancouver Island Multicultural Society. Approved $4,994 in grant funding for the Nanaimo Equestrian Association and Together Against Poverty Society. Funding for a project by the Nanaimo Disability Resource Centre was reallocated to the two organizations after it said it would not be able to proceed with the project without the full funding amount it applied for. Approved a development permit for a personal care facility on Uplands Drive. Approved a license for two TELUS communication antennas. Received a report showing the city has met its provincial housing targets by approving 875 new units over the past year, but no new affordable housing units were built. Updated a bevy of zoning, traffic and home energy retrofit bylaws.
In correspondence, council will be sending a letter of support for a Pacifica Housing proposal to BC Housing’s Community Housing fund to redevelop its property at 309 Hillcrest Ave. The mayor will also be writing to the new minister of housing about building sober housing at the proposed supportive housing development at 250 Terminal Ave.
In other business, council directed staff to report on the viability of providing additional cleaning services for the South End neighbourhood.
A motion asking Island Health to close the city’s only Overdose Prevention Site was deferred to a future meeting.
The next city council meeting will be on Monday, Sept. 8 at 7 p.m. in the Vancouver Island Conference Centre’s Shaw Auditorium.
| |
On the Island |
🌊 The long-running food recovery program at the reFRESH market is ending, but Cowichan Valley organizations are filling the gap and meeting rising community needs, Eric Richards reports.
🌊 Repatriated Quw'utsun belongings are now on display at the expanded Shawnigan Lake Museum, honouring Indigenous history and culture. Cowichan Valley reporter Eric Richards has the story.
|
| In other news |
👉 A Gabriola fisherman was sentenced to six years in prison and fined $1 million after being found guilty on eight charges of illegal harvesting and sales of sea cucumbers. The Gabriola Sounder has the story.
👉 The Gabriola Transportation Society is urging BC Ferries to reconsider a new policy banning damaged electric vehicles from being transported on its ships. The society says there are 114 EVs on Gabriola Island that may need to be transported to Vancouver Island for servicing as there is no shop that is capable of maintaining them locally. The Gabriola Sounder has the story.
👉 Errington and Coombs could create a new municipality, with a report telling Regional District of Nanaimo directors that the area encompassing 4,4000 people has the capacity to incorporate. Directors approved sending the report to the Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs requesting funding for an incorporation study. Nanaimo News Now has the story.
|
| Community photo |
 |
Haley Young was at the grand opening of the redesigned Westwood Lake beachfront that includes new accessibility features such as washrooms, graded ramps and a Mobi mat to get to the water on Tuesday.
Young called the accessible bathrooms a “game changer” and raved about the boardwalk and paved areas being mindful of people who use wheelchairs.
“It was incredible having tables where I can actually get my legs under them so I could have a picnic with my family and my partner,” Young said. Photo by Mick Sweetman / The Discourse.
| |
In your words | Re: In photos: Snuneymuxw Days 2025
“I really appreciated this story. I was thinking that I'd like to go to Snuneymuxw Days and then I didn't, but this prods me to make more of an effort next year because I obviously missed out!” - April Gale-Seixeiro on Bluesky.
|
| Be part of it! |
🎉 Keep an eye out for more posts about our reporters' extraordinary work at @thediscourse.ca on Bluesky. You can tap the bell on our profile to get a notification when we post a new story.
You can also follow our journalists and sister publications in the Discourse Community Publishing network by clicking “follow all” in our starter pack.
| | What did you think of this newsletter? |
⭐ ⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
|
|
|
