PLATO’S CLOSET OPENS USED TEEN/ADULT RETAIL OUTLET ON METRAL DRIVE
MARK MACDONALD
NANAIMO – Congratulations to Dee Klein on celebrating the 50th anniversary of their Damsels clothing store on Fitzwilliam Street. Dee’s shop has been a fixture on the Nanaimo fashion scene for decades, and Dee and her team are known for their insight and attention to detail and knowledge of trends in women’s clothing.
Bistro Taiyo Japanese Restaurant is earning rave reviews for their offerings at 321 Wesley Street in the Old City Quarter. It is open for lunch and dinner.
Kyla Christy is the owner of Plato’s Closet, which opens April 25 at unit 107 of 6461 Metral Drive, in the shopping plaza that is home to Planet Fitness and Cobs Bread. Plato’s Closet is a teen and young adult retail resale concept that puts cash into their pockets and sells used brand named items. It is a part of Winmark – the Resale Company.
Darren Brown is the new Assistant General Manager of the Nanaimo NightOwls baseball team, which starts its second season in the West Coast League. The NightOwls are led by Jim Swanson and owned by the group that also owns the Victoria Harbour Cats. The league features college baseball players from throughout North America.
Congratulations to the IWCD and Knappett Industries hockey teams that put together an amazing fundraising hockey game in Parksville recently, raising $29,660 in donations for the Nanaimo Child Development Centre.
Housing starts fell by over 50 percent in Nanaimo last year, according to statistics released by the Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia (CPABC). There were just 546 starts in Nanaimo in 2023, down 53.9 percent from the 1,184 in 2022.
Habitat for Humanity Mid-Vancouver Island has announced it will construct four buildings at 5915 Metral Drive. CEO Jeff Krafta states the project is a 24-unit townhouse.
Harbour Air has announced a partnership with the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust that will see them join in to receive funding from the airline’s “Share The Fare” program. That calls for the airline to donate $1 on behalf of every passenger flying with them on Fridays to selected organizations, now including the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust.
Strongitharm Consulting Ltd. brought forward the latest rendition of a re-zoning application for the former Howard Johnson Harbourside Hotel property at Comox Road and Terminal Avenue to city council April 18, and it passed third reading. The proposal calls for a mixed-use development featuring over 750 housing units in buildings from 5-16 storeys, with residential and commercial components, including a hotel. Snuneymuxw First Nation continues to oppose the development.
Chris Cathers has a solution to housing affordability with his Rooftoptents.ca business. Chris explains that many Canadians are having to find alternative living solutions, including rooftop tents, and business is booming with his company, which offers a wide variety of high-quality rooftop tents catering to the needs of those seeking temporary or semi-permanent living arrangements in their vehicles. “With housing becoming unaffordable for so many, living in cars, trucks, and vans with the addition of a rooftop tent is becoming a practical alternative,” Chris explains. “We are grateful to both the BC NDP and the Federal Liberal parties. Their policies have inadvertently created a robust market for our products.”
Johnston Franklin Bishop Lawyers are in their new location across from the Court House at 30 Front Street. A fire damaged their previous location behind Country Club Centre, and the Front Street address was previously home to the Vining Senini law firm.
For the third year in a row, the City of Nanaimo has been awarded the Canadian Award for Financial Reporting (CAnFR) and the Award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Annual Financial Reporting (PAFR) by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA). These awards are given for the City’s Annual Municipal Report and it’s shorter version the Annual Report Highlights document.
Mark MacDonald is President of Communication Ink Media & Public Relations Ltd. mark@communicationink.ca