PARKSVILLE & QUALICUM BEACH
BC Business magazine named Parksville the second most resilient city in BC, behind only Langford. BC Business applied twelve indicators to the ranking, including demographic, workforce composition, real estate and employment trends.
BC Housing announced the St. Anne and St. Edmund Anglican Church on Wembly Road in Parksville will house an eight-bed shelter until March 31st. It’s being run by the Oceanside Homelessness Ecumenical Advocacy Response (OHEART) and funded through BC Housing.
The Parksville Fire Department will see an additional $45,000 go toward upgrades needed for training facilities. Parksville city council will award Knappett Industries $149,805 plus taxes, to improve the working area, drainage, usability and accessibility within the fire department’s training centre. The awarded amount is an increase of $45,000 for the 2021 capital budget allocated for the PFD. Included in the increased amount is a 15 percent ($22,470) contingency to offset any unforeseen circumstances during construction.
Parksville city council had no objection to the Music Cafe‘s application for a proposed addition of an entertainment endorsement to their existing food-primary liquor licence, allowing it to proceed to the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch. The business, located at 2-631 Island Highway, plans to introduce patron participation activities like (including, but not limited to) dancing, singing and karaoke.
The Town of Qualicum Beach has sold 2,068 square metres (0.51 acres) of Town-owned land consisting of parcels 126, 130 and 136 on Second Avenue East to Windley Projects Inc. for $525,000. The land will be transformed into mixed-use residential and commercial buildings as part of the East Village project.
The Parksville Royals will continue to operate the Springwood Park concession stand for up to five years after city council entered into another rental agreement with the baseball club for use of the Springwood Park concession facility. The agreement expires on December 31, 2023, with an option for a two-year extension.
Longtime Parksville resident Colin Springford recently passed away at seventy-five on his farm in Nanoose Bay. Colin, a successful entrepreneur and valued member of the Parksville community, started Town & Country Construction Parksville Ltd. in 1975 with wife Diane, along with operating Quality
Gravel and Havelock Storage. He served as president of the Coombs Farmers’ Institute for ten years and was active in the Arrowsmith Agricultural Association, and many other farm organizations.
Parksville Council has released the “Parksville Pool and Multiplex Facility Feasibility Study” to the public along with background information, staff reports, studies, assessments, and stakeholder engagement session results, currently available on the City’s public engagement platform, Let’s Talk Parksville. The report summarizes the feasibility and benefit of a multi-use aquatic centre in Parksville and shows Despard Avenue as the test site for the facility. To read the study and learn more about the potential facility, visit letstalkparksville.ca.
The City of Parksville is seeking requests for proposals for community park food vendors. The city wishes to provide concession services through mobile vendors in the Parksville Community Park, with a focus on locally grown and nutritious foods. Two concession pads are located in the park at 193 Island Highway East. Applicants may submit proposals for one or both of the existing pads for either the summer season or off-season by Friday, February 26 at 3PM. For details, contact Amanda Weeks at aweeks@parksville.ca or 250-954-3070.
The Rod & Gun bar and grill at 163 Alberni Highway has re-opened after completing repairs from a fire that occurred in April of 2020. rodandgunparksville.com
NANAIMO
The Regional District of Nanaimo wishes to standardize its community amenities contributions policy. A report, presented to the RDN’s Electoral Area Services Committee recommends staff develop a work program and budget for the creation of a CAC policy in 2022. The plan is to create a list of amenities, potentially including water towers, child care and affordable housing that developers can anticipate when applying for rezoning.
The Regional District of Nanaimo is establishing a new tree management policy for parks that will address a variety of tree-related issues. Park Services recently presented a well-received draft of the policy to the Regional Parks and Trails Select Committee that would provide direction on tree removals and suitable replacements in parks and trails to ensure zero loss of trees, the management of fire risks in the forested parks and trails, and management of invasive species.
Deputy Chief Tim Doyle has been promoted to Fire Chief of Nanaimo Fire Rescue. The twenty-year vet replaces Karen Fry who left to head Vancouver’s fire department in January.
A City of Nanaimo’s design advisory panel is supportive of the development application for 197 apartments in the Old City Quarter. Omicron, on behalf of property owner Telus Communications, is looking to build six- and seven-storey apartment buildings on land bordered by Wallace, Wentworth and Richards streets. The applicant is proposing one 146-unit building and one 51-unit building consisting of studio apartments and one, two and three-bedroom suites for 400-500 people.
The BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy recently announced approval of bylaws banning single-use plastic bags in four cities, including Nanaimo. The bylaw takes effect July 1st, giving retailers time to adjust their delivery and work through any existing stock of bags.
United Way Central and Northern Vancouver Island will distribute 16,000 masks across the region, representing its share of Deloitte Canada’s One Million Masks project. They will distribute the masks via partnerships with BC Ferries and BC Transit, as well as businesses and community organizations.
The BC Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions will partner with the John Howard Society on 15 beds and with Edgewood Treatment Centre on five beds, part of funding 100 new treatment and recovery beds around the province, with one-fifth slated for Nanaimo. The provincial government is providing $13 million for the initiative, administered through the Canadian Mental Health Association in consultation with the province and health authorities.
Mark Busby is the new executive director of the Men’s Centre in Nanaimo. Originally from the UK, Mark has lived in Nanaimo for 16 years and has previously worked as executive director of the Nanaimo Brain Injury Society. He replaces founder and former executive director Theo Boere, who is retiring after close to 20 years.
Four new EV charging stations are operational at Nanaimo Airport. Two stations have been installed in the main parking lot outside the terminal building, with a further two located in the rental car area. The stations are part of Natural Resources Canada’s Electric Vehicle and Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Deployment Initiative, which provided $200,000 in funding for the project. The province added an extra $100,000 through their CleanBC program, with the airport itself providing the remaining $100,000.
The multi-million-dollar, 28,000 square foot facility project for Nanaimo’s Loaves and Fishes Community Food Bank is closer to reality, recently securing $95,000 in funding from the Regional District of Nanaimo’s zero waste recycling program. A site for the new facility has been identified, with negotiations underway to purchase it. The land will cost roughly $1.4 million, with facility construction estimated between $5 and $10 million.
BC Ferries will conduct a test run of its newest Island-class vessel, the Island Aurora, between terminals at Descanso Bay and downtown Nanaimo from February 7-8. Hybrid ferries will take over the Nanaimo-Gabriola ferry run in 2022. Customers travelling for essential reasons may sail aboard the Island Aurora during the test run. Regular fares will apply.
The former Harewood Fire Hall will soon undergo renovations to improve the building’s functionality as Nanaimo Search and Rescue’s headquarters. The $2.6-million project is being paid for with a $1-million anonymous donation made to NSAR and $300,000 in grants NSAR secured from the province, as well as $1.3 million from the City of Nanaimo’s 2022 budget.
PORT ALBERNI & WEST COAST
In partnership with the City of Port Alberni, with funding from the Province of BC and Island Coastal Economic Trust (ICET), the Port Alberni Port Authority (PAPA) has opened The Kitchen located at The Dock+ food hub. The Dock+ began operating for its aquaculture food processor anchor tenants in the summer of 2020. The Kitchen at The Dock+ is ready and available for any business, charitable organization, or individual requiring a facility to make their food or beverage products. For information about The Dock+ and how to reserve time in The Kitchen, visit www.thedockplus.ca.
The Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District will enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Salvation Army to provide emergency support services in the Alberni Valley. Previously in 2020, the ACRD, City of Port Alberni and CUPE Local 118 entered into an agreement to allow the development and coordination of an Emergency Support Services Program within the Alberni Valley.
The Alberni Valley Community Foundation (AVCF) is accepting grant requests from local charitable organizations. The deadline for the coming year’s grant requests is February 28, 2021. Local organizations with “charitable” status under the Federal Income Tax Act may apply for grants in Arts and Culture, Education, Health and Physical Activity, Social Services and Environment. Details can be found at www.albernifoundation.ca, or by calling 250-723-2638.
The Port Alberni Shelter Society has received $1 million in funding for six addiction recovery beds, the first steps toward creation of a therapeutic recovery community in the Alberni Valley.
San Group’s remanufacturing plant on Stamp Avenue in Port Alberni will be opening soon after COVID-19 and other delays put Construction almost a year behind. The owners hope to have most of the plant up and running sometime in April. When the whole site is built there will be 300,000 square feet of buildings with six acres of blacktop in between.
TOFINO
Tofino has its newest Multi-Use Path extension, with the opening of the 2.8 kilometre addition to the MUP’s existing 6 kilometre pedestrian, jogger and bicyclist haven spans from Tofino’s visitor centre at Cox Bay to the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve’s northern border.
The Tofino Housing Corporation’s first affordable housing project will break ground sometime in February, with construction on a 14-unit housing development at 700 Sharp Road through a partnership between the THC and Vancouver’s Catalyst Community Developments, who will own and operate the units.
COWICHAN VALLEY + LADYSMITH/CHEMAINUS
Ampersand Distilling Co. at 077 Lanchaster Road in Duncan has been recognized among the best at the 2021 Canadian Artisan Spirit Competition, their limited-edition Nocino! winning Spirit of the Year, as well as achieving a “gold sweep” with all their spirits winning gold medals in their respective categories. CASC is the only national spirit competition reserved exclusively for artisan distillers. www.ampersanddistilling.com.
Transport Canada has announced $1.7 million in funding and partnerships to remove derelict boats from BC, included in a larger effort for boat removal projects from the West Coast to Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador. Thirty-seven of the fifty-one derelict vessel removals will be done in BC, as well as forty-three of the forty-four abandoned boat assessments.
Electoral approval for the Cowichan Valley Regional District’s Bylaw No. 4328 for Saltair water loan authorization has been greenlit. The Alternative Approval Process for borrowing up to $3.7 million to fund the provincially-mandated, water-filtration-treatment upgrades moves forward the 20-year loan which could result in a tax increase of up to $270 per year per parcel. The CVRD will borrow funds for the project after it is completed. The electoral approval covers the possible $1.6 million loan amount that will be required if the Saltair water system receives the grant.
Rogers Communications will begin holding public consultations on its proposal to install two new cell towers in North Cowichan, one located in Evans Park, the other on Mount Tzouhalem. SitePath Consulting, speaking on behalf of Rogers Communications, says the company doesn’t have dependable wireless service in these areas and requires additional infrastructure to meet increased customer demand. Council will consider granting the licence of occupation for the towers after the public consultation process is completed and staff have prepared a report.
Cowichan Auto Repair at 5275 Chaster Road was recently purchased by Crystal Cabelguen and Brett Rehaune from long-time owner Elly Ruge.
North Cowichan’s council has voted to rename a portion of the Dike Trail, from the Somenos Conservation Area to Tzouhalem Road, the S’amunu Trail, as requested by the Somenos Marsh Wildlife Society. Council has directed staff to work with Cowichan Tribes and the society to install new signage on the trail indicating the new name.
The Cowichan Lake District Chamber of Commerce-run Lake Cowichan Visitor Centre in Saywell Park has closed for good due to lack of funding. The centre had been open since 2005.
North Cowichan is seeking a government grant via the COVID-19 Resilience Infrastructure Stream, developed to help communities deal with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, to pay for a new roof at the Cowichan Aquatic Centre. Council greenlit the application, part of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, for approximately $1.7 million, which would cover the entire cost of the roof replacement.
The non-profit Duncan Housing Society has applied for funding from BC Housing’s Community Housing Fund program for an entirely new, expanded facility with approximately 300 units at Duncan Manor, a three story, 122-unit building on First Street that offers below-market independent housing for seniors and disabled persons. If granted, The society will be responsible for all design, construction, and operational costs of the project.
The Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD) has selected North Island 9-1-1 Corporation as the new provider of Fire Dispatch Services for the region. The CVRD’s current agreement with Nanaimo FireComm ends June 30, 2021 when the new five-year agreement with NI911 begins.