Buy Nothing Day

It warmed my heart today to walk into the Thirsty Camel downtown, for a quick lunch before a haircut and library trip, and be told by Ilan that he was refusing to take money today because it was Buy Nothing Day. In an effort to further awareness of the absurd over-consumptive nature of our society, Ilan suggested a trade for food today. He simply asked that you offer something of equal personal significance for the meal you received.

At first I was really uncomfortable, wondering if it would be fair to exchange a yet to be determined IOU for food? What could I give him of equal value? After all, his food is kick ass. I would go so far as to say his food is the best in Nanaimo! (!!)

We ended up writing our IOU's with promises of a book (one from my previous posting), some baking and the offer of labour in a variety of ways if he needs it. Carpentry skills, gardening, moving help... whatever he needs. 

I suppose the idea isn't that the trade is "equal" so much as the importance of the actual nature of the transaction. There was thought put into our offer and there was an even greater appreciation for the meals we ate.

We don't buy a lot, especially at this upcoming time of year. We don't give gifts at all in fact. My kids might receive a gift or two from family members who refuse to take a different approach but the holiday time is spent enjoying each other's company and doing things together with family and friends. This approach isn't limited to the few times of year on recognised holiday's. This is a year round approach and one that seems most sensible.

Ilan is a good person. We are all lucky to have someone like this in our community.

Ward System In Nanaimo?

Larry Gambone
November 16, 2008 at 11:50 am ·

I will be interested to read your alternative to a ward system, Ann. But I think we have to realize that “at large” is a deliberate rigging of the electoral system to favor the more privileged section of the population. Vancouver used to have a ward system, but it was abolished in the late 1930’s when it looked like the CCF could take city hall, since poorer wards outnumbered the wealthy ones four to one.

I don't have an alternative to the ward system but I don't think it will solve all the city's electoral problems. 

I'd like to see electoral reform on a Federal and Provincial level more than a Municipal. Nanaimo isn't the same as Regina or Kelowna and while North Nanaimo's issues are very different than the South End's, many residents live and work all over the city and we are electing eight councillors to represent the whole city instead of just one area. The Ward system would regionalise and polarise the city when we're looking for unity.

I like that I have the ability to vote for a good candidate outside of my local area (Fred/Ron), just as I like being able to avoid supporting a poor candidate from my neighbourhood (Angela/James). Just because a candidate lives here won't mean they'll be the best option for Nanaimo.

I'm a strong supporter of Gordon Fuller and Simon Schachner but they would have been my only choice had the Ward system been in place!

I'd like to have my vote count towards the whole of city council and not just one representative. I like my vote to address issues and problems outside of my Ward area. With the Ward system you'd essentially be casting your vote based on the one most significant issue in your area only. (Much like the reactionary voting against Gary Korpan.)

I strongly believe that it's imperative for a community that wants representation to work hard at getting local residents informed and involved. If everyone from the South End voted in support of a candidate addressing South End issues than our voices would have been heard.

These elections should be about issues instead of politicians and their personalities. How we achieve this is up to us all. The southern half of the city is just that- half the city. Our inability to mobilise and make the issues affecting us on a daily level a significant factor in the election says more about us than it does about the electoral system or the politicians. No matter the circumstances each individual's vote carries the same weight. 

Let's work together now to make the next election count and work with the current elected councillors until that time.

Post Election Thoughts

Congrats to the successful candidates in the 2008 Nanaimo Civic Election. Specific congrats to Fred Pattje! 

I have to say that I'm pretty let down. A lot of the results lead me to believe that not many voters were making informed choices. I mean, come on, Angela Negrin getting as many votes as she did must have more to do with irritation towards Gary Korpan. Sure, his lawsuit against her is stoopid but so is Angela's continual insistence that "Koruption" has nothing to do with Korpan. Equally stoopid. Yes. Two o's because it's that stoopid.

Seriously, folks. Why would you ever vote for Angela Negrin who adds to our city by making greasy potato chips in a filthy filthy environment to serve to drunk patrons who then go out into the streets and litter and puke her produce back onto the streets increasing disorder to the downtown?! Have you not heard what she thinks are "platform points"? Ward system, ward system, city police (with no understanding to what's entailed), no more red zone (= reconcentration of homeless/addict problems in downtown core. While this may be seen by small minded people as "edgy" this would be to the obvious detriment of everyone.), bring "fun" back (forget a multiplex, we need a private/public funded chuckie cheese, right Ang?), more efficient intersections on the parkway (provincial highways), ward system (for the love of gawd this is redundantly redundant)...  

So what's wrong with the ward system? Thanks to the "I hate Gary Korpan Votes" for Angela last night she could have been elected with the ward system and if we all looked seriously at that possibility we'd see what a complete disaster that might have been. Basically our options here in the South End would have been much slimmer with the Ward system. I think before we push the Ward system into place we should focus on increasing voter turnout in our area and shifting the emphasis from the candidate's personalities and back to the issues (good and bad) that affect our city!

John Ruttan is our new mayor and Gary Korpan's numbers were embarrassingly low. I wonder what people think will be different with Ruttan instead of Korpan? 

19,663 ballots were cast. It's a damn shame considering we have almost 80,000 residents. 

What can we do now to decrease voter apathy? How can we get residents to understand that these elections are important and affect us all?

James Younger #2

  You just can't make this stuff up. I just had to share after I read some of these posts. 

Hotel deal alive or dead
James Younger

My feeling is it would not matter much who was to building it. [dangling] Can it be built? [tidy paragraph]
With the current financial crisis and other concerns. [not compete sentence] A hotel is needed to make the convention center [centre] work, I think that is a given.
Yes [comma] a building permit [no it wasn't] was taken out. [incomplete sentence]
Hearsay says that the drawings are just off a desk. [uh, wut?] With two bedroom 4000 square [!!! and he didn't accidentally add a zero folks] foot apartments with kitchens on top and below one bedroom with kitchens. [excuse me?] People who have seen the plans say they look more like condos than a hotel. [have you seen the plans?]
Will this project start?

James Younger for councillor?
Titan5

[...]You gotta work on your spelling though.

James Younger

SPELLING/GRAMMAr
These are not my strong points as I have dyslexia.
I have also only used the computer for a few months,so typing is new.
As I was getting my new computer worked on I purchased a spelling program. First it was only in French, now English is not working very well either evidently. I will move on and inquire about another spelling program because this one is not working for me. [Either you get it right before you publish it or you craft a monument to your own stupidity.]

Smokey©

I think your spell checker program is doing it's job. Most of your mistakes are using 'there' instead of 'their' and similar wording.[...]

Blue

[...]Are Fred Pattje/Ron Bolin and yourself working as a party? Be careful that when you align yourself with someone, that those individuals may not acknowledge you. I have spoken with Fred Pattje and basically he said there is no tie between you two.[...]

James Younger

Fred has twice asked me to partner up with him. I did not say yes or no either time. This was six months ago and then again after his last city council appearance. I was just as surprised as anyone else might be, with his gleaming resume and all. The next time we spoke about it we were at city hall a few weeks ago.
Fred said " my manager wants me to run alone, but I am not of the same mind."
I would find it very hard to believe that Fred Pattje would not agree to these occurrences. I never took him up on his offer, period. [Who wouldn't want a mental midget as a running buddy?]

I almost feel badly about publishing not one but two postings about James Younger running for Nanaimo's 2008 City Council. Not only am I overwhelmingly busy these days but it's kind of like poking a monkey in a cage. 

James Younger

James Younger is clearly an unintelligent, uneducated, low functioning twit. It would appear that his only real cause, and therefore the only topic that he has devoted any "intellectual" time to, would be the very narrow spectrum of municipal issues that would confront him on a trip to the corner store. In plain speak, the only things that really bother him are those that get between him and his slurplee. He only wants the slurplee-stoppers (problems) to go away rather than address the issues at hand. 

My question:

What’s your vision for future real estate development in our municipality?

And he replies:

#2 The real estate market is down and no one is borrowing money to build at this moment. This is predicted to last a few years. The new houses that are being sold are selling for less. I predict many builders moving into other work.

Okay. So what does this have to do with what direction the city might allow in real estate development?

My question:

What direction do you see the downtown revitalisation going in? Box stores, strip malls, megaplexes or locally owned unique small businesses?

His reply:

#5 How people build on their land once it is approved is up to them.

I give up. That doesn't even make any sense.  --> Me imagining this man getting any votes to allow him participation in city wide decision making.

While I don't agree with the political ideals of some candidates, I don't think they would be acting in bad faith. Not true with Mr. Younger who has such a poor grasp of any civic issue (not to mention the English language) that it could not be said that he has anyone's best interest in mind beyond his own.

Well that was fun. I'm glad to get that off my chest.

James Younger for Nanaimo City Council?

A few more quoted gems from Mr. Younger:

When I bought my house in “the hood” the appraiser and building inspector informed me that my quality of enjoyment of my house would be affected by were it was and how close it was to the street. I knew what they meant when “cracker jack “drove his dads car into my house.[...]

I will not support buildings over five stories. If that means I support shopping like sprawl that is better than a city full of high-rises. Once your city vista is full of high-rises you never get that small town look back. My research indicates five stories is the best for density avoiding high-rises.
I am opposed to city sprawl but only elected council members have a say in that. If the current economic trends continue new housing starts will drop dramatically reducing sprawl.
More building downtown would be attractive if the city payed for geo-tecks. It cost over $1000
for multiple geo-teck inspections to replace a eight by eight [8x8] front deck. If the costs for inspections required by city are this high for a deck what does it cost on a lot in the area. That is not incentive to build it is extra costs. We all know that there is coal slack in the area.

No really, I'm not making these quotes up.    What is the significance of a deck to the issues at hand? Should I hazard a guess that Mr. Younger is running for city council because he wants to do something to his deck and the current building code and/or a building inspector is not allowing him to? 

"So Mr. Younger, do you have an election platform?" "Yeah. Let me show you my deck."

I would enact a bylaw requiring new social services
not locate in the south end/ Nob hill area. Instead of a bylaw saying that social services can locate were-ever.{like this council did.]

Uh, wut?

Tipping with Take Out?

We don't eat out often but there are a few restaurants in town we like to patronise. It would be impossible to mention eating out in Nanaimo without mentioning the fabulous Thirsty Camel downtown. The Thirsty Camel however is not to subject of today's posting. I wanted to write about Amrikko's Indian Grill located in Departure Bay.

Buying a meal from Amrikko's always leaves me uneasy and yet I love Indian cuisine and there is little other choice in town. It may not be as amazing as Indian meals you can get in bigger cities but it's the best we have here in Nanaimo. 

You may ask yourself how I could ever eat at Amrikko's after what I have to say next but the only way I can explain is to reiterate that I love Indian food. On more than one occasion I've driven to Amrikko's on my way home from somewhere and ordered take out. While waiting for my food I have seen truly appalling food safety practices by at least one employee working at the front counter. Not washing hands between dealing with money and... anything else including a snotty nose, picking up with bare hands dropped ice cream meant for a customer and continuing to serve it, various other drops of things to the floor and also served to customers, touching of straw ends and glass rims, ice scooped out of bin with hands or the glass itself.... there is too much to mention from what I've seen in brief moments waiting for my food to be prepared. I don't know, maybe there's a certain expectation on my part that ethnic restaurants are supposed to have some level of unhygienic practices. Maybe not very PC but truthful at least. I'm laughing here because there really is no excuse to keep eating at a place that proves itself to not meet basic health and safety standards in at least the front of the restaurant.

Oddly enough the above is not what sparked this posting. I've actually thought of writing this exact post after each time I've had take out from Amrikko's. There seems to be an expectation from staff when paying that a tip be included when all I'm doing is picking up food. No service as been offered and from what I've now seen they'd have to pay me a tip to eat in the restaurant. I'd always be wondering if I was going to slurp up my straw a shard of glass from my drinking water or walk away with the cold the young woman at the front counter had and was spreading on everything she touched. 

There is always a feeling I get when they look at the approved bill rolling out of the interact machine that they're annoyed and disappointed that I haven't included a tip. I didn't always have this feeling. It started after a time I went and the young woman at the counter took it upon herself to fill out the beginning of my transaction on the handheld machine for me. She asked me what I wanted to leave for a tip. At this point I hadn't realised what she was doing and I confusingly said "uh, none?". She certainly wasn't happy about that. I took the handheld machine to okay the amount and punch in my pin etc only to find that she had done most of the punching in. I continued and just hoped she was charging the right price. Ever after it seems the "cheap no tipper" became my stigma much to my amusement. 

I have actually tipped for take out food in the past but after some conversation about it with friends realised how silly it is to tip like I would if I was eating in but without getting any of the service you tip for. Amrikko's is the only restaurant in Nanaimo I've been to that seems to expect a tip with take out. Perhaps they don't pay their employees enough that they must rely heavily on this extra gratuity.

Busy Week

It's a busy week this week so I won't be blogging much. My husband is currently out of town for a two week fund raising for cancer event all over the island and my grandfather is in the hospital again and really unwell. I'm finding little time being a single parent to my two kids and much too distracted with worry for my grandfather so I'll be back soon!

I've been really enjoying reading Gord's new blog and all that he has to offer Nanaimo. He's running in the upcoming civic election in November. His blog thoughts are well worth checking out. 

Civic Elections

I know it's a bit early for the upcoming civic elections but I'm finding it difficult to discover what exactly candidates running are hoping to accomplish when and if they are elected. I've been to a few websites like Fred Pattje and Pat Squire and while their sites are professional looking (even with the classic token pictures of each chatting up seniors) they offer no real insight into their political platform. I've heard complementary things about the two examples above and yet I'd like to cast a vote for more than just a "nice guy". 

I'm tired of political catch words. A political platform for should outline a candidates opinion on an issue and define what action that candidate intends to take to address the matter. Obviously a candidate isn't going to have an opinion on every concern facing Nanaimo but each should clearly demonstrate their understanding and ideals for the issues they intend to work on during their term. This is why a council is elected, so they can work together on all issues. 

I would like to see each potential candidate demonstrate how they can collaborate with other council members to bring about effective change on behalf of the city. I'm not looking forward to a debate if one is planned because we don't need to elect stubborn and argumentative people. We need to elect people with good ideology with the skills to work with other councillors to get things done. 

I'd love to hear more about the issues and worthwhile candidates who might address them. Who's catching your eye during this election?

Gordon Fuller

Further to my post about South End Representation and Gordon Fuller's running for city council I was in touch with Gord today. He was kind enough to email me some information about himself to facilitate anyone looking online in getting to know who he is and what he can offer the City of Nanaimo. I replied to him with the sentiment I share now: I think he would be an asset to the City of Nanaimo and I would be proud to live here if the changes he suggests are made. 

November 15th
Elect to Council

Gordon Fuller

Building Community

An Alternative to Vested Interests

In running for Council for the third time Gord believes he would bring a balanced perspective with both personal and professional experience around social issues as well as his involvement over the years with various community groups. A long time Social and Community activist Gord knows it is critical to recognise the importance of a healthy diverse economy in providing meaningful employment and the necessary tax base from which to run our fair city. “We need a strong advocate on council representing the interests of the South End, an advocate who also understands the issues in other areas of the city as well. There is much to be said for the Ward system as opposed to the at large. This becomes even more apparent when we consider South of the Hospital area has seen no elected representation for years.”

Gord is a third generation Nanaimoite, himself having lived in Nanaimo for the past 27 years most spent in the South End and Downtown areas. In 2002 he completed a degree in Child & Youth Care at Malaspina University/College while working full time as manager of Samaritan House Emergency Shelter. Gord is currently employed with Nanaimo Youth Services Association as coordinator of their 20 unit Youth Housing Complex.

Active in the community Gord Fuller is currently Co-Chair of the Nanaimo 7-10 Club Society, President of Friends of Plan Nanaimo, Vice President of the South End Community Association and Vice Chair of the Nanaimo Neighbourhood Netwerk. He is also an active participant on the Board of Citizens Advocacy as well as with the Downtown Nanaimo Partnership – Housing Design Development subcommittee, Working Group on Homeless Issues, Neighbours of Nob Hill, Nanaimo Old City Association and Mid Island Coalition for Strong Communities. Gord’s past community involvement has also been extensive including participation with the Nanaimo Crystal Meth Task Force, Nanaimo Alcohol and Drug Action Coalition, Working Group on Downtown Social Issues, Mental Health Advisory Council, City of Nanaimo Nuisance Property Committee, Nanaimo Social Development Strategy, S.A.F.E.R Downtown Nanaimo Project, Community Food Connection, Food Link Nanaimo, Action for Diversity Team and Nanaimo Food Share Society.

“I believe Nanaimo is a unique city that still has an opportunity to work collectively towards not repeating the mistakes other cities have made in the past. We need to focus on the preservation of Nanaimo’s heritage with development that works in harmony with the waterfront and mountain vistas, maintaining the unique character of neighbourhoods and the community, Citizen Driven and Not Developer Driven. Smart Growth not rapid growth should determine Nanaimo’s future.”

“We need to implement sustainable small-scale social programs that move away from the institutional and towards community integration. We must work towards Social Equality and the elimination of the endemic poverty that exists in Nanaimo. This process can be accomplished in part through innovative sustainable affordable housing options that do not place a greater burden on the already high taxes that exist in Nanaimo. It is imperative that we, as a community, recognize and value diversity and the potential of all citizens in contributing to make Nanaimo a vibrant and inclusive community.”

In keeping with a vision of a healthy community Gord believes, “we must look towards the environment both urban and rural. Initiatives towards green energy, environmental protection and public ownership of our drinking water must be given priority.”

Other Comments:

Parks: “ From recreational to Tot Lots we need to ensure all of Nanaimo’s Parks are safe from rezoning in the future.”

Water: “We need to ensure that privatization of water never comes up on the agenda of the municipality and Regional District. Nanaimo needs to look to the purchase of the watersheds surrounding our drinking water.”

Planning: “Nanaimo is fast becoming a laughing stock, among communities across Canada, when it comes to urban planning. We need to implement smart growth principals creating density within, rather than by expanding, the urban containment boundary.”

Development: “Neighbourhood involvement needs to be the first step for developers before taking their projects to the city for approval. “

Housing & Homelessness: “The City of Nanaimo must lobby provincial and federal levels of government to work with the municipality in the provision of affordable/social housing and other means to end homelessness and poverty in Nanaimo.”

Concentration of Social Services: “Most communities work from the adage that you put the services where the people are. This has tended to concentrate services in the downtown or bordering neighbourhoods and results in urban decay and the ghettoization of the community. Poverty is not located in any one area and as such we need to look at creating smaller scale services outside of the downtown areas. We need to move away from large scale all-in-one institutional settings.”  

Food Security/Policy: “The City of Nanaimo must adopt a food charter coordinating municipal strategy that will encourage greater support for local food producers as well as allowing for the development of community gardens that would help provide food security to those in need in Nanaimo.”

Conflict of Interest: “If there is even a remote chance of conflict or perceived conflict of interest councilors must make it known.”

Councilor behaviour at council meetings/public hearings: “The denigrating of people speaking to council must stop. All citizens coming before council must be treated with respect.”

City Council Terms of Office: “Too often this has become a career, many having sat on council for 25 years or more. I believe we need to limit the number of terms a person sits on council to 2 or 3 at the most. This would allow for a quicker turnover to fresh ideas and enthusiasm on the part of newly elected municipal officials.”

A strong believer in an open communication process you can feel free to contact Gord at:
Ph: 250 754 6389
e-mail: gorfathome@yahoo.ca

Marathons, Buskers and Movie Theatres

We were walking downtown today to watch the finish line of the half marathon. My husband had been volunteering earlier in the course and we wanted to cheer on a few friends we knew running. I couldn't believe all that was set up at the end of the race. I've seen these tent contraptions where runners could cool themselves off before where the tent is strung with small hoses spraying mist. Runners also had the option to take the seemingly more popular method of cooling off- by getting their hair washed by hairdressers. What a bizarre scene. There was also a fruit bar for the runners and a band playing in the back of the courtyard. 

Probably the highlight of the day was the busker/singer down in front of the fish and chips restaurant on the boat docks. I've seen him from time to time and man, can he sing. I always enjoy stopping for a longer listen.

We walked up Church street past the Modern Cafe and saw that the old theatre is getting torn down. Even though the theatre hadn't been showing pictures there in quite some time I find myself feeling down being reminded that if I want to go see a movie on the big screen I have to do it in North Nanaimo. I miss the days of walking to and from the movie theatre and never go see movies now because I'm not interested or willing to drive all the way to the characterless sprawl that is North Nanaimo. It just isn't worth starting up the car for. 

I'd love to see a working movie theatre somewhere in the downtown or south end. And I'm not talking about some megaplex with a ridiculous excess of theatres, gaming and other money sucks. Cheap- yet ironically expensive, faceless, zero community feel. Yes, the walmart of theatres is not what we need. 

Just a good old theatre with maybe one or two cinemas. Showing new movies or waiting a week or two after a movie has opened elsewhere. It would be perfect for the people who live here who don't have a need for instant gratification and enjoy not having to drive everywhere. It could get people out walking which of course is good for their bodies, minds as well as good for the community at large.

South End Representation

I saw in the paper today that Gordon Fuller is going to run for Nanaimo city council. While I'm glad to see an article about him, for gawd sakes could then not use a better picture? I'll save the rant on the dodgy editorialising by the local newspaper for another day. Go Nanaimo Blog also makes mention of Gordon here (with a normal photograph of him even). I wish there was more about Gordon online to get to know him better and follow his campaign to become a city council member. Maybe Gord needs to enter the world of Facebook!

I don't know Gordon apart from what I'm reading recently and occasionally seeing him around town but I'm excited about the possible south end representation. Too many decisions made for (south) Nanaimo are made by people who don't live here and their decisions seem to be exclusively interested in making money instead of putting what's good for the local community first. These people can't and/or don't truly care what goes on here because it isn't in their backyard. 

From what I've read about Gordon so far, I like that he's involved in a number of different programs in the community. Oh heck, if that's not the understatement of the century. This guy is a part of almost every social advocacy group in the city! He obviously has an interest in making things better and is aware of the many real problems our community faces. 

I'm looking forward to hearing more about Gord's vision for the city. 

South End Community Association

I noticed the South End Community Association now has a blog of their own. 

http://seca1.wordpress.com/ 

This will be a good opportunity to stay up on what's going on in the South End. I see that they already have a number of good articles about the South End being split into different ridings for Provincial elections and updates on Deverille Park. It's worth a look.

Full Steam Ahead?

As you probably read in the paper today the Island Corridor Society is looking to increase support in renewing and enhancing the train corridor on Vancouver Island.

I've written before in support for rail travel here. I wholeheartedly believe in the logic behind developing affordable and extensive train services on Vancouver Island, all over BC and across Canada. I was excited to read about what the Friend's of the Corridor are working towards.

Please consider signing up in support of this worthy issue. Your privacy is assured and names and email addresses are not posted (unless you want you name listed on the site).

Party in the Park Monday Night!

I meant to post this the other day but alas, I must have hit "save" instead of "publish".

The Living Room with not be hosted in the Balmoral Hotel like the VIHA originally wanted. It's bittersweet news since this low barrier program will no doubt be pushed on some other building in the south end of Nanaimo. We'll just have to keep our ears to the ground for last minute notice of where they intend to put it next. I have little faith these days that the VIHA have the people they are attempting to serve or south end community's best interests at heart.

All unpleasantness aside, there is going to be a community potluck party in the park on Monday night instead of the organised march to the city counsel meeting to show community strength over this recent issue. The potluck will be at Deverill Park at 5 pm. Bring a dish to share, something to sit on and any else that might (legally) enhance the evening.

Looking forward to seeing everyone!

How did you spend your $100 Climate Change Dividend?

A couple weeks ago, I put mine towards a Xtracycle that I've been coveting for the last two years. It finally made it up to the top of my priorities list. When I was looking to buy one in Canada I noticed that they could be found in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario. I chose to spend my money in Saskatchewan, knowing that richer Alberta and Ontario don't need it as badly. I bought my Xtracycle at Escape Sports. The owner, Jonathon was a real help and went out of his way to ship it on the bus where it would get handled less and I could save on cost. It was cheaper than he even expected it to be. 

I've never enjoyed driving and now I have even more opportunities to not drive a vehicle. The Xtracycle offers me the ability to ride my bike further and to carry more weight. I can easily carry a weeks worth of groceries and one of my kids on the back. Last week I was carrying more than eighty pounds! My husband is going to build a double seat so I can carry both my kids, since my younger son is too small to just hang on. I'm sure for longer trips my older daughter could tire and a seat for her would be ever useful. 

The best part about it is that you hardly notice that it's even attached. You aren't towing any of the extra weight thanks to it being evenly distributed between the wheels allowing it to behave in the same fashion my bike was originally designed to. I may go a bit slower on some of the hills but as long as one understands and is adept at shifting gears and planning the bike route to avoid the steeper hills it's a pleasant, enjoyable way to ride.

The other night the kids and I all hopped on and my husband gave us a ride. It was easier than expected and pretty nice to be on the receiving end of the ride for once!

I can't say enough about this purchase and the value it's adding to our lives! If you see me riding around town, don't hesitate to comment or ask questions! I even have a few extra Xtracycle flyers in my bag if you're interested.

My breakfast the other morning was too good to not share. We had fruit and I made my favourite Sweet Potato Honey Biscuits. They were so rich and tasty. Since they are so quick and easy to make we have them often throughout the year. If there's interest I'd probably be willing to share the recipe for this or any other meal we make...

Lovely Evening Last Night

This was supper last night. Corn on the cob with marinated and barbecued veggie kabobs. 

It certainly was lovely last night and today looks like it will be as well. Hope everyone enjoys the day!

Negative Option With Cable Bay Lands Project

Negative option marketing is morally questionable business behaviour and yet it seems the city has embraced this policy with enthusiasm. 

Go Nanaimo Blog has laid out the Cable Bay Lands Project quite clearly. 

The city wants to take 39 hectares from the Regional District of Nanaimo to add to it's 420 hectares and allow an Alberta developer to come in and build a high density resort. The city has given Nanaimo residents opposed to this project about a month during prime holiday season to sign an Elector Response Form. You can also find and drop off these forms at the Green Store or the Thirsty Camel. If the city receives less than 5815 forms than the deal will go ahead. 

The Alberta developer wants to build more than 1800 residential units, a golf course and resort on this forested and trail covered land. This is a wildlife corridor and includes wetlands and other environmentally sensitive areas. This self contained resort will bring little, if any benefit to the Nanaimo area. In fact, the burden on the city infrastructure will offset whatever tax payments the resort will make to the city. Not to mention the inevitable upgrades and civil works the city will have to provide to support the large scale development. Power lines, fiber optics, sewer, water, gas, roads and intersections.... 

The Cable Bay area is already subject to a relatively high rate of property crime. Adding a new subdivision so far from town and police services will likely only increase potential targets for thieves. These will be largely seasonal homes occupied by absentee well to do owners. We don't need another distraction for already overworked police services. 

It would be nice if the city of Nanaimo would consider a plebiscite that more accurately and thoroughly establishes the opinion of the citizens. Financial gain for a few should never be the bottom line. Real estate developers have become experts at selling these projects but they seldom serve the interests of anyone but a handful of investors. 

Please take a moment to fill out an Electoral Response Form at the Green Store or the Thirsty Camel downtown.

VIHA and CMHA and Balmoral Hotel, Oh My

Thanks to Dilling for the heads up with this post. 

Despite the lack of adequate notification to people who live in the south end of Nanaimo that this meeting was taking place it was reported that about 120 concerned neighbours attended. It was so crowded that the hosting South End Community Association put a speaker in the hallway so attendees could hear those speaking into the microphone inside. Those who attended cared enough that they withstood the stifling heat in the building.

I was left feeling conflicted at this meeting. On one hand, I was pleased that I wasn't the only one with the concerns over what the Vancouver Island Health Authority and the Canadian Mental Health Association is proposing. On the other hand, I was really let down that it appeared that VIHA and CMHA representatives were acting on the obligation to be there. They seemed to be going through the motions instead of listening to the opinions and concerns shared. If I could have asked one question it would have been to ask where these representatives lived. I highly doubt any of them live in the south end.

The biggest disappointment for me wasn't even a main topic for the night. It was realising that when we're told that created housing is going to be spread out over the Nanaimo area they really mean it will be spread out over the South Nanaimo area. There seems to be no intention of opening up housing outside of this already burdened neighbourhood. To hell with the people that live here who have been working hard to turn the neighbourhood around and create a worthwhile community.

As many many people have already attested, having a low barrier style resource center in a neighbourhood that is actively trying to make drug sellers and users unwelcome is a serious step backwards. To impose this on the community is unfair and unkind. I can see the benefit to having a low barrier style living room space for the purpose of getting these people off the street as well as getting them in touch with crisis response in the interest in harm reduction. The location however, is vitally important to get right. It needs to be central but also enclosed enough that it discourages people from loitering and hanging out in large groups in front or near by. It's a difficult balance of offering addicts access to much needed services and making it uncomfortable enough that they won't linger after their treatment. 

VIHA and CMHA seem to be giving the whole harm reduction strategy lip service rather than wholly buying in to the concept. They consistently don't employee enough people and jeopardise the whole process by underfunding and understaffing the front line service. There's a serious lack of planing. They don't consult with the city, neighbourhoods or police. They simply look for the cheapest building immediate to the problem area and slam as many services as possible in it. Many of these people need hospital services every day or week. Why aren't they creating housing and service options near the hospital? 

The most significant pillar of the harm reduction strategy is getting the people at risk removed from their stressers. That means off the streets, away from direct access to drugs and the drug culture. This is why VIHA should be looking outside of South Nanaimo and around the municipality and throughout the central island. We only need to look at the problems facing the city of Victoria right now to understand how horribly wrong things can go if this stress is concentrated in one area. 

Organisations like VIHA and CMHA must work with the community. If there isn't significant buy in and commitment at all levels then the whole thing is for naught. It's important to remember that the homeless and those at risk are still members of our society and we have an obligation to help them move towards a healthy lifestyle. Throwing pennies in the wishing well hoping this will go away is more expensive in the long run and ultimately helps no one.

From the South End Community Association:

HI everyone: well, the media has picked up on our issue and we need to ensure that our message is heard. 

The first article in Thursday's Nanaimo Daily News, focuses on much of what happened at the meeting on Wed nite. Here's the link.

Today's articles reflect the city's growing rebuttal to our efforts. Here's the link. 

It appears that their major argument is going to be that we've got all the druggies and homeless here anyway, that we are a neighbourhood under great stress and they are the great white knight riding in to help us. 

Yes, we have had some problems in the past few weeks, but those have been due to at least 2 drug busts that have sent people out onto the street. The last 18 months has been relatively free of the type of hassles we used to suffer years ago. And we are doing most of it ourselves, with the help of the RCMP and bylaws. We have taken charge of our neighbourhood. We need to bring THIS message across.

Please, please take the time to reply to one of these articles....NOW...there's a section at the end where you can post. The media will help us, but ONLY if we feed it...and we know that the PR folks on the other side will be doing exactly that.

Or send an e-mail directly to the editor: editor@nanaimodailynews.com

The Nanaimo Bulletin also published an article on the front page of Thursday's paper (no link avail) and there will be an article on Saturday. They are happy to post as many letters to the editor as they can fit in, so don't forget them, because this is the paper that many of your neighbours read.

Here is their e-mail address: editor@nanaimobulletin.com

What you write doesn't need to be perfect...and if you are stuck, just call me at 740.0123 and I'll help.

And please, send a copy of your letter to us so we can bundle them together for city council.

Thanks

Barbara Densmore

Also, city council meeting Monday night July 14, please mark on your calendars. We are on the agenda.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Okay so the title doesn't totally work but hey, it's catchy.

It's becoming more and more expensive to drive vehicles and fly airplanes these days. Prudent people are increasingly trading in their gas guzzlers for more efficient cars or even trying to go car free as often as possible. Buses and bikes are seeing more use as a result. Airlines are also scaling back on flights and even reducing airspeed in an effort to save on fuel costs. I can't help but agree with many out there that rising fuel costs are a blessing in disguise. That sadly this may be the only way our society will make a more ecological change in the way we do things. 

So even if we want to be gentler on the environment we still need to get places. Unfortunately, the way we live is not always logical or efficient. Living far away from where we work doesn't make a lot of sense and yet many people choose to make long daily commutes. There are so many residential waste lands far away from not only work but... well, anything. You have to drive to get groceries, take your kid to school, go see a doctor, rent a movie... It doesn't help that people in general love box store shopping. Everything you need and more things you don't, all in one place, cheaply made and a price to match.

North America is a car centered society. It's entirely redundant, expensive and ecologically unsound for every household to own and maintain at least one internal combustion vehicle and many families own more than one! Here in North America the mentality is often one of abundance and entitlement to that abundance no matter the cost to others or the environment. In many jurisdictions the costs of insuring and maintaining vehicles is becoming increasingly prohibitive. Automobiles put a huge strain on our domestic, civic and provincial infrastructure. Purely from a land use perspective to dedicate the space to park all these vehicles is simply wasteful.  

It's truly a shame that with a little forsight and community spirit as a goal we might all live with useful shops including a decent grocery store in walking distance and if we didn't work nearby there was some sort of transit option to get there with ease. Europe is an excellent model for this kind of living.

So here's where we get to trains. 

When rail systems are well maintained they can be a fantastic way to travel long or short distances. Trains can be incredibly environmentally efficient and safer than alternatives like driving on highways. Trains are a more comfortable way to travel because you can get up and stretch your legs, have space to catch up on work, and survey the passing scenery usually without that including endless highway. You can meet and connect with other people on trains, grab something to eat or have a snooze. All this you can do before getting to your chosen destination. The only downfall to train travel as I see it is the fact that it's not quite as fast as other options. All the more reason to slow down your life a bit, if you ask me the benefits far outweigh the converse.

It would be encouraging to see serious investment in train travel over Canada, throughout BC, on Vancouver Island and locally around Nanaimo. I would love to travel around Canada with my bike and backpack. I'd love to see far reaching places beyond what you can see from the limiting few highways. It would be great for tourism for most of these rural places if it were easy and comfortable to access the area. A trip up island for a couple of days via train would be fantastic. On the other hand, a trip down island to Victoria would be handy as well, not to mention much safer than driving the congested Malahat.

I walk around Nanaimo and imagine the train tracks already in place being used to their full potential and even expanded with more track laid. I can imagine a main downtown train station at 109 Front Street, right on the corner of Esplande where a dilapidated, slummy drug addict hangout currently sits. How brilliant would it be for people in North Nanaimo to hop on a train and come downtown for the day or evening event. It would be equally great for someone in South Nanaimo to go into North Nanaimo for a quick trip. No cars needed. No parking concerns. Ahhhh.... 

Trout Slapped and Falafel Heaven

Further to this posting...

Why put needed sidewalks on busy roads where they don't exist when you can just redo perfectly satisfactory sidewalks you already have? This is the corner of Albert and Kennedy downtown Nanaimo and not the only sidewalk getting a facelift. 

I don't even know what more there is to say about this.  

On a more positive note, while walking downtown to get some groceries from Thriftys last night we stopped and had supper at the Thirsty Camel. It was as fantastic as ever. I see that the Thirsty Camel is now making speciality coffees and more quick breakfast type items. The muffins sound amazing! 

Here's a shot of our supper- a Falafel Patter and a Chicken Platter. Best falafel I've had (and I've long made a great falafel!). The chicken is always so fresh and delicious. It probably has to do with the fact that it's locally grown and non medicated chicken from Piper's Meats. The tahini, the hummus, the olive oil... it's all so good! My stomach is starting to growl for more!