June 21, 2021

This week... 

It's beginning to feel like summer, get ready to BYOBags and make sure to claim your Home Owner Grant with the Province. Read on for more!
Get Vaccinated

Message from Island Health

Join Island Health Board Chair, Leah Hollins and Kathy MacNeil, President and CEO as they host an interactive Virtual Board Public Forum for the Nanaimo region on June 24 from 7-8 pm. Find more information in the event section of Island Health's Facebook page.

As of June 17, there were 55 active COVID-19 cases in the Island Health region (39 in the South Island, 8 in the Central Island and 8 in the North Island) with approximately 20-25% of recent cases community acquired (no known source and did not report travel outside of Island Health). While we are still showing low numbers, this could change if we don’t continue practicing COVID safety measures.

  • Everyone age 12+ in B.C. can now register online at www.getvaccinated.gov.bc.ca or by phone: 1-833-838-2323. Register your children and book one appointment together. While youth aged 12+ can be vaccinated when they accompany a sibling or adult to their appointment, clinics have a limited supply of doses available each day for these visits. It is best to have all youth registered and scheduled into an appointment to ensure they can get their shot.
  • Island Health is screening every COVID-19 positive test for variants, many of which are more transmissible and can lead to more severe illness. Currently, the majority of active cases are presumed variants of COVID-19.
  • If you have any symptoms of COVID-19 stay home, self-isolate and call 1-844-901-8442 (8:30 am – 8:00 pm daily) to book a test. If you are uncertain if you need a test, visit bc.thrive.health or review the symptoms on Island Health’s website.
  • We are currently in Phase 2 of the Restart Plan which allows for:
    • Outdoor personal gatherings of up to 50 people and indoor gatherings of up to 5 visitors or one other household
    • Organized indoor or outdoor gatherings with a safety plan can have of up to 50 people
    • Recreational travel within BC
    • Sporting activities, including low or high intensity indoor fitness activities (limited capacity), indoor games and practices with no spectators and outdoor games and practices with up to 50 spectators
    • Indoor and outdoor restaurant dining for up to 6 people
    • Masks remain mandatory in public indoor spaces and physical distancing is still required.

ISLAND HEALTH COVID-19

Lifeguards on Duty

It's beginning to feel like summer! After a hiatus last year, Westwood Lake will feel a bit more normal with the annual summer lifeguard program starting up again. 

Lifeguards will be on duty beginning June 29 from 12 pm to 6 pm daily until Sept 5, 2021. 

MORE INFO

Coming Soon! BYOBags

Get ready to bring your own bags with you when shopping in Nanaimo. On July 1, the Checkout Bag Regulation Bylaw comes into effect and businesses will no longer provide single-use plastic checkout bags. If you forget a bag, you will be able to purchase a reusable one or a paper bag for a standard rate.

Did you know? The average Canadian uses 400 plastic bags per year – this is the equivalent of 40 million plastic bags per year in Nanaimo alone. Many of these bags aren’t reused or properly recycled through depot drop off. Instead, many end up in our landfill, and sometimes they end up in our waterways, storm drainage systems and greenspaces.

BYOB LEARN MORE

Introducing...the OV Arts Centre

Exterior work to 25 Victoria Road included new brickwork and lighting, among other improvements. The City co-manages the building with the Harbour City Theatre Alliance Society, who has run the small community performing art space since 2014. Along, with the facade changes comes a new name for the theatre, The OV Arts Centre.

MORE INFO

Waterfront Walkway Expansion - tell us what you think!

There's still time to provide feedback on the Waterfront Walkway expansion into Departure Bay.

A number of improvements are planned for this section to provide better access to the waterfront/beach areas, enhance shoreline habitat and provide better connectivity to other active transportation networks in Nanaimo.

Fill out the survey by June 30.

 

TAKE THE SURVEY

Property Taxes - Claim Your Home Owner Grant!

Your 2021 property taxes are due Friday, July 2. Before the due date, make sure to claim your Home Owner Grant online with the Province.

The Home Owner Grant is a great way to reduce your property tax bill. Eligible homeowners under the age of 65 can reduce their taxes by up to $770 and up to $1,045 for seniors. You must claim your grant every year.

NEW: Starting May 2021, you must apply for your grant through the Province
of BC. Visit: The Home Owner Grant page on the Government of BC's website or phone 1-888-355-2700.

CLAIM YOUR GRANT

Take a Moment to Review the City's 2020 Annual Report

In it you will find accomplishments over the past year highlighting Council's strategic priorities including environmental responsibility:

💚 Climate Change Resiliency Strategy - Adopted in June 2020, the Climate Change Resiliency Strategy (CCRS) provides a guideline to prepare for the impacts (land use, infrastructure, environmental, and health impacts) of climate change.

💚 Demonstration Vegetable Garden - Parks Operations staff planted a small demonstration vegetable garden at Beban Park to encourage food security at home.

💚 Low Carbon Electrification Studies -Low carbon electrification studies for Oliver Woods Community Centre, the Port Theatre, Beban Park Complex and Nanaimo Aquatic Centre identified potential greenhouse gas reduction measures which could meet the Province’s 2050 emissions target.

2020 ANNUAL REPORT

Will Your Commute Be Affected This Week?

Up-to-date information on City construction projects:

  • Metral Drive (Turner - Mostar) is closed to through traffic, but open for local traffic. All businesses remain open. Please expect delays and account for extra time when navigating the area. The more vehicles through site, the slower construction progresses, so commuters are asked to use alternate routes.
  • To accommodate development and maintain site safety, Rock City Road will be closed from Ocean Pearl Terrace to Barrington Road to through traffic for 24 hours. Local traffic should expect delays and plan their trips accordingly.
  • Sign installation, line painting and traffic signal work continues this week as part of the Front Street Complete Street project. Commuters can expect delays and are encouraged to use alternate routes whenever possible. All businesses and parkades remain open and accessible.

CURRENT CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

Work With Us!

We are looking for candidates to fill the following positions:

To see an updated listing, visit the Job Postings page on the City website.  

Meetings This Week

Mon, June 21: Council Meeting at 7 pm

Wed, June 23: Advisory Committee on Accessibility and Inclusiveness meeting at 4 pm

Thurs, June 24: Design and Advisory Panel Meeting at 5 pm

Did you know?

The inaugural Nanaimo Mayor's Leaders' Table meeting was held on June 18, 2021.The Leaders' Table was formed as a result of recommendations from the Mayor's Task Force on Recovery & Resilience. To find out what was discussed, watch the meeting here. 

 

MEETINGS

Council in Action

Missed what decisions Council made during one of their meetings? Don’t worry, we have you covered! Check out our Council Meeting Summary page for quick overviews.

 

Want the Latest City of Nanaimo News & Information?

Stay up to date with Council, programming and events:

City of Nanaimo's COVID-19 Response

  • Masks Mandatory in all public spaces at all City facilities.
  • Safety protocols are in place to help keep both visitors and staff safe when visiting our facilities. Please check out our Online Services page to see how we can help you.
  • Recreation facilities, the Nanaimo Aquatic Centre and arenas are open and following evolving province-wide COVID-19 safety protocols.
  • Outdoor amenities remain open, however please continue to practice physical distancing, hand washing & please stay home if not feeling 100% well.

VISIT CITY OF NANAIMO COVID-19 INFO PAGE