Where Does the Art Come From?

You may have noticed artwork appearing on utility and traffic cabinets around town and wondered where the artwork comes from and who is responsible. These art wraps represent original artwork created by artists on the City’s Urban Design Roster and are commissioned in a collaborative effort between the City’s Culture team and the Public Works team.

Utility and traffic cabinets are a visible part of communities across Nanaimo. They offer a canvas to celebrate the city and its neighborhoods through public art, providing a sense of place and fostering community pride. Additionally, the presence of art and a vinyl wrap helps toprevent and clean up graffiti.

The Sweet Layered Podcast: Kamal Parmar - Poet Laureate

On this episode of The Sweet Layered Podcast we discover the poetic world of Kamal Parmar, a Nanaimo-based writer whose work beautifully captures her journey from India to Canada. In our latest episode, Kamal shares her passion for Haiku and creative non-fiction, touching on themes like childhood memories, the beauty of the prairies and her mother's experience with Alzheimer's. With her work published internationally and a deep involvement in Nanaimo's cultural scene, Kamal offers a unique perspective on the power of words. Tune in to be inspired by her story!

PODCASTS

Public Works Yard Update AAP begins next week

The Alternative Approval Process for the Public Works Yard Update Project begins on September 18 at 8:30 am and will continue until October 31 at 4:30 pm.

AAP INFORMATION

World Trade Centre tribute

As we mark another year that has passed since September 11, 2001, you can pay tribute here in Nanaimo outside Fire Station #1.

In 2009, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey began accepting requests from organizations for a piece of World Trade Center steel. The steel was recovered from the World Trade Center site after September 11, 2001, and secured at JFK Airport by The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

The steel withstood the most horrific attack on American soil that took the lives of 2,819 people. Nanaimo Fire Rescue is proud to have received one of 1,500 of these pieces. It is not known which tower the beam came from.

#LeaveYourPhoneAlone Campaign with ICBC

Distracted and inattentive driving is one of the leading contributing factors in fatal car crashes in B.C. On average, distraction is a factor in 5,788 police-reported injuries and 78 deaths each year.

Police across BC will be ramping up enforcement throughout September, and we will be working with community volunteers to set up Cell Watch deployments to remind drivers to leave their phones alone.

MORE INFO

Nanaimo 150: Did you know?

Nanaimo's first school, operated by the Hudson's Bay Company, was in a little log building near the current Palace Hotel.

The first government-funded school was built on Crace Street in 1873 for $2,500. It eventually became a fraternal hall and, later, housed a variety of commercial tenants. In 2009, long neglected and vacant, it was demolished.

Courtesy of Nanaimo Archives