February 16, 2021

This week... 

Island Health has an important message, spread kindness and work continues on the Lions Great Bridge. Read on for more!

The New Normal Continues

Masks Mandatory in all public spaces at all City facilities. Please refer to the City website for a list of front desk hours of operation.

Corporate Services

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. Got a question about dog licences, property taxes or user rates? Our Revenue Services team is here to help! If you have access to email, skip the phone call and email us instead.  

Parks, Recreation & Culture

Recreation facilities, the Nanaimo Aquatic Centre and arenas are open and following province-wide COVID-19 safety protocols.

Outdoor amenities remain open for use as well, however please continue to practice physical distancing, hand washing and please stay home if not feeling 100% well.

VISIT COVID-19 INFO PAGE
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Message from Island Health

While the risk of COVID-19 is present in every community on Vancouver Island, the Central Island region continues to see the highest number of active cases. As of February 10, 157 of the 230 (68%) active cases of COVID-19 within Island Health were in the Central Island region. This includes Greater Nanaimo, the Cowichan Valley, Oceanside, and Alberni-Clayoquot.

While some Local Health Areas, like Cowichan Valley South, have seen their curve flatten and begin to bend down, Greater Nanaimo is continuing a worrying trend with the total number of new cases increasing for four consecutive weeks. For the week of January 31 to February 6, the 93 new cases in Greater Nanaimo were nearly double the number from the previous week (See data below).

ISLAND HEALTH COVID-19

Spread Kindness

Wednesday, February 17 marks Random Acts of Kindness Day. Right now, more than ever, it is important to be kind to one another. Just one small act of kindness can make a huge difference. The Nanaimo Foundation has designated February 14-20 as Random Acts of Kindness Week. Click on the button below to learn about how you can share your acts of kindness and win a prize. 

NANAIMO FOUNDATION

Supportive Housing Work Begins

Work to build new supportive housing at 355 Nicol Street will begin Feb 16 with the demolition of the old Samaritan House and is expected to last up to 14 days. Last year, the City and BC Housing announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) as a commitment to build approximately 190 new housing units over the next few years including the supportive housing at 355 Nicol St.

MOU UPDATE

Walk On Wellness 

Celebrate Vancouver Island's mild winter weather and come “Walk On” with us. Join Parks, Recreation and Culture and New Balance Nanaimo, on a walking journey from Nanaimo to Victoria & beyond! Until March 13, track your steps and input your data weekly. There are weekly prizes and one lucky grand prize winner will go home with a pair of New Balance running shoes. 

WALK ON

Lions Great Bridge 

From February 8 to approximately February 17, the Lions Great Bridge will be closed for necessary remediation work. Walkway users are asked to obey all posted signage and avoid this route during construction activities if possible. A detour will be in place, but please know it is not accessible for those with mobility challenges. For more information on this project, visit our website.

LION'S GATE BRIDGE PROJECT

Hiring Summer Leaders

Parks, Recreation and Culture are hiring Seasonal Recreation Leaders for our summer day camps. If you are interested in gaining important work experience and leadership skills, click the apply button below! 

APPLY

Drop In Sports

Drop in sports for youth (11 Years & Up) is happening every Friday night in February from 4-5:30 pm at the Second Artificial Turf Field. It is free, but there will be staff on hand to lead in play and to ensure everybody follows COVID-19 safety protocols.

YOUTH FLYER

Will Your Commute Be Affected This Week?

Stay informed on the City's Current Construction Projects page. Staff provide up-to-date information on City construction projects.

  • Mostar Road (Metral to E&N) is currently undergoing a sidewalk widening. During construction hours for the month of February, the sidewalk on the north side of the road will be closed and westbound traffic will be narrowed to one lane to make room for heavy machinery. Please respect signage and account for extra time in your commute whether you are walking, cycling, or driving.
  • Metral Drive (Turner to Mostar) is limited to residents and business traffic only. Please respect that the road is closed to through traffic and on-street parking has been removed in front of Pacific Station until the roadworks have been completed. As an active construction site with large machinery working and deep utility trenches, road closures may occur and delays are to be expected. Please drive slowly and respect signage.
  • Rock City Road between Ocean Pearl Terrace & Barrington Road is closed from 9 am-3:30 pm, Mon-Fri for approximately 2 weeks to accommodate blasting and cleanup. Local traffic should expect delays and plan trips accordingly.

CURRENT CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

Work with Us!

We are currently looking for candidates to fill the following positions:

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Meetings This Week

Wed, Feb 17: Finance and Audit Committee meeting at 9 am

Did you know?

Council recently endorsed a new Economic Development Strategy. The strategy will focus efforts within six goal areas: economic capital, business development, human capital, innovation and technology, social and environmental capital, and place-making & attraction. Read more about the Economic Development Strategy.

You can watch live meetings, view a list of upcoming meetings, read agendas and watch recordings of past meetings all in one place on the City website.

MEETINGS

Council in Action

Missed what decisions Council made during a Special Council meeting or a Regular Council Meeting? Don’t worry. We have you covered! Check out our Council Meeting Summary page for quick overviews.

Here's a recap of last week's City news

CITY NEWSROOM

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