April 14, 2025

This Week...

Check out the ReWilders sculptures in Colliery Dam Park, get last-minute tickets to the Culture Awards and follow your recycling after it's picked up at the curb. Read on for more!

Nanaimo's ReWilders Sculptures

Nanaimo's ReWilders sculptures, found near the Lower Dam of Colliery Park, are a collaborative effort between a group of Nanaimo youth and artist Rob Turriff. The creatures are an imaginative way of symbolically removing invasive plants such as ivy while restoring local plant life within our city.

Commercial Street

Progress is coming along on the Commercial Street! This week, crews are running a curb extruder. Even though it has "curb" in it's name, it isn't actually making curbs. It's used to form curbless gutters that will make the street more accessible for those with mobility issues. A curbless street also creates opportunity for whole street events like the Commercial Street Night Market creates more options for businesses to utilize the space outside their stores. 

Easter Long Weekend

Most City offices and rec centres are closed over the Easter Long Weekend with the following exceptions:

  • Friday, April 18: Good Friday
    • Everyone Welcome Swim from 12-4 at the Nanaimo Aquatic Centre
  • Monday, April 21: Easter Monday
    • Everyone Welcome Swim from 12-4 pm at the Nanaimo Aquatic Centre

DROP-IN SCHEDULES

Recycling 101 - What Happens After Collection

Let's talk about what happens to all the items in your blue cart after it's collected by a City of Nanaimo truck. Our trucks have two compartments in them - one for your organics and one for either garbage or recycling. Your recycling cart gets emptied into the larger compartment of our split-packer trucks and is hauled to a receiving facility in south Nanaimo. Once there, it's sorted for contaminants (non-recyclable items)  and into different categories - paper, cardboard, hard plastic and metal containers.

These items are then baled and sent to a material recovery facility in the lower mainland where they are sorted again and then sent to different places to process into new products. Hard plastic packaging is washed, shredded and made into pellets, which are turned into new packaging and products. Metal containers are melted and rolled into sheets for turning into new packaging and sheet metal for automotive manufacturing. Paper and cardboard are pulped and turned into items like egg cartons, boxes and other paper products. 

The video above explains this process. 

Upcoming City Events

Will Your Commute Be Affected This Week?

Here’s a list of up-to-date information on City construction projects. For more information on Nanaimo construction projects, visit the current Construction page on the City's website.

  • The intersection of Wall Street and Comox Road is being updated with new traffic lights, pedestrian crossings and altered Wall Street right turn. Bus stops 109974 and 110047 will be affected. Visit the RDN Transit page for more info. Expect delays along Bowen, Boxwood and Northfield Roads as the Midtown Gateway Project continues.
  • Until mid April, right turns for eastbound traffic on Northfield Road onto Boxwood Road will be closed 24 hours per day. Detours are in place. To keep up to date on all disruptions, checkout www.nanaimo.ca/goto/MidtownGateway
  • The following trailways will have occasional construction activity due to the Midtown Water Supply Project: between Labieux Road roundabout and the E&N Trail, between Third Street, VIU and the Black Diamond neighbourhood, between Northfield Road and Griffiths Road alongside the Parkway.
  • Commercial Street between Wharf Street and Church Street is closed to vehicles and Bastion Street is closed to vehicles between Skinner Street and Front Street. FREE daily 2-hour parking is available along downtown streets and on Levels 2 & 3 of the Bastion Street Parkade for the duration of the project.
  • The Townsite Area Utility Upgrades will see the connection of new water services and final paving on Oakley Street and Chelsea Street completed during the month of April. Roads will be closed intermittently and open to local traffic only.

Note: All businesses in the construction areas are open unless otherwise posted. When approaching construction zones, please make sure to slow down and obey all signage and traffic personnel instructions. Remember that construction zone speed limits are 30 km/hr unless otherwise posted. If you know your commute is taking you through any of the areas below, please allow for additional time and plan ahead.

CURRENT CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

Work With Us!

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

  • Planning Assistant
  • Water/Wastewater Systems Operator-in-Training
  • Casual Clerical Opportunities
  • Casuals - Police Services
  • Occupational Health & Safety Coordinator
  • Manager, Revenue Services
  • Casual Pool - Custodian Relief
  • Water Technician
  • Building Official
  • Casual Lifeguard/Instructors

JOB POSTINGS
A view from the Mayor's chair in the Shaw auditorium looking toward the audience

Meetings This Week

Monday, April 14: Governance and Priorities Committee meeting in the Vancouver Island Conference Centre's Shaw Auditorium starting at 1 pm.

Wednesday, April 16: Finance and Audit Committee meeting in the Vancouver Island Conference Centre's Shaw Auditorium starting at 9 am.

Thursday, April 17: Special Council meeting in the Vancouver Island Conference Centre's Shaw Auditorium starting at 7 pm.

MEETINGS

If you are not able to attend or tune in live, you can always review decisions made at each Council meeting simply by reading the Council Meeting Summaries. These summaries are typically posted the day after each meeting.

COUNCIL MEETING SUMMARIES
City of Nanaimo news and events

Recap of City News

Grand opening! New BMX track opens May 4 at 11 a.m.

Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities conference returns to Nanaimo

CITY NEWSROOM

Stay up to Date with the City