Nanaimo News Notes March 26, 2011

VIU Strike Heats Up: The striking union is employing a new tactic in the current dispute with VIU. They have launched a lawsuit against VIU administration over alleged defamation rising from the ad VIU ran recently. The ad purported to explain several issues in the current labour dispute which the union claims were false and defamatory.

Earthquake Seminar: Nanaimo Fire Rescue is responding to calls from anxious Nanaimo residents concerned about being prepared for an earthquake. The recent events in Japan seem to be causing people to take the possibility of an earthquake more seriously. Nanaimo Fire Rescue will be hosting a free seminar this coming Thursday in the Shaw Auditorium in the conference centre at 7:00 pm. The event will be videoed and available on the city website www.nanaimo.ca,

Cranes to Uplift Japan: will be at Rona Building Centre on Maki Road from 10:00 am - 3:00 pm. They are also hosting a hot dog sale at Country Grocer in Southgate Mall from 3:00 - 6:00 pm and will be at Walmart from 10:00 1m - 6:00 pm. They will also be at Rona and Walmart on Sunday as well from 12:00 - 4:00 pm. Stop by and help support our friends in Japan.

Dump Becomes Parkland: one man's trash is another's treasure as the saying goes. Proving that to be more than a saying, the RDN is turning 8 hectares of the Cedar landfill site into a nature park at a cost of about $4.5 million. They had hoped to have the park opened last year but provincial red tape tied up the project by about a year. (Ironic) The site of the landfill will be reshaped and capped with a layer of clay that rain can not penetrate preventing water penetrating the trash base which would cause harmful leach-ate. The park is hoped to be open this summer.

Earth Hour: Tonight at 8:30 pm, join the rest of the planet in cutting down your energy consumption. Turn out the lights, turn off your computer and other things electric and light up your candles. Maybe we can get the hydro meter to run backwards!

Highway Contract: local contractor Windley Construction won a $41 million provincial contract to build 9km of four lane highway between Windfield and Oyama. The project was to have been completed in 2012, but has been held up a year waiting for Federal government approvals. (Ironic)

E&N Rail Station: renovations and restoration project at the fire damaged Nanaimo train station is apparently on budget and looking to open with tenants in place by this Christmas. The building is undergoing an extensive rebuild after being damaged in an arson fire.

Shaw Layoffs:  a total of 53 central island jobs will be lost at Shaw Communications by April 26 as the company does some restructuring. Twenty of their technical support staff will be phased out during the reshuffle.

No More Tim Hortons: for Stephanie McClay, 28 of Nanaimo after being released on a peace bond after being charged with one count of robbery, with conditions, one of which is that she not go to any Tim Hortons in Nanaimo. Stephanie was arrested after someone entered the Tim Hortons at Brooks Landing at 1:00 am demanding money from the staff. One staff member thought they saw the handle of a gun in the woman's pocket, the other ordered the thief to leave and called police. Stephanie was picked up moments later a few blocks away.