News Comments

26th

Mid Island may see glut of jobs as boomers retire

This is all well and good for the Forestry, Construction and health industries, all well paying jobs, but it should also be noted that more and more seniors have to work after so called retirement because they do not have e

Yes in the mentioned industries retirement may open up jobs but with the increasing number of seniors having to work they will enter other sectors for employment thus negating the above which could have a huge effect have to work somewhere and

City Log: Residents can expect hike in water. garbage rates

And so they raise water rates in part to pay for the new 65 million dollar water treatment plant. Gee and I thought the borrowing of 22 million was supposed to pay for it along with reserves. Wait a minute, I think I get it. The water rate increase will pay for the interest we pay on the 22 million borrowed.

Nov 24
Elections BC wants young people pre-registered to vote
This is a good idea that should have happened ages ago. Youth are the future and if there is anything that can be done to get them involved and better informed then just do it. Enough Talk.

Sampson group converts cash to shares in Harmac
A true Nanaimo success story and model that can be used elsewhere. Let’s hope the next time we hear that the employee-ownership model is still in place and hasn't been co-opted.

Philip Wolf: We can only hope for more from leaders
There are many reasons for poor voter turnout, the one I hear most often being that people just do not feel involved and that their voice means nothing even when they do try to get involved. This council must do more to reach out to the community and ensure people are given a chance to contribute. An ad or two in local papers does not constitute community engagement.
One open house info session on an issue like the Water Treatment Plant does not promote Community Engagement. Use of the Alternate Approval Process to steamroll the passing of certain things does not promote Community involvement. I sincerely hope that this council will do better when it comes to engaging the public, I know if they do not I will be there to remind them.

Debate over barn stirs up Harewood's agricultural past
If Nanaimo loses this building it will be yet another example of how little history is valued in the community. When the Convention Centre was announced we lost the Foundry which was one of the only such style of buildings left in the province. A few years prior the first School House in Nanaimo was torn down. Both were unnecessarily removed, the lots they sat on remain empty, and could have been preserved by the city. Gradually if we do not step up to save some of the more unique buildings Nanaimo’s historic value will be greatly diminished.

Editorial: Election laws uphold system
Well said.

Nov 23
North-end group set to keep up fight
Normally I would say getting people out to vote is a good thing and the CCN certainly got people out to vote. It is when it is done through spreading fear and mis-information, like the CCN did, that I question the rationale.
Perhaps some of those involved with the CCN would like to start up a Neighbouhood Group and get involved on a more positive note. Instead of spreading fear and misinformation look at inclusion and creating a welcoming neighbourhood. The South End Community Association is a good one to emulate.

Putting ideas into action at top of mayors agenda
"....that says to me Nanaimo is supportive of our projects in principal and want to see them continue." Do not take for granted that because you were re-elected the voters agree. Get out and ask them.

Friendship centre official lobbies for off-reserve plan

Nov 22
D/N
Five interesting oddities from the campaign trail
Crap and I thought sure my comment at Oliverwoods when they had the CCN'rs and vote panderers there would have made it into the strange and unusual. Not too often someone will step forward and tell an audience he is not going to kiss their ass for votes:).
That the CCN was able to get so many out by their message of fear and misinformation is but a sad postscript to the election of 2011.

Father questions VIHA on communications procedure
This is simply shameful on the part of VIHA. C’Dif is a highly contagious disease and relatively easy to transfer. “VIHA maintains children and their families were never put at risk.” Ludicrous and a potential disaster waiting to happen.

Its a bad idea to sell our water
This would have huge ramifications if done. As the population grows we will need more water not less.

Bulletin
BC wants teens signed up to vote
A good idea but will doing so increase voter turnout?

Improving communication with residents, establishing consensus key challenges for new council
This is a given but not simply for the North End but in communication throughout the city and on all issues. Currently the policy would seem to be to do the least possible to inform and invite community participation. This must change.

Shelter visits up as weather deteriorates
Unitl the new housing that has been proposed is built a shelter like the Unitarian is but a stop gap measure. It is important to understand that many of those using this shelter likely do not fit the criteria for your standard shelter in that they may be intoxicated or they may simply for whatever reason not choose to go to the Salvation Army or Samaritan House shelters. Yes they are primarily on the street during the day with many making use of the 7-10 Club until 10:00am or the library once it is open.

Editorial: Voters happy with council? Turn out didn't show it
Perhaps another reason for poor voter turnout is that we actually have three less poling stations since the 2005 election and of those we do have they keep changing some of the locations. If we really want to encourage voter turnout then we should have more places to vote and not less.

Nov 21
Ruttan prepares for the future after securing second term
Well said, HERE WE GO AGAIN and CHRIS. Even existing hoteliers are leery of the tax incentive and giving themselves a raise of 8+% per year for the next three years is ludicrous when compared to the raises, if any, for the average person. SHAME!

Our Mayor has mandate and experience
“So, John Ruttan has his mandate. He has the confidence of the electorate to stay the course on matters of taxation, economic development and social planning.”

I would really have to beg to differ with this statement, John Ruttan does not have a mandate at all. The pathetic turnout, no matter the reasons, of 26% of voters could just mean the exact opposite. It could simply mean that people are fed up and do not think their votes count for anything as they see council blindly moving forward with their own agenda and not one for the people.

So, why the poor showing? Perhaps the above is one reason but I would also hazard to guess that the continually moving, and eliminating of polling stations also has something to do with it. The removal of Bayview School in 2008 can be directly attributed to low voter turnout in that area. The distance to polling stations makes it extremely difficult for many seniors and others to make it out to vote.

Looking at the distance in many areas the only option for people is to take a bus, average of 1.5 hours round trip, or cab which many cannot afford. With the latter one would actually have to pay to vote and this is uncontainable. Instead of making it difficult the powers that be need to make voting accessible.

Low voter turnout sad epilogue
No doubt the CCN slate had an effect on the numbers of votes for all of the candidates they chose to support; the fortunate thing is that only two got elected.

Funny that I do not see the fact that there are 3 less polling stations, as compared to 2005, as a possible reason why the voter turnout was so bad. There should be more polling stations so as to make it walkable for the majority of voters.

Then again, like the communication process of the city, do the powers that be really want to encourage citizen participation?

Nanaimo Parks Dedication Bylaw

It would appear that Nanaimo now has a bylaw that will better protect our city parks, passed at Monday’s council meeting. I have been pushing for something like this for a few years, every time parks would come up at council, as prior to this bylaw a simple rezoning application could have been approved by council to rezone an area from park allowing use for development purposes. This bylaw is especially good for some of our largest parks, in general all parks, but there is one flaw.

According to the community charter, section 30, a motion could be moved to remove a dedication if adopted with approval of the electors. Approval of electors, that’s you and me folk, sounds good doesn’t it. The flaw, I’m getting to it, arises through how this approval is handled.

There are two means to gain this approval (see sections 85/86 of community charter);
1) Through referendum, which requires a majority of those voting;
2) Through alternative Approval Process (AAP), the number of elector responses received is less than 10% of the number of electors of the area to which the approval process applies.

The FLAW; in short 10% of voters would have to sign the approved form to have the rezoning squashed.

Governments use the AAP because it requires a huge amount of work and vast number of committed volunteers to gather the approx 6600 signatures, in Nanaimo, to defeat what is being proposed. The most recent example being the proposal to borrow $22million for the $65million dollar Water Treatment Plant in Nanaimo, only 3 people, me included, actually signed the approved petition form.

Why only three? Simply because the onus is not on government to spread the word about the process but on those opposed, resulting by and large in the failure of the opposition. The AAP, I have written other posts regarding the AAP, is in short the most likely means for government to pass things without the voice of the people being heard.

When elected to council I will be looking into the possibility of eliminating the AAP as a means of “Elector Approval”.

October 3rd Agenda City Council pgs 165 - 176
Community Charter Table of Contents
Section 30 Reservation and Dedication of Municipal PropertyDivision 2 sections 84 - 86 pertain Approval of Electors

Re My latest Letter to the Editor

Well the Daily News posted my letter today. I was comparing their version with mine and was pleasantly surprised to see it running word for word. Then I came to the last paragraph and low and behold they did not print the last sentence, "In either system you would hope that votes would be cast for those with the broadest knowledge representative of the whole community."

This sentence goes to the crux of the matter for those speaking against the Ward System. Often they view the Ward System as representative of the area only, where in fact, one would hope that the ward would elect persons with a broad base of knowledge about the community. We all know that the way things are does not necessarily mean we get that type of broad representation.

Letter regarding Daily News Editorial

To the editor;

If anything the results of our recent election show a great need for voter reform and revisiting the Ward System.

Why did those elected receive City Wide Support? Simply because that is the way the current system works. The only other alternative under this system is not to vote, which many did as can be seen by the lower voter turnout 32.25% in 2008 compared to 35.4% in 2005 and this despite a 2000 person increase to the voters list.

Five polling stations were removed in Nanaimo and replaced by two others. Did this have an effect? I have no doubt that it did particularly in the south end. While most going to Pauline Haarar School in 2005 could be expected to utilize the Convention Centre it is unlikely those who went to Bayview School would do the same. While some would go to Chase River or Georgia Avenue Schools many, without transportation, would have simply abstained from voting.

In 2005 Bayview and Pauline Haarar Schools accounted for 1733 votes. A simple analysis of the increases at Chase River (18) and Georgia Avenue (198) plus the votes cast at the Convention Centre (984), less than Pauline Haarar School in 2005, shows a total of 1200 votes. The resultant 533 vote deficit is significant.

With the current system there is no representation on council south of Ebert St. , the Ward System would see representation of all areas. In either system you would hope that votes would be cast for those with the broadest knowledge representative of the whole community.

To view the editorial I commented on go to: City council must take broadest viewpoint

Electoral Reform

I find it interesting that even less people voted this election than last time and I have no doubt that the population has increased in Nanaimo since 2005 as well. This does not say much for Nanaimo though I should also mention that places like Ladysmith amd Victoria had a far lower percentage of voter turnout than Nanaimo.

Five polling stations were removed in Nanaimo and replaced by two others. Did this have an effect? I have no doubt that it did. My focus here is the South End so I won't be going into detail with the closures in the North End (if someone else has the info I would be glad to hear it).

While most who would have went to Pauline Haarar School during the last election would go to the Conventions Centre it is unlikely that those who went to Bayview School would do the same. While some would go to Chase River School or Georgia Avenue School many of those without transportation would have abstained from going down to the Convention Centre or either of the aforementioned because of the distance. I have heard this from a number of people who just did not vote because of the distance.

Despite an increase of approximately 2000 people to the voters list for 2008 voter turnout was way down, 32.25% in 2008 compared to 35.4% in 2005. Comparison of 2005 and 2008 results of total vote for mayor, it is easier to compare turnout as one can only vote for one as opposed to a person being able to pick eight councillors, prove interesting.

2005: Baayview School = 660, Pauline Haare School =1073, for a total of 1733. Chase river School 2005 = 896, 2008 = 914, for a net increase of 18. Georgia Avenue School 2008 = 1326, 2008 =1524, for a net increase of 198 and a total increase of the two of 216. Now in 2008 with the Convention Centre as the new location we had a total of 984 votes cast. If you add the 984 with the increase of 216 from Georgia Avenue and Chase River you get a total of 1200 votes cast. This shows, albeit not conclusively, a decrease of 533 votes. This is significant and a direct correlation with the closure of Bayview and Pauline Haarer polling stations.

I know the above is complicated and if you want to do any of your own comparrisons you can find both the 2005 & 2008 total Mayoral Votes documents at the following links:

Mayoral Results 2008

Mayoral Results 2005

So what is my conclusion? Exactly that we need to have Electoral Reform and that the polling stations, especially Bayview School, should be re-opened for the next election in 2011. We should also seriously revisit the Ward System Concept as well as setting term limits for both Mayor and Council.

For another viewpoint check out the Go Nanaimo Blog.