November SECA Meeting

This months SECA meeting will be held Wednesday Nov 2 at 7:00 PM, Princess Royal School, corner Fahrquar and Irwin.

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Owner of motorcycle shop happy with progress at Balmoral property housing project

Alyson McAndrews, Daily News

Published: Thursday, October 27, 2011

Rick Murray is pleased with the recent progress at the former Balmoral Hotel.

He owns American Heritage Custom Cycles, a motorbike shop a few blocks away from the low-barrier housing facility.

In a letter to the Balmoral, he commends efforts made to improve the facility and surrounding area since the Canadian Mental Health Association took over management.

To read the rest of the article, click here.

 

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South End Votes, back for another election

Our South End votes blog was launched in the 2008 municipal election, with the focus on asking candidates questions that matter to us as a neighbourhood.   So often in the past, the South End was overlooked by local politicians, partly due to the fact that there is little representation from anyone in our part of town on the city’s elected leadership team.  We received an amazing 4,000 page hits in the last election run-up.

This year, the torch has been passed to Ed Chan, who, as you read this is canvassing candidates to respond to these 3 questions:

1.    Should services and resources to the disadvantaged be spread throughout the city or concentrated in one part of the city?  What is your position regarding the Uplands Supportive Housing Project?

2.    The South End recently completed its Official Neighbourhood Plan.  How do you see Council’s role in supporting its implementation?

3.    How would you support our First Nations population in Nanaimo?

Ed will be assembling the answers and we will let you know when they are up on the blog.

 

 

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Who is that Roaming in the Dark??

Members of the Secret Society of Fern Filchers successfully skulked about the neighbourhood last night, planting upwards of 300 bulbs.

These  photos show our ingenuity in lighting our nefarious activities by cell phone, and a group mug shot at the end of our foray.  (The tall guy in the back is wearing his invisibility cape.)

Thanks to everyone who came out to dig, thanks to the weather gods for keeping us dry, and thanks to all those who bought, gathered, and/or dropped off bulbs on my doorstep – you know who you are!
(No ferns were filched during these manoeuvres.)

Captain FF

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Downtown Trick or Treat & Halloween Pet Parade Sat Oct 29

Downtown Trick or Treat & Halloween Pet Parade

Saturday, Oct. 29 from 12-3 pm

Downtown & Diana Krall Plaza

Get ready Nanaimo! More than 90 merchants are getting ready to host the ever-popular Downtown Trick or Treat extravaganza on Saturday, October 29 from Noon to 3 pm. Participating merchants will have orange and black balloons tied to their doors and will be located throughout downtown including the Commercial Street and Victoria Crescent areas, the Waterfront and Old City Quarter. Maps, free bags for trick or treaters and other information will be available at the DNBIA tent in Diana krall Plaza.

 

New this year is the Halloween Pet Parade where the public is invited to dress up their pets in outrageous costumes and bring them down to Diana Krall Plaza starting at 12:30 pm. The parade starts at 1 pm and prizes will be awarded for Best Pet/Owner Look-a-Like, Best Costume and for the winner of the hilarious Bobbing for Wieners Contest. Donations will also be accepted for the Nanaimo Chihuahua Rescue Society, and pet costumes can be purchased at Quintessential Accessories at #2 Commercial St., where owner Carla Samson will also donate partial proceeds to the society.
There will also be live entertainment this year including Iris, an eight year old female-fronted power house rock, reggae and funk band that harbours members from such bands as Wunderbread, 57 Monkey’s Audio Therapy and Doug and the Slugs. Band members are Jona Kristinsson, Tony Jenks, Brian Kehoe and Todd Michell. Also playing the Downtown Trick or Treat is the youth band, 10XBETTER, from the Nanaimo Youth Services` Tune In Program led by Kristinsson.

From 2-3 pm, trick or treaters can head into the Harbourfront Library to hear some scary stories, sing songs and do crafts…all perfect pastimes for the season of ghosts, goblins and ghouls.

This Halloween come Downtown for the best Trick or Treating this side of Transylvania! This event is brought to you by the Downtown Nanaimo Business Improvement Association. For more information, visit dnbia.ca or call 250-754-8141.

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Attention South End Gardeners!

I wanted to extend an invitation to you to help get the south end garden ready for winter. This coming Tuesday October 25^th we are looking to assemble at the corner or Irwin and Needham at 3:30. There is some work to be done with the last of the harvesting and we also plan to build a compost bin. For those interested in being a part of the gardens for the 2012 growing year we will also discuss our next steps as a community garden.

Hope to see you there.

Sincerely,

Andre Sullivan

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TD Bank at Port Place Grand Opening Nov 5

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