Student rally Hundreds leave class Friday in support of striking teachers. PAGE 11 Forgotten award Museum recognizes prominent Nanaimo women. PAGE 21 The voice Teen performs at festival before heading to school in New York. PAGE 3
Clippers ousted PAGE 28
Judged the the Judged Judg community aper bbest newsp best newspaper in B.C.in B.C. TUESDAY, MARCH 6, 2012
www.nanaimobulletin.com
VOL. 23, NO. 133
Council OKs controversial hotel bylaw
No plans to close Duke Pt.
BY TOBY GORMAN THE NEWS BULLETIN
The controversial final step in an effort to encourage new hotel and motel investment was approved by Nanaimo council Feb. 27. The new Revitalization Tax Exemption Bylaw is specifically designed as incentive for a hotel to complement the Vancouver Island Conference Centre, which is operating well below capacity partly because of a lack of up-tostandard rooms in the downtown core. The VICC can host up to 1,300 delegates at a time while feeding 950. Nanaimo’s downtown is equipped with about 400 rooms council sees as fit to house visiting delegates. Coun. Jim Kipp said he sees the bylaw as “giving away money” at the same time property taxes are going up and other demands on the city, such as purchasing more parkland, are also increasing. “We’re offering a million bucks a year to a hope hotel yet we can’t find money for parkland, we can’t find money for other stuff. I understand this is really based on the hotel and trying to get the convention centre to be successful, but it’s tough for me to see this.” The bylaw, however, passed unanimously. ◆ See ‘HOTELIERS’ ‘ /6
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TRAFFIC EXPECTED to increase on Nanaimo-to-Tsawwassen run as summer season approaches. BY CHRIS HAMLYN THE NEWS BULLETIN
CHRIS BUSH/THE NEWS BULLETIN
Aerial feet
Grade 9 student Nick Calvert performs a high-flying feat of aerial footwork to make contact with his target in the Alaskan high kick competition, part of the Northern Games held at Cedar Secondary School Friday. Competition also included leg wrestles, muskox fights, knuckle hops, owl hops, bottom scoots and the caribou carry. The games are modelled after the Games of the North, Inuit Games and Dene Games.
Despite smooth sailing handling Duke Point ferry traffic through its Departure Bay terminal, B.C. Ferries has no plans to close the Nanaimo to Tsawwassen operation. The terminal has been out of commission since Dec. 20 after the Coastal Inspiration crashed while docking, damaging the ferry’s bow doors and the terminal’s lower vehicle ramp. Repair work is underway and plans are for a mid-April reopening. Mark Stefanson, B.C. Ferries spokesman, said debate over closing Duke Point has surfaced before, but the terminal remains an integral part of its operation, particularly for the commercial vehicle service. “Our staff in Nanaimo has done an outstanding job of being able to accommodate both routes operating out of Departure Bay for this period of time,” he said. “It’s a blessing this is happening in the winter time and the low point of our season. Once we start moving into the busy summer season, it’s our view there is no way both routes could operate out of Departure Bay without some major challenges.” The ferry corporation reported a $23.1-million deficit in its third quarter of 2011-12, and Stefanson admits there will be cost-efficiency issues on the table over the next couple of years. ◆ See ‘‘B.C. FERRIES’ /6
Introducing Nanaimo’s first GLUTEN FREE VEGAN restaurant. www.rawmbas.ca
#101-572 STEWART AVE., NANAIMO
250-591-2114
Check out our menu on facebook.
Winner of Best Vegetarian Dish “Bite of Nanaimo” 2011