Communication breakdown Child’s needs not explained. PAGE 12 Get fit 60-Minute Kids’ Club aims to have children exercising, eating right. PAGE 25 Top athlete Brandon Jones helps lead VIU team to national title. PAGE 6
Guitar discovery PAGE 10
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THURSDAY, JANUARY 2, 2014
VOL. 25, NO. 80
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Colliery dams most challenging decision of 2013
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BY TAMARA CUNNINGHAM THE NEWS BULLETIN
TOP NEWS STORIES OF 2013 Pages 3 & 7
NANAIMO
WELCOMES
LESLIE MARTENS to our team as the new service manager.
Leslie brings 30 plus years of automotive experience and welcomes past, present, and future customers to stop by to visit.
NANAIMO MAYOR John Ruttan looks ahead to the issues the city will face in the coming year.
Leaving the fate of the Colliery dams unresolved was one of the most difficult decisions of 2013 for Nanaimo city council and could rank as one of its top challenges in the year ahead, according to Mayor John Ruttan. “It’s a project we have not budgeted for, the costs are still escalating and we don’t have an infinite amount of time,” he said. “At some point, with the province pushing us to do something and the Save the Dam people pushing us to not do anything ... decisions have to be made.” In a far-reaching discussion with the News Bulletin, the mayor discussed the possibility of a dam referendum to the potential for him to toss his hat into next year’s election race. He also reflected on the hardships and highlights of the past 12 months, from governance problems and the push back on the middle and lower Colliery dams, to the “positive” land swap with Nanaimo school district and progress on the conference centre hotel. Despite challenges, “good things were done” in 2013, he said.
Highlights of 2013 When the mayor emerged the victor in the last election, a top goal was to realize a dream of a passenger-only ferry service and topnotch conference centre hotel. Now, less than a year before the next election, there’s a proposal for a foot ferry and the city is the closest it’s ever been to seeing a new downtown hotel. It is a major highlight of the year for Ruttan, who says it feels good to see the projects move forward. ◆ See ‘MAYOR’ /5
Start th e New Year of f righ bring yo t and u in for se r car rvi Harris M ce at azda.
NANAIMO 2525 Bowen Rd, Nanaimo 250-758-9125 www.harrismazda.ca