Summer Games INSIDE
TUESDAY, JULY 8, 2014
PaGE 7
Paddles up Rain fails to dampen spirits at dragon boat festival.
PaGE 19
Turn around Senior A lacrosse team comes up with win over Langley.
PaGE 25
Concert series Music in the park expanded to include noon shows.
www.nanaimobulletin.com
VOL. 26, NO. 17
Board paints positive economic picture for Nanaimo’s future
I
city incLuDeD in annual mid-sized cities outlook report. By ChrIS BuSh ThE NEwS bULLETiN
CHRIS BUSH/THe NewS BUlleTIN
Andrew Pederson, left, Alex Munroe, Darren Beaumont and Davis Beaumont of the Landlubber Pub and Liquor Store, are eyeing up a few handy items they can strip for parts to construct a craft to crush their competitors when they take to the waves this weekend for the 2014 Silly Boat Regatta.
Silly sailors suit up for annual fundraiser By Karl yu ThE NEwS bULLETiN
P
eople will be sinking, swimming and floating for a good cause when the 2014 Silly Boat Regatta takes place on Sunday (July 13). The Nanaimo Child Development Centre fundraiser will see people constructing boats – silly boats as it were – and racing on the waters off Maffeo Sutton Park. This is the second go-around for Andrew Pederson and the Landlubber Pub team and he sees the regatta as a good way to support the centre. Pederson’s team won its heat last year and finished fourth overall.
The team’s boat theme is closely tied to the pub name. “Last year, we participated and we found success with our very streamlined, limited model,” said Pederson. “We use some big tires. We’re kind of a pirate-themed, landlubber, ‘Yar’ pub kind of thing. We have a mascot on top – it’s a parrot in a basket. It’s just four guys on the boat rowing as best we can.” Nanaimo Filipino Canadian Association president Maru Schwager and her team will be embarking on its maiden voyage. She said taking part in the race is a good way for the organization to make a difference and be a part of the community.
See ‘TEAMS’ /4
The Conference Board of Canada says a recent study paints a positive economic picture for Nanaimo. Nanaimo was included in its Mid-Sized Cities Outlook 2014 report at the request of Sasha Angus, Nanaimo Economic Development Corporation CEO, to provide a third-party perspective on the local economy. The report provides economic forecasts for eight cities, including Nanaimo; Lethbridge, Red Deer and Medicine Hat, Alta.; Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que.; Timmins and Sault St. Marie, Ont.; and Brandon, Man.; that contributed financially to the research. “It allows us to put ourselves in context compared to other centres of our size,” Angus said. The report anticipates Nanaimo’s economic growth will hit 2.1 per cent for 2014 – an encouraging improvement over the previous three years which posted economic growth of 1.5 per cent. About 2,000 people are expected to immigrate to the city between 2014-15, pushing the population for greater
Nanaimo, including Cedar, Lantzville and other outlying communities, over the 100,000 mark. Finance, insurance and real estate is expected to start recovering this year. In fact, the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board recently posted the best June housing sales figures for the Island since 2007. Angus said housing sales indicate more people are finding full-time jobs – employment is expected to slip through the remainder of 2014, but bounce back in 2015 – which boosts economic confidence overall. Much of that confidence is coming from the professional, science and technology and manufacturing sectors. “I think it confirms what we’ve seen. Anecdotally, as well as the data that we’re seeing, which is obviously strengthening economic conditions, a rise in our growth rate ... [is] in large part due to a number of our businesses that export goods and services around the world,” Angus said. “The lower Canadian dollar certainly helps for those types of businesses and what it means is a transition from part-time employment to more full-time employment.” To learn more, please visit the Conference Board of Canada website at www.conferenceboard.ca and click on Mid-Sized Cities Outlook 2014. photos@nanaimobulletin.com
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