NANAIMO REGION
Low expectations from city for federal budget Mayor Bill McKay is not optimistic for cities like Nanaimo when the April 21 budget comes down. A3
NANAIMO REGION
Duffy in court ourt
Cleanup nets tonnes of illegally dumped trash
Senator’s trial on fraud, breach of trust, ust, bribery starts today y
On Sunday, 27 people were at a site behind Rosstown Road where 4.14 tonnes of garbage were removed. A3
Nation & World, A8
The newspaper of record for Nanaimo and region since 1874 || Tuesday, April 7, 2015
» Community
CRIME
Balmy weather a boon for region’s many gardeners
Gabriola residents recall MD slain in Bahamas DARRELL BELLAART DAILY NEWS
Rose Capadouca, an Art Knapp Plantland employee, works with strawberry plants. Warmer weather has prompted a significant increase in demand for flowers and spring garden supplies in the Nanaimo region, merchants say. [SPENCER ANDERSON/DAILY NEWS]
Stores report huge demand early in season SPENCER ANDERSON DAILY NEWS
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spate of balmy early spring weather has green-thumbed residents flocking to garden supply stores in droves, according to nursery store owners in Nanaimo. The city recently enjoyed a warmer-than-average fall and winter, Environment Canada said earlier this year. Even in February, gardeners were requesting items for their yards that many shops do not normally stock until later in the year. The trend has continued into spring, and nurseries and garden supply outlets have seen an uptick in business. “It’s probably 20 per cent greater business already than normal,” said Art Knapp Plantland owner Tim van Hest, who has been in business for more than 20 years.
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Mainly sunny High 14, Low 4 Details A2
“People have been asking for things at least a month earlier than they should be.” Walter Pinnow, garden centre GM
“But that could change in a second.” He said staff are warning customers not to plant bedding plants and other flora until at least the May long weekend because of cold nights. The warm weather creates “kind of a false impression, because we’re still getting night frost,” van Hest said. While demand is high, “the problem is a lot of the product is still too early” for outdoor planting, he said. Walter Pinnow, general manager at Green Thumb Garden Centre, said the warmer weather
has forced his shop to bring in products early. “People have been asking for things at least a month earlier than they should be,” he said. “We’ve been bringing in hanging baskets because people have been asking for them.” Other items, like tomato plants, are also flying off the shelves, though many shoppers also use greenhouses he said. Like van Hest, Pinnow said an abundance of sun during the daytime does not translate into ideal planting conditions. He said one good test for soil is to take a ball of dirt in your hands; if the dirt can crumble between your fingers, “then it’s workable.” Sticky, muddy soil means it’s likely better to wait. “May can be pretty nasty sometimes,” Pinnow said. Some plants, such as lettuce, cabbage and herbs, do well this time of year.
But for other crops, “I would say hold off until at least May (long weekend),” Pinnow said. While Nanaimo and other parts of coastal B.C. are focused on gardening, other regions are still stuck in single-digit or sub-zero temperatures. “I’ve got plants in my garden that don’t normally bloom until May and they’re blooming now,” said Linda Black, owner of Wheelbarrel Nursery on Gabriola Island. She said the one problem for nurseries is keeping up with customer demand for various gardening products. SAnderson@nanaimodailynews.com 250-729-4255 » We want to hear from you. Send comments on this story to letters@nanaimodailynews.com. Letters must include daytime phone number and hometown.
Breast cancer research looks to environment
Glacial melt moving at rapid pace, says study
Even though environmental chemicals are probably at least partly responsible for some portion of breast cancer cases, proof is elusive. » Health, B1
New study reveals the magnitude of glacial thawing in B.C. due to climate change. The study was published this week in the journal ‘Nature Geoscience.’ » British Columbia, A7
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Classified ............................ B6 Obituaries ........................... B6 Comics ................................. B5
A former Gabriola Island doctor allegedly killed during a home invasion in the Bahamas is being remembered as a kind man who loved life. Dr. Geoffrey Harding, 88, was apparently stabbed to death in his holiday home last week, said a Bahamas newspaper. Originally from England, Harding practised in Chetwynd and Vancouver before going to Gabriola, working several days a week at the Gabriola Community Health Centre. When he retired, Dr. Jim Mackenzie took his place. Mackenzie could not be reached Monday, but his wife, Joanna, remembered Harding as a kind, thoughtful, adventurous man, with a great sense of humour who “didn’t let his age get in the way of what he did.” Harding liked to spend winters at his home in Clarence Town, on Long Island, the Bahamas. He was found stabbed to death in his home on Thursday, according to a report in the Bahamas Weekly. A 43-year-old man was arrested in connection with the crime Saturday. “It’s too bad, what happened,” Joanna Mackenzie said. “He really was a good fellow. He (was) a real character.” Bruce Mason, a founding member of the community health centre, has memories of Harding — who was his own doctor for several years — riding his bicycle past Mason’s’ Gabriola home. “He was a really colourful guy,” Mason said. Harding also had a “passion for classical music,” he said “He regularly had concerts in his home. He brought really world-class artists to his home to perform.” Joanna Mackenzie describes Harding as having a “joie de vivre” that made him a pleasure to be around. “He was a charming guy who told me he wanted to practise medicine until the day he died,” Mason said. “Nothing gave him a greater satisfaction.” DBellaart@nanaimodailynews.com 250-729-4235
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