2015
VICTORIA DAY
No ‘Daily News’ to be published on Monday There will be no Monday edition of the ‘Nanaimo Daily News’ as our staff members enjoy the holiday with their families. For breaking news, please visit www.nanaimodailynews.com
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Minister stands by spending on videos os Pierre Poilievre won’t apologize for using tax dollars to make partisan promotional material
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The newspaper of record for Nanaimo and region since 1874 || Saturday, May 16, 2015
HERITAGE DAYS Annual Celebrations take place under new name
Paige Fehr prepares the cannon for firing next to the Bastion on Friday. The noon firing of the cannon will be part of Heritage Days ceremonies this weekend and will be held every day through Labour Day. [AARON HINKS/DAILY NEWS]
Downtown will be hive of activity SPENCER ANDERSON DAILY NEWS
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here were doubts it would happen at all, but May long weekend celebrations will take place in downtown Nanaimo today and Sunday. Commercial Street will be partially closed throughout the day today as part of the re-branded Heritage Days event, formerly known as Empire Days. Festivities include REWfest, a day-long music festival going from noon to 10 p.m. at Diana Krall Plaza. Performances are by acclaimed violinist Kytami, the Deaf Aids Beatles tribute band, Big Bang Baby, hip-hop artist SirReal, Dave Hart and Friends Variety Show and the Nanaimo Community Band and others. Commercial Street, from Terminal Avenue to Bastion Street, hosts a street festival, which provides a range of entertainment, including a fun house, shooting
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Related story, A3 gallery, swing ride, a bouncy castle and cupcake decorating. Vendors and other groups will also have a presence at the downtown festival, including Vancouver Island University, the Downtown Nanaimo Business Improvement Association and the Nanaimo Multicultural Society. Sunday will see the annual parade start at 1 p.m. on Victoria Crescent, move up Commercial Street and end near Maffeo-Sutton Park at Front Street and Comox Road. Thirty-two entries are confirmed for the parade, but several participants are entering multiple floats and people, bringing the true number closer to 42, said event co-ordinator Angie Barnard. She was brought on board roughly six weeks ago to assist organizing the festival, which was in danger of being cancelled due
to controversy over the event’s former Empire Days moniker. She said uncertainty and a lack to time to plan has meant that some participants will not return this year due to prior engagements. However, Barnard said new organizations will join in the festivities for the first time, including Snuneymuxw First Nation and the Mid-Island Metis Nation. “The tight turnaround probably means we’ve relied on people contacting us,” said Barnard. “I look forward to next year when we can get more multi-cultural organizations involved.” Barnard said efforts from sponsors and volunteers were key in allowing the event to go forward. Nanaimo Coun. Jerry Hong, who was one of several who stepped forward to work on this year’s event, predicted an “amazing atmosphere.” Spencer.Anderson@nanaimodailynews.com 250-729-4255
Heritage Days highlights A look at some of the many activities happening during the weekend in Nanaimo: SATURDAY, MAY 16 REWFEST (Diana Krall Plaza) Noon Nanaimo Community Band 1 p.m. Deaf Aids Beatles Tribute Band 2 p.m. Island Rose Dance Troupe 3 p.m. Dave Hart & Friends Variety Show (stage & roving) 4:45 p.m. Alexander’s Blues Time Band 6 p.m. SirReal 7 p.m. Big Bang Baby 8 p.m. Kytami STREET FESTIVAL (Commercial Street) Noon to 5 p.m.: Commercial Street is closed to make way for a pedestrian friendly event full of street vendors, merchant and restaurant activity. Children’s activities include: bouncy castles, swing ride, shooting gallery,
Suspect in Woodlands bomb threat identified
Boston bomber given death sentence by jury
Female student, 15, identified through a joint investigation between school staff and the police, said Nanaimo RCMP spokesman Const. Gary O’Brien. » Nanaimo Region A3
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 21, stood with his hands folded, his head slightly bowed, upon learning his fate, sealed after 14 hours of deliberations over three days. » Nation & World, A7
Local news ......................... A3 Markets ................................A2 Nation & World ................. A7
Editorials and letters ..... A4 Sports .................................. B2 Scoreboard ........................ B4
Classified ............................ B8 Obituaries ........................... B8 Comics ................................. B6
fun house, climbing wall, face painting, henna and airbrush tattoos and cupcake decorating. 5-9 p.m.: Beer Gardens (Diana Krall Plaza). Only 400 tickets on a firstcome, first-serve basis. TILRAY FIREWORKS (Nanaimo harbourfront) 10 p.m. Bring your radios or mobile devices and tune into 102.3FM The Wave to hear the musical accompaniment for the pyro-musical fireworks spectacular. SUNDAY, MAY 17 PARADE (Commercial and Front Streets, downtown) 1 p.m. Festivities begin
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