NANAIMO REGION
NANAIMO REGION
District 68 axes print shop to save $60,000 Facility was used by officials and individual schools for a variety of jobs for decades prior to shutdown. A3
Ecuador Mass
Water bombers sit idle as wildfires increase
Pope holds first public blic service on historic trip to South America
Criticism of government refusal to launch famous Martin Mars water bombers continues. A5
Nation & World, A8
The newspaper of record for Nanaimo and region since 1874 || Tuesday, July 7, 2015
» Weather
CITY
Council defers lower dam decision
As smoke settles on city, officials issue fire warning
SPENCER ANDERSON DAILY NEWS
With a provincial order looming, Nanaimo city council voted Monday to defer a decision on construction on the lower Colliery dam until later this month amid concerns of inadequate technical information on the structure. City legislators voted 5-4 in favour of a motion from Coun. Gord Fuller moved to delay making a decision until council had time to review a staff report that recommends an alternate spillway be constructed to handle excess water flows in an extreme flood. Not making a decision Monday night means the city will likely miss a July 24 deadline from the B.C. water comptroller to choose an option for work on the lower dam and prepare designs for construction, city manager Ted Swabey said. The session Monday was heated and sometimes acrimonious. Near the outset, one man stood up and began shouting as Mayor Bill McKay was talking. Some residents who came to the podium to speak to the Colliery dams issue urged council members to ignore the province’s order and deadline. “Let’s defy this order and stand up for what’s right,” one speaker said. McKay, who has implored his council to choose from one of several remediation options for the lower dam, was the target of much criticism from the public gallery Monday night, with some accusing him of changing his position from when he was running for mayor last year. But McKay said with a provincial order on the table, the city risks seeing enforcement action from the order from the province, a view echoed by Coun. Diane Brennan. “What if the comptroller says ‘I’m going to take it all out of your hands,’” said McKay. The engineering firm hired by the city has concluded there is inadequate spillway capacity on the lower dam that could threaten the structure in a major flood.
Brian Potentier stands at the Seair dock alongside a seaplane as smoke partially obscures the horizon. Seaplane carriers were grounded briefly by the smoke but resumed service by Monday afternoon. [DARRELL BELLAART/DAILY NEWS]
Flights held up; some seek hospital treatment DARRELL BELLAART AND SPENCER ANDERSON DAILY NEWS
N
anaimo was under an air quality advisory on Monday as wildfire smoke drove up hospital visits and temporarily sidelined float plane service. Dry and hot conditions also prompted city officials to issue a plea for greater attention to fire prevention. While the persistent heat and high winds continue to pose a high fire risk in the region, Nanaimo’s fire chief Craig Richardson is worried messages on fire prevention are not getting through to the public. “We’ve had 13 brush fires in the last 72 hours and they were all human caused,” Richardson said. He added that fires investigators “highly suspect” that smoking was the cause of all of them. Remnants of smoking
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Sunny High 27, Low 17 Details A2
“This inversion is like having a campfire with a tarp on top. Smoke can’t rise up, it just spreads out and the south coast is stuck under this virtual tarp.” Lisa Coldwells, climatologist
materials have been found in almost all of the locations. Nanaimo Regional General Hospital staff could not say how many admissions they’d booked since adverse air quality started on Sunday, but at 1 p.m. Monday seven patients were being teated at NRGH due to smoke. “The information is anecdotal, but the manager of emergency said: ‘Yes, we were seeing quite a few, (patients),’” said Suzanne Germain, Island Health spokeswoman.
Those most susceptible to the fine particulate matter contained in wood smoke include people with asthma or other lung conditions. Smoke from wildfires in Pemberton and the Sunshine Coast is being felt across the south Island and on the mainland. A lack of wind and the same high pressure system responsible for hot summer weather is keeping smoke close to the ground, said Environment Canada climatologist Lisa Coldwells. “This inversion is like having a campfire with a tarp on top,” Coldwells said. “Smoke can’t rise up, it just spreads out and the south coast is stuck under this virtual tarp.” Cooler marine air is expected to bring winds from the south tip of the Island today, which should arrive in Nanaimo by evening, Coldwells said: “That’s all we need, is some wind.” A thick grey blanket smothered the city Sunday morning, as
residents awoke to a sky turned yellow-orange by sunlight filtered through wood smoke. On Monday it grew thick enough to obscure visibility for float plane pilots, preventing flights between the Island and the mainland. Planes were grounded for much of the morning, leaving travellers to scramble to find an alternative. “Some took ferries, some went by HeliJet,” said Brian Potentier, Nanaimo manager of Seair. Seair flights were grounded until about 11 a.m. “It’s very unusual,” Potentier said. “In all my years on the coast, I have never seen anything like it.” See WEATHER, Page A5 » We want to hear from you. Send comments on this story to letters@nanaimodailynews.com. Letters must include daytime phone number and hometown.
Spencer.Anderson @nanaimodailynews.com 250-729-4255
Protection ferry may take on Newcastle run
Study tests if insulin in pills is effective
Ferry service looking to permanently take over seasonal run between Newcastle Island Provincial Marine Park and Maffeo-Sutton Park. » Nanaimo Region, A3
Scientists ask question on whether diabetes-saving medicine in pills would be able to prevent the disease as researchers commence big study. » Health, B1
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