Official Marine Festival program
Raiders ready Junior
football team gathers for main camp.
INSIDE
PAGE 18
www.nanaimobulletin.com
TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2015
VOL. 27, NO. 19
Race ready
The Nusa’lon Dragons head toward the docks after racing in the 13th annual Nanaimo Dragonboat Festival, which took place at Maffeo Sutton Park this past weekend. More than 70 teams took part in the event. For more photos, please visit www. nanaimobulletin. com. KARL YU THE NEWS BULLETIN
Developer cites lack of council support for killing hotel deal BY CHRIS BUSH THE NEWS BULLETIN
Nanaimo mayor Bill McKay vented his frustration on Friday over the death of the conference centre hotel deal. On Thursday, legal representatives of SSS Manhao International Tourism Group informed the City of Nanaimo via letter that SSS Manhao would no longer move forward with the proposed conference centre hotel project. The city was awaiting a reply since council passed a motion on June 22 to extend the construction start date on the condition that the developer sought a building permit within six months, commit $100,000 toward improvements to Piper Park and that it relinquish right of first negotiation for management of
Vancouver Island Convention Centre. The letter said SSS Manhao does not believe that project has the support of the majority of city council. “Accordingly, the company has determined that viability of the hotel development is at risk, and the company cannot therefore accept the terms of the proposal,” the letter read. McKay said SSS Manhao representatives were illtreated the three times they came before council, as they were scolded and chastised, causing them to lose face. “I couldn’t shake this notion that there’s still an appetite on council to repurpose the conference centre even though there’s a proponent come forward that would like to build a $50-million hotel adjacent to it,” said McKay. “They
get the green light to go ahead with the hotel and we continue to talk about repurposing the conference centre. That’s just bad business faith dealings.” Sasha Angus, Nanaimo Economic Development Corporation chief executive officer, was in extensive discussion with the developers over the motion. “For the other projects still moving forward we just need to make sure we maintain a welcoming environment for investment,” Angus said. Kim Smythe, Greater Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce CEO, said he doesn’t believe council’s recent actions were a factor in the cancellation. “It was the level of confidence and the level of comfort that they were left with after that last [city council] meeting, in which
the 12 months was denied and then the next meeting, when the six months was quickly approved,” Smythe said. “They didn’t get a good feeling after that.” McKay said he believes there is “zero hope of salvaging” the deal and the next order of business will be to try to reacquire the hotel site property from SSS Manhao. The original agreement terms allow the city to purchase the hotel property back for the original sale price of $565,000. “We would have to buy that property from them and hope that it doesn’t get caught up in any legal entanglements,” McKay said. “If it were me I’d be trying to recover those costs before I gave that property up.” – with files from Karl Yu and Nicholas Pescod photos@nanaimobulletin.com
Poverty coalition pegs living wage at $18 an hour
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BUSINESS LEADERS say more money not a solution as cost of everything rises with wages. BY TAMARA CUNNINGHAM THE NEWS BULLETIN
It takes more than minimum wage for families to afford to live in the Harbour City. According to Nanaimo’s new poverty coalition, parents need to be working full-time $17.99-per-hour jobs just to afford the basics. The Ending Poverty Together Coalition, set up to address the city’s child poverty problem, tallies the living wage for the Nanaimo region at more than $7 more than the B.C. minimum for parents working full-time and supporting two children. The wage, which covers the cost of necessities like rent, clothing, food and childcare in this area, isn’t too far from that of other B.C. communities, according to the Living Wage for Families Campaign, which shows Port Alberni’s living wage at $17.22 and Parksville at $17.66. Joanne Bevis, poverty coalition member, says the frightening part is the living wage only covers the basics. It doesn’t look at the cost of buying kids hockey sticks and skates, paying for children to be in sports clubs, art classes and dance. It doesn’t include paying for a car or saving for a home. Now Bevis and the coalition’s living wage sub-committee hopes to explain to businesses why the higher payment is necessary and have them let their name stand as a living-wage employer. “It’s not a matter of handouts,” she said. “I myself am involved in providing lunch and brunches and feeding the hungry, but you know what, that doesn’t change it. To really change it we need to work right from the grassroots – people need to earn a decent wage.” See ‘BUSINESS’ /5
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