League champs Senior B lacrosse team wins it all.
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TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 2015
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
www.nanaimobulletin.com
VOL. 27, NO. 27
Federal project review holds up rail service on Vancouver Island BY KARL YU THE NEWS BULLETIN
The plan for restoration of train service on Vancouver Island is awaiting federal approval, according to Bill McKay, Nanaimo mayor and Island Corridor Foundation board chairman. The B.C. government recently re-affirmed a $7-million commitment for the E&N rail line and the federal government did similarly for $7.5 million. The federal government said the money is contingent on completion of a federal project review, signing of a contribution agreement and confirmation that no further federal money will be needed. Federal money is also contingent on provision of provincial money. Infrastructure Canada said it couldn’t ISLAND RAIL upgrades provide any projectestimated to cost specific information $20.4 million. at this time, but did say it is continuing to work with the foundation on completion of the review. McKay said the foundation needs to work on some of the language within the contract that allows flexibility to be able to buy more or less, without jeopardizing funding. He pointed to an example of 110,000 rail ties that need to replaced. “So if we were to say, look, your money will buy this many ties, but we’ve now been able to get more for the same price, we would like to take advantage of that,” said McKay. “They’re just getting into the fine details of the contracts themselves. These things, for whatever reason, become a lot more complicated than you ever imagine.” McKay didn’t want to place a timeline on when the federal government signs off. “I’d like to see rail running on the majority of that line next summer,” he said. The province said it will provide money once federal funding is in place and that upgrade work won’t exceed $20.4 million budgeted.
Quickfacts
CHRIS BUSH/THE NEWS BULLETIN
Ian Thorpe, Nanaimo city council member, surveys Maffeo Sutton Park for areas that could use improvement Thursday. The city has preliminary designs to help spiff up the park and is gathering public input on the ideas.
Park improvement options explored
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MAFFEO SUTTON could see expanded beach, piers and wildlife refuge. BY TAMARA CUNNINGHAM THE NEWS BULLETIN
Nanaimo’s most popular waterfront park could get a refresh. The City of Nanaimo is about to release draft sketches of a re-imagined Maffeo Sutton Park in the lead up to an updated improvement plan,
with ideas that include an urban wildlife refuge, an expanded beach, parkade and piers. Now it will be up to residents to decide what sticks and what gets tossed on the cutting room floor. A forward-looking plan for the waterfront park was first crafted in 2008, but just three years later the city was back at the drawing board after it added 0.9 hectares of land originally slated for condos. There are other reasons for the review as well, according to Kirsty MacDonald, the city’s parks and open
space planner, who points to the need for capital improvements on features like the playground and the changing context of the park. Nanaimo has a proposed Hilton hotel, the potential redevelopment of the Howard Johnson and the pending transfer of land to the Snuneymuxw First Nation at the corner of Cliff Street and Comox Road. “At this stage we’re playing around with ideas,” said MacDonald, who’s been looking at possible additions to the park. See ‘THREE’ /4
reporter@nanaimobulletin.com
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