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City’s water supply dips below 70 per cent capacity
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Nanaimo’s Owen Hardy, 16, is preparing for his first season of junior hockey with the BCHL’s Nanaimo Clippers
Nanaimo’s Jump Lake resevoir level is falling, but the city’s water manager says the municipality is in good stead ahead of the winter months. A3
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The newspaper of record for Nanaimo and region since 1874 || Wednesday, August 26, 2015
EMERGENCY
Fire officials say blazes man-made
Pair of recent brush fires in Nanaimo area described as ‘homeless camp’; several people displaced
ROBERT BARRON DAILY NEWS
A series of brush fires continue to keep Nanaimo firefighting crews busy. Three blazes were reported within the last five days. All were believed to be man-made, with at least two taking place in areas known to be used by homeless people. The latest fire began early Tuesday in thick bush near the Northfield Road intersection on the Nanaimo Parkway. Nanaimo fire investigator Alan Millbank said it took several hours to put out the fire. It never got larger than a half-acre, but firefighters were on the scene for the rest of the day dealing with
hot spots. Millbank described the site as a homeless camp, with several of the campers displaced by the fire. Another brush fire broke out near Cedar Monday morning that was determined to be caused by an illegal bonfire that got out of control. Firefighters arrived to find freshly cut wood and burned furniture at the site. Millbank said the major interface brush fire that threatened homes in Nanaimo’s south end Friday afternoon started in an area known to be a homeless campground. High winds at the time caused that fire, off Fourth Street, to quickly spread to include four
hectares and required firefighters from all the city’s four fire halls to put it out. A cooking fire is the suspected cause of the blaze. Firefighters found the remains of several campsites containing lighters, shopping carts, tents and other improvised shelters at the scene. “The temperatures are now starting to get cooler in the evenings so some people are starting campfires to stay warm,” Millbank said. “But it’s still super dry out there and the fire rating is still at extreme.” Robert.Barron @nanaimodailynews.com 250-729-4234
Three fire crews were called to deal with a small brush fire near the Northfield Road intersection of the Nanaimo Parkway Tuesday. [ROBERT BARRON/DAILY NEWS]
POLICE
CANADA VOTES!
Candidates speak to derelict boat issue
RCMP seek help finding young woman DAILY NEWS
Viki-Lyne II in Ladysmith, to reduce the threat to the environment from the derelict fishing vessel. There was no report of oil in the water – the action was preventative and proactive. The Coast Guard is continuing to monitor the Viki-Lyne II situation. There are four other possible solutions for Ladysmith Harbour that require the participation of other levels of government, including a joint effort with the Town of Ladysmith and Chemainus First Nation to approach the Province that could provide an almost immediate solution. MP Weston’s bill, which imposes personal responsibility on derelict vessel owners, is a good start.
DAILY NEWS
Canada heads to the polls on Oct. 19. During the federal election campaign, the Daily News will offer a series of profiles, issue pieces and more to help readers with their voting decision. Today marks the first in a series of questions posed to local candidates. Their responses (candidates listed alphabetically) are listed below.
MacDONALD
MALCOLMSON
Question: “What will you do to address the issue of derelict vessels along the Vancouver Island coast?” Nanaimo-Ladysmith Mark MacDonald, Conservative Derelict vessels are a serious problem in the Nanaimo-Ladysmith riding, and I have been personally working on this issue since March. In June, MP John Weston (West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country) introduced a Private Member’s Bill to counter the increasing problem of abandoned vessels in our coastal waters. The Prohibition of Abandoned Vessels bill, for the first time, creates the possibility that a person who
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abandons a vessel may be subject to jail time and fines of up to $100,000. The work reflects input from mayors, councillors, boaters, and other leaders in B.C.’s coastal communities, with whom Weston has been working to develop policies and laws to deal with
the problem. Transport Canada had as of last year identified 245 boats that might be deemed “abandoned.” Last October, the Canadian Coast Guard contracted the removal of 20,000 litres of oil, sludge and oily waters from the
Sheila Malcolmson, NDP For six years as elected chair of Islands Trust Council, I worked directly with coastal communities, pushing for provincial and federal action on abandoned vessels. I have been an advocate for a permanent, comprehensive, coast-wide solution that includes polluter-pay, product stewardship and fiberglass recycling. See QUESTION, Page A5
Test track planned for sports car drivers
Burgmann back on national baseball team
A high-end commercial builder was awarded the contract to build an automobile test track north west of Duncan that promises to be an Island attraction. » Nanaimo Region, A3
Nanaimo Pirates ace Josh Burgmann has been named to the Under-18 Baseball Canada national team that heads to the Baseball World Cup in Japan on Friday. » Sports, B2
Local news .................... A3-5 Markets ................................A2 Nation & World ................. A7
Editorials and letters ..... A4 Sports .................................. B2 Scoreboard ........................ B3
Classified ............................ B7 Obituaries ........................... B7 Comics ................................. B5
The Nanaimo RCMP is seeking public help to locate 20-yearold Kristen D’Amour, who has not been seen since Aug. 17. D’Amour’s roommate reported her as missing on Monday, prompting D’AMOUR an investigation. The woman had left her central Nanaimo residence with only her bank card and a small nylon packsack. Police say all her other belongings were left untouched and that she has had no contact with friends or family since. D’Amour is usually active on social media, but she has not made online posts since Aug. 17. Police say the behaviour is considered “out of character” for the woman, who is described as white, five foot three and 100 pounds, with shoulder-length brown hair, hazel eyes and some pock marking on her skin. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to contact 250-754-2345 or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. Tips can also be made by texting 274637.
Crossword .......................... B5 Sudoku ................................. A2 Horoscope .......................... B6
Nanaimo Daily News and nanaimodailynews.com reach more than 60,000 readers each week in print and online. General inquires: 250-729-4200 | Newsroom: 250-729-4224 | To subscribe: 250-729-4266 | Copyright 2015. All rights reserved
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