NANAIMO REGION
Regional district expects to become carbon neutral Composting improvements to landfill operations are likely to render the Regional District of Nanaimo carbon neutral by the end of this year, according to the governing body. 3
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The newspaper of record for Nanaimo and region since 1874 || Thursday, September 3, 2015
» Nanaimo
EDUCATION
RCMP presence required during city council meeting
Closures return to the table ROBERT BARRON DAILY NEWS
RCMP officers were on hand during a Nanaimo city council meeting at the Shaw Auditorium on Wednesday, following disruptions at Monday’s meeting.
[AARON HINKS/DAILY NEWS]
Politicians vote to select contractor for spillway
SPENCER ANDERSON DAILY NEWS
N
anaimo council has voted 5-3 to select a contractor to build a new spillway at the lower Colliery dam, following a tense, bitter meeting that saw a heavy uniformed RCMP presence. Mayor Bill McKay and the rest of council — except Bill Yoachim, who was absent — gathered at 1 p.m. for a special meeting to decide the vote, after being unable to make quorum to debate the issue Monday. Audience anger was palpable throughout discussion of the project, which has been under scrutiny for almost three years. Deep, longstanding opposition to alterations to the dam, situated in a city park, remains among some members of the public.
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Council voted unanimously in July to construct an additional spillway on the dam to bring the structure up to provincial standards, under the threat of fines or enforcement action by the B.C. water comptroller. The contract, issued to Copcan Civil Ltd. following an open request for proposals by the city. The work will see a several metre-wide swath cut through the park to make way for the spillway, which will be incorporated into the existing trail system. The estimated cost for the project is between $2.6 million and $4.8 million, although that cost is open-ended because engineering designs have not been completed due to time constraints. McKay and councillors Diane Brennan, Wendy Pratt and Ian
Thorpe have repeatedly spoken in favour in proceeding with work on the dam to meet provincial regulations, and voted to issue the contract Wednesday. It fell to Coun. Bill Bestwick to cast the deciding vote in favour of awarding the contract, though he stressed his reluctance to do so. He argued the project did not meet council’s goal of addressing safety concerns at the dam “in the least expensive, least invasive manner possible.” Bestwick proposed an amendment that would have provided the city with a review of other possible locations for the spillway to confirm the proposed route is the least costly and invasive. But the amendment was shot down in a 4-4 tie vote, after senior city staff warned that investigat-
ing other routes would require additional digging and site work. “That would take at least four to six weeks,” said Toby Seward, director for social and protective services for the city. The city has until Nov. 15 under a provincial order to substantially complete work on the project. Councillors Jim Kipp, Gord Fuller and Jerry Hong all voted to support the defeated amendment, but withdrew their support from the motion afterwards. Spencer.Anderson @nanaimodailynews.com 250-729-4255 » We want to hear from you. Send comments on this story to yourletters@nanaimodailynews.com. Letters must include daytime phone number and hometown.
Local black belt trains with world champion
Lavigne, Kroeger announce separation
Island Top Team instructor Robert Biernacki was able to grapple with gold medalist Yuri Simoes ahead of the Submission World Wrestling Championships. » Sports, 6
Canadian music stars Avril Lavigne and Chad Kroeger, of Nickelback, made their separation public on Wednesday through Lavigne’s Instagram account. » Nation & World, 10
Local news ............................. 3 Markets ................................... 2 Nation & World .................... 5
Editorials and letters ........ 4 Sports ..................................... 6 Scoreboard ............................ 7
Classified ............................... 9 Obituaries .............................. 9 Comics .................................... 8
School closures and consolidations are on the table again as trustees in the Nanaimo-Ladysmith school district voted 6-3 in favour of an updated facilities plan on Wednesday. The plan recommends the closure of Rutherford Elementary School in June 2017, with an additional classroom wing to be added to Frank J. Ney Elementary School. The plan also recommends the closure of the aging Woodlands Secondary school in June 2016, with its students heading to neighbouring schools, including Nanaimo District and Wellington secondary schools. The original plan called for the closure of Woodlands school in 2017 with most of its students going to a new school that would be built on the NDSS site. But staff suggested that the process of receiving approval and funding from the ministry for the new high school would be assisted if the district moved forward to reduce some of the approximately 1,000 empty seats in its secondary system. The original plan also called for the closure of Departure Bay Elementary School, but the new version recommends that the district undertake a study during the 2016-17 school year on Departure Bay, Cilaire and Dufferin Crescent schools with recommendations to come from that. The new plan also calls for either the closure of Woodbank Primary School or North Cedar Intermediate School in June 2016, with the students from one school amalgamated with the other. A decision would be made at a later date on which school would reopen as an elementary school in September 2016. School board chairman Steve Rae said no final decisions have been made on the recommendations, and that a 60-day public consultation process must be held before trustees decide on the plan. “We don’t take school closures lightly,” he said. Robert.Barron @nanaimodailynews.com 250-729-4234
Crossword ............................. 8 Sudoku .................................... 2 Horoscope .............................. 7
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