EN IB WEEK PRIME R
STARTING AT
$21.99
Ice time First-place Nanaimo Clippers get back to hockey after Christmas break.
DS
Delicious Prime Rib Dinner Every Fri., Sat., & Sun after 4pm
PAGE 21
C&S TRANSMISSION
FREE T E D SSEbR Special
SPECIALTIES LTD.
with Prime Ri on with this coup
“EXPERT SERVICE SERVED RIGHT”
O
IM HWY., NANA 6550 ISLAND 0-1227 250-39
6852 Mart Rd. LANTZVILLE
www.nanaimobulletin.com
Dam decision was year’s most difficult PRIORITIES FOR 2016 include core review.
BY TAMARA CUNNINGHAM THE NEWS BULLETIN
O
*includes 5L of 5W30 or 5W20 oil. Enviro levy & shop supplies extra. Does not include diesel and synthetic oil changes.
INCLUDES: ✓ Complimentary car wash and vacuum ✓ 15-point visual inspection ✓ FREE Battery and Alignment Check anytime
Quickfacts
ME OF T
TIRES AT COST!
YD
R
RAPID OIL SERVICE from $2995
See ‘CORE’ /5
EVE
HERE NOW!
felt betrayed by his vote to move ahead with remediation, but he changed his outlook based on new information. The dams issue wasn’t fun, but forward progress on an auxiliary spillway is an achievement.
The April 2014 shooting at the Western Forest Products mill made headlines at the time and is expected to do so again later in 2016. Kevin Douglas Addison, 49, was charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Fred McEachern and Michael Lunn, and two counts of attempted murder for injuries to Tony Sudar and Earl Kelly. Addison is awaiting a B.C. Supreme Court trial. While the trial was originally scheduled to start in January, it has been postponed and is now expected to begin Sept. 6, according to Gordon Comer, spokesman for the B.C. Criminal Justice Branch. The trial is expected to last 30 days and take THE NEWSROOM chose place in Nanaimo. five top stories from It is expected to the past year that we feature a judge will be following into and jury. 2016, including the “As this is a jury foot passenger ferry trial we have to be to Vancouver, financial very careful about investment from China, what information the conference centre can be provided,” hotel, resettlement said Comer. of refugees and the “Generally trial of Kevin Addison, s peaking, a accused of murder in lengthy jury trial the Western Forest might start with Products shooting. For an opening statemore, please see pages ment from the 3 and 5. Crown.” The incident took place on April 30, 2014, with police receiving a 911 call around 7 a.m. about shots fired at the mill. A preliminary hearing, to determine if there was enough evidence for Addison to stand trial, took place last March. John Gustafson, who represented Addison at the hearing, said a plea, if any, wouldn’t happen before the matter is before B.C. Supreme Court. The mill, situated on Nanaimo’s waterfront, was closed at the end of 2014.
HE
Now
B.C. Comptroller of Water Rights with deadlines to do the work. At the 11th hour, council agreed on remediation for the lower dam. It was difficult decision for McKay, who said the expectation was he’d fight the province and people
m
l6p
‘ti pen
CHRIS BUSH/THE NEWS BULLETIN
Nanaimo Mayor Bill McKay and city council faced challenges and accomplishments in 2015 that included the South Fork Water Treatment Plant and a decision to have an auxiliary spillway constructed at Colliery Dam Park’s lower dam.
HO
Making a decision on the Colliery dams was the most difficult decision of 2015 and one of council’s achievements, according to Mayor Bill McKay, who now wants to see “real investment” in the park. McKay sat down with the News Bulletin in the last days of 2015 to talk about the highlights and challenges of his first year as Nanaimo’s mayor, from a new water treatment plant, a decision to build an auxiliary spillway at Colliery Dam Park, and the need for third-party intervention among councillors. McKay said there will never be a boil water advisory in Nanaimo with a state-of-the-art, $71-million water treatment plant and filtration system which went online in December. He calls it an important initiative. He ranks Colliery dams as the most difficult decision for Nanaimo city council, as well as an achievement. The province required the city to remediate the middle and lower dams because of potential safety hazards, but for months council could not agree on the fix, with calls for further consultation and reviews. In April, the City of Nanaimo was slapped with a formal order from the
“After three years of debate, we finally broke through the barrier and while some people believe we might have been forced to make a decision, we made a decision and now we are going to get it done and we will be able to put that controversy and this very divisive conversation behind us so we can get on with other things,” he said. The mayor now wants to see investment into Colliery Dam Park, like with picnic tables and park benches. He also wants to ensure landscaping around the new spillway includes fast-growing native species so “in another 30 years from now, nobody will remember this big fight we had over that.” Council itself is working with a facilitator with the Integrity Group, hired last June to help the politicians get along. Council still has heavy lifting to do, according to McKay, who says it’s “sad” because the group is so diverse and talented with much to bring to the table. He wishes it could do it in a more respectful manner, and calls thirdparty intervention key. Work with the Integrity Group was put on hold while an independent investigation was done into a complaint of bullying and harassment at city hall, which is ongoing. McKay, however, expects facilitation to resume in 2016. The year also marked a change in city managers.
Trial of alleged shooter at downtown mill set for upcoming year
See Dealer for details
E
I
250.390.1871
VOL. 27, NO. 67
R IC
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2015
AY L O W
P
AUTOMOTIVE DETAIL PACKAGES
15% OFF FROM $
39
DETAIL 95 BRONZE WITH ANY
SERVICE NO APPOINTMENT NECESSARY • PRICE MATCH GUARANTEE • ALL MAKES, ALL MODELS
NANAIMO
2525 Bowen Road Nanaimo • 1-888-325-5974
mazdatirestore.com