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Garden club Horticultural society celebrates 70 years in Nanaimo. PAGE 7
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THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 2016
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VOL. 27, NO. 97
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Investigators say electrical issue cause of blaze
Focus on VIU WE’RE CALLING IT THE NEW NANAIMO, THIS MORE COSMOPOLITAN CITY OF EDUCATED, WORKING PROFESSIONALS DRAWN TO A WEST-COAST LIFESTYLE AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE. A CATALYST FOR THIS NEW NANAIMO IS VANCOUVER ISLAND UNIVERSITY. JOHN M C KINLEY BLACK PRESS
QUICK now, what is the biggest economic driver in Nanaimo? Harmac? The port? Marijuana? According to Nanaimo Economic Development Corporation chairman Andre Sullivan, you can find your answer high up on the hillside. “I would say the university. In addition to being an employer it is also a driver in terms of the people it brings to town – whether they stay here for one year or a lifetime,” Sullivan said. “It has a huge economic impact. We don’t recognize ourselves as a university town, but The News Bulletin concludes we are. There is not a single its look at VIU’s impact on thing they are doing that the social and economic does not benefit the econlandscape of the community omy.” with a closer look at how You can start with the it is serving its original VIU job force, which the demographic: the towns and university pegs at 2,300 small cities north of the people, including campuses Malahat. in Cowichan, Nanaimo, Parksville and Powell River. Contrast that with Nanaimo’s signature industrial operation, Harmac, which has about 300 employees. Sullivan said VIU staff, students and visitors are the top customers for the Nanaimo Airport, the hotels, clubs and
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restaurants downtown, and the town’s sports and recreation facilities. But the university’s impact goes beyond the jobs it creates and the shopping dollars it provides. It has important social repercussions as well. By its very nature, VIU is generating a steady stream of motivated up-and-comers who may fall in love with the Central island and the opportunities it provides. At one end of the socio-economic scale are people who are highly skilled and driven, with an entrepreneurial spirit that can inject fresh social and economic life into the community. At the other end of that scale, the university provides skills and opportunities for young adults and less-educated mature students wanting to get ahead in life. It’s no secret the university focuses much of its attention reaching out to international and aboriginal students. One reason is there simply isn’t as many domestic students to draw from anymore. You’ve read the headlines: the public school system up and down Vancouver Island is consolidating by closing schools. The echo of the Baby Boom has long passed and the number of kids graduating from Island high schools has dwindled. Couple that with a mindset that still exists north of the Malahat that a post-secondary education isn’t essential to getting a good job. SEE UNIVERSITY /14
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FIRE investigators have determined an electrical malfunction sparked the fire that destroyed the Jean Burns Building at 10 Commercial St. in downtown Nanaimo. The fire, which started March 30 and burned for about 14 hours before it was brought under control, started near the centre of the building in a void space between the first and second floors. Four fire investigators, who spent several days collecting physical evidence, interviewing witnesses and analyzing results of information gathered, do not believe a power disruption on the afternoon of the fire was a contributing factor and have classified the blaze as accidental. “It was a bathroom fan malfunction,” said Capt. Ennis Mond, Nanaimo Fire Rescue chief fire prevention officer. “It overheated and that’s what started the fire.” Rick Hyne, operating officer for building owner Crankshaw Holdings, said it will be about another six weeks before a decision can be made whether to rebuild the structure. Hyne said if the cost of rebuilding is more than the company is insured for “then we’ll have to come up with a different answer to the question.” In the meantime, an engineer is determining if the walls of the building are safe or if they need to be shored up to prevent possible collapse. Hyne said that will likely be done and the China Steps and Lois Lane reopened by the end of the week.
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