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Shopping

Restaurants

Entertainment

Recreation

Best of the City 2016

Service

Health

Kidsâ€™ Stuff

Paddling Paradise for water craft

Nightlife Lots of late night options

Ahoy! Bathtub races celebrate 50 years

Survey says: Best jewelry store, Nanaimo bar and more

Winner profiles: Your top picks

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Galaxy Motors would like to thank our entire family of customers for voting us

“BEST IN THE CITY” FOUR YEARS IN A ROW!

Did you know that Galaxy Motors is BC LARGEST used vehicle dealer and has over 600 quality and inspected vehicles and 16 lenders to choose from. NO ONE works harder for their customers than we do!! Our dedicated team of professionals provide a comfortable atmosphere and a unique approachability that is second to NO ONE. We invite you to come on down and experience the “Galaxy Difference” today. unta nt

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Best of the City 2016

We celebrate everything we love in Nanaimo

7On the

We love Nanaimo. Best of the City gives us an opportunity annually to showcase all the things that we enjoy about the Harbour City. At the top of the list is Bathtub racing. The uniquely Nanaimo event celebrates its 50th season this year and organizers have created an event-filled weekend in Marine Fest, culminating in the Great International World Championship Bathtub Race in downtown Nanaimo. Check out pages 40-41 for some history on the event and what it takes to race a bathtub to the finish line. We also love the personalities who make our city unique and you’ll find many of them on the waterfront. The Harbourfront Walkway, which stretches from Cameron Island near Gabriola ferry terminal, through Maffeo Sutton Park and past the Nanaimo Yacht Club, hosts some of the most colourful characters in Nanaimo. Tamara Cunningham spent an afternoon and came across buskers, slackliners and one guy with a snake wrapped casually around his neck. On page 7, she details some of the local colour you can find on any given day. Shops and service help to build a foundation on which people work and live. Terminal Park mall features four category winners, offering gourmet food from the sea, the farm and the bakery. You’ll also find the results of our reader survey, in which people submitted their favourite businesses. We hope you’ll check them out, if you haven’t already. A ‘best of’ publication about Nanaimo wouldn’t be complete without a tale or two about our illustrious – and delicious – Nanaimo bar. The sweet confectionery can found in a variety of forms, from martinis to cupcakes, and readers told us the Best Place to Get a Nanaimo Bar. Best of the City is our celebration of Nanaimo – we hope you enjoy it as much as we did writing it. Melissa Fryer, managing editor

waterfront

Nanaimo bars

10 Winner central

SPECIAL EDITION

Phone: 250-753-3707 / editor@nanaimobulletin.com

Local foodie culture

On the cover

A division of Black Press Ltd. 777 Poplar St., Nanaimo, B.C. V9S 2H7 Publisher: Maurice donn Editor: Melissa Fryer Sales Manager: Sean Mccue Special Edition Production: nanaimo news Bulletin Production department Contributors: chris Bush, Greg Sakaki, nicholas Pescod, Tamara cunningham, rachel Stern and Karl Yu

Dan Faux might not be a genuine pirate, but he is a real tubber who has plundered his share of recognition and accomplishments in the sport of Bathtub racing with help from his tubbing team Aggressive Salmon. Faux took second place in the Modified Class in 2015 with the tub pictured on the cover. He plans to participate in the 50th anniversary race this year.

Winners in the 15th annual Nanaimo News Bulletin Best of the City supplement were chosen by Nanaimo readers. These votes were then tabulated and ranked in order to determine the top three finalists. Black Press, parent company of the Nanaimo News Bulletin, has sole copyright over any written material or image in this publication.

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MCLAREN LIGHTING.COM

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IN NANAIMO FOR Nine YEARS RUNNING!

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Best of the City 2016

Cruisin’ the Hub

Nicholas Pescod_News Bulletin Jonny Trangen sits on his three-speed bike in front of the Vault Café. Nanaimo offers great opportunities to bike, whether it is downtown or on the outskirts of town.

CyCling and biking the preferred way for a growing group of residents to travel, Commute and experienCe nanaimo’s sights and sounds NICHOLAS PESCOD

On a beautiful sunny morning, Jonny Trangen sits by himself enjoying a cup of coffee and a small pastry at a popular downtown hangout. His three-speed bike is close by. For Trangen, biking is generally how he gets around Nanaimo. Whether it’s commuting from his home to his work in the city’s downtown core or hanging out with his friends, Trangen can often be seen on two wheels. “We have a car but I like to bike,” he said. When it comes to biking in Nanaimo, there are plenty of parks, trails and areas to ride. The E&N Trail, Nanaimo Parkway Trail, and Harbourfront Walkway all provide beautiful views of the city and are fun and easy to ride. “My favourite part about biking is the nice solid group rides,” Trangen said. “Me and my friends we all ride the beach cruisers and we like to gather every Sunday and go for a ride and that is my favourite part.” Meanwhile, for good friends Michael Thomas and Chris Brown, biking is something they do just about every

single day, as well. The two recent John Barsby High School graduates love hanging out at the skate park behind the Nanaimo Curling Rink, where they do tricks on their BMX bikes. “We always go there,” Brown said. “That’s our favourite place that we go to and there are a lot of kids that we meet there.” “We love meeting friends at the skate park,” Thomas said. “There are always people at the skate park.” When they are not doing tricks at the park, they’re at Maffeo Sutton Park, which they say is a great place for people to bike. “It’s fun to bike around Nanaimo,” Brown said. “We actually go down to the Swya-lana Lagoon a bunch of times too.” Those looking to experience nature on two wheels, Nanaimo has a number of solid mountain biking trails. Mark Perdue, a member of the Nanaimo Mountain Bike club, says whether it is Legalize It at Westwood Lake, Fine China Trail, the Extension Ridge Trail or the Outer Bypass Trail, there are no shortages of places to ride off road in Nanaimo.

“Nanaimo is a really great place to mountain bike,” he said. Perdue recommends Legalize It, a 10-kilometre trail around Westwood Lake as a fantastic place to ride for entry level to moderately experienced bikers. “It’s really nice because it has been specifically designed for the beginner to intermediate rider,” Perdue said. “It’s not super technical. It’s a beautiful area going around the park. It’s very well used so you never feel to out there in the wilderness. It’s just a really well designed, fun trial.” Anyone seeking a bit more of a thrill is encouraged to check out Fine China Trail, which is part of the Doumont Road trail network and located off Weigles Road. “That’s a super fun trail and it is amazingly popular ... it is like doing a luge run on a bike,” Perdue said. “It’s got big banked corners and big windy turns and there is little jumps and things on it.” Whether it is downtown, uptown, or on the outskirts of town, all four individuals equally agree that Nanaimo has plenty of great places to bike.

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75 per cent of all restaurants fail in the first year How is it that a restaurant in Nanaimo lasts a quarter century or longer? According to Restaurants Canada, a non-profit association representing the nation’s food and restaurant industries, one in four British Columbians between the ages of 15-24 are employed in the restaurant industry. Meanwhile, Ian Tostenson, CEO of the B.C. Restaurant and Food Services Association, said the restaurant industry in British Columbia is about a $10 billion industry and there are roughly 180,000 people employed in the industry throughout the province. “It is the third-largest industry, ahead of agriculture and mining in British Columbia,” he said. “It’s huge.” It was 1993 when Cara Y. Groslin had her very first shift at Ricky’s All Day Grill in Nanaimo’s north end. “My mom saw an ad in the paper and she said to go check it out and I did and I got hired,” Grosling recalled. “It was very nerve-wracking because it was my first serious job, but everybody was very welcoming. I remember I was very shy.” Nearly a quarter-century later Groslin is still working at Ricky’s. She’s no longer the shy the girl, but instead friendly, bubbly, energetic and full of personality. “I remember customers that remembered me pouring coffee with my head down and not looking at them,” Groslin said. “I was very, very shy.” Groslin is one of several Ricky’s employees who have been working at the restaurant for more than 15 years. She said that it’s the atmosphere, the people 4 Best of the City

and the customers who make her love going to work everyday. “I absolutely have to have a job that keeps me active and this job is perfect for that,” Groslin said. “I’ve met so many interesting people from all over the world.” “The longterm staff are excellent. We treat each other like family … it is just really positive.” Located on Island Highway North, Rickey’s All Day Grill opened 25 years ago. Over the years, the north-end restaurant has picked up multiple Best of the City Awards, including this year for Best Breakfasts. The restaurant also placed third in the category for Best Customer Service. Chris Marsten has been a server with Ricky’s since 1992 and is the restaurant’s

longest-serving staff member. She said at the end of the day, it’s all about making sure the customer is taken care of and leaves happy. “If you don’t get good service somewhere you’re not going to come back. We try to talk to the customers and we know so many of them by their first name,” she said. “It’s always been like that. Ever since Day 1.” Over the years, the restaurant industry has become known for being extremely competitive with high rates of employee turnover and business failure. There aren’t many restaurants have been around in Nanaimo as long as Ricky’s and many of the longtime staff members credit the restaurant’s family feel, positive work environment, and consistent high-quality food for its longterm success.

“It’s like a family here,” said Crystal Cross, an employee who has worked at Ricky’s for 16 years. “It is just comfortable and everybody helps everybody out.” According to Tostenson, the failure rate for restaurants in British Columbia is about 75 per cent within the first year of operation and is even higher for those owners who do not know how to properly run a restaurant or have no real idea as to what they’re getting themselves into. “It is a very specialized business and it requires razor sharp measurements on your costs and your concept and how you execute things,” Tostenson said. “You’ve got a lot of red tape and regulation to deal with. It is really a business for someone that is, in my opinion, experienced.” While Ricky’s has multiple staff members who have been employed for more than a decade, Tostenson said that is not unheard of, adding that’s usually the case when the employer has strong grasp on human resources. “If you know your business and you know good people, you will take care of them,” Tostenson said. Zach Robertson, longtime cook with Ricky’s, said what keeps him coming to work everyday is the atmosphere, adding that for many of the staff, the restaurant is like a second home. “We all started here when we were young … and I have always felt welcome,” Robertson said. Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Best of the City 2016

Victoria Crescent a neighbourhood like no other

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BuSiNeSS owNeRS curate a relaxed vibe among tight downtown community

RACHEL STERN

At first glance Victoria Crescent may look like any Nanaimo street, but a second glance reveals something different. There’s a funky vibe that resides in spaces, carved out by the business owners who operate on the street. It’s not the bricks and mortar that make Victoria Crescent funky, but the attitudes of the people who hang out there. “It’s definitely a sort of hip arts and music district,” said Ilan Goldenblatt, former operator of the Thirsty Camel. He said the area attracts people who are really into arts, music and community. He opened the Thirsty Camel on Victoria Crescent 12 years ago and closed the restaurant’s doors in early May. He is now taking time to write a cookbook and travel in South America. Just a few buildings down the street, in an abandoned store window, resides a colourful painting with the words God is Love. The phrase drips red hearts that hang above a city landscape. Proof that although the store is vacant, residents still claim the space. Victoria Crescent is home to many businesses including the Queen’s, Square One, the Cambie, Mambo Pizza

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

I really wanted to open something where nobody was in a rush and everyone had time to hang out and make friends.

Rachel Stern_News Bulletin Amanda Scott, owner of the Vault Café, leans on the front serving area of the café while speaking to a customer.

and others. A cushy lime green arm chair sits invitingly next to a pot of aromatic herbs and blooming lavender. Nearby a set of mismatched chairs, draped with knitted blankets, are assembled around a table. It’s a place arranged outside the Vault Café to invite people walking by

Rachel Stern_News Bulletin Outside the Vault Café an assortment of chairs, including a lime-green armchair, wait for customers or passersby to take a seat.

on the street to sit and relax. It’s a vibe owner Amanda Scott has cultivated since she opened the establishment in January 2014. “I really wanted to open something where nobody was in a rush and everyone had time to hang out and make friends,” said Scott. Once inside, customers are greeted

with an eclectic mis-match of furniture, knick-knacks and a café gallery. In the upper seating area, a carved gnome sits besides a chess board and a couple potted plants. Near the front window a row of books line a shelf, adding to the take-your-time vibe of the establishment. “It was important for me to have a lot of conversation pieces,” said Scott, adding she likes to find objects at thrift stores. Every year she does a refresh to allow customers to discover new, interesting items distributed around the café. The Vault Café isn’t a place where people bark their orders and expect their drink in a minute and whisk their way out the door. It’s a place to chill, connect and relax. The café hosts live music, poetry and spoken word events, book launches and sells artwork by local artists.

Best of the City 5

Best of the City 2016 – Results Best Fitness Centre 1. Nanaimo Aquatic Centre 2. VI Fitness 3. Northridge Fitness Centre

Best pLaCe to sWim outdoors 1. Nanaimo River 2. Westwood Lake 3. Piper’s Lagoon

Win in the bag

Best LoCaL Campground 1. Living Forest Oceanside Campground 2. Brannen Lake Campground 3. Newcastle Island Marine Provincial Park

Best pLaCe to WaLK, Jog or hiKe 1. Westwood Lake 2. Neck Point Park 3. Harbourfront Walkway Best pLaCe to WaLK your dog 1. Westwood Lake 2. Neck Point Park 3. Colliery Dam Park

Best peopLe-WatChing spot 1. Waterfront & Harbourfront Walkway 2. Maffeo Sutton Park & Swy-a-lana Lagoon 3. Woodgrove Centre

Best pLaCe to WatCh Birds 1. Buttertubs Marsh 2. Westwood Lake 3. Neck Point Park

Best pLaCe For a piCniC 1. Piper’s Lagoon 2. Neck Point Park 3. Maffeo Sutton Park & Swy-a-lana Lagoon

Best pLayground 1. Beban Park 2. Oliver Woods Community Centre 3. Maffeo Sutton Park

Best pLaCe For Birthday parties 1. Jumpin’ Jiminy’s 2. Boston Pizza 3. Brechin Lanes

Best yoga studio 1. Moksha Yoga Studio 2. Om Town Yoga 3. Red Door Yoga

Best pLaCe For KayaKing 1. Newcastle Island 2. Departure Bay 3. Long Lake

Best auto serViCing 1. Supertech 2. Midas 3. Bavarian Imports

Best pLaCe to meet For CoFFee 1. The Buzz 2. Starbucks 3. Tim Hortons Best pLaCe to mountain BiKe 1. Westwood Lake 2. Doumont Road 3. Mount Benson

Best BanKing institution 1. TD 2. RBC 3. Coastal Community Credit Union Chris Bush_News Bulletin Tracy Teves, manager of Bosley’s in University Village, has plenty of healthy nutrition on hand for dogs, cats and other furry and feathered friends. Bosley’s was voted as Nanaimo’s Best Pet Supply Store in this year’s Best of the City survey.

Best BiKe shop 1. Rock City Bikes 2. Arrowsmith Bikes 3. Pacific Rim Bikes

Thank You Nanaimo and surrounding area for your support. It is our honour to continue to serve you, meeting all of your Yoga and Ayurvedic needs.

7282 Aulds Road, North Nanaimo | www.reddooryoga.ca | kavita@reddooryoga.ca | 250-390-9367 6 Best of the City

BEST OF THE CITY 2016

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Best of the City 2016

On the waterfront VOTED THE Best People Watching Spot, Nanaimo’s waterfront offers endless opportunities to meet new residents

TAMARA CUNNINGHAM

THE slack line bobbed violently. I struggled for balance, gripping the forearm of Matthew Yeomans as my right leg swung in a wild pendulum. “Imagine yourself rooted,” called out Michelle LaFrance. “Look at the tree.” The hard vibrations turned into a smooth shake and then stilled, leaving only my knee to tremble. I gently put my other foot on the slack line, wobbling and still holding Yeomans’ arm in a death grip as I walked the small distance between two trees at Maffeo Sutton Park. LaFrance and Yeomans are Tuesday regulars at the downtown waterfront, where it’s not uncommon for someone to come up, take off their shoes and give the slack line a try and where the two know they’ll encounter interesting people. It’s communal, Yeomans said of the park. “Interesting people congregate here.” The downtown waterfront – a blend of trail and parkland – has gone from industrial site to a social and recreational hub over the past 65 years, drawing thousands of people each year. People can walk around Cameron Island, past floating restaurants, storefronts, fishing boats and yachts and the mouth of the Millstone River. The waterfront is a space that hosts farmers’ markets to festivals, where people can hop on a ferry to Newcastle Island, contemplate public art or listen to street entertainers and concerts in the park. You might see fishermen hauling in a catch, Lucy the seal waiting for bait to be tossed in the water, or sea otters scampering along the rocks. Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Tamara Cunningham_News Bulletin TOP: Matthew Yeomans tries to find his balance on a slackline at Maffeo Sutton Park on the Nanaimo waterfront. ABOVE LEFT: Stanley George and friend, Kaleb McGeorge, wait for a fish to bite at Maffeo Sutton Park’s fishing pier. ABOVE RIGHT: John Bernier walks the Nanaimo waterfront walkway with his ball python ‘Sweetie’ wrapped around his neck.

Nanaimo resident Randy Fred enjoys the serenity of the waterfront and meeting people, he said, from a bench on the crab pier. His nephew Stanley George and friend, Kaleb McGeorge, were crouched nearby, close to the water’s edge with their fishing rods in the water, as they waited for little flounders to bite. He’s blind, Fred tells me when I ask who is who among the boys sitting at the pier. He is also a former book publisher and a writer. At one point he started up a book publishing company, Theytus, with the late Joy

Leach, Nanaimo’s former mayor, not knowing a thing about book publishing, he said, adding it’s since been sold. Kaleb suddenly pins down a flopping flounder, which wriggles from beneath his fingers and begins to flop. “Get me a knife,” he says. I left soon after he got his fish, leaving the boys and Fred to continue along the waterfront. I stopped to talk to a Winnipeg tourist who paused in front of Georgia Park to listen to a classically-trained singer and loves the shops and the walkway next to

the ocean, and met a young man with a ball python draped around his neck. He was keeping it partially hidden under a blanket, knowing if seen, people would want to touch it. Her name is Sweetie, he tells me, as a small crowd stopped to gawk. I asked to take a photo – but made sure I didn’t get too close. As I headed back to my car, I thought about what Yeomans said about this place and I couldn’t help but agree. The waterfront is where interesting people come to congregate. Best of the City 7

Best of the City 2016 – Results BEST CARPET CLEANERS 1. Classic Care Cleaning Services 2. Citrus-O 3. Terry’s Carpet Cleaning

BEST HOUSEWARES/LINENS 1. Home Sense 2. Home Outfitters 2. Flying Fish 3. Sears

Current affairs

BEST CATERING BUSINESS 1. 2 Chefs Affair 2. Spice of Life Catering 3. Mrs. Riches

BEST INSURANCE AGENCY 1. BCAA 2. Hub International 3. Western Financial Group

BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE 1. KC’s Boutique and Petites 2. Costco Wholesale 3. Ricky’s All-Day Grill

BEST LIGHTING STORE 1. McLaren Lighting 2. Home Depot 3. Illuminations Lighting Solutions

BEST DAY-CARE CENTRE 1. Katie’s Korner Child Care Centre 2. Jolly Giant Childcare 3. Kidz Kompany

BEST MARINE SUPPLIER 1. Harbour Chandler 2. Anchorage Marina 3. Cabela’s

BEST ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR 1. Mazzei Electric 2. Wenner Electric 3. DenMar Electric

BEST MASSAGES 1. Nanaimo Elements Holistic Centre 2. Knead Therapy 3. Maffeo Salon and Day Spa

BEST FINANCIAL PLANNER 1. RBC Dominion Securities 2. Sun Life Financial 3. Investors Group

BEST MUSIC STORE 1. Fascinating Rhythm 2. HMV 3. Long & McQuade

BEST FURNITURE STORE 1. The Brick 2. Dodd’s Furniture 2. La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries 3. Flying Fish

BEST OUTDOOR GARDEN CENTRE 1. Art Knapp Plantland 2. Long Lake Nurseries 3. Green Thumb Garden Centre

BEST GAS BAR 1. Mid-Island Co-op 2. Real Canadian Superstore 3. Chevron

Chris Bush_News Bulletin Jimmy Sirois, job foreman with Mazzei Electric, installs an electrical panel for a residential building nearing completion in north Nanaimo. The company connected with this year’s Best of the City survey respondents, who chose it as Nanaimo’s Best Electrical Contractor.

NANA IMO NEWS BU LLETIN

2006

HEE ST OF TH CCII BE E

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BEST PET SUPPLY STORE 1. Bosley’s 2. PetSmart 3. Olivers Pet Supplies

u o Y k Than mo! i a n a N

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BEST HOME BUILDING SUPPLY STORE 1. Home Depot 2. Home Hardware 3. Rona

BEST PAINT STORE 1. Cloverdale Paint 2. Home Depot 3. Benjamin Moore Paints

24/7 Emergency Service Available

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“Best of the City Award Winner Since 2006”

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2016

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• Refrigeration • Heating & Air Conditioning • Heat Pumps • Plumbing • Sheet Metal

2010

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8 Best of the City

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BEST OF THE CITY 2016

Best of the City 2016 – Results BEST PLACE TO BUY A USED VEHICLE 1. Galaxy Motors 2. Nanaimo Toyota 3. Bouman Motors

Treading new ground

BEST PLACE TO GET A TATTOO 1. Black and Blue Tattoo 2. Relegation Tattoo 3. Electric Umbrella BEST PLACE TO GET TIRES 1. Cedar Tireland 2. Kal-Tire 3. Costco Wholesale BEST PLUMBING AND HEATING BUSINESS 1. Archie Johnstone Plumbing and Heating 2. Norm’s Mobile Service 3. Art’s Plumbing and Heating

Chris Bush_News Bulletin Brothers Rick, left, and Barry Worms, owners of Cedar Tireland, gained traction with Best of the City survey participants. Their business, known for excellent service and great prices, won first place in this year’s Best Place to Buy Tires category.

BEST ROOFING COMPANY 1. Blake Erickson Roofing 2. Milne Roofing 3. G&G Roofing

BEST VITAMIN HEALTH FOOD STORE 1. Charlie Brown’s Health Foods 2. Pomme Natural Market 3. Popeye’s

BEST FLOWER SHOP 1. Turley’s Florist 2. Thrifty Foods 3. Grower Direct

BEST TOY STORE 1. Toys R Us 2. Kool and Child 3. Children’s Treehouse

BEST WINE-MAKING STORE 1. Wine Kitz 2. Urban Wine Cellar 3. Wine Works

BEST PLACE TO SHOP 1. Woodgrove Centre 2. Costco Wholesale 3. Downtown Nanaimo

BEST TIRE STORE

BEST AUTO SERVICING

837 Old Victoria Rd. 250-754-4456

2800 Norwell Dr. 6590 Island Hwy N. 250-758-9128 250-390-4211

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BC Owned, Family Operated

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THANK YOU NANAIMO FOR VOTING US

BEST TILE STORE 1. City Tile 2. Cornerstone Tile 3. Home Depot

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BEST FLOOR COVERING STORE 1. United Floors 2. End of the Roll 3. Home Depot

BEST PLACE TO BUY BOOKS 1. Chapters 2. Literacy Central Vancouver Island 3. Costco Wholesale

BEST TRAVEL AGENCY 1. Flight Centre 2. Around the World Travel 3. Marlin Travel

BEST SPORTING GOODS STORE 1. Cabela’s 2. Sport Chek 3. Kirby’s Source for Sports

BEST STORE TO BUY TOOLS 1. Midland Tools 2. Home Depot 3. Canadian Tire

BEST SEWING NOTIONS STORE 1. Fabricland 2. Snip and Stitch Sewing Centre 3. My Favourite Fabric Store

NA NEWS BNAIMO ULLETIN

BEST SECOND-HAND STORE 1. Salvation Army 2. Value Village 3. Friends of Haven

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Winner central In TermInal Park mall, you’ll fInd four sTores voTed

“

mosT PoPular among readers

Tamara Cunningham

Tamara Cunningham_News Bulletin Zena Bentley, left, assistant manager for Cobs Bread in Terminal Park, and Eden Duquette, sales associate, show off a few of the loaves of bread baked in store.

Josh Nesvog, 25, breezed through Nesvog Meat and Sausage Company, smiling widely as he greeted employees serving customers behind the meat counter and others bustling in the backroom. He’s spent the last decade in the Terminal Park store, owned by his parents Ingrid and Arnold Nesvog, moving up from a cleanup kid to a butcher and store manager. His younger brothers, Cameron and Connor, also work in the business. Shoppers can see the family’s story on the wall of the store – including a picture of a young Josh, which he has pointed out to inquiring customers before. “It’s just cool to bring them in and almost become part of our family,” he said. Nesvog dishes out the best, according to shoppers, who ranked the store along with its Terminal Park neighbours Charlie Brown’s Health Foods, Seadrift Fish Market and Cobs Bread, as being at top of their class. A decade ago, Josh remembers being next to a dollar store, vacuum shop and post office. Today his family’s business is

Lots of people coming into my store call it their one-stop strip because they got the fresh bread, they got the meat next door, they got the seafood and then they got the liquor store.

surrounded by specialty shops. “It’s cool to have seen it develop into what it is,” said Nesvog, who knows the owners of the stores and thinks its awesome to see passionate people doing what they love and thriving. Logan White, whose family has owned Charlie Brown’s since 1971, believes the winning ingredients are quality and service. The specialty stores are good at

for voting us the

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Tamara Cunningham_News Bulletin Josh Nesvog, manager of Nesvog Meat and Sausage Company, shows a tray of steaks at the family-run Terminal Park store. Nesvog Meat and Sausage was voted Best Deli and Best Place to Buy Meat.

what they do so there’s no need to go anywhere else – it’s a one-stop destination, he said. For example, he said Nesvog does an amazing job with meat. “You can’t really compare the supermarkets and what they’re doing to what an actual butcher is doing,” he said. “People really appreciate that.” White’s family has been in business for 45 years and has developed good customer relationships, he said of what sets the store apart, adding that people come to health food stores for supplement and dietary advice and problems and they are there to listen and use their knowledge. “We have quite a few staff members here that’ve worked here over 20 years.” Charlie Brown’s offers natural and gluten-free foods, supplements and produce. A few stores down from Charlie Brown’s is Cobs Bread, a franchise that opened six years ago in Terminal Park. It’s not uncommon to see lineups Tuesday, June 28, 2016

out the door of people waiting to buy loaves of bread, scones and buns. Everything made is fresh, the store is open daily except for Christmas and New Year’s Day and what isn’t sold goes to local organizations, said Zena Bentley, assistant manager, who says the team there isn’t ‘normal co-workers’ but like a big family. “That’s what the public enjoys when they walk into the store. It’s a different feeling, different atmosphere,” she said. As for the strip mall – it’s popular. “Lots of people coming into my store call it their one-stop strip because they got the fresh bread, they got the meat next door, they got the seafood and then they got the liquor store,” she said. “It works out well for everyone.” She said it’s awesome that they are collecting an award for being the best. Cobs Bread won Best Bakery, while Seadrift Fish Market won Best Place to Buy Seafood and Charlie Brown’s Health Foods won Best Vitamin Health Food store. Nesvog took home Best Deli and Best Place to Buy Meat.

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Comforting creaminess of Nanaimo bars carries nostalgia bar is one of her favourites. She said it has a more subtle flavour and instead of almonds in the bottom layers there are walnuts. Tansey remembers as a child her mother had a Canadian cookbook with the Nanaimo bar recipe. It made her want the treat, but her mother didn’t really bake and she couldn’t get it in her hometown. Whenever the family travelled to British Columbia she would get a Nanaimo bar. “I was a big fan of the custard. I find that flavour really comforting,” she said. “When you get the texture and get the flavours right it is just amazing.” She ate so many as a child that by the time she was an adult she was sick of it. But moving to Nanaimo changed her mind. With so many variations she doesn’t have to get a sweet version anymore. “I like the ones that are more subtle,” she said, adding she likes the ones that use good quality chocolate. “There are so many different versions. It’s fun seeing chefs come up with things.” Chelsea Barr, destination marketing manager for Tourism Nanaimo, said when people talk to her about the Nanaimo bar it is often tied to

RACHEL STERN

There are three layers to a traditional Nanaimo bar. The bottom has graham wafers, coconut, almonds, cocoa, sugar and butter. The middle is the gooey custard filling, usually comprised of cream, butter, vanilla custard powder and icing sugar. The top is chocolate and butter. It’s a simple recipe, without added exotic ingredients. There are many variations of the Nanaimo bar in the city from traditional bars to martinis and ice cream. The sweet dessert was also served when U.S. President Barack Obama hosted a state dinner for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife, Sophie, in early March. Also former Nanaimo mayors have been known to bring the treats when visiting other municipalities as a gift. So what makes the sweet treat so popular? For Deidre Tansey, a food blogger who runs the site Just a Pinch of Ginger, the treat is tied to childhood memories. “It’s kind of this iconic Canadian dessert,” said Tansey, as a Nanaimo bar sits in front of her at Riso Foods in Lantzville. The restaurant’s Nanaimo

Rachel Stern_News Bulletin Deidre Tansey, a food blogger who runs the site Just a Pinch of Ginger, takes a bite of a Nanaimo bar. She says the custard filling in the bars is comforting.

a memory. “People love to have that nostalgia,” she said, adding people talk about the treats their grandmother or loved ones used to make. “When something is tied to a happy memory it’s big.” She said another aspect that makes the Nanaimo bar so popular is that the recipe is flexible. “It appeals to so many diverse palates,” said Barr. “It’s a bit of a fun one to change up with different flavours.” People can taste different versions of the Nanaimo bar by taking the self-guided Nanaimo Bar Trail, a partnership between Tourism Nanaimo and city businesses. A brochure is available to download at www. tourismnanaimo.com/nanaimobar-trail. The tour offers a variety, from traditional recipes to a Nanaimo bar tea latte at Tea Desire, Nanaimo bar fudge from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and Nanaimo bar cheesecake from the Longwood Brew Pub. There are more than 30 locations for people to visit. More and more the Nanaimo bar is being recognized as a Canadian food, said Barr. It’s getting recognition among other fare such as maple sugar and poutine, she said.

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City offers variety of places to gather for a night out From north to south, bars and

restaurants are available to suit any taste or budget RACHEL STERN

Rachel Stern_News Bulletin Josh Haxton, general manager of Simon Holt Restaurant, pours a pint of beer in the restaurants’s bar area.

NaNaimo has a diverse and rich nightlife. In the north end establishments like Simon Holt Restaurant, Browns Socialhouse, Cactus Club Café and the Longwood Brew Pub are popular places to gather. In the downtown core, the Queen’s, the Cambie, Evolve Nightclub, The Nanaimo Bar and White Sails Brewing are attracting evening crowds. Browns is a place to gather with friends, have a beer after work or watch the latest sports games at the bar area. Longwood Brew Pub, located in Longwood Station, boasts a casual pub atmosphere and hosts Live at Longwood, entertainment that features local performers on Thursdays starting at 8 p.m. It also hosts Longwoodstock from Aug-12-13. When customers come through the doors of Simon Holt Restaurant and take a seat at a booth they may not notice they’re on wheels. In fact, there are wheels everywhere. Each seating area, table and divider has wheels. “Our entire floor plan moves, all the booths can move. It makes us extremely flexible,” said Josh Haxton, general manager of Simon

Holt Restaurant. It allows the restaurant to change up the space if it is booked for a party or arrange it to suit live performances. Simon Holt regularly hosts live entertainers with previous performers including David Gogo, David Essig, Lennie Gallant and others. Haxton said the owners, Larry Simon and Marilyn Holt, created the space with live music in mind, adding elements in the design to improve acoustics. Haxton said the restaurant gets a diverse range of people through its doors, everything from families with kids, to retirees to young professionals or sport enthusiasts seeking a place to have a beer and watch a game. Ensuring everyone gets a friendly greeting is important at Simon Holt. “All our server try to make a connection,” said Haxton. During the summer months, the restaurant hosts a Friday night barbecue on the rooftop patio from 3-7 p.m., weather permitting. To give customers a fun creative experience Simon Holt also offers Paint Nite events. Customers can enjoy a glass of wine or beer and paint. “We try to offer things that can’t be done in other venues,” said Haxton. In downtown, recent newcomers to the scene, such as Evolve Nightclub and The Nanaimo Bar, are building fans. Evolve recently went through a complete renovation and reopened in January.

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“We changed the landscape of the dance floor,” said Tali Campbell, Evolve’s marketing manager, adding that the sound and lighting system were also upgraded. He said Evolve has one of the best sound systems in a nightclub. Evolve attracts a diverse range of ages, everything from 19 to more than 60, said Campbell. What sets Evolve Nightclub apart is the calibre of DJs brought in, said Campbell. He said they

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new auxry Dam Park’s at this point, LEAKAGE at Collie isn’t a concern director of iliary spillway Goodall, city according to Geoff public works. to engineering and ry spillway, a solution ry Collie lower Nanaimo’s auxilia the hazards at potential safety ge along the concrete andd dam, has seepang out of the rip rap towar water is trickli . PresHarewood Creek ted Colliery Dam Park a letpromp send sight to ves The r, y representati ervation Societto get answers. Roblyn Hunte ter to the city with the society, said it could director at large l and expected, but she be perfectly norma on, also with the Solom Jeff poten know. any is doesn’t major concern society, said the volume at the lake during tial of lower water morning. tional season. Parade Sunday its high recrea the News Bulletin concretee o’s first-ever Pride ity to promote Goodall told as part of Nanaim groups marching in solidar THE NEWS BULLETIN often have leakag cycle one this custom / nity a like on FRYER it. Leaks commu structures ainment. MELISSA Commercial Streetas well as businesses and been monitoring seepage Andii bikes up vendors and entert some and the city has Comedian Randii d gay and lesbian organizationsat Maffeo Sutton Park with a ‘fair bit’, but it seals on its ued have reduced adding often The event feature ance. Festivities contin if it accept persists, he said, has techniques it can do ity inclusion and the integr own but the city ge does not affect doesn’t. Seepa according to Goodall. ure, spokesneath n, struct under the Keena g of Jason of is also seepin ge to collect and Groundwater for the Ministry l draina time testing wells man has the in which of lines test schoo ure, side the guide gy to the struct Education, said given an meeting their standards it out the bottom develop a strate at schools BULLETIN water and divertll said the city has gone back districts will be about Canadian water ng on an water quality before KARL YU NEWS spillway. Gooda Golder Associates with the annual reminder and they’re worki on and that were built district will l district testing. They to its engineersm and are waiting for com- l Island-wide soluti 1989, Pete Sabo, NANAIMO schoo some water t any tions response seepage probleer it’s unexpected or norma asked to repor and ing and opera school they’ll be publishing be plann will wait for a find letter before the ment on wheth problems they they put in response to this director said to ittee at its from Island Health said Sabo. issue of for the structure. any mitigation very shortly,” feel that no /6 business comm delving into the SEE ENGINEER for lead at place. District staff d be taken June 8 meeting. cted testing water measures shouluntil that is “Staff have conta officer schools. SEE TESTING /6 y, the to test for leadSabo said. ... our local health In late-Februar tion water, made known, responsible for with all Ministry of Educa to t F O distric instructed the Health to whom we work ME TH work with Island

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are bringing in some big names in the industry so people have an enjoyable time. On Front Street, The Nanaimo Bar, which opened in February, offers an intimate atmosphere to listen to live music and enjoy drinks. The bar is open seven days a week and has a steampunk theme. Gears adorn the bottom of each table and copper piping accentuates the wall as a wine rack and lighting. Owner Sonia Komen said it attracts people of all ages, from 19 to 90.

The Queen’s, located at 34 Victoria Cres., has been a staple of Nanaimo’s downtown scene for more than two decades. The building was originally built in 1892 as a hotel. Since becoming a bar, the Queen’s has become a destination hangout. It routinely hosts local, national and international entertainers, such as Teri Puckett, Bif Naked, The Trews, Jim Byrnes and others. The Cambie, which also resides in a historic building on Victoria Crescent, has also hosted local and national musicians over the years. It regularly hosts an open mike jam night on Wednesdays from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. and has live music every Friday and Saturday from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. White Sails Brewing, located at 125 Comox Rd., is a relative newcomer to Nanaimo, having opened in November 2015. Many of the names given to the beers pay homage to Nanaimo, such as Departure Bay Session Ale, Yellow Point Pale Ale and the Mount Benson India Pale Ale. For more information, please go to www.tourismnanaimo.com or www. dnbia.ca.

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Best of the City 2016

Friendly venue necessity for good karaoke time The oxy was voted Best KaraoKe the first year the category was added to Best of the city

NICHOLAS PESCOD

Just up the hill from the Bastion Street bridge sits a place where locals of all ages gather. Some come for the atmosphere, while others come for the food, beer and pool. However, it is the karaoke that brings many people out to the Oxy Pub. Located on the corner of Selby and Fitzwilliam streets, the Oxy has been hosting karaoke nights for a number of years. The Oxy Pub was recently voted by readers as Best Karaoke in the annual Best of the City reader survey. The venue was also voted Best Chicken Wings in town. “It’s almost like a cheers atmosphere, where people get together. You’ll see different tables hanging out with each other and playing pool. It is a very inclusive environment,” said Todd Cameron, karaoke host at the Oxy. For Cameron, a 12-year veteran of hosting karaoke nights, there are a few things that are needed to make a good karaoke night. “You have to have a good sound quality, you have to make people sound good and have a good sound system,” he said. “ You need to have

Nicholas Pescod_News Bulletin Todd Cameron hosts karaoke at The Oxy Thursday and Friday nights. The bar in the Old City Quarter was chosen Best Karaoke and Best Chicken Wings in 2016 Best of the City.

a good selection of songs and you need to have really good bars. You have to have good staff and good food.” Cameron, who has spent the past six years as a karaoke host at the Oxy, believes it is all those things that makes the Old City Quarter venue such a popular place with locals. “I think we have a really good collections of all those things,” he said.

“We also have a really fun clientele that comes out. We have a lot of different ages. There are 19-year-olds that come out and there are 50- and 60-year-olds that come out.” As a veteran karaoke host, Cameron said it’s important to ensure that everyone who wants to sing gets at least one opportunity to do so, adding that he likes to encourage people who have never sang before to try it.

“I just try and do a first-come, firstserve approach and make sure that everyone gets at least one chance to sing,” he said. “I always make announcements like ‘it doesn’t matter how good you are’” In the six years that Cameron has been hosting karaoke nights at the Oxy, he said on a given night he’ll hear people request everything from the Spice Girls to Metallica, to random songs in a foreign language. “If I can find it they can sing it,” he said. “That is my philosophy.” Cameron said the best part about being a host is seeing people sing for the very first time, adding that the Oxy is a friendly place. “There is no better feeling as a karaoke host to have fresh people coming up,” he said. “You can see it in their eyes that they aren’t sure about it but they do kind of want to try it and sometimes halfway through the song you can kind of see a shift in their confidence. “It really means a lot when I’ve encouraged someone to take that next step.” At the end of the day, karaoke isn’t about how well you can sing, but how much fun you can have, according to Cameron. “Its about coming out and getting to hear your friends sing and getting to sing yourself and blowing off a little bit of steam,” he said. Karaoke nights are held on Thursday and Friday nights at the Oxy.

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Nicholas Pescod_News Bulletin The Queen’s on Victoria Crescent once again won the categories Best Place for Live Bands and Best Place to Dance in the annual Best of the City survey.

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BEST ART GALLERY 1. Nanaimo Art Gallery 2. Barton Leier Gallery 3. Yellow Bird Arts Gallery

BEST PLACE TO DANCE 1. The Queen’s 2. Level 2 3. Koncept

BEST KARAOKE 1. The Oxy 2. Quarterway Pub 3. Wellington Pub

BEST PUB 1. Longwood Brew Pub 2. Carlos O’Bryans 3. The Oxy

BEST OPEN MIKE/JAM SESSION 1. The Vault 2. The Queen’s 3. Nanaimo Bar

BEST SPORTS BAR 1. Old City Station 2. Carlos O’Bryans 3. Boston Pizza

BEST PLACE FOR LIVE BANDS 1. The Queen’s 2. Wellington Pub 3. The Vault 3. The Cambie

BEST THEATRE COMPANY 1. Port Theatre 2. Nanaimo Theatre Group 3. Schmooze Productions

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Lisa and her staff would like to thank all of our wonderful customers for voting for us and making it a great 10 years!

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Best of the City 2016 – Results BEST ASIAN FOOD 1. Huong Lan 2. Nori’s Japanese Restaurant 3. Hong Kong House

BEST HAMBURGERS 1. Mrs. Riches 2. White Spot 3. A&W

Break from tradition

BEST BAKERY 1. Cobs Bread 2. Columbia Bakery 3. Nanaimo Bakery and Confectionary

BEST KIDS’ RESTAURANT 1. White Spot 2. Boston Pizza 2. Pirate Chips 3. Ricky’s All-Day Grill

BEST BREAKFASTS 1. Ricky’s All-Day Grill 2. Gabriel’s Gourmet Café 3. Tania’s Restaurant

BEST LUNCHES 1. Gabriel’s Gourmet Café 2. Dish Nanaimo 3. Delicado’s

BEST CHICKEN WINGS 1. The Oxy 2. Landlubber Pub 3. Old City Station Pub

BEST MARTINI 1. Cactus Club Café 1. Modern Café 2. Nanaimo Bar 3. Firehouse Grill

BEST DELI 1. Nesvog Meat and Sausage Company 2. Nellie’s Dutch Deli 3. Thrifty Foods

BEST MEDITERRANEAN FOOD 1. Asteras Greek Taverna 2. Marina’s Taverna 3. Aladdin’s Café 3. Zougla Restaurant

BEST DESSERTS 1. Dairy Queen 2. Mrs. Riches 3. Boston Pizza

BEST NACHOS 1. Gina’s Mexican Restaurant 2. Longwood Brew Pub 3. Baby Salsa Mexican Restaurant

BEST FAMILY RESTAURANT 1. White Spot 2. Ricky’s All-Day Grill 3. Mrs. Riches

BEST PASTA 1. Milano Ristorante 2. Boston Pizza 3. La Stella Trattoria

BEST FAST FOOD 1. Wendy’s 2. A&W 3. Baby Salsa Mexican Restaurant BEST FISH AND CHIPS 1. Trollers Fish and Chips 2. Pirate Chips 3. Mrs. Riches

BEST PATIO RESTAURANT 1. Cactus Club Café 2. Carlos O’Bryans Neighbourhood Pub 3. Boston Pizza

Chris Bush_News Bulletin Karley Kerpan, server, sets out a fresh batch of traditional and cappuccino recipe Nanaimo bars at Bocca Cafe on Fitzwilliam Street. The cafe’s five Nanaimo bar recipes, all made from scratch and gluten free, earned it the top choice with respondents in the Best of the City survey Best Place to Get a Nanaimo Bar category.

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250.754.8550

1861 Dufferin Cresent (beside Moksha Yoga)

250-591-8310

t h e b u z z c o f f e e h o u s e . c a BEST OF THE CITY 2015

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Asteras Greek Taverna crowned with three Best of the City titles Old City Quarter establishment earns best rOmantiC restaurant, best mediterranean FOOd and best restaurant Overall KARL YU

Karl Yu_News Bulletin Scott Lang, chef at Asteras Greek Taverna, prepares for the oncoming lunch crowd in downtown Nanaimo. The restaurant took honours in the News Bulletin’s Best of the City 2016, winning Best Restaurant Overall, Best Romantic Restaurant and Best Mediterranean Food.

Like a champion boxer, Asteras Greek Taverna has defended its Best of the City titles from 2015 and even added another to boot. The downtown Nanaimo restaurant is once again Best Romantic Restaurant and Best Mediterranean Food, as chosen by News Bulletin readers. A runner-up last year for Best Restaurant Overall, Asteras has polevaulted into top spot in that category as well in 2016. A look at the menu shows a lot of tasty Greek fare – roast lamb, moussaka, tzatziki, calamari, spanakopita and baclava, just to name a few – but despite the number of Best of City plaques adorning the walls, Peter Paraskevopoulos, one of the owners, refuses to take credit. He is just the last link in the chain, he says. “Lots of restauranteurs think the world (of them-

“

What matters is not what I think; what matters is that the people they come and enjoy it.

selves). What matters is not what I think; what matters is that the people they come and enjoy it ... what counts is the people that come here,” says Paraskevopoulos. Kelly Saunders, of Nanaimo, says she dines at Asteras a lot. It is her go-to spot for date night. She likes the service and the consistency of the food. Customers are always guaranteed a good

meal, she says. “The calamari is our go-to,” says Saunders. “It’s light and fresh and delicious.” The moussaka is also a tasty delight that tantalizes the tastebuds, as I found out during a jaunt through the Old City Quarter to Asteras’ Wesley Street location. Served with rice, carrots, potatoes, Greek salad and a lemon wedge on the side, moussaka is a lasagna-like dish composed of layers of eggplant, zucchini, ground beef and white (bechamel) sauce. The entree is pleasing to the palate, with the vegetables and ground beef seasoned just right. The carrots, potatoes, rice and salad complement the moussaka well, not bland and every bit as flavourful. The entire meal was delicious, especially when accented with juice from the lemon. As a chaser to my lunch, I had ekmek, a pastry with a soft crust of unleavened dough, whipped cream, custard and honey, with shaved almonds on top.

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IRIS, Woodgrove Centre

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Dr. Winnie Ng, Optometrist

Dr. Winnie Ng & Dr. Adam Reid, Optometrists ™ Trademarks of AIR MILES International Trading B.C. Used under license by LoyaltyOne, Co. and IRIS The Visual Group

18 Best of the City

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ST OF THE E CI B E

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BEST HOME BUILDING SUPPLY

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ST OF THE CI BE E

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BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE

Visiting the taverna in the evenings is equally delightful, especially if you happen to secure a seat on a busy night. There’s nothing like enjoying your food with the hustle and bustle of Paraskevopoulos and staff as they accommodate all customers – it adds to the atmosphere. The owner isn’t lying about the food either. The roast lamb is succulent, with the meat falling off the bone and just like lunch, the sides are cooked and prepared to perfection. The lamb can be complemented quite well with some red wine from the taverna’s wine list. Its Greek reds are particularly good as a pairing. As to why people consider Asteras Greek Taverna a romantic restaurant? “Me,” Paraskevopoulos says with a laugh.

ST OF THE CI BE E

2015

If you like sweet treats, like I do, this is the perfect way to end a very enjoyable meal, as it wasn’t overly sweet – it was just right. Paraskevopoulos says everything at the Greek taverna is of the best quality. He and his staff would never serve anything they wouldn’t eat themselves. When asked to pick a signature dish, Paraskevopoulos points to the lamb, which can come roasted and grilled on both the lunch and dinner menus. “It’s made the way it’s supposed to be,” he says “Lots of places, they don’t make it the way it’s supposed to. They cut corners to try to save money. In every business, we try to make money, but the most important thing is for me, for people to be happy.” And as long as the bills are paid, Paraskevopoulos says he is happy too.

Thank you Nanaimo for all your support 2015

Karl Yu_News Bulletin Kennedy Gagnon, a server at Asteras Greek Taverna, shows off moussaka, a dish of eggplant, zucchini and meat.

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE – HELPFUL ADVICE

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Best of the City 2016 beautiful sCenes and memorable experienCes of tHe region

NA NEWS BNAIMO ULLETIN

2013

2014

2015

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ST OF THE CI BE E

Dine in - Take Out

11am to 9 pm

HLrestaurant.com

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BEST ASIAN BEST ASIAN BEST ASIAN BEST ASIAN RESTAURANT RESTAURANT RESTAURANT RESTAURANT

Huong Lan Vietnamese Restaurant 19-1925 Bowen Rd., Nanaimo

20 Best of the City

“Voted #1 Asian Restaurant in Nanaimo for 2016” - Nanaimo News Bulletin

2016

“Best Beef Noodle Soup on Vancouver Island”

ST OF THE CI BE E

Drone technology has cast fresh eyes on the Island landscape and added to the buzz of awareness about the Island by allowing viewers to skim above stream beds, leap over waterfalls, draft cyclists and kayakers or capture bird’s eye views of weddings and real estate.

NA NEWS BNAIMO ULLETIN

Chris Bush_News Bulletin Scott Littlejohn flies a drone over Nanaimo’s Linley Valley Park. Aerial photography from drones has taken off as an integral part of tourism promotion in recent years.

NaNaimo isn’t into self-promotion anymore. The city, Tourism Nanaimo more specifically, now counts on residents and visitors to capture their experiences on digital cameras, smartphones and drones and upload them to social media platforms like Instagram. Combined with visitor survey data, collected digital images reflect an ongoing shift in visitor preferences for outdoor attractions and activities and, in turn, tourism marketing focus. Tourism Nanaimo has encouraged the behaviour with “Instameet” events, an idea that was tried and produced a crop of images in 2015. “We’re shifting that slightly and we’re getting some great imagery in some of the outdoor locations and the outdoor activities that, we all know as locals, have been here forever, but we’ve never really done a great, great job at marketing them to tourists, so yeah, working to get Ammonite Falls on the map, it’s been a huge attraction,” said Chelsea Barr, Tourism Nanaimo destination marketing officer. Five Instameets (www.tourismnanaimo.com/instameet) are being hosted this summer, starting with an event at Ammonite Falls in Benson Creek Falls Regional Park in May, followed by Instameets at Gabriola Island’s Malaspina Galleries, Hemer Provincial Park and Sebastian Beach in Lantzville. Participants can upload their digital snaps to Tourism Nanaimo’s #ExploreNanaimo contest (www.explorenanaimobc. com) for prizes, while generating content that will eventually attract more interest in the region through Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest. Tourism Nanaimo has more than 1,000 images on its Instagram page (www.instagram.com/tourismnanaimo/) shot by residents and visitors. Hundreds more images of local scenes can also be found at Share Vancouver Island (www.instagram. com/sharevancouverisland).

Scott Littlejohn, owner of Living Forest Campground and former board member of Tourism Nanaimo and Tourism Vancouver Island, says social media channels respond to viewers’ preferences for video posts, which dramatically outdraw static photos and text, by applying social media platform algorithms to boost pages with engaging video. Littlejohn has produced short videos with radio controlled drones and motion-stabilized ground equipment for several years, which he posts on What’s Up Vancouver Island on Facebook (www.facebook.com/whatsupvancouverisland). “I call it ‘edutainment,’” Littlejohn said. “The ‘edu’ part is trying to create awareness of all the special places on Vancouver Island … to get people outdoors, get people moving and get people seeing the Vancouver Island that you and I fell in love with many years ago and this is just a compelling way of doing this.” Dave Matthewman and Doug Wortley created Arrowsmith Aerial Photography (www.arrowsmithaerialphotography.com) to cover real estate, sports, events and even scientific projects. Some client commissions, such as for Nanaimo Port Authority or the historic McLean Steam Sawmill in Port Alberni are directly tourism related, but even overflies for real estate promotions that capture surrounding landscapes get noticed on social media by viewers searching for fresh rural or urban adventures. “Matthewman shot the aerial footage for Wortley’s recently completed full-length documentary on Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere region. It has been shown at Vancouver Island University and is being uploaded to Shaw On Demand to be made available for viewing across Canada. “There’s tons of things about Vancouver Island, the whole area, you know, beaches and mountains and climbing,” Matthewman said. “We actually climbed Mount Arrowsmith to get some of the video up the saddle there.”

CHRIS BUSH

NA NEWS BNAIMO ULLETIN

Picture Perfect

Harbour City beComing popular plaCe for aerial pHotograpHy and instagrammers to Capture

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Brechin Lanes is Your Home FAMILY FUN in Nanaimo! k c COUNTDOWN o l C e h t t a Be TO ZERO Kids Bowl Free! Birthdays at Brechin Lanes are the BEST!

anes on L in h c e r B r! Come to ll Summe a s g in n r o Sunday m owl,

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STARTING JUNE 4TH EVERY SATURDAY ALL SUMMER! From 12pm - 4pm

NANAIMO, BC â€¢ SINCE 1956

Come in for some great bowling!

1870 E. Wellington Rd.

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We have be en help have FUN s ing Nanaimo ince 1956! Brechin Lan es w Nanaimo by ould like to thank offering kids

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er! Parents go to www.kids bowlfree to sign up th .com/brechinlanes eir k June 1 - Sep ids, then from t 4, kids up age 15 can to bowl 2 gam es PER DAY - just pay fo for free r shoe renta l.

250-753-2341 Best of the City 21

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22 Best of the City

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Tuesday, June 28, 2016

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NANAIMO 1711 Bowen Rd 250.753.6361

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Best of the City 23

BEST SELECTION • BEST VALUE • BEST QUALITY ON THE ISLAND!

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PROOFyou Nanaimo for voting Thank

ST OF THE E CI B E

BEST OF THE CITY 2016

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753-3707 us the Best250-Banking institution for 7 years in a row.

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2016

BEST BANKING INSTITUTION

4 great locations to serve you! 1150 Terminal Ave T: 250 754-7731 F: 250 754-1930

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*On average versus any other Canadian Bank. Individual branch hours may vary. 24 Best of the City

BEST OF THE CITY 2016

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Best of the City 2016

Treasures and good deals to be found in thrift stores Salvation army winS BeSt Second Hand Store in our annual Survey

RACHEL STERN

Some people look for treasures and others for good deals on the shelves of thrift stores. In the Salvation Army’s Bowen Road thrift store rows of shelves line the centre of the store. The shelves are divided into sections with items neatly arranged in each area. Ornate tea cups with saucers stretch the length of one shelf. The cups are adorned with a variety of floral patterns, such as red roses. On another shelf, there’s an assortment of knickknacks, including one with a guitarplaying porcelain pig and a grandmother wearing a soft-pink and yellow dress relaxing in a rocking chair. A steady stream of customers enter the store on a sunny Friday afternoon. Customer Marlene McLean comes mostly to find furniture. “I feel like the thrift store in general has higher quality [used] furniture for a better price,” said McLean. “And it’s better for the environment.” Although she came for furniture, a few items in the children’s clothing section caught her eye and she ended up leaving with a few new items for her one-year-old daughter Betsy. Finding items that aren’t typically sold on regular store shelves is one reason Eric Swain goes to thrift stores.

Rachel Stern_News Bulletin Records are a common sight in thrift shops, including the Salvation Army.

Rachel Stern_News Bulletin Knickknacks and other treasures are often found in Nanaimo thrift stores.

He searches for antiques, tins and radios when he goes thrifting. “I look at the back of it for chrome or metal parts, now everything is plastic,” he said. He said some of the older items have cool designs, such as items made in the 1960s. Thrift store coordinators and volunteers say people will never know what they’ll find. The Salvation Army opened its first thrift store in Nanaimo in 1963. The

idea was to offer low-cost clothing for people who needed it as well as raise money for the organization, said Rob Anderson, director of Nanaimo ministries. The Salvation Army thrift stores were chosen as the Best Second Hand Store in the annual Best of the City survey. “It’s exciting to be able to be awarded the best thrift store in Nanaimo,” said Anderson, adding that the Salvation Army provides many services in the community and it’s nice to

have the community support it as well. The thrift stores also offer an online store called Treasures for Your Soul. “It’s the unusual items we have put on there,” said Anderson. “We are actually getting international orders online.” Some online store items include First Nation jewelry and art, collectable jewelry, collectable plates and more. There is also a silent auction for special items in the store each week. The auction closes on Saturdays at noon. Money raised at the Salvation Army’s thrift stores supports the non-profit organization’s programs. Money raised in 2015 allowed the organization to provide more than 85,000 meals at the New Hope Centre and 2,000 emergency food hampers. The money also supports the Christmas Food Hamper program, which delivered more than 4,700 last year. Other services include providing money for children to attend camps, helping residents with tax returns, giving more and 350 hair cuts and sending people for various medical treatments. Dee Parr, Bowen Road thrift store coordinator, said the organization is able to offer these services because of community support. “We could not do it without you,” she said. “Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.” For more information about the Salvation Army thrift stores or to access the online store, please go to http:// salvationarmynanaimo.com.

Centre Court by the Body Shop

NA NEWS BNAIMO ULLETIN

BEST SHOE STORE

Woodgrove Center Nanaimo

250-390-2821

• Uptown - Victoria • Metrotown - Burnaby, B.C. • Haney Place - Maple Ridge

Merrell

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Josef Seibel

ST OF THE CI BE E

Certain exceptions include: SAS, UGG, Hunter, Blundstone & Converse

Select Brands of Men’s & Ladies’ Footwear

2016

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ST OF THE CI BE E

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2016

• Romika • Camper • Clarks • Birkenstock

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Vionic Best of the City 25

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Treasures waiting to be found at downtown shops for all types of collectors

CHRIS BUSH

Jake Niddrle came really close to being on a reality TV program, until the setup for the episode just strayed too far from reality for his taste. Trader Jake’s China Steps Emporium, tucked away under the China Steps next to Lois Lane, is pure picker heaven. The merely curious and dedicated seeker of curio alike can roll up their sleeves and get their hands dusty digging into the emporium’s nooks and crannies. Niddrle, 37, has traded since he was a kid growing up in Nanaimo’s Boat Harbour area and is known as the guy who can find nearly anything. Sixties Japanese guitars, Daisy air rifles from the ‘30s, war and sports memorabilia, a bear skin, antique toys and bikes, motorcycle bits, signs, a child-sized viewing coffin, a stuffed wallaby, flags, cans, religious items, the offbeat and sometimes off-colour, Niddrle probably has it – including a pickled gorilla paw from the 1800s. “I’m amazed, on a daily, weekly, monthly basis, how many messages I get from people I’ve never met that have been told I’m the guy to get the old bicycle seat from, I’m the guy to get the mailbox cherry bombs from – or whatever horrible thing that people have heard that I can get or have or do,” Niddrle says.

Chris Bush_News Bulletin Jake Niddrle’s China Steps Emporium is home to a collection that truly borders on the bizarre.

Chris Bush_News Bulletin John Lemieux operates Sound Heritage Music from one of Nanaimo’s oldest buildings on Victoria Crescent.

Regular hours aren’t his thing, so it’s best to arrange a meeting through the emporium’s Facebook page and be sure to show up. Niddrle’s not shy about sharing his opinion and the next picker will be sure to hear about what “really chaps my hide.” John Lemieux runs Sound Heritage at 33 Victoria Cr. The shop is stacked floor to ceiling with vintage home audio gear, records, CDs and video games in one of Nanaimo’s oldest buildings dating back nearly 150 years. Sound Heritage is for shoppers for whom terms like Armaco, Heathkit, Grundig, Thorens, Shure, Cerwin Vega,

Acoustic Research, discreet componentry and transformer coupling hold nostalgia. Lemieux has bought, sold and traded music and audio gear for 20 years. “I always wanted to do a record shop,” Lemieux said. So he sold his former business and opened Sound Heritage. “Sleeping in the back, basically, scraping as I went along and getting everything I could get everywhere – and the packrat syndrome has not changed,” he said. “I’m still getting more stuff.” Well Read Books, at 19 Commercial

St., has more than 275,000 books on its shelves at any given time. From pulp fiction to hobbies, self-help to hardcover classics, they’ve all been well read and when sold their proceeds support Literacy Central Vancouver Island. “It’s all donated, so it’s quite eclectic. It’s quite unique,” said Pat Donaldson, bookstore supervisor. “We get estate stuff. In, fact we get some very nice books that way.” All books are in great condition. The store is well organized, prices are affordable and the store and other Literacy Central Vancouver Island programs that help improve reading and writing skills for children and adults, computer skills and fluency with finances rely mostly on about 120 volunteers. “There are some highly experienced, highly educated, well-read, very literate people that are in charge of different areas,” said Jacqueline Webster, tutor coordinator. Steve Lebitschnig has run Fascinating Rhythm, now at 51 Commercial St., since 1988. It was selected by Stuart McLean, writer and host of CBC’s Vinyl Café as one of his Top 5 favourite record stores in Canada. Lebitschnig, a former radio station manager, started collecting old radios and record players when he was young. Lebitschnig says there’s no shortage of vinyl and no sign of his customers appetite for LPs waning anytime soon.

NA NEWS BNAIMO ULLETI N

Thank youyou for voting us ‘Bestus Burger,’ Thank for voting ‘Best Kid-Friendly’ & ‘Bestfor Family’ Serving up smiles over 80 years. “Best Family Restaurant”! Restaurant! White Spot hasfamilies been happy a favourite kid From spotour foraward-winning as long as burgers most people can remember. We’ve been making since 1928. and We’ve been making families happy since 1928. From our award-winning burgers & signature fries Serving up smiles for over 80 years. From our award-winning burgers, served in our famous Pirate Paks, to our amazing handsignature fries, to our fresh salads, BC Chicken, pastas, Spot classics, and of course our

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NANA IMO NEWS BU LLETIN

whitespot.ca

BEST KID-FRIENDLY BEST FAMILY RESTAURANT RESTAURANT

STORE NAME Address, City, Phone number

BEST BURGERS

STORE NAME

Address, City, City, INSERT OFFERAddress, Phone number Phone number FREE PIRATE PAK

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Insert offer details.

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Phone number Phone number Phone number Offer available for dine-in only, after 11 am at theSTORE Nanaimo White Spot Restaurants. Pirate Paks valid for children 10 and under. Limit one Pirate STORE NAME STORE NAME NAME STORE NAME Pak per entrée purchase. Toppings and milkshakes extra. Not to be combined with any other promotional offer. No cash value. Limit one coupon Valid from now until INSERT DATE. Valid for 30, dine-in only. Address Minimum purchase of $XX. Maximum Store discount XX. per table per visit. Offer expires September 2016. Store Address Store Address Store Address Not to be combined with any other promotional offer. No cash value. Limit one coupon per visit. Valid only at XXX. LSM AD–ADDRESS ONLY Phone number Phone number Phone number Phone number BEST FAMILY RESTAURANT 26 Best of the City

PROOF -WSPT BEST OF THE CITY 2016

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CMYK

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2 LSM ad - address only Job info: CYAN ATTENTION: 01.18.2013 Project: Kid Friendly MAGENTA Client:KS White Spot This ad isYELLOW to run: Trim size: 5.6875” x 7.142” BLACK Colours: CMYK This ad copy is OKAY (signed) Proof #: 1 JobNovember info: 9,LSM CORRECTIONS REQUIRED ad - address only !"#$%&"'&()%*$ Date: 2011 Project: Friendly Proof deadline for Tuesday's paper -Kid 3 PM FRIDAY Sign-off: Yes

• Stunning Floral Arrangements • Extravagant designs • Beautiful plants

Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 6pm • Saturday, 8:30am to 5:30pm

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Fresh Gift Ideas for EVERY OCCASION

Turley’s Florist is celebrating over 54 years of business!!

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whitespot.ca

famous Paks. At White Spot, there’s something for everyone. White Pirate Spotmilkshakes has been a favourite kid spotwe for love as longto asmake most people can remember. scooped and more, kids happy. Which, of From our award-winning burgers, served in our famous Pirate Paks, to our amazing handmoms dads our pretty happy Thank youand for making restaurant yourtoo. family favourite. 6561 IslAnd Hwy 250.390.2941 F TH love to make scooped milkshakes kids happy. Which, of course, makes ST OF THE ST OF THE and more, ST Owe E E E E C C C B B B I I I E E E 130 TERmInAl AvE. 250.754.2241 #moms and dads# pretty happy# too.

2016

Thank You Nanaimo!

ST OF THE CI BE E

ONe-Of-a-kiNd items abound

60 Terminal Ave • Nanaimo 250-754-6344 • www.turleysflorist.com

Best of the City 2016

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Best of the City 2016

Feast for foodies Breweries and restaurants are finding it easier than ever to source ingredients from farmers and producers in the nanaimo region

preneurs are joining in on. Longwood Brewery just launched Island Lush-green hop vines are just beginning Time, its first core-brand, 100-per cent locallyto crawl up the strings at Cedar Valley Hop sourced lager. Yards. “It’s pretty cool actually. Very satisfying,” By late summer cones will be ripe for home said Harley Smith, brew master. “It’s never brewers and brew masters across the Island. something I thought was available to us.” “It’s like making a cake – it’s Now Smith will make the got to be just,” said Debbie effort to get local ingredients Lamson, hop yard owner, with for all Longwood’s brews a chuckle, as she and her huswith access to locally grown band Kevin tried to explain and malted barley, and hops. just how fussy brewers are Smith, a seasoned brewer about their hops. with three decades in the The couple planted their Our sort of ideology business, said breweries first hops five years ago. have always sourced outhas morphed into, Kevin grew up on a dairy side – from the Prairies, farm in Abbotsford and Czech Republic, Australia we’ve got all this remembered hops farms as and China. Local ingredients a kid, and with a worldwide available to us right weren’t on his radar until a hop shortage and a growing farmer walked through the in our backyard micro-brew industry, decided brewery door with a sack of to give the crop a try. malted barley where we’d like to Today, the three-hectare “You only have four ingrefarm – and others springing introduce the terroir dients to make beer: barley, up in Nanoose, Maple Bay hops, water, yeast,” said of beer. and Duncan – are becoming Smith. “There’s not a lot of a resource in the backyard of things you have to source, brewers who not only have the chance to tap but that malted step is big and as it turned into fresh ingredients, but build relationships out [the farmer] was onto something.” with farmers and try new things, from allHe describes being able to get fresh malted local beer to wet hopping, where cones are barley like the difference between bread just put in the beer within 24 hours of vines being out of the toaster and toast that’s rested on cut and taken to the picker. It’s all part of an the counter for a day. eat-local movement that farmers and entreCONTINUED /28 Tamara Cunningham

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Tamara Cunningham_News Bulletin Ed Jordan, chef de cuisine for La Stella Trattoria, pairs the 100 per cent locally sourced Island Time lager with local ingredients for his wood-fired funghi pizza. The restaurant buys local, fresh ingredients.

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Tamara Cunningham_News Bulletin Longwood Brewery has just launched Island Time, its first core-brand and 100per cent locally-sourced lager thanks to Nanaimo-region farmers growing and malting barley and Cedar Valley Hop Yards.

European Style Bakery With a large selection of Breads, Sweet Desserts and also Sausage Rolls, Meat Pies and Quiche. We also offer light lunches (soups, sandwiches and salads) in our cafe.

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It’s all toast, but the flavour profile of the fresh one is “fantastic,” said Smith, who began to slowly integrate the locally malted barley into his brew. Two and a half years ago he created a seasonal India pale ale that was 90 per cent local – now it’s been bumped up to 100 per cent. Smith likes the relationship he can have with the farmer. He can stand in the field and discuss with a farmer the kind of barley he’d like to see grown, or ask the maltster to malt his barley a certain way. It’s all delivered batch size,

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and the money stays in the community, he said. It’s almost like going back to the old days in Nanaimo, Smith said, pointing out this city had breweries from the late 1800s to the turn of the century, including one beside the Millstone River where old hop vines still grow wild. “We were able to this year, for the first year, sign on for 100 per cent of our hops from Cedar Valley,” said Smith, who said it takes about three years for a hop field to get into production. “Which kind of goes against a lot of the way beer styles are.” For Czech-style pilsner or British ale, the ingredients are normally from the region and that’s how the flavour of that region is acquired. Hops are very much like grapes, said Smith. “In the wine world they call it terroir and that’s how a wine from Bordeaux tastes like a wine from Bordeaux,” he said. “Our sort of ideology has morphed into, we’ve got all this available to us right in our backyard where we’d like to introduce the terroir of beer.” Island Time is now on tap at restaurants like La Stella Trattoria, a restaurant on Wesley Street with pasta and wood-fired pizza. Owner and executive chef Ryan Zuvich, who also owns Hilltop Bistro, sourced locally for years, with ingredients now coming from places like Nanoose Edibles Farm and Early Girl Urban Farm. The whole premise for Zuvich is about good food but it’s also about supporting neighbours and making sure money earned in town is then spent in the town to build it up. The new brew supports local, but pizza and beer are also just go together. “It’s a no brainer for us for sure,” he said.

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Best of the City 2016 – Results BEST PIZZA 1. Mambo’s 2. Panago 3. Milano Ristorante

BEST RESTAURANT OVERALL 1. Asteras Greek Taverna 2. Firehouse Grill 3. Ricky’s All-Day Grill

Calming influenCe

BEST PLACE TO BUY MEAT 1. Nesvog Meat and Sausage Company 2. Costco 3. Thrifty Foods

BEST VEGETARIAN FOOD 1. Rawmbas 2. Delicado’s 3. Gabriel’s Gourmet Café

BEST PLACE TO BUY PRODUCE 1. Thrifty Foods 2. Country Grocer 3. Save-On-Foods

BEST FRENCH FRIES 1. Pirate Chips 2. New York Fries 3. McDonald’s

BEST PLACE TO BUY SEAFOOD 1. Seadrift Fish Market 2. Thrifty Foods 3. Costco

BEST STORE FOR MEN’S WEAR 1. NYLA 2. Moores 3. Winners

BEST PLACE TO GET A NANAIMO BAR 1. Bocca 2. Mon Petit Choux 3. Pirate Chips

BEST TANNING SALON 1 Divine Glow 2. Coco Cabana 3. Spanish Sol

BEST ROMANTIC RESTAURANT 1. Asteras Greek Taverna 2. The Nest 3. Hilltop Bistro

BEST LINGERIE SHOP 1. My Undies 2. La Senza 3. La Vie en Rose

BEST SEAFOOD RESTAURANT 1. The Bold Knight 2. Trollers Fish and Chips 3. Simon Holt

BEST OPTICAL STORE 1. Costco Wholesale 2. Iris 3. One Hour Optical 3. Highview

BEST STEAKHOUSE 1. The Keg 2. The Bold Knight 3. Beefeaters

BEST SHOE STORE 1. A Step Ahead 2. Aldo 3. Hudson’s Bay

BEST SUSHI 1. Nori Japanese Restaurant 2. Firehouse Grill 3. Umai Sushi

Chris Bush_News Bulletin Holly Foster, a licensed esthetician, applies a soothing touch to receptionist Miranda Hale at Elements Holistic Centre and Spa, chosen in this year’s Best of City survey as the place to find Nanaimo’s best masseuses and estheticians.

BEST STORE FOR LADIES’ WEAR 1. KC’s Boutique and Petites 2. Quintessentials 3. Catwalk Fashions

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Karl Yu_News Bulletin Sharon Vanderputten, manager of Peoples Jewellers at Woodgrove Centre, and crew have been voted Best Jewelry Store in Nanaimo in the annual Best of the City survey.

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BEST ESTHETICIANS 1. Nanaimo Elements Holistic Centre 2. Maffeo Salon and Day Spa 3. Breze Aveda Concept Salon and Day Spa

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View from the top Mount Benson offers inexpensive opportunity to see spectacular scenery

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It’s not very long, but it can be steep.” Collicutt said it wasn’t always a popular hiking spot, but times are changing. “Since [Nanaimo and Area Land Trust] has been putting a lot of work into getting a trail right to the top and the [Regional District of Nanaimo] has made the top an actual park it’s getting a lot busier. The last pictures I saw of a group hiking up there, there were probably about 20 or 30 people in the group hiking it.” While the weather is warming up – making a Mount Benson hike more agreeable – Collicutt said it is something you can do yearround. “I prefer the spring for it and the fall. Summer’s getting a little warm to do that kind of hike for some people. It can get really warm and you have to make sure you bring up enough water to get up there, but I like the cooler days to get up there

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Karl Yu_News Bulletin Kyla Karakochuk, an avid hiker, says hiking Mount Benson is a good workout and the payoff is a nice view of the Nanaimo area.

You don’t need to head to Mount Everest to climb a mountain. All you have to do is head off of Jingle Pot Road to Mount Benson. It’s close, there is a very picturesque backdrop and you don’t have to break the bank to get there – it’s in our backyard, so to speak. Ross Collicutt, a Take A Hike Vancouver Island Facebook group member and operator of PureOutside. com, an adventure blog, said he hikes Mount Benson five to six times a year and there are many great things about it. The view, the proximity to Nanaimo and the variety of trail and landscape are things Collicutt enjoys about Mount Benson. On a difficulty scale, with one being easy and 10 being difficult, he said it’s somewhere in between. “I’d say it’s probably sort of in the middle – it’s about a five or a six,” said Collicutt. “It’s steep in some places. It’s a good grunt up.

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so it’s not so warm,” he said. Kyla Karakochuk, avid hiker, Take A Hike Facebook group member, who runs the Vancouver Island Living adventure blog, estimates she ascends Mount Benson 25 times a year. She likes it for many of the same reasons as Collicutt. “It’s a really good workout,” said Karakochuk. “It’s a three-hour hike up and then you get a really good view of Nanaimo ... You’ve got a nice view overlooking the city of Nanaimo, the Island. You can see all the lakes from Nanoose Bay to Ladysmith.” Karakochuk said there is also a good view of the Nanaimo Lakes area as well. Having hiked Mount Arrowsmith and a number of multi-day hiking trips, such as Cape Scott or the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail, Karakochuk lauds Mount Benson for its convenience. “The great thing about Mount Benson is, it’s right in town,” said Karakochuk. “So you don’t have to go far to get there, so that’s a huge advantage as well and then you’re overlooking your own city, something that everyone here should experience.”

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Pick-up leagues provide exercise, camaraderie fathers aNd sons, husbands and wives participate in sports across the city

KARL YU

Looking to stay in shape? Want to meet new people? Join one of Nanaimo’s recreational sports leagues. There are a number of rec leagues in the city and participants and organizers are always ready to preach of their virtues. Colin McCartie coaches and plays on the Crushers of the Coal Miners Baseball League, a recreational baseball league in its second year, and for him, it’s an opportunity to bond with his son, Josh. “My son and I are playing on the same team, he’s the catcher. Last year, I got to pitch to him – I play pitcher and first base – so we were a pitcher/catcher duo,” said Colin. “It was really satisfying for me and it turned out that it became contagious ... we now have a bunch of father/son combos that have joined the league in the expansion teams.” Steve Seriani, a Crushers’ infielder, said he played baseball growing up and is happy to be playing again. “You build great relationships and we’ve got a good, solid group of guys here and we’re just building friendships and there’s new guys coming every year,” said Seriani. “The more people, the more friends, the better the league gets.” Jordan Reems and Jas Shahi, organizers of Nanaimo 7 Aside Soccer, say there is a need for such leagues in Nanaimo. “People are looking for social activity in Nanaimo and I think that we’re bringing that to the community and it’s been our goal just to make it for people that are new to town or looking just to get out and be active. That’s kind of our focus, is to make a place for everybody that’s welcome and looking to play some soccer,” said Reems.

Karl Yu_News Bulletin Leif Bogwald plays in the Nanaimo 7 Aside soccer league. He and his wife, Jenn, enjoy playing and consider game night date night as well.

“A lot of friendships are built with your own team and opponents ... it’s very friendly out there. We have a social each week and people get together, have an adult beverage together and it’s just fun,” said Shahi. Leif and Jenn Bogwald, husband and wife, play on a 7 Aside soccer team together, and on top of playing the beautiful game, they consider game night date night. “We have a babysitter lined up every Wednesday. It’s our night out,” Jenn says. Kings of the Court recreation basketball league

Karl Yu_News Bulletin The Nanaimo Coal Miners Baseball League offers recreational league in which people can play a little hardball.

is currently in offseason mode, but it gives ballers 20-40 years of age a chance to shoot hoops between November and March. Faress Barraquias, league manager, says it offers players a chance to exercise, meet new people and engage in friendly competition, adding it’s humbling to see younger players sometimes. “The game has changed a little bit. All the younger guys are faster, better and more capable, more athletic, but you know, all these old guys are still very competitive, like myself. We like to teach the younger guys some lessons.”

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River provides plenty of swimming space

“

When they Want to beat the heat, locals head to nanaimo river to cool off

NICHOLAS PESCOD

NaNaimo might have a metropolitan feel to it, but one doesn’t have to go far to experience the Canadian wilderness. Situated just outside of city limits, but within an approximate eight-minute drive of downtown, sits the Nanaimo River. It’s a place that Nanaimo-based realtor Kim Rhodes knows well and visits on a regular basis. “There are lots of great swimming holes and lots of great trails,” she said. Rhodes, who lives just minutes away from Nanaimo River Road, has been visiting the river with her four children for years. “My kids have been coming to the river since they were born,” Rhodes said. Nanaimo River provides plenty of places to swim, tube, and ride the rapids. It’s also a great place to take the kids for a nice, relaxing swim on a warm summer day. “You definitely want to make sure that your kids are strong swimmers and you put those boundaries out on where your kids can and can’t go and you can trust that they will have fun,” she said. And there are seemingly endless trails that slither up the banks of the Nanaimo River. Among them is a fairly popular one known as the Darkside,

The river branches into so many different directions that it makes it so that you can get your own private swimming spot.

Nicholas Pescod_News Bulletin Kim Rhodes, a Nanaimo realtor, stands along the Nanaimo River.

which can be accessed with an SUV or pickup truck at the end of Riverbend Road. The Darkside is a short trail that carves its way through trees and requires individuals to manoeuvre down a series of ladders. Once at the bottom, individuals are only a few metres away from enjoying

Nicholas Pescod_News Bulletin Rhodes frequently visits the river with her children.

the refreshingly crisp and clean water of the Nanaimo River. Other popular spots along the river include access points by the Cedar Road Bridge and the Trans-Canada Highway bridge and the Nanaimo River Regional Park. “I used to go to the Cedar Bridge, but it has gotten too populated,” Rhodes

said. “For me, with the kids, I like to go off the beaten path a little bit.” Nanaimo River Regional Park is maintained by the Regional District of Nanaimo and is home to one of the last natural forests along the lower portion of the river. The park also includes multiple conservation areas, a wellmaintained multi-use trail, parking and kiosks. There are also countless other access points along Nanaimo River Road, which Rhodes says allows people to have their own favourite private spot on the river. “The river branches into so many different directions that it makes it so that you can get your own private swimming spot,” she said. For Rhodes, one of the best parts about the Nanaimo River is it allows her to spend quality time with her children and be surrounded by natural beauty.

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Paddlers’ Paradise

PoPular Pastimes include kayaking, outrigger canoeing, stand-uP Paddleboarding and dragon boating in the waters around nanaimo

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paddle and an easy paddle to do.” It’s such a perfect spot that some in Nanaimo want to build on its potential. The Nanaimo Boathouse Society has asked city council for land next to the boat ramp for a community boathouse to accommodate all sorts of paddlers. Camela Tang, the society’s

president, said visiting dragon boaters, for example, consider Nanaimo a paddling destination. “They love the water, they love the harbour, they think we have wonderful scenery,” Tang said. “The opportunity is here. People from Nanaimo do not take enough advantage of that.”

There are a variety of locations suitable for launching a kayak. The Cedar Boat Ramp offers a few different possibilities as far as places to go. From there, Antonchuk said, kayakers might enjoy visiting nearby De Courcy Island. “You get to see all the sandstone cliffs and all that around there. Some real nice paddling

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NaNaimo is a harbour for all sorts of crafts, including ones powered by paddles. Kayaking, outrigger canoeing, stand-up paddleboarding and dragon boating are all popular pastimes on the water. “Of all the cities on the Island, Nanaimo has the best paddling by far,” said Richard Antonchuk, owner of Alberni Outpost, an outdoor recreation store. “We have protected waters and waters that aren’t too rough and different types of scenery.” An appealing paddling adventure is closer than a lot of people think. The most popular place to kayak is Newcastle Channel, accessible from the Brechin Boat Ramp next to Departure Bay ferry terminal. Circumnavigating Newcastle Island offers paddlers a few different perspectives in one short trip. “You experience the city side when you’re on the inside of the channel, and the lights of the city if you’re going in the evening,” said Antonchuk. “But when you get on the outside of Newcastle … you don’t see the homes or anything else – all you see is the rugged coastline of Newcastle. It’s a nice, safe

there, and protected,” he said. “If you’re a little bit more the adventurous type … you’ve got False Narrows and we’ve got Gabriola Passage; you can play in the moving currents a little bit.” Mary Logue, vice-president of the Nanaimo Paddlers club, mentioned some of the same spots, but there are countless directions to point a kayak. “Most of the paddlers know, or they soon find out when they come out, that it’s a paddling paradise,” Logue said. Launching from Brechin Boat Ramp or Departure Bay, the Nanaimo Paddlers might go over to Newcastle, or they might head up to Neck Point or down to the Nanaimo River and Jack Point. The cliffs at Gabriola Island and Valdes Island are worth seeing, and the Flat Top Islands off Gabriola, she said, are “really spectacular.” Paddling offers unique ways to experience Vancouver Island. “With a kayak you can go very slowly along the shore and see a lot of underwater sea life. It’s nice to see the city, actually, from the water. It’s pretty amazing when you’re coming in between Newcastle and Protection,” Logue said.

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Greg Sakaki_News Bulletin Don Cohen, left, and Igor Nikitovic, coach at the Nanaimo Canoe and Kayak Club, goes for a paddle near the shore of Departure Bay beach during the Nanaimo Paddlefest event earlier this spring.

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the water in Nanaimo, and opportunities for a peaceful paddle, or a fastpaced paddle, or anything in between. Alberni Outpost offers lessons, guided tours and rentals, as do several other businesses. The city has a vibrant dragon-boating community, keen boathouse advocates, an active sport paddling club and the Nanaimo Paddlers club with more than 300 members. “People are taking advantage of it,” Antonchuk said. “But there are some that forget that we live on the water and it’s so easy to take advantage of if they want to.”

Stand-up paddleboarders can go some of the same places as kayakers, though beginners might want to try them out on calmer waters such as Westwood Lake. Antonchuk said stand-up paddleboards continue to become more popular, and said they’re light and easy to lift, and also easy to learn. “The learning curve is virtually nil,” he said. “You stand on the board and away you go. Yeah, you may feel a little bit shaky when you first start, but you stabilize out pretty fast.” There are a lot of ways to get out on

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Nanaimo campgrounds host global visitors It’s lIkely you’ll see resIdents and

tourIsts camped alongsIde each other CHRIS BUSH

Within minutes of any campground in Nanaimo there are dozens of things to do and places to visit, such as beaches, mountain biking, kayaking, hiking, shopping, swimming, restaurants, antique shops, art galleries and artisans’ studios and more. There’s so much here Nanaimo has become a destination for vacationers who fly in from Europe or locals who drive across town for a weekend getaway. “Your competition isn’t the other campgrounds,” said Scott Littlejohn, owner of Living Forest Campground and former board member of Tourism Vancouver Island and Tourism Nanaimo. “Your competition is other places in the world people can go visit.” Littlejohn said people willing to pay the ferry fare to bring an RV to the Island, plan to stay two or three weeks and explore a region around where they’re staying. “If it’s me, I want to see everywhere around, so our mission is to become aware of all the places on the Island and, particularly in our business, the places that we can happily recommend that they go, not just to see, but places to stay…. We’re all campers. We all get out there and go places too.” Westwood Lake Campground, located next to Westwood Lake Park has, at its doorstep, swimming, hiking on Westwood Ridge and Mount Benson, mountain biking, fishing and sandy beaches. The campground offers tenting and RV camping and cabins. “We have outside movie nights,” said Ronda Johnson, who owns the campground with her husband Ian. “We have this big screen we put up and then people come and bring their lawn chairs and sit out and watch these outdoor movie nights that we got going.” Johnson said campers and even families from

Chris Bush_News Bulletin Campers relax on the beach at Brannen Lake Campground.

around the neighbourhood come out to watch. The Johnsons also take campers on moonlight night hikes around Westwood Lake and host music nights featuring up-and-coming local musicians. The campsite’s reputation has a long reach and Johnson says a big portion of their guests are from Europe. “In the last few days I’ve had them from Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands and France,”

Johnson said. “How they find us? Social media? I don’t know. They just find us. We’re in a book in Germany somewhere and we come highly recommended in there and we don’t advertise in this book, but we’re in this book.” Word-of-mouth recommendations through social media and travel media from people who’ve visited Nanaimo are doing more to draw visitors here than say one or two large tourist attractions, like a Mount Rushmore or Disney amusement park. “There’s a lot of talk that we have to have an iconic attraction to become a success,” Littlejohn said. “If we would throw some manpower and money into making better awareness of all the 200 green spaces and parks that we have within our city limits, as well as all of the stuff within an hour’s drive – that’s what people come for.” By some accounts they’re coming in ever larger droves. Lorraine Caillet, who owns Brannen Lake Campground with her husband Alan, describes the start of the 2016 camping season as “crazy busy.” “We’ve almost doubled the number of reservations this year from last year,” Caillet. “I can’t explain it, how we’re so busy.” Caillet said locals are looking for inexpensive getaways close to home. “Locals” includes virtually anyone from the Island. About 40 per cent come from Nanaimo. The balance tend to come from up- and down-Island and Europe. “They come to the Island. They want to go to Tofino, Ucuelet – that’s a destination for them – and the Harbour City. A lot of them hang around here, you know. It’s a pretty city. It’s not a big city, but it’s got a lot going on,” she said. The campsite was booked solid for this year’s May long weekend. “We’re full for May-long, July-long and August-long already and people call and say, ‘Oh, we’d like to camp for a month,’ Sorry. We’re full,” Caillet said. “It’s unprecedented. It’s kind of cool.”

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Best of the City 2016 – Summer events EvEnts Canada day at Maffeo Sutton Park

July 1, 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Dress up in red and white. A day of free fun for the whole family.

Summer SportS

nanaIMo BaStIon open for the summer

season. Cannon firing at noon. Visit www. nanaimomuseum.ca for more.

nanaIMo CeMetery tours feature some of

the city’s most interesting characters buried in Bowen Road public cemetery. Takes place July 7 and Aug. 4 at 10-11:30 a.m. Cost is $10. Pre-registration is required. Visit www. nanaimomuseum.ca or call 250-753-1821.

BehInd the artIfaCt Curator Aimee

Greenaway guides tour of summer exhibit at Nanaimo Museum on July 6, 1:30-2:15 p.m. Cost is $5. Pre-registration is required. Visit www.nanaimomuseum.ca or call 250-7531821.

MId ISLand hot rod Association show

and shine July 3 at Arbutus Meadows in Nanoose Bay.

Montana’S CookhouSe third annual charity car show July 17 at Nanaimo North Town Centre.

BathtuB dayS Street Fair in downtown

Nanaimo July 22, from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., and July 23, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., with Nanaimo bar tasting from 1-3 p.m. Features entertainment and street vendors. Visit www.dnbia.ca.

harVeSt feStIVaL featuring local food ven-

dors and entertainment in the Old City Quarter Sept. 10. Visit www.dnbia.ca.

sports tIMBerMen SenIor a LaCroSSe at

Frank Crane Arena (Beban Park) or junior A lacrosse at Frank Crane. Call 250-740-1377. www.tmen.ca.

nanaIMo PIrateS baseball at Seraux-

men Stadium at 355 Wakesiah Ave. (near Nanaimo Aquatic Centre). See www.ballcharts.com/pirates.

ParadISe ISLe Seniors’ Drop-in Centre hosts pool and cribbage tournaments with soup and sandwich, noon Tuesdays and Thursdays at 201 Albert St. Call 250-754-9566.

Bowen Park Tennis Club plays doubles tennis under the lights Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7:30 pm. Lower courts, Bowen Park. All skill levels welcome. 250-7586841.

Greg Sakaki_news Bulletin Nanaimo Timbermen forward Brett Hawrys, centre, is checked during a Western Lacrosse Association game at Nanaimo’s Frank Crane Arena in June. The Timbermen junior A, and senior A, and senior B lacrosse team games are events that people can see in the Harbour City this year.

VIeX 2016 Aug. 19-21 at Beban Park fair

grounds. Agricultural displays, midway and entertainment.

MarkEts Cedar farMerS’ Market (at the Crow and Gate Pub), Sundays, beginning at 10 a.m.

LantzVILLe Market (7113 Lantzville Rd.), Sundays, beginning at 1:30 p.m.

DancE CrIMSon CoaSt Dance presents Infring-

ing Dance Festival July 7-9 at Harbour City Theatre. Earth Song performance: Spine of Mother and Frost Exploding Trees Moon by Raven Spirit Dance is July 7 at 8 p.m. Body Scape performance: Machinenoisy and Sarah Bild Improvisation in Action Theatre is July 8 at 8 p.m. Our Body, Our Land is July 9 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 per performance or $50 for a festival pass by calling 250754-8550 or www.porttheatre.com.

FEstivals SaVe-on-foodS nanaIMo Dragon Boat Festival July 8-10 at Swy-a-lana Lagoon. www.nanaimodragonboat.com.

SILLy Boat regatta July 17, 8 a.m. to 3

p.m. Annual fundraiser for Nanaimo Child Development Centre, teams build boats from reycled materials and then race at Swy-alana Lagoon. Free for spectators.

nanaIMo MarIne feStIVaL and Great

International World Championship Bathtub Race July 21-24 at Maffeo Sutton Park and downtown Nanaimo. Sailpast on Wheels fun parade July 23 at 10:30 a.m.; QF Festival of Lights fireworks July 23 at 10 p.m.; Bathtub race July 24 departs and finishes at Maffeo Sutton Park.

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

nanaIMo Bowen road Market (at

Beban Park fairgrounds), Wednesdays, 4:306:30 p.m. and Saturdays, 9 a.m. to noon.

downtown nanaIMo Farmers’ Market

(Pioneer Waterfront Plaza), Fridays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

GEnEral intErEst nanaIMo HISTorICaL SoCIeTY meets second Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m. at Bowen Park meeting room. Call 250-7580911. nanaIMo GLad and Dahlia Society meets at 7 p.m. at the Paine Horticultural Centre on East Wellington Road on the first Tuesday of each month. All are welcome. For details phone 250-722-2109. THurSdaY nIGHT cribbage at Royal Canadian Legion Branch 256 on East Wellington. Starts at 7 p.m. Everyone welcome. aSTronoMY SoCIeTY meets fourth Thursday monthly at 7 p.m. at Beban Park Social Centre. Public welcome. Visit www.nanaimoastronomy.com. Educational services available for schools and businesses. nanaIMo euCHre Club meets for cards Tuesdays and Fridays. New members welcome, teaching available. Call 250-758-0739 for times and location.

art truSSeS an exhibit by contemporary artists

and architects runs at the Nanaimo Art Gallery until Aug. 21.

Music Party In the Park featuring Monster Truck, One Bad Son and Guns, Girls and Glory at Beban Park July 1, 1-11 p.m. Tickets $48/ advance; $60/door. Children under 11 free. www.nanaimo2016.com/passes

SuMMer ConCert series at Maffeo Sut-

ton Park beginning July 6 on Wednesday at Bowen Park Amphitheatre from 6-7:30 p.m. Moves to Maffeo Sutton Park in August. Lunchtime series runs Monday beginning July 6, 12:30-1:30 p.m., at Maffeo Sutton Park. Moves to Bowen Park Amphitheatre in August. Call 250-756-5200.

LIVe at Longwood features Phil Dickson

and Hazen Sage on July 7 and The Eggmen on July 14 at the Longwood Brew Pub. Show starts at 8 p.m.

on the doCk acoustic series with Moon Dog, Kendall Patrick and Clear the Coast on July 12 and Scott Brown, Lance Lapointe and Jim Elder on July 26 at the Dinghy Dock Pub. Concerts start at 7:15 p.m. Tickets $20 in advance, includes a round-trip ferry ride, from the pub of www.ticketzone.com.

Jazz SuPerStar Concert, featuring Chris-

tine Jensen and Nanaimo Conservatory of Music faculty members, is July 21 at 7:30 p.m. at the Nanaimo Conservatory of Music. Tickets $25 in advance by calling 250-7544611 or the conservatory.

trooPer Chilliwack, The Kings, Valdy, Dark

Horse and DJ Mikey Mike perform at King Neptune’s Bathtub Weekend Launch Party July 22, 4-11 p.m. Tickets $45; $16/children under 16; $75/VIP. www.ticketweb.ca.

SyMPhony By the Sea, presented by the

Vancouver Island Symphony, is Aug. 6 at 6 p.m. at Maffeo Sutton Park. Free admission, but donation accepted to support the symphony.

LongwoodStoCk music festival Aug. 12-13 at Longwood Brewery on Boxwood Road. Features Daniel Wesley, Wil, Northcote, Jon Middleton, Dope Soda, Sirreal and more. For tickets and information, http://longwoodstock.com.

SuMMertIMe BLueS Festival at Maffeo Sutton Park Aug. 26-28. Local and international blues artists. Tickets available through Port Theatre box office at 250-754-8550. www. nanaimobluesfestival.com.

redfoo from LMFAO and the Party Rock Crew perform at Beban Park social centre Aug. 26. Doors at 6 p.m. Tickets $35-40 at the Queen’s or ticketzone.com.

onGoinG BLueS JaM at the Queen’s on Sundays. aCouStIC nIght at the Queen’s on Tuesday. wordStorM oPen MIke night at Demeter’s Coffee Vault the last Tuesday of the month. 6:30-9:30 p.m. Admission $5.

oPen MIke every Wednesday at the Cambie from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. Bring your instruments.

oPen MIke at Serious Coffee, 60 Commercial St., every Thursday night, 6:30-9 p.m.

SenIorS danCe Thursday nights from 7:30-

10 p.m. at the Bowen Park Complex for individuals 60-plus. Features live entertainment.

oPen MIke JaM at Serious Coffee, South

Parkway Plaza location, Saturdays, 5-8 p.m.

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Jenna & Darrell Mayzes, Owners United Floors Best Floor Covering Store

Karen Griffin and Connie Cyr KC’s Boutique Best Ladies Wear Best Customer Service

Cameron, Conner and Josh Nesvog Nesvog Meats & Sausage Company Best Place to Buy Meat & Best Deli

Lynne Barclay and Kevin Young, Owners Wine Kitz Best Wine Making Store

Blake Erickson Owner Blake Erickson Roofing Best Roofing Company

Bold Knight Bold Knight Restaurant Best Seafood Restaurant

Petr Benda, Owner & Staff Dairy Queen Best Desserts

Donna Brown, Manager Fabricland Best Fabric Store

Joel Martin, Dave Nicholson and Bobby Tripp Black and Blue Tattoo Best Place to get a Tattoo

John Lim Nori Sushi Best Sushi Restaurant

John McPhail & Mike Campbell Longwood Brewpub Best Pub

Susan Urban Mid Island Co-op Best Gas Bar

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Mike Deciantis Diesel Specialist Supertech Automotive Best Auto Servicing

Joyce Fam, Owner A Step Ahead Best Place to Buy Shoes

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to everyone who participated in the survey for Dan Zapotichny Manager, Longwood Stn. Thrifty Foods Best Place for Produce

Angela Negrin Pirate Chips Best French Fries

Brunise Botrokoff, Manager Ricky’s All Day Grill Best Breakfasts

Biff Bartlett, Owner Rawmbas Best Vegetarian Food

Leon Drzewiecki, Owner NYLA Best Place to buy Mens Clothing

Rob Littlejohn, General Manager Living Forest Best Campground

Caroline Lainchbury, Zeni Maartman, Leah Page BCAA Nanaimo Best Insurance Agency

Sean Lunny, Owner Rock City Cycles Best Bike Shop

Dominic & Rose Staniscia City Tile Best Tile Store

Drs. Abe Avender and Kristen Butler, Owners Moksha Yoga Nanaimo Best Yoga Studio

Lorne Roelofsen, Owner Classic Care Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning Best Carpet Cleaning

Marianne Turley Owner Turley’s Florist Best Flower Shop

Tom Vuu Huong Lan Vietnamese Restaurant Best Asian Restaurant

Josh DeJong, Barrista The Buzz Coffee House Best Coffee Shop

Julia Dow, Manager Woodgrove Centre Best Place to Shop

Gordana Boskovic, Owner My Undies Best Place to Buy Lingerie

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Fun in the tubs Great InternatIonal World ChampIonshIp BathtuB raCe CeleBrates Its 50th annIversary thIs year Tamara Cunningham

Tamara Cunningham_News Bulletin Jaime Garcia, bathtub racer, is ready to take the win in Nanaimo’s 50th World Championship Bathtub Race July 24.

NaNaimo’s harbour was a ‘seething cauldron’ of tubbers and boats when the start gun launched the first International World Championship Bathtub Race 50 years ago. The bathtub race was a bow to the 100th birthday of Canada and seen as a one-time novelty event –178 boats launched to the start of the flare gun intending to cross the Georgia Strait, according to a book by the Loyal Nanaimo Bathtub Society. Seventy boats “came to grief” on the way to Vancouver’s Kitsilano Beach. There was no semblance of order, said Loyal Nanaimo Bathtub Society commodore Bill McGuire, who steered a tub in the second annual event for a 21st finish. He saw the danger and went about trying to make the event safer for tubbers. “I was completely petrified,” he said, with a laugh, telling of one instance where he lost sight of two tubbers that had been to his right. Then he looked down. “There was a big swell and the two of them were looking up at me, both in their tubs and a wave went over and sure enough they sank and came to the top.”

“

There was a big swell and the two of them were looking up at me, both in their tubs and a wave went over and sure enough they sank and came to the top.

Here in the Harbour City, racing seaworthy bathtubs is a sport. For 50 years, thousands of people have converged on downtown Nanaimo in late July to enjoy festivities, watch the sacrifice to the Bathtub gods or the burst of racing tubs from the start line. In 1971, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were visiting the city and presented the Queen’s Plate to one of the tub pilots, and actor John Wayne visited the inner harbour in his yacht, Wild Goose, and was made an honorary governor of the Bathtub society, the society book says.

Thank you Nanaimo for voting us #1 Best Tile Store for the 5th consecutive year. We appreciate your continued support! 250.729.9766 citytile.ca 4337 Boban Drive, Nanaimo 40 Best of the City

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News Bulletin The Great International World Championship Bathtub Race started and finished at Maffeo Sutton Park in downtown Nanaimo for the first time in 2015.

News Bulletin Previously, the race began in Nanaimo Harbour and ended at Departure Bay beach.

Jaime Garcia is heading into his 13th year at the race this July and looking for the win. “It’s an adrenaline rush,” he said. “It’s the speed, it’s the endurance, it’s everything.” But in the endurance race, with the big chops, you are also getting pounded for 36 miles, said Garcia, who says it takes an athlete and a special kind of character to ride in a tub. “It’s a lot of mental and a lot of physical and if you don’t have the will, you won’t finish a race.” Garcia raced his first tub with a jerry can gas tank in 2003, but ran out of fuel. Five years into the event, he had his first finish and

last year, he placed fourth overall. He was in the lead, he said, until he lost his grip on the handle and did a complete 360-degree turn. It was all the other tubbers needed to get away from him. “We are moving pretty quick. This boat will do 40 miles per hour,” he said, hand on his yellow and black racer. Garcia doesn’t only compete, he builds racing tubs at his East Wellington shop. The start of a new boat rests in a claw-foot cast-iron tub, waiting to be pulled out, while another two yellow boats are nearby – his and his daughter’s.

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– With files from the Nanaimo Archives and A Salute to 25 Years of Tubbing Tradition 1967-1991, a book by the Loyal Nanaimo Bathtub Society.

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He shows a picture of himself, back to the camera and fist pumping high in the air to celebrate the win of his daughter who “cleaned up” last year, he said. She finished second in the stock class. For him boat, building is an obsession, but it’s also about ensuring the event continues to grow. “We can’t let it die, not after 50 years,” said Garcia, who calls it an odd sport but fun and with camaraderie among racers. “How many people can say they’ve raced a bathtub?”

N A N A I MO ’ S B E ST

9 Reg. $6,7

0 5 9 6 $ , 1 E V A S 0.00

News Bulletin Tubbers must race the course in the Strait of Georgia and then run up the beach to ring the bell on shore to signal their finish.

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250-758-9103 Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Best of the City 41

Best of the City 2016

Straight shooters help dealership reach the top Galaxy motors wins Best Place to Buy a used Vehicle CHRIS BUSH

John Curry likes to treat people the way he’d like to be treated. It takes the right personality and enthusiasm for the product and to be comfortable with the company backing it to be successful in sales. That Galaxy Motors Nanaimo was tops with respondents in the 2016 Best of the City Survey’s Best Place to Buy a Used Car category is a good indicator the company has the right people greeting car shoppers. Curry, 62, has plenty of enthusiasm for cars, his customers and the dealership. He grew up on a farm in the Maritimes where he learned to fix whatever needed fixing and transferred that experience into owning and operating mechanical repair and body shops on the Island and in the Maritimes. He started selling for Galaxy Motors in 2012. Curry said Galaxy Motors never pressures customers and provides incredible after-sales service. “I just try to keep it simple – direct answers. There’s no BS. Just stay with the facts and try to keep it enjoyable,” Curry said. “It should be a fun process.” He spends a lot of hours at the dealership now that his children are off pursuing their careers. His daughter is in Chicago taking her fourth year toward her medical degree and his son works for an international oil company in Houston, Texas. When he’s not at the dealership, he likes to play the stock market and he still enjoys fixing cars. Lyle Williams, 44, joined Galaxy Motors 10 months ago after working several years for a competitor. His father had an auto parts store in Courtenay and Williams worked as a parts man for about 20 years before moving into car sales. Galaxy staff who knew Williams thought the father of three would be a good fit for the company.

Chris Bush_News Bulletin Galaxy Motors sales representatives John Curry, left, and Lyle Williams are a pair of winning personalities with Best of the City survey respondents who chose the dealership as this year’s Best Place to Buy a Used Car in Nanaimo.

It turns out the company was a good fit for Williams. “The personalities, the calmness here, just the complete honesty and the integrity of the dealership,” Williams said. “You can be absolutely real … My personality has really come out of its shell since I’ve been here. I can be myself. It feels right all the way around because of just the way it is here.”

Williams said it’s not about the cars on the lot; it’s the people and the confidence that the dealership stands behind its customers and sales staff. “I’m all about people as well, making sure they’re looked after and, if something does happen, you know that they’re going to get looked after,” Williams said. “That’s the hugest part, right?”

We appreciate your continued support ...

Thank You once again ST OF THE C BE I E

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2016

NA NEWS BNAIMO ULLETIN

2016

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42 Best of the City

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44 Best of the City

Tuesday, June 28, 2016