Rediscover Downtown Nanaimo

RENEW.RESTORE .REVITALIZE.

REDISCOVER DOWNTOWN NANAIMO

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DOWNTOWN LIVING HISTORIC RESTORATION EXHIBIT DIGS DEEP E&N STATION ON TRACK

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Nanaimo News Bulletin Saturday, September 25, 2010

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Saturday, September 25, 2010 Nanaimo News Bulletin

BY JAN BEECHER

PAGE 4 The Bastion undergoes an historic restoration

PAGE 5

PAGE 6 Fledgling car share co-op looks to grow

PAGE 7 Red House Market recognizes history

PAGE 10

Exhibit digs deep into coal mining heritage

PAGE 11

Downtown living

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Tiny shop in Old City Quarter sells tiny cakes

E&N train station restoration on track

PAGE 12 Adventure Centre brings big canoes

PAGE 13 Face of Nanaimo floatplanes changes

PAGE 14 Spa school adds to downtown ambience

PAGE 15 New boat tours highlight harbour Cover photographs provided by the City of Nanaimo.

family moved to downl, downsizing from their me in Departure Bay to a -foot condo in Studio NA h Coast Realty and works location – the old g – which is right across w home. Her husband s and they have a two-

“It’s great, we have the library, the seawall, the park – everything,” said West. “We wanted to simplify. We had bedrooms we weren’t using – now we all hang out in the T.V. room, we all eat dinner together. We wanted to teach our daughter that you don’t necessarily need a big fancy house or lots of ‘things.’”

Glynis Hayes, another Nanaimo realtor, has been in Nanaimo since 2001. She moved here from Toronto.

“Downtown is a dynamic, happening place.

You can walk to the finest restaurants, walk the seawall, and the Port Theatre is right there,” she said. “You can be a tourist in your own city – I feel like I am on holiday all the time.”

As the move toward a simpler, more sustainable lifestyle grows, so do the reasons to take up living in Nanaimo’s downtown core. Condominium living is part of that new way of living downtown – here are a few of the newest of the offerings: Pacifica, 38 Front St.

of perpetual construction at 38 Front St. across from the Nanaimo court house.

“We put a seawall in front and built 26 townhomes and an 18-storey tower – we’ve really changed the waterfront.”

And the view is spectacular – whether you look out across the Georgia Strait or over the city of Nanaimo, city lights or coastal mountains. “On a clear day you can see Vancouver,” said Schwartzman.

In addition to being on the seawall, Pacifica offers secured parking, nine-foot high ceilings, landscaping and a private park.

Vivo, 555 Franklyn St.

Originally the Malaspina Hotel, opened in 1927, then a failed convention centre that sat for years, Pacifica is now one of Nanaimo’s premier condominium developments.

“The project before us sat a long time – it was a real eyesore,” said Reisa Schwartzman of The Cape Group, developers of Pacifica.

Most Nanaimo residents remember the sight

Vivo is located on Franklyn Street in the edge of Nanaimo’s Old City Quarter.

It’s an affordable condominium complex – it has great ocean and city views and is an easy walk to downtown’s seawall – if you were inclined to go that far – but with all the funky shops and restaurants in the Old City Quarter, you might want to stay close to home.

Alterra Property Group won the 2009 award for Excellence in Design, Mixed Use Building, from the City of Nanaimo Design Advisory Panel.

Vivo offers loft-style units, secure underground parking and secured entrance, and a fitness centre.

Studio NA, 99 Chapel St.

Studio NA (pronounced en-aye) is a brand new building right in downtown Nanaimo – it’s a development of TiGERi Properties Group and was completed a year ago.

The structure has bright red metal trim and looks very art deco from the outside.

The building offers studio, one- and two-bedroom lofts or suites with rooftop decks, patios and balconies. An open floor plan and floor to ceiling windows give lots of space and natural light to the units.

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Nanaimo News Bulletin Saturday, September 25, 2010

Historic restoration

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andmark got a

ng and a green he tourist season, hat reminiscent

e last of the Hudns left in Canada, has lasted a lot longer than any modern condominium and the Nanaimo Museum hopes to keep it standing for years to come.

Renovation and restoration work on the building got underway in earnest in June, with crews stripping old lead-based paint and prying off outer panels to get a good look at which timbers need to be repaired or replaced.

Steve Lawrence, of Macdonald & Lawrence Timber Framing Ltd., which specializes in restoring old structures, said the Bastion, now 157 years old, is the oldest building in B.C. that he’s worked on.

Lawrence has centuries of experience under his tool belt, so to speak, from when he worked in the United Kingdom. He helped restore the kitchen hall of Windsor castle, which dates back to the 15th century, after a major fire heavily damaged the historic structure in 1990s.

Drop by for lunch and a tour

The goal in Nanaimo is to preserve the Bastion’s historical integrity by saving and reusing as much of the original material as possible.

“Basically, it’s repair and a bit of structural realignment,” Lawrence said. “The building has leaned a little bit towards the southeast. That’s happened because of decay around the

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bottoms of the columns and the sill plate around the base of the building.”

The southeast side of the building is hit hardest by winter weather and the structure now leans three degrees.

As part of the repair process, the top floor of the Bastion will be lifted a few centimetres so workers can repair the original support timbres.

Lawrence also recommended the building be coated with whitewash, a durable lime-based coating that “breathes”, allowing moisture to evaporate out of the wood. Modern paints act as sealants, trapping moisture and accelerating decay.

Mark Corbett, Bastion restoration project spokesman, said the Bastion needs major maintenance work about every 20 years. The last time major repairs were done was in 1993.

“The Rotary did some things to it, put in a sprinkler system and earthquake-proofed it and all that,” Corbett said.

The cost for the current project is $300,000. Although it was closed to the public throughout the work, the Nanaimo Museum hoped to have everything complete by late September.

www.nanaimobulletin.com

Saturday, September 25, 2010 Nanaimo News Bulletin

Tiny business sells tiny cakes

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exactly that – a tiny shop in the freshly baked, beautifully decoy flavour imaginable. ed her little bakery in February een a great success. d – Nanaimo likes cupcakes!” s. almost every other person – tell e that I am here,” said Mayes, who would never have considered opening her shop anywhere but the downtown core.

“It had to be downtown. I’m from Nanaimo – it felt right to be part of the core and to help in the development of downtown – to bring people down here.”

Mayes estimates about 90 per cent of her customers are from Nanaimo.

“Th The support from the community is overwhelming.

People call me and say they’ve passed on my cupcakes.

I don’t think I would get that kind of support elsewhere.”

How wee is the cupcakery? Less than 37 square metres.

“I figured whatever I’d be able to aff fford would be very small.”

But she makes good use of the space – selling cupcakes, cookies and Nanaimo Bars. “Whatever I have the energy for.”

Cupcake flavours fl like Creamsicle, Peppermint Patty, Rootbeer Float and Pucker Up are just a sampling of the menu.

Her website warns, “Depending on the mood of the baker, flavours rotate daily! Please call for today’s features!”

All of Mayes’s products are baked fresh every day, with no preservatives added, she doesn’t even like to use food colour-

BY JAN BEECHER

ing. Gluten-free and vegan options are available daily, and sugar-free items can be pre-ordered.

Mayes refuses to go into mass production. She closes two days per week (Sunday and Monday), to make sure she gets a break, and she only bakes enough goodies to last one day. If she sells out, she gets to go home early – if there’s a few leftovers ft at the end of a day, she usually gives them away to friends and family.

Mayes also does birthday cakes, catering and even ‘cupcake weddings’, which are becoming more and more popular.

“Instead of one big cake, they rent tiers and stack cupcakes,” said Mayes. “It’s about half the price of a wedding cake, easy clean-up and saves the cake-cutting fee.”

Mayes graduated from Vancouver Island University’s Professional Baking Program in 2005. Before opening her shop she worked all over the place, she said, including retail jobs.

Now she’s happy to be able to hire a student from the university’s baking program to help her out two days a week.

A Wee Cupcakery is located in The Th Old City Quarter at 407 Fitzwilliam Street. The store hours are Tuesday to Friday 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. or until they’re sold out.

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Nanaimo News Bulletin Saturday, September 25, 2010

Car-share co-op looking to grow

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equivalent of eight cars off the rivers sharing Nanaimo’s two taking 16 cars off the road. r more than a decade, but f starting a new car sharing

an Earth Day walk in Victoria in a founding member of the co-op.

That’s where he met some people involved in the Victoria Car Share Co-op. The executive director came to Nanaimo to help a group of interested citizens start up their own group. With only a small number of people interested and not much support from local resources, including the City of Nanaimo, it was difficult to bring the idea to fruition.

Finally, Vancouver’s Co-operative Auto Network offered to help. The deal was, if Nanaimo could get 10 people to sign up, CAN would place a car in Nanaimo.

They dropped Nanaimo’s first car off in May 2000.

“It was a fairly old car. They replaced it with a Ford Taurus and that suffered a terminal illness. Then they sent us a truck from Tofino,” said Gartshore.

“They realized the truck was a mistake and they replaced it with a Toyota Matrix – it’s red, it’s flashy, it’s new – it’s great. It was almost brand new when we got it.”

A second car, a Mazda 5, arrived in Nanaimo last year.

The co-op keeps one vehicle based at Port Place Mall and the other at City Hall.

Although the group sharing the cars has grown to 31, the Vancouver co-op is pulling back from working with groups in other communities.

“So we are starting our own co-op – or we’re going to join another one,” Gartshore said The Nanaimo group expects a much more supportive environment now than what they met in the late 1990s.

“Eleven years ago we approached the city about using a parkade spot without success. Now they recognize it’s a good way to go,” Gartshore said. “Car-sharing increases the number of people using public transit.”

It also evokes a different way of life.

“You have to have some flexibility – you may need to hire a cab or rent a car once in a while,” said Gartshore. “But as a member of the co-op, you’re a corporate customer [to the rental agencies] and you get a discount.”

Being a member of the car share also makes for a healthier lifestyle.

“You’re more likely to use your own two feet.”

For more information abour car sharing, please go to www.cooperativeauto.net.

How does it work?

Members buy into the co-op by making a share purchase of $500.

“You can even donate your old clunker for a $500 credit,” said Ian Gartshore, a founding member of Nanaimo’s carsharing group.

After that, the users pay per hour ($3) and per kilometre (25¢) – gas, insurance and parking is included in the price.

With membership, you get a lockbox access key. Then it’s simply a matter of making a reservation to use a car – which can be done online.

Most car co-ops have a roaming agreement with other groups – membership with CAN gives access to cars in cities all over North America: Victoria, San Francisco and Halifax to name a few.

Gartshore figures he spent about $50-$60 in August to use the co-op cars and on a busier month he could end up spending $300-$400 – the further you go the more you pay per kilometre.

“But that includes gas and insurance.” It even includes BCAA coverage.

Gartshore, owner of Shore Energy Solutions, estimates the cost of owning and maintaining a car is about $8,000 to $10,000 per year, especially if you include depreciation and the interest paid on your car loan.

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Saturday, September 25, 2010 Nanaimo News Bulletin

Red House Market recognizes history

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u were to mention the Red House to one of mo’s pioneers they would know exactly what you lking about. was the nickname for the Pioneer Store, one of mo’s first general stores. It was opened by Alexander in 1863 at the corner of Bastion and Commercial Commercial Street now has a new Red House – opened by proprietor Joshua Tessier, from Mon’s Commercial Street’s only neighbourhood grocer.

“It’s about good eating – good products. I’m supporting our local producers, especially with markets closing down for the winter,” said Tessier. “But I also have a mix of imported products like olive oils, vinegars and cheeses.”

Just like an old fashioned grocer, the outside of the Red House Market has baskets of produce to entice passersby. Inside is a selection of local baking and produce plus hard-to-come-by imported goods.

Red House Market’s suppliers include Gabriola’s Slow Rise Bakery, Ravenstone Sausages from Qualicum, Island Highlander British Desserts out of Nanoose Bay and Red Roaster Coff ffee also from Gabriola. Imports such as saffron from Spain and De Cecco pastas also line the shelves.

Tessier moved to Nanaimo nine months ago and opened

BY JAN BEECHER

the store in June.

Like all newcomers to the Island, he was impressed with its natural beauty – but what really impressed him was Nanaimo’s downtown core.

“I liked the layout of it. The way the street plan funnels everything towards the water, the cobblestone streets – the mix of old hotels and rooming houses with new buildings like the convention centre.”

Tessier, formerly a fi financial advisor, could see that money was being invested toward downtown’s development and he liked how it was being spent.

“I’m from a place where everyone knows each other. A place made up of neighbourhoods,” said Tessier – who sees similar potential in Nanaimo’s downtown core. “I want to help towards a movement in that direction.” ◆ Tessier found the name for the Red House Market by researching in the Nanaimo Museum’s archives: Alexander Mayer bought the log building for the Pioneer Store in 1863. To fancy it up, Mayer added what he thought was a little red tint to the stain he used to paint the shop – the colour turned out to be a quite distinct and bright red. As a result everyone called his dry goods shop The Red House. It didn’t hurt his business at all though – Mayer’s store remained in operation until 1890.

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Nanaimo News Bulletin Saturday, September 25, 2010

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Saturday, September 25, 2010

Nanaimo News Bulletin

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Nanaimo News Bulletin Saturday, September 25, 2010

Exhibit digs deep into coal heritage

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es a moment for your eyes to adjust ark. r drips from somewhere in the narmly lit passage, as coal cars clank here else in the blackness. r Edwin Gough would have had to s strong, well-built frame into the inged mine, crouching his shoulders and kneeling to chip away at the inky black underground coal seam.

Working alongside Gough were boys as young as 12, putting in 10-hour shifts for $2-3 of pay.

Born somewhere between 1820 and 1824, Gough emigrated to Nanaimo from England aboard the Princess Royal, using his gift of song to entertain his fellow passengers during the long oceanic voyage to the Hudson’s Bay Company settlement.

Soon, he was one of hundreds of men and boys toiling away up to 400 metres beneath the streets of Nanaimo on mines that stretched from downtown to Newcastle Island and south Nanaimo to Protection Island.

The days of coal are done in Nanaimo, but residents and visitors can experience a small inkling of what it was like to spend half your life underground in the new coal mine exhibit at the Nanaimo Museum.

Visitors to the mine exhibit receive a brass token with a number, which corresponds to a miner’s story, like that of Edwin Gough, told at the end of the exhibit. Some lived long lives and contributed greatly to the fabric of Nanaimo, while others perished in the darkness underground.

“People get an appreciation of where men and boys worked,” said David Hill-Turner, museum curator.

Coal mines were dug in the mid-1800s after representatives from the Hudson’s Bay Company found chunks of coal scattered across the land. Men were brought in to dig up the rock used for heating and industrial processes.

The coal mine exhibit was one of the most popular at the

what happened, but knowing it was bad.

As difficult as life was underground, residents made life above ground as rich and fulfilling as possible. Sports were popular, as were service clubs and fraternal orders.

In 1900, 21 licensed premises operated in Nanaimo, which meant one bar for every 100 men. And then there was the Red Light District on Fraser Street.

The new exhibit was supported by a donation from Ed Yewchin, owner of the Dairy Queen restaurant at Country Club, who said he wanted his grandchildren to know the history of their hometown.

“If we lose these things, we never get them back,” Yewchin said.

Gough, that well-built man with a reputation for bravery and fairness, lost part of his leg in a mining accident near Seattle, effectively ending his career as a miner.

He returned to Nanaimo and opened the Nanaimo Hotel. He died in 1875.

For more information on the museum and the coal mine exhibit, please visit www.nanaimomuseum.com.

old museum and requests for it led to the creation of the new exhibit, which includes information on geology underground, technology of mining and the labour history of Nanaimo, including the major strikes of the early 20th century.

Miners tell their stories of life underground in audio playing through the exhibit, while families on the surface talk about living to the shrill scream of the Boss Whistle, which told miners when to go to work, when the day was over and when there was disaster.

“It was a measure of daily life in the city,” Hill-Turner said.

The explosion on May 3, 1887, killed 150 miners at the Nanaimo No. 1 Mine. Many of the men died a slow death, trapped underground by debris, while their wives and children waited above ground near the mine for word of their fate.

At the sound of the Boss Whistle, women – some pregnant, some nursing and others carrying small children – streamed out of their homes to the mine site on Esplanade Road. Children cried because their mothers cried, not understanding

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Saturday, September 25, 2010 Nanaimo News Bulletin

BY TOBY GORMAN

Train station restoration on track

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nals of t their target ix months Train Sta-

ht through it. president, rs helped 00 to help complete Phase 1 of the major restoration project, which will include fixing the station’s foundation, structure and exterior.

“Both our major events raised about $140,000 and in-kind donations amounted to about $150,000, so that’s a huge portion right there,” said Sullivan. “It has been a long push and a lot of hard work by many people to get here and we could not have done it without the support of our community.”

The first event – the Wild West Express – raised around $55,000 in March, while the Blair McKinnon Celebrity Football Game raised $85,000 in May. The game was held in honour of McKinnon, a founding member of YPN, who died suddenly in April at the age of 30.

“The McKinnon family needs to be recognized for this,” said Sullivan. “They’ve been such an important part of it.”

Work on the exterior of the building began in May and progressed throughout the summer.

The fundraising effort, which also included at least 500 private and 200 business donations, covered the shortfall for the $1.3-million phase.

Phase 2, which covers interior renovations of the building, is expected to cost $1.1 million and will be covered by a commercial mortgage, though fundraising will continue

“

It has been a long push and a lot of hard work by many people to get here.

to help bring the mortgage cost down.

Darren Moss of Tectonica Management engineers, said the station is expected to be fully renovated and operational by the spring of 2011.

“The lift went smoothly and we are nearing the completion of the excavation required to accommodate the new foundation,” said Moss, adding that concrete will be placed this week and the station will be lowered by the end of July. “We will then roll right into the structural repairs to the station’s framing and building exterior.”

Island Corridor Foundation recently announced two tenants for the rejuvenated train station are in the final stages of negotiating a lease.

VIA Rail will occupy a portion of the space for passenger services, while the owners of the popular British pub Fox & Hounds, Trevor and Jane Ivens, plan on opening an Irish restaurant in the remaining space.

“The idea was to have something people of all ages, including kids, can spend some time in while waiting,” said Sullivan. “We think this is a perfect fit.”

With the train station fundraising completed, Sullivan added YPN will “sleep for a week” before deciding on its next effort, which will likely include mentoring youth and helping the environment.

The group was established in May 2009 and has 60 members, all of whom work and live in Nanaimo and are under the age of 40. Young professionals looking to improve themselves and their community are welcome to participate.

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Nanaimo News Bulletin Saturday, September 25, 2010

Adventure centre brings ‘big canoes’ into harbour tours

BY JAN BEECHER

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ng around Newcastle e a piece of the past, but adventure for Nanaimo o enjoy. ntroduced Big Canoe from their station at is summer. eplica of the canoes that were historically used by coastal First Nations people. The guided tour took paddlers around Newcastle Island, a marine provincial park located within the Nanaimo Harbour, while they learned its history and about the First Nations people who lived there.

“People that did it loved it,” said Lila Lattimer , activities manager for the Nanaimo Adventure Centre. “The salmon barbecue tours went really well.”

Salmon barbecues were an option to add to the tours – salmon cooked in traditional

style, woven onto a stick and barbecued. It was served with scow bread, another traditional food of the west coast First Nations people.

“We would do the tour and history around the island and then we would take them up to the pavilion where they would be served lunch or dinner by First Nations hosts,” said Lattimer.

Following the meal, a storyteller from the Snuneymuxw First Nation would entertain the group with some stories from their culture. Newcastle Island has been a part of Snuneymuxw territory for thousands of years.

The Alberni Outpost used two big canoes

“

at Newcastle this past summer – a large one, the Clan Dancer (10.7 m), that held 18 paddlers; and a smaller one, the Pacific Dancer, that held eight paddlers.

Those who experienced the adventure this year included an elementary school class, the Probis Club, and two groups from Nanaimo Youth Services Association.

Alberni Outpost intends to continue the Big Canoe Tours from the Nanaimo side of the water for the fall now that their station on Newcastle is closed for the season.

“We do a pick up at Queen Elizabeth Prominade near the yacht club,” said Lattimer. “It works really well unless it gets really windy – then we just paddle in circles, we need to get a tow.”

The focus for the fall is to bring in more school groups.

“It really works well with Newcastle. There’s a lot of history, a lot of culture – it fits in nicely with their grade four curriculum.”

People that did it loved it.

Experience our new Coal Mine Exhibit

◆

A Proud Part of Downtown Nanaimo for over 40 years!

Located on the Nanaimo waterfront at the Brechin Boat Launch, the Adventure Center is a stone’s throw from the historic 336 hectare Newcastle Island Provincial Marine Park.

It is open 9 a.m. to dusk seven days a week.

For more information, please call 250-7546626.

Here at the Nanaimo Museum we take great pride in the role we have played in preserving and bringing to life, the unique history of our community over the last four decades.

We’re not only about the past.

Since the completion of our new museum in the conference centre, we have become an exciting attraction to a revitalized downtown core. Our beautiful facility has more space for permanent and feature exhibits, enhanced educational programming, a stunning new lobby and gift shop, a stylish facade and a location that can’t be beat!

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Stand-up boards added to Outpost Big Canoes weren’t the only new additions to Newcastle Island’s shoreline this summer. Alberni Outpost also rented out stand-up paddleboards from their shack near the ferry gangplank.

“A stand-up paddleboard is like a surf board, only you stand up on it and paddle,” said Lila Lattimer, activities manager for the Outpost’s Nanaimo Adventure Centre.

“People really love them – it can be better than kayaking, especially if your hips hurt.”

Stand-up paddleboards are growing in popularity in Nanaimo.

“They are very big in the south States and in Hawaii.

They’re very accessible, good for lakes or river trips – and you can just throw them on the car,” said Lattimer. “I use mine as my own private dock on Westwood Lake.”

They also make for a great core workout, she said, with different strokes working different areas of the body – plus you have to work on your balance.

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Saturday, September 25, 2010 Nanaimo News Bulletin

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Face of Nanaimo

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service out of nged earlier this

rbour Air reached ase West Coast Air. ril 30.

Both airlines provide floatplane service between Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland.

Randy Wright, Harbour Air senior vicepresident, said aviation is a tough industry and the downturn in the economy forced both companies to evaluate some cost saving options.

“After reviewing the reduced passenger loads, reduced number of flights, and consequently smaller workforces that

both companies have experienced in the last year, Harbour Air saw consolidating the duplicated infrastructure as the best option to ensure that the seaplanes remained a strong, reliable and affordable transportation option for the public,” he said in a press release.

John Ring, West Coast Air vice-president of operations, said he couldn’t get into specific details because the deal is not closed, but the future of West Coast Air in Nanaimo still has to be decided.

“There’s been no decisions made on any of the operations in the system at this point,” he said.

Harbour Air began business in 1982 and West Coast Air – formerly Baxter Air – has provided air service in the region for more than 40 years.

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The City of Nanaimo and the Nanaimo Art Gallery have been displayed nine temporary public art installations in the downtown over the summer of 2010. Eight of the pieces are located in the Maffeo Sutton Park Spirit Square and one piece is located in McGregor Park across from the Port Theatre. Public Art is created by artists for publicly visible sites. It can increase the sense of place for individual neighborhoods and the City as a whole.

Some art pieces can be permanent (such as the "Pacific Sails" on the Harbourfront Walkway), while others are temporary (such as the Downtown Festival of Banners and these 9 pieces on display in Nanaimo parks). Seven local artists have collaborated on this diverse downtown display in an attempt to animate the parks and create new landmarks along the Harbourfront Walkway for the summer of 2010. The pieces will be auctioned off to the public by the Nanaimo Art Gallery in Maffeo Sutton Park on October 22nd.

Auction Details:

Art Pieces: •

Palm Trees & Palm Tree--Macon Welding (Matt Conley and Ben Marks)

•

Dancing with the Eagles--Dan Richey

Maffeo Sutton Park

•

Explorative Entrance--Cecile Van Woensel

•

Seated Figure--Mike Szucus

(Spirit Tent)

•

Pellagic Cormorant--Lori Sorenson

•

Great Blue Heron-- GEM Fabrications (Laura and George Ewing)

4:30 PM

•

West Coast Galleries--Cecile Van Woensel

October 22nd

More details at www.nanaimoartgallery.com

Central Vancouver Island Multicultural Society • 250-753-6911 www.cvims.org

For more information about the auction, please contact, Ed Poli, Manager of the Nanaimo Art Gallery (250-754-1750).

For information about Public Art in general, please contact, Kirsty MacDonald, Parks & Open Space Planner (250-755-7506).

14

www.nanaimobulletin.com

Nanaimo News Bulletin Saturday, September 25, 2010

Spa adds school to downtown ambience

BY JAN BEECHER

T

Aesthetics is hiding et Billiards on Vic-

t expect to see this Breaden, owner sthetics school. we don’t look like a te smocks worn in

here.

The school opened in November 2008 – a luxury spa and aesthetics studio with top quality products and beauty school prices.

Unlike many aesthetics schools, where students practice on each other, the students at Tru Spa start working with clients as soon as Breaden feels they are ready.

Up to 90 per cent of practicum time is with clients.

“Our hope is that the girls will build a bit of a clientele that they can bring with them – it takes the stress off the girls and off their new employers.”

Students are very involved in running the spa – they learn how to use the booking software, how to confirm appointments and how to maintain Breaden’s extremely high standard of clean – all implements are subjected to an antibacterial soap scrub followed by ultrasonic sterilization and a spray with hospital grade antiseptic.

“We found that most employers love to bring students in – they just don’t have the time to train them on all aspects of a spa – so that’s what we do.”

The school opened in November 2008 – taking over the old Wydel’s Gym location that had sat vacant for more than seven years.

Sweat equity and determination has transformed the space into a warm relaxing atmosphere that could easily pass as a resort spa.

Breaden and her students love the downtown location.

“We get students from Victoria, Cobble Hill, Port Alberni – they

get a lot of exposure to downtown, finding favourite foods and favourite shops,” she said. “I have to admit, prior to being here, downtown wasn’t my forté.”

Before she opened, Breaden worked out of her home, but she is strictly an instructor at the institute. All aesthetic and spa work is performed by students or graduates of the programs – they currently have a base of 1,900 clients.

“You have to book ahead, especially for side by side-by-side pedicures – they’re very popular.”

Breaden has been the head Canadian educator for Keyano Aromatics for 11 years, she has taught their techniques throughout Canada and the U.S. Tru Spa offers waxing technician, nail technician, aesthetic and spa training.

Hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Thursday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday. Please call 250-754-8637 for more information.

“

They get a lot of exposure to downtown.

Cruise ship project gets attention Prime Minister Stephen Harper made an election-type stop in Nanaimo this month to drum up support for the soonto-be-built cruise ship terminal, for which Ottawa kicked in $8.5 million.

With a backdrop of recently installed pilings that will eventually support the floating dock and perfect late summer Island weather, Harper said the project and others like it are vital in moving Canada out of one of the worst economic recessions since the Second World War. “Canada has done significantly better than its economic peers in economic recovery and we must remain focused on improving the economy and creating jobs,” Harper told the audience at the Nanaimo Assembly Wharf. “What we looked for in projects to support were not just short-term solutions, but investments that will result in long term successes and sustainable growth in the future.”

The $22.5-million cruise terminal, funded also by the Nanaimo Port Authority, Island Coastal Economic trust and the province, is scheduled to be completed

by March 2011, the latest date to remain eligible for the federal portion.

Bernie Dumas, president and CEO of the NPA, said construction has started and will make its deadline. Pilings have been installed over the past few days, and Dumas said docks, trestles and a pontoon should be established by December.

So far, the port authority has secured six large vessel visits for 2011, each of which will contribute an estimated $200,000 to Nanaimo’s economy. Dumas said it’s the port’s goal to secure at least 30 large vessels annually.

“It will take a couple of years for this to bloom,” said Dumas, adding that the dock will be able to handle the next generation of cruise ships.

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www.nanaimobulletin.com

Saturday, September 25, 2010 Nanaimo News Bulletin

15

BY JAN BEECHER

New boat tours highlight harbour and beyond

T

the dock at Nanaimo Boat Basin and it’s all about adventure tourism. ture takes passengers on a spectacular two-hour tour of the waters tiful city in a 300 hp, 7.62 metre rigid hull inflflatable boat.

Dodd Narrows currents and whirlpools to the cormorants on the ur shows Nanaimo’s harbour from a diff fferent perspective.

Sunshine Coast Adventures out of Garden Bay on the Sunshine operation for 21 years. expanding our business into bigger tourist centres and Nanaimo is a tion,” said Robin Loder, booking coordinator for the company.

They put their first boat at the Adventure Dock across from the Harbour Air ticket offi Th ffice in the beginning of August.

“Th The late start was intentional,” said Loder. “We wanted to work out the bugs and start strong next April. Without any marketing, I think we did reasonably well.”

The tours start twice daily at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., ticket sales are right at the boat and Th there is no pre-booking or minimum number of passengers required.

“We just ask that people arrive about 15 minutes early,” said Loder.

Ray Coupal, who pilots the Nanaimo tour, knows the waters well – he’s an experienced diver and has run dive boat tours for several years in the Nanaimo area.

“Th This is a real marine sight seeing tour – but you also get to see some beautiful homes,” said Coupal.

The tour goes by Gabriola, the DeCourcy Group, Pylades Island, past Harmac and Duke Th Point toward Thetis Island and Ladysmith.

“We’re excited about this coming year,” said Loder. “I think Nanaimo is a great opportunity.”

Although tickets can be bought on the dock, reservations are available online at www. nanaimoboatadventure.ca or by phoning 1-800-870-9055. Current tickets prices are $79 for adults and $49 for ages 12 and under. Prices include HST. Charters are also available.

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www.nanaimobulletin.com

Nanaimo News Bulletin Saturday, September 25, 2010

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