My Nanaimo This Week - September 21, 2020

This week, Reimagine Nanaimo reminds residents to participate in the topic questionnaires, paving projects at Altrusa Playground & Parkway Trail are underway and Parks, Recreation & Culture is looking for feedback from summer camp participants. Read on for more!

Psst! We are changing the format of My Nanaimo This Week. Later this fall, we will be shifting over from posting this weekly newsletter on our blog to sending it straight to your email inbox! If you would like to begin receiving this newsletter by email, subscribe here. Not interested in getting an email from us? No problem! My Nanaimo This Week will still be posted online just in a new location at www.nanaimo.ca/goto/my-nanaimo-this-week and to our social media channels (@cityofnanaimo on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram). 

Did you know? We have other newsletters you can sign up for! You can find a list of newsletters and subscribe to them on the City website.

CITY SERVICE UPDATE

Corporate Services - We look forward to opening the doors to our Service and Resource Centre soon. In the meantime, please check out our Online Services page to see how we can help you. 

Just a reminder, the penalty date for late tax payments has been extended to October 1, 2020. If you are registered for MyCity, you can view your property tax notice online. Property taxes are due regardless of whether you received a property tax notice. Taxes unpaid by the due date (the first working day in July) are subject to a 5% penalty, and an additional 5% is levied on the second Thursday in August. Any remaining balance outstanding as of January 1 will accrue interest daily. If you did not receive your Property Tax Notice, please contact the Finance Department 250-755-4415 or property.info@nanaimo.ca.

Public Works - City staff continue regular garbage, recycling and organics collection. More information on recyclables can be found at www.nanaimo.ca/goto/recycle.

Parks, Recreation & Culture - Playgrounds, parks, trails, skateboard parks, bike parks, pickle ball courts, tennis courts, basketball courts, volleyball courts, lacrosse boxes, sports fields and dog parks are open with a number of guidelines to follow. 

Community Recreation Programming - Fall 2020

Beban Social Centre is available for facility rentals.  Bowen Park Complex is now open for recreation programs and community rentals. Front desk hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30 am-4:30 pm (closed 12-1 pm)

Oliver Woods Community Centre is open for fall recreation programs and community rentals. Pre-registered drop-in programs will begin on Sunday, September 27. Front desk hours: Open Monday to Friday, 8:30 am-4:30 pm (closed 12-1 pm) and Saturday and Sunday, 9:30 am-2:30 pm. 

Pool Activities - Fall 2020

The Nanaimo Aquatic Centre is now open! Cleanliness and patron safety is top priority. Pre-registration is required to reserve your time slot. To ensure adequate time for cleaning between sessions pool users will need to remain in their reserved space until the end of their session. If swimmers need to leave early, they can leave directly from the deck via the deep-end doors, without accessing the change rooms. Front desk hours: Monday to Friday, 6:30 am-7 pm (closed 2:30-3:30 pm) and Saturday and Sunday, 8 am-8 pm (closed 12-12:30 pm). Beban Pool remains closed.

Arena Activities - Fall 2020

Nanaimo Ice Centre is open for pre-registered drop in. The front desk office is closed until further notice. Frank Crane Arena remains closed, however one sheet of ice will open if demand dictates. One sheet of ice at Cliff McNabb Arena is open for rentals and fall programs. 

We have created a COVID-19 Recovery Plan to provide a path forward for resumption of City operations in a safe and economically viable way. The plan outlines four steps that the City will take toward a gradual, safe and measured reopening of municipal facilities and resumption of City services and programs that have been suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic.

REIMAGINE NANAIMO

These topic questionnaires give a more in-depth thought and insight into key topics for Nanaimo's future. Residents are encourage you to complete any or all of these. Each questionnaire will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. 

How we Live - ideas for our neighbourhoods today and tomorrow

Enter the Creative Community contest by posting your response on the Get Involved - REIMAGINE NANAIMO page or emailing it to reimagine@nanaimo.ca. At the end of the contest all entries will be entered into a prize draw to win a $500 gift card to your choice of ONE of: a local electronics store OR a local bike shop OR a local grocery store. Visit the Get Involved - REIMAGINE NANAIMO page for details.

Did you know? You can participate in this important project by registering at Get Involved Nanaimo. Make sure to subscribe to the REIMAGINE NANAIMO project to stay in the know on new topics, contests and other activities through email updates.

AROUND THE CITY

Project Closures

• Re-paving is scheduled this week at Altrusa Playground at Beban Park. During construction the playground will close, so please stay tuned for more specific dates and times to be announced on Facebook.
• The Parkway Trail near Serauxmen Stadium is also being re-paved. Please watch for flaggers to help navigate the area and if possible select an alternate route this week.
• Brannen Lake boat launch is closed until the end of this month while upgrades and maintenance is taking place.

Summer Camp Survey

Did your child attend a Parks, Recreation and Culture summer camp this year? If so, they want to hear from you! Surveys are being collected so proper planning, any improvements and changes can be implemented for next summer. 

Will Your Commute be Affected?

Check out the City's Current Construction Projects page for up-to-date information on City construction projects. Here are a few projects that may affect your commute:

• From Sept 20-Oct 1 Bowen Road, between the Old Island Highway and Labieux Road, will be prepped for paving. During this time, drivers can expect uneven pavement and gravel. Most work will be done at night from 7 pm to 7 am however commuters are encouraged to avoid the area if possible. 
  
• The Complete Street project on Metral Drive is underway. This week the contractor will be removing the asphalt surface between Turner Road and Godfrey Road. Drivers can expect single lane alternating traffic, gravel road conditions and delays.   Commuters are encouraged to avoid the area and local traffic is advised to plan additional time to get around the area.  
• The RDN is doing some road work on Hammond Bay Road between McGuffie Road and Shores Drive. Drivers can expect delays and traffic pattern changes. 

COUNCIL & COMMITTEES

Board of Variance

The City of Nanaimo is currently recruiting one member for the Board of Variance. The Board consists of five members appointed by City Council and is a three (3) year term. The BOV can grant variances to: relax zoning regulations, servicing requirements, and tree protection requirements; extend non-conforming uses; and, reconstruct a non-conforming building. If interested, residents need to apply before 4:30 pm, October 2, 2020. For more information about the Board of Variance including mandate, eligibility requirements, time commitments and how to apply please visit the City’s website at www.nanaimo.ca/goto/committees.

Upcoming Council and Committee Meetings

• Monday, September 24: Design Advisory Panel Meeting at 5 pm
• Friday, September 25: Mayor's Task Force on Recovery and Resilience Meeting at 9 am
• Friday, September 25: Special Economic Development Task Force at 1pm

Visit the Meetings, Documents and Videos page on the City website to view upcoming meetings, agendas and past meeting videos. 

Council in Action
Missed what decisions Council made during a Special Council Meeting or a Regular Council Meeting? Don’t worry. We have you covered! Check out our Council Meeting Summary page for quick overviews. 

CITY NEWS

Here is a recap of last week's City news:

• City of Nanaimo call for applications - Board of Variance
• City adopts Complete Streets standards
• Pedal to places during GoByBike BC