In this edition of My Nanaimo This Week, we celebrate Compost Awareness Week, Emergency Preparedness Week, follow construction at Maffeo Sutton Park and Hammond Bay Road and announce the return of the Golden Bucket!

For now, our doors remain closed, but the City is definitely open for business! City services and operations continue to run, with the exception of Parks, Recreation and Culture programming, drop-in sports, playgrounds and sport courts which remain closed at this time. Check out our Online Services page.

A new task force has been struck as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the community. The Mayor's Task Force on Recovery and Resilience is being created to address upcoming economic impacts, community resiliency and provide a path forward for recovery so the City and other organizations within the community to focus on urgent current issues. Find out about the Task Foce's purpose and membership here.

Today, Premier John Horgan, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Minster of Health Adrian Dix provide an update on BC's COVID-19 strategy. If you'd like to view the presentation of what BC's "new normal" will look like over the coming weeks, visit the City's Facebook page watch party. Read a statement from Mayor Krog regarding BC's restart plan here. Find more information about the City's response on the COVID-19 information page

As we work together to flatten the Covid-19 curve and support the collective response in reducing risks to the community, we realize now more than ever how important it is to prepare for the unexpected. Many City of Nanaimo residents have started to build an emergency kit and there is no time like today to complete it. A few simple actions will help you build upon all of the hard work you already have in place. For more information about how you can prepare and make a kit go to the Emergency Management page or the Province of BC website.

In 2019, the average Nanaimo household composted 247 kg of organics through the Green Cart! Way to go Nanaimo! However, there‘s always room for improvement. Compostable organics make up the largest portion of landfill waste that could be diverted. To learn more about what goes in the green bin visit Garbage & Recycling. Among many other benefits, composting increases soil health and water retention, and reduces methane emissions from landfills.Throughout the week, check out our social media channels for fun composting facts and tips! If you would like to learn more about National Compost Awareness week visit Composting Council Research & Education Foundation.

Construction at Maffeo Sutton Park
Just a reminder to stay safe and follow signage at Maffeo Sutton Park while construction of the Rotary Garden installation, Protection Island Marine Cable upgrade and Phase 1 of the Maffeo Sutton Inclusive Playground continue.

Hammond Bay Road Work
Construction along Hammond Bay Road is scheduled to finish on time. Installation of concrete barriers, line painting, streetlight poles and some miscellaneous cleanup is expected to be complete by May 15, 2020.

The Golden Bucket is back, but this time touch-free! This year you are searching for a golden bucket sticker, not an actual bucket. Weekly clues will be posted on Wednesdays. Solve the clue to figure out which park the golden bucket sticker is hidden in. Find the sticker, answer a question and be entered to win a grand prize! This year you will need to scan the QR code on the sticker to reveal the question and submit.

For more programs such as wellness bingo, #isolationrecreation ideas, a scavenger hunt, who did it better and the harbourcity photo challenge follow @nanaimoparksandrec on Instagram or visit the Isolation Recreation web page.

• Wednesday, May 6: Special Health and Housing Task Force, 3 pm

Visit the Meetings, Documents and Videos page on the City website to view upcoming meetings, agendas and past meeting videos or visit the Council Meeting Summaries page to read a recap of decisions made in previous meetings. You can now submit agenda related questions to council, learn more!

• City supports local non-profit food service providers at recreation facilities
• Remembering lives lost to BC's worst mining disaster
• City reminds park users about unauthorized trail building
• City launches online form for submitting agenda-related questions to council
• Emergency Preparedness Week is May 3 to May 9, 2020
• Mayor's task force will respond to COVID-19's impacts
• Statement from Mayor Krog regarding BC's restart plan