Water Cooler: Howard Johnson plans, COVID misinformation & Mt. Hayes wildfire

NanaimoNewsNOW: It has been interesting to see such rapid development of ideas and potential direction in the last few months around two of Nanaimo’s most unsightly areas. First, the City swept in to purchase property along Terminal Ave. for the purposes of a new transit exchange and public square, now potential traction further up the road.

Since 2018, the Howard Johnson hotel site at the corner of Terminal Ave. and Comox Rd. has sat, boarded up. It is a smudge across from one of Nanaimo’s crown jewel parks at Maffeo Sutton and not a great look for tourists coming to enjoy the city.

The new development would look to change that by combining a small hotel with multi-storey residential buildings.

It is important to note, these plans are incredibly preliminary and have not gone through any level of City or council scrutiny. No doubt desire to develop the property is high, however it remains to be seen if the currently proposed idea is the direction Nanaimo will move.

As our initial story noted, it will likely be years before shovels are in the ground to transform the old hotel and parking lot.

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Paul L., Ladysmith: Please, offer some comparisons. How many traffic fatalities? How many ppl died from cancer? How many suicides? This kind of reporting is just driving fear and ignorance.

Attach websites for doctors who tell us how we can beat this flu without hospitalization… and finally, it seems the jab/non jab argument can be broken down to just this: Are you ok with the govt mandating what you have to put into yours, and your children’s bodies because the govt decides it to be so ?

NanaimoNewsNOW: We’ve taken a great deal of pride in our COVID-19 reporting throughout the pandemic. Our focus has always been on the central Island region and the impacts of this global issue on a local scale. It’s why all our reports feature data verified by Island Health, which can often differ with numbers from the province and the BC CDC.

We did this because we believed the information for Island Health was more reliable and informative than that from the BC CDC. We were told by the health authority their numbers were vetted and confirmed to be Island cases, which they could then break down into more regional tallies.

To Paul’s direct questions regarding attaching “websites for doctors who tell us how we can beat this flu”, we aim to provide information on the pandemic from reputable, peer-reviewed sources. Currently the overwhelming scientific consensus is COVID-19 is dangerous and vaccines are the best defence currently available.

The overwhelming consensus among public health authorities around the world is that vaccines, masks and physical distancing are the most effective ways to avoid high-risk contact and hospitalization. Until that changes, our reporting on the pandemic will reflect that consensus.

The issue of mandatory vaccinations will certainly continue to be debated at length. There are very valid medical, personal and religious reasons not to get the shot, however as more information comes about the vaccines, their effectiveness long-term and their safety, more people will likely be inclined to roll up their sleeves.

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David H., Chemainus: Looks the fire is getting way out of control. Please get Coulson Aviation with there night vision capabilities on this with there C130 Hercules, 737’s, Chinooks, Sikorsky S61’s, Blackhawk UH60’s And the never outperformed Mars that would have this out already! 27000 liters/drop over 4 acres, scooping on 113 lakes and ocean in B.C. Obviously CONair is not doing a satisfactory job. Come get over the silly politics and lets get some real help before its too late!

NanaimoNewsNOW: The Island has been exceedingly lucky this year in avoid many major wildfires. Considering how little rain has fallen, the fact the mid-Island has seen just two significant wildfires is astounding.

It seems like every fire which sparks on the Island, or elsewhere in B.C. also sparks a debate about the use of the Martin Mars water bomber from Coulson Aviation. It was not included in 2021’s firefighting fleet and hasn’t for several years.

The BC Wildfire has said the large bombers are no longer considered an effective firefighting tool, favouring instead smaller, more agile aircraft able to make precise drops.

Crews continue to gain ground on the Mt. Hayes wildfire, or in the very least have worked tirelessly to prevent it from spreading and threatening lives and property.

Join the conversation. Submit your letter to NanaimoNewsNOW and be included on The Water Cooler, our letters to the editor feature.

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by NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

Water Cooler: Howard Johnson plans, COVID misinformation & Mt. Hayes wildfire

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