Frustrations between operators of a warming centre in Nanaimo's downtown and city councillors came to a head during a meeting Wednesday, Jan. 19. (File Photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Water Cooler: Nanaimo’s downtown challenges & future for warming centre

Jan 22, 2022 | 8:43 AM

NANAIMO — The Water Cooler is NanaimoNewsNOW’s letters to the editor-style segment, featuring conversations about the news in Nanaimo and Oceanside.

This week’s feature looks at continued issues in Nanaimo’s downtown including the recent closure of a warming centre and tense moments between operators and council members.

Greg L., Nanaimo: Nanaimo, in the downtown area, has turned into a slum. Nanaimo is not an area that will be a jewel of this town. Citizens are afraid to go to the downtown area at night for fear of being robbed or beat up from those that we are trying to help. If any remember the movie “You Build It and We will Come”. We are our own worst enemy.

The age group of those that now clog every inch of space in downtown are is between 16 and 40.They are able to work, but we enable them to suck off Nanaimo and not hold them credible. We have created the problem and now if we aren’t brain dead and have our head buried in the sand, clean up our city before we lose it.

NanaimoNewsNOW: Challenges in Nanaimo’s downtown core are not a new phenomenon and continue to be a main focal point of residents, politicians and developers alike. Whether abandoned buildings, social disorder or vacant lots, there are many issues with the area supposed to represent the city’s business and social centre.

new mayor

Spring Mayoral by-election called in Ladysmith

1h ago

holiday check stops

Nanaimo motorists shine during province-wide crackdown

4h ago

targeted job action

Striking Nanaimo postal workers disrupt Purolator operations

8h ago

The biggest question is where do you start? And as an extension of that question, by the time you start, is the problem different or worse?

Various issues fall on various jurisdictions. Abandoned buildings and vacant properties are issues for the City of Nanaimo to deal with, which they’ve taken steps to address through purchases of property along Terminal Ave.

Challenges surrounding those experiencing homelessness and social disorder fall more to provincial and federal issues. Getting everyone with authority to pull the cart forward is challenging, if not impossible.

It’s difficult not to see steps being taken to move the situation forward. More affordable housing is coming to the region while the City is taking concrete steps to develop those areas of Terminal Ave. which are arguably the most unsightly in the downtown at the moment.

The biggest question will be once that housing is completed, or once Terminal Ave. is developed, will the problems surrounding those issues be gone? Or just in a different location?

– – –

Chantelle, Nanaimo: As a person who has been following this for some time, and being priviliged to be housed, and fed and a voting adult in this town, I am disturbed by Mayor Krog, who also has power and privilege, to suggest that Risebridge apologize for their frustration at the heavy-handedness of police and bylaw officers and that it would be somehow a part of his “vote”.

His feelings were hurt? Try living rough in a snow storm with no food and someone coming along and taking everything. Privileged folk in power, tone policing an organization that is centered around supporting the extremely marginilized- and quite frankly, keeping them alive, is insulting. This Mayor perhaps needs to take anti-oppression training.

I am very much looking forward to the next election in the fall, when we can vote someone in who is interested in collaboration and action and doesn’t just do up reports and points the finger at others. Because it’s a crisis and will only get worse, we need someone willing to stand up and do the right thing, right now.

NanaimoNewsNOW: The conversation between Mayor Krog and Risebridge’s Jovan Johnson at Wednesday, Jan. 19’s finance and audit committee was a tense one.

Johnson, through Risebridge, put the City on notice for what they claimed were the theft of possessions of people living in a now shuttered encampment under and near the Bastion St. bridge. Risebridge also claimed residents were told to move without any notice.

The City said multiple notices were given in the days leading up, but whether or not the people there the morning the encampment was cleared out were the same in the days prior is unknown.

NanaimoNewsNOW was unable to independently verify whether items were “stolen” by City crews, as Risebridge alleged.

For his part, Krog came to the defence of City workers in a clear and no nonsense way. His belief Risebridge owes the City an apology will no doubt polarize people on an already hot-button issue which naturally splits people into two camps.

As Johnson told NanaimoNewsNOW on Wednesday, Jan. 19, half of people support the work they do through Warmreach while the other half don’t. The other half, containing business owners who voiced their concerns, ultimately contributed to the centre being closed.

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

info@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @nanaimonewsnow