A widening sinkhole is a cause for concern in a Nanaimo strata neighbourhood. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

sinkhole

UPDATE: Nanaimo residents displaced by expanding sinkhole cleared to return home

Feb 22, 2025 | 3:25 PM

UPDATE: An official with strata management firm overseeing the Emerald Woods neighbourhood states impacted residents have been informed it’s safe for them to return.

“I can confirm that a Geotechnical Engineer has attended, and has noted their opinion that the buildings are not at further risk, and that they are safe to occupy/for owners to return to. The affected owners have all been advised, along with all other owners,” Nick Smith of Colyvan Pacific Real Estate Management Services told NanaimoNewsNOW.

EARLIER — People living in four units in a pair of duplexes in a Nanaimo strata neighbourhood were told to leave after a small sinkhole was spotted Friday afternoon.

The advice came from Nanaimo Fire Rescue (NFR) on Friday evening after the sinkhole was noticed directly behind a home on Emerald Woods Pl., located near the Nanaimo Parkway/Mostar Rd. intersection.

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“We assessed that there was a safety concern, and we notified the people that it was important for them to leave those units for their safety.” Nanaimo Fire Rescue (NFR) deputy fire chief Jodi Le Masurier said.

The sinkhole, located on the Nanaimo Parkway side of the strata neighourhood toward the south end Emerald Woods Pl., has noticeably expanded over the past 24 hours.

Area residents have tracked notable growth of the sinkhole over the past day (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Pictures from the scene demonstrate the sinkhole’s rapid growth, positioned on a berm and creeping toward a duplex unit.

Le Masurier said NFR is actively supporting local area residents with ongoing inspections of the sinkhole, arranging on-site security, and taping off the impacted area to enhance safety.

“I know they are working to determine the right professionals to assess the situation,” Le Masurier said referencing those responsible for the strata neighbourhood.

First flagged as a small sinkhole, the cavity has since grown. (Submitted photo)

Alternate angle of the once small sinkhole (Submitted photo)

Impacted residents on scene Saturday afternoon declined to publicly comment on the evolving situation, while a strata council member relayed the same message.

One resident was escorted in and out of his home by NFR crews to retrieve important belongings.

Theories regarding what triggered the sinkhole include Friday afternoon’s 5.1 magnitude earthquake, as remnants of an area coal mine.

The area appears to be on the fringe of the former Jingle Pot mine, according to an interactive map courtesy of Vancouver Island University.

Sinkholes tied to Nanaimo’s coal mining past periodically pop up in Nanaimo.

In January of last year a sinkhole confirmed to be linked to an old coal mine was discovered on Victoria Rd., which was remediated by the City of Nanaimo as it was on its property.

A mine shaft pushed closer to the surface than anticipated is being addressed by contractors working the Commercial St. revival project.

NFR members on scene on the afternoon of Saturday, Feb 22 escorting an impacted resident into and out of his Emerald Woods Pl. home for safety reasons. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

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