Key land purchases, shifts in meeting conduct rules and a controversial push for parking lot improvements at City Hall stood out amid an eventful 2025 for Nanaimo Councillors. (File Photos/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

forward momentum

Top Stories of 2025: Conduct, fencing & land purchases make for eventful Nanaimo Council meetings

Dec 27, 2025 | 10:01 AM

NANAIMO — While far from the national headlines made some seven to eight years ago, local council discussions and decisions still garnered a lot of attention this year.

Citing threats made to staff, intimidation during Council meetings from some in the gallery and harassment in the workplace, Nanaimo councillors debated and eventually adopted a number of bylaw amendments focused at conduct on city property.

Included was a Council Procedure Bylaw amendment, which effectively banned members of the public recording photos, video or audio during Council or committee meetings, without prior consent from the meeting’s chair.

“We have had individuals in these chambers that come and videotape staff and provide commentary using defamatory comments, posting them online to undermine staff, and I’m not going to get into the details of what those were, but it’s completely inappropriate,” Coun. Tyler Brown said during an early-April meeting.

Several incidents through 2024 and into 2025 spurred Council to act, including multiple shouting matches between Council and the gallery, as the temporary suspension of a meeting in order for disruptive people to be removed.

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Despite unanimous support for ensuring a safe work environment for councillors and City staff, enthusiasm for the path Council was taking was less overwhelming.

The initially adopted version of the bylaw made no provisions for journalists to independently record, while at least two councillors believed they didn’t have the ability to prevent recording in a public space.

“From my understanding of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, people have a Charter-protected right to photography and videography and recording of sound in public spaces, and as we heard from our legal advice, tonight, this is considered a public space,” coun. Hilary Eastmure said during early discussions in February.

The City eventually adopted an accreditation process for media after adoption of the bylaw.

City staff proposed wrought-iron fencing to enclose the parking lot at the south side of Nanaimo City Hall, along with the neighbouring SARC building across Dunsmuir St. The idea was firmly rejected by councillors. (File Photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

City of fences
A report brought to Council by staff in July, again focused on staff safety, triggered a wave of headlines across the country.

Proposed by staff, without any direction from Council, was fencing off parking lots adjacent to City Hall, as well as the neighbouring Service and Resource Centre on Dunsmuir St., with access closed off outside of business hours.

Parking lot and accessibility improvements were also included in the $412,000 project.

However, an article by The Canadian Press, which was distributed nationally a day before Council even debated the report, focused only on the fence and failed to mention any of the other aspects of the project, creating a volatile public discourse before any action was considered.

The intent behind the project was to shield City property from neighbouring social disorder, which had ripple effects including discovery of weapons, threats to staff and uncomfortable situations in the parking lots.

Council found little desire to follow staff recommendations.

Fencing around City Hall would have covered just a small fraction of the property, with Eastmure suggesting it would just move the issue “five feet sideways”.

“I think it’s just going to lead to migration around the building and new configurations and not actually solve anything, and we’ll be back talking about a bigger perimeter fence, which just really goes against everything I believe in as far as public access.”

She also targeted The Canadian Press article, calling it “completely irresponsible” and the situation surrounding it “unfortunate”.

Council voted down the proposal 6-0, while three councillors were absent for the meeting.

A map of the recently purchased lot in Chase River. (Google Maps)

Land purchases
A pair of land purchases made by the City in 2025 are holding hope for increased community space in two key areas.

In early July, Mayor Leonard Krog announced acquisition of property in Chase River for $3.85 million, which will eventually become a south end community centre.

Part of the purchase price was offset by senior government funding, while the City also committed a further 1.25 million for parking at the new facility.

Plans for the community centre are still conceptual, but will likely follow a similar model to the immensely popular Oliver Woods Community Centre in the city’s north end.

Current designs estimate a two-storey facility between 54,000 and 66,000 square feet, however both Krog and City staff stressed they’re very early in the process and everything would be cost-dependent.

“I can’t really be specific, I’m not being evasive, I’m just being realistic, depending what the costs come in like,” Krog said.

A 2023 capital projects overview presented to Council estimated the project between $40 to $80 million.

A new boat storage, community space and washroom facility is slated to be built at Loudon Park on Long Lake, although the exact shape, size and scope need to be decided. (File photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Another major step forward, after years and years of debate, was a new boat house and community space on the shores of Long Lake.

Council initially approved a design for Loudon Park in early spring before backtracking amid public outcry a month later.

At issue was the number of mature trees needing to be removed to accommodate the proposed building.

Purchase of two residential properties on Victoria Ave. in October provided the needed space to move designs and keep park land, while also constructing needed infrastructure.

The $2.2 million purchase included both 4288 and 4246 Victoria Ave.

“To actually improve this park in a way that will make it a wonderful place for the neighbourhood, but also for the people who need and want to continue to exercise their skills, to train, to build spirit, community and pride on the lake behind us,” Krog said at the time.

Two months later, Council gave the green light to a $10+ million project to develop and eventually build a boat storage area, meeting space and other amenities on the newly acquired land, while also including enhancements to the park itself.

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