Top Story of 2025: Nanaimo Infusion continues to pay dividends

Over 100 was an understatement.

An estimated 500 people were at Maffeo Sutton Park on April 26 for the only request from Tod and Jocelyn: a family photo in front of the Nanaimo sign.

Dignitaries spoke and welcomed those attending from Washington, Texas, California, and the Carolinas, as well as from Europe and Australia, but the focus for the informal get-together was showcasing friendship and camaraderie across borders.

Jocelyn admitted the weeks leading up to the meet up were extremely stressful, but their emotions turned a corner once people were seen arriving via ferry and seaplane, then attending a Friday night market arranged for visitors.

“We sweated about two weeks before. I think we knew, logically speaking, there were enough people talking about it, there are enough people talking about their plans in the Discord server, but there wasn’t a lot to lean on in terms of exactly how many. It was a bit scary, it was like a ‘call all your friends’ kind of thing.”

Tod Maffin speaks to a large crowd at the Nanaimo Lions Pavilion, welcoming visitors to the Harbour City. (File photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Pivot to healthcare
While Tod freely admitted the loosely organized gathering was just designed to have fun for the weekend, things quickly changed when it became obvious who was coming.

Of the hundreds in attendance, Tod said at least 30 were healthcare professionals actively seeking new surroundings due, at least in part, to a changing political climate in the United States.

Many went on site tours to NRGH and medical clinics during their stay in Nanaimo, scouting for a new life.

It prompted Tod to make a switch to the Infusion website, which had helped so many spend a weekend on the Island.

“Instead of the website being about, ‘here’s how to get to Vancouver Island, here are the stores you can go to when you’re here’, it became ‘here’s the path to permanent residency, here’s where the job boards are, here are people you can call if you’re a family doctor and you want a tour of a local clinic, here are the recruiters for Island Health.’ I feel like once the local community, in and around Nanaimo, found out that this had been set up, it really took off.”

Dozens of healthcare workers, primarily nurses, have since relocated themselves and their families to Nanaimo and other parts of Vancouver Island.

More are either on their way or are actively planning a future move.

Many who attended April’s gathering wore clothing or accessories expressing support for Canada, or the opposition to current U.S. politics. (File photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

But what’s made the movement more special for both Tod and Jocelyn is the community push behind it.

Tod said the healthcare recruitment system is fine, but can’t necessarily answer all the questions someone might have about moving to a new city or country.

A chat room network, which started as a gathering space for those coming to April’s Infusion, has transformed into a thriving group of Island residents offering their perspectives.

“That’s where the local community come in and say, ‘hey, why don’t I just call you and we’ll tell you. We’ll tell you about what the school is like, or what it’s like for queer kids, or how I feel as a black woman in the mid-Island area.’ Those are things that [Jocelyn and I] don’t have the experience for, that the other parts of the health care recruitment system can’t provide, it’s the community’s role.”

Jocelyn added the community direction Infusion has taken, with those living locally leading the charge in helping answer questions and alleviate concern, is a primary reason why it’s been successful.

“Institutional culture was one of the biggest questions. [Tod and I] think it’s better, but we don’t know, and we get that question over and over and over again, because they’re largely coming from non-unionized, industrial corporate health care. They’re not just leaving a country they don’t fully recognize, they’re leaving a health care system that’s kind of coming apart at the seams, hopefully to come to our health care system and prevent it from falling apart at the seams.”

Maffin expressed, albeit jokingly, he was “only kidding” about inviting people to Nanaimo as he spoke to a crowd of hundreds this past April. (File photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Infectious Infusions
Seeing the success of Nanaimo’s push to recruit healthcare workers to their hospitals and clinics, other areas made it clear they wanted to follow.

“I was getting cities and provinces, ministries of health calling and saying, ‘can you do this for our community?’,” Tod said. “And of course, I can’t, because I don’t know your community, I’ve never lived in your province, it would be inauthentic and no one would believe it.”

But what was consistent among communities was people willing to help out and lead the charge.

Tod and Jocelyn offered up their website template for those interested to try and start similar movements across the country, with over 20 listed so far from coast to coast, including seven in B.C.

More are at various stages prior to launch, with Jocelyn saying it’s again locals leading the charge.

“There’s something about seeing the people you might have as your neighbours taking the pulse of it, getting a sense for those in that community, that I think removes a lot of the stress and concern about, ‘could I live there? Is this a huge mistake?'”

Locals got in the spirit, hosting ‘Adopt an American’ gatherings to showcase the region on a more niche level. (Barbara Joyce Densmore)

Infusion 2.0
Tod and Jocelyn openly admit they benefited from timing on multiple occasions to help create the initial Nanaimo Infusion wave.

A video produced in February playing off supposed tensions between Canada and the United States, and inviting people to Nanaimo for a weekend, went viral.

It happened during the peak of the U.S. administration speaking on annexing Canada to become its 51st State, and during ever-increasing rhetoric, and eventually action, with trade tariffs.

Tod said he had low expectations when hitting publish last winter.

“When I originally did the [first Infusion] video I thought half a dozen people from Bellingham would show up and we’d take them out for dinner. If that’s what shows up again in 2026, then that’s half a dozen from people from Bellingham that are eating in our restaurants that we didn’t have before.”

A second Infusion is planned for April 24-26, with the only scheduled event being another family photo to be taken in front of the Nanaimo sign the morning of the 25.

Like this year, the event is being discussed in the Infusion Discord channel, a free chat room network where visitors and residents make plans and connect.

“You don’t have to make this a big thing,” Tod said on the 2026 event. “You can just put it out there, show that you’re a welcoming community and let what happens, happen. I don’t know how it’ll map out. I hope that people come, I’m sure they will. I hope businesses get a boost from it economically, I’m sure they will. That’s all.”

Tod, much like before the first Infusion, said he has no idea what to expect in terms of turnout for this April.

“I don’t have big plans for it, I just want people to come again.”

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by NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

Top Story of 2025: Nanaimo Infusion continues to pay dividends

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