Designs for a new warehouse for Loaves and Fishes Food Bank received high praise as a City panel saw it as a fantastic way to move the ever-expanding organization forward. (Saywell Contracting Ltd/Alvin Reinhard Fritz Architect)

By Alex Rawnsley

MOVING FORWARD

‘To make sure that food gets to the vulnerable people who need it:’ strong support for new Nanaimo Loaves and Fishes warehouse

Jan 27, 2023 | 1:23 PM

NANAIMO — An invaluable local and regional service provider’s substantial expansion plans are on track to bolster food security and availability for decades to come.

A proposed 29,600 square foot warehouse, distribution centre and office on East Wellington Rd., near Bowen Rd. for Nanaimo Loaves and Fishes Community Food Bank is advancing through the necessary municipal requirements.

Architectural designs and plans presented at a Thursday, Jan. 26 City of Nanaimo Design Advisory Panel meeting received overwhelming praise and support, with only a handful of minor recommendations made.

“There is lots of food out there, in fact there is more than enough food to feed everyone,” Peter Sinclair, executive director of Loaves and Fishes said, in his pitch for the new building. “The challenge is making sure we have the logistics, systems and the infrastructure in place to make sure that food gets to the vulnerable people who need it.”

Their current 6,000 square foot facility on Fry St. is bursting at the seams, with the organization having seen rapid growth and demand in their services over recent years.

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A Food Recovery Program which started with a single, local supermarket in 2012 has expanded across much of the central Island.

Sinclair said they were from handling around $800,000 worth of food before the program started, to roughly $7.5 million last year.

The read of the building would be reserved for office space and food distribution, allowing people walk or drive up and get what they need. (Saywell Contracting Ltd/Alvin Reinhard Fritz Architect)

He added the new warehouse is critical to their operations and would allow them to expand the number of hours they’re open and available for people to pick up what they need.

“There is more that we can do for these vulnerable people,” Sinclair said. “We see this not just as an opportunity but as a responsibility. We have to make sure this food that is available is put into the hands of people who so desperately need it.”

The new facility would include more of everything Loaves and Fishes needs, including warehouse space, bottle sorting and recycling capacities, office space and food distribution areas.

Also included in the plans is a partially underground 13-space parking lot which takes advantage of an eight metre slope on the lot and rooftop garden.

Kyle Riley, an architect with the project, told the panel their design process took a great deal of time to work with the natural contours of the land, and ensuring neighbours in the area wouldn’t be disturbed.

“The empties and bottle processing which is focused on the East Wellington side of the site, which then leads into the more food handling and warehouse spacing. We’ve focused the office portion towards the rear section of the property which then fronts…the multi-use family development that’s going to be happening on vacant land at the back.”

In essence, anything which could be noisy would be directed out to industrial parts of Nanaimo, while quieter operations would neighbour a future residential area.

The proposed layout of the building, with more noise-creating activities occurring away from residential areas (to the right of image). (Saywell Contracting Ltd/Alvin Reinhard Fritz Architect)

The Design Advisory Panel made four recommendations, including canopies on loading bay doors on the north and west sides for weather protection and using complementary materials to cover up industrial equipment on the roof such as air conditioners.

Additional bike parking and creation of shower facilities for employees were also discussed.

Designs submitted also requested a trio of minor variances related to building height as well as landscape buffering and treatment with minimal objections raised from the panel.

The City of Nanaimo bought East Wellington Rd. lot late in 2021 to allow Loaves and Fishes to advance the project. It’s located immediately next to a Canada Post office and sorting facility.

Loaves and Fishes serves communities across Vancouver Island through its programming and outreach.

In December 2022, 5,280 people made over 9,000 visits to their Nanaimo location.

A side view of the property from East Wellington Rd., showing truck loading bays and the warehouse space. (Saywell Contracting Ltd/Alvin Reinhard Fritz Architect)

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