Collen Middleton, interim head of the Nanaimo Area Public Safety Association, said Monday the provincial and federal governments must act on public safety. (Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

justice reform

‘This has gone on far too long:’ Nanaimo groups demand action on public safety

Mar 13, 2023 | 1:07 PM

NANAIMO — Local groups are repeating their calls for action from the provincial and federal governments on public safety.

They come after a 49-year-old Nanaimo businessman was shot in the stomach on Sunday, March 12 after trying to retrieve equipment stolen from his shop a few days prior.

Collen Middleton, interim chair of the Nanaimo Area Public Safety Association, led a gathering of these groups and local media on Monday, March 13 at the site of the incident, and said action is long overdue.

“The province has to step in, this has gone on far too long. Enough was enough so long ago. Civil society cannot sustain this burden, it’s just not possible.”

Middleton spoke specifically about an apparent lack of action through the criminal justice system, which has previously enabled repeat offenders through a cycle of offending and being released on promises to appear.

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He said the issue had grown well beyond the scope of local government to correct.

“I don’t know what more can be done. The City of Nanaimo wants a clean and safe community just as much as the rest of us. The province right now has to…make it safer for the community. People are being left to their own devices both on the streets and also to protect their own property.”

Middleton pointed to the housing complex nearby to the shooting as a focal point for growing challenges in the area.

There is no evidence to suggest anybody directly linked to 250 Terminal Ave. was involved in Sunday’s shooting.

“We know full well there are drug dealers in there, preying on people that are struggling in addiction. We know people are storing stolen property in those places. This system isn’t working…it has to change course and we have to have a feeling of safety and security for the sake of civil society.”

Around 20 people from local community groups and media outlets gathered behind the former White Spot location on Terminal Ave., which was the site of a shooting Sunday afternoon. (Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Friends of the victim said he is in an induced coma at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital and is due for further surgery.

Jeff Callaghan runs Van Isle Clean Team and was part of the group of roughly six people who went to the encampment with “no real intentions” at nearby Barsby Park Sunday afternoon.

He said they showed up and immediately found stolen equipment, including a table saw and a motor lift, which people at the camp said weren’t stolen.

“We came over here to reclaim the property and we went down to the camp, guys came out of the camp…then we spotted more of [the victim’s] stolen property so [the victim] went to reach in to grab the stolen property, then one of the guys took a swing at [him].”

He said they got all the gear and ran back towards Terminal Ave. as some at the camp took “pot shots” at the group.

Callaghan also said a number of people went around and shot at the group from a different direction as they crossed Terminal Ave.

It was then they discovered the victim was shot.

“We didn’t know he was shot until we got back [to the parking lot], he came walking back like he wasn’t even hit. Finally, he was walking over and said ‘I think one of them got me’.”

Callaghan said one bullet and two BB gun pellets hit the victim, but estimated 10 to 15 shots were fired around the former White Spot parking lot with more closer to the encampment.

While he admitted calling police would have also achieved the goal of reclaiming the stolen gear, it wouldn’t have solved anything.

“There would be no charges, they would have just carried on with their own ways,” Callaghan said. “We wanted to show the neighbourhood was showing up, no more of this [expletive]. It went a little farther than it should have, we weren’t expecting them to have guns.”

Police said they don’t support the actions of the group, adding the situation was easily avoidable.

Two people were arrested at the camp, however both were for outstanding warrants on unrelated charges.

Officers have not arrested or charged anyone for the shooting itself.

Editor’s note: NanaimoNewsNOW is not publicly naming the victim due to a request by some close to him, out of concern for both him and his business. Quotes mentioning the victim’s name have been partially redacted as a result.

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