By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

Rally hopes to build enough support to save endangered free meal program

Apr 5, 2019 | 5:31 PM

NANAIMO — Ardent supporters of a hot meal program in Nanaimo braved pounding rain to take their request for cooperation and salvation right to Nanaimo City Hall.

Roughly a dozen supporters of the Stone Soup program marched from 150 Nicol St., where the program is located in the backyard of a house, to City Hall on Friday, April 5.

They alleged the City isn’t cooperating with Stone Soup organizers to move beyond building code infractions which threaten to shut down the program.

“We’re only here to feed the people,” organizer Tanya Hiltz told NanaimoNewsNOW. “We don’t care about fighting with (the City), we just want to feed the people. That’s the whole name of the game we started a year ago.”

At issue is the structures built in the backyard of 150 Nicol St. without a building permit on land Hiltz and her partner rent. It included a floating deck built by Saywell Developments, support walls, countertops, kitchen appliances and a large tent.

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City inspectors in late February discovered a building permit for the work was never issued.

Some walls and countertops were removed in early March but the floating deck and kitchen appliances remained. They were being removed during the rally on Friday.

Hiltz said they now plan to strip everything down to the grass in the backyard but don’t anticipate stopping the hot meal program which feeds more than 100 homeless and impoverished people nightly.

An eviction notice was issued by the Hiltz’ landlord Paul Manhas.

Hiltz believes if they can reduce or eliminate City pressure on the property, their eviction notice will be rescinded.

In a statement provided after hours to NanaimoNewsNOW, acting mayor Don Bonner said “The City will continue to work with and support volunteers and organizations who abide by our bylaws, policies and legislation.”

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