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NANAIMO - Conversations about homelessness in the harbour city happen every day but a campaign wants to make sure the right conversations are happening. Homelessness Action Weeks runs from Sunday, Oct...
Maria Doty Oct 15, 2019 Up to 600 people are believed to be experiencing homelessness in the Harbour City this year. (File photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)
NANAIMO - A free meal program for Nanaimo's homeless and struggling families has found a new home. Efforts to rebuild Stone Soup are underway on a property behind it's original location near the corne...
Maria Doty Oct 13, 2019 This corner of a yard near the original location of Stone Soup will shortly be used to feed roughly 150 people a night. (Spencer Sterritt/NanaimoNewsNOW)
NANAIMO - A vacant chunk of land in Nanaimo's Old City Quarter neighbourhood will remain empty for now after council rejected a contentious multi-family housing proposal.Council voted 6-3 against a 17...
Maria Doty Oct 09, 2019 A proposal calling for 175 apartment/townhouse units on Machleary St. was denied by Nanaimo City Council on Oct. 9. The 6-3 no vote occurred following a pair of lengthy public hearings. (Molnar Group)
NANAIMO - A contentious upper Lantzville property once home to an illegal recreational vehicle park has been cleared, but it was far from a smooth process.The District of Lantzville confirmed a BC Sup...
Alex Rawnsley Oct 02, 2019 This upper Lantzville property on Clark Rd. W held as many as 13 RV's. The District of Lantzville says the property is now compliant, following a lengthy court battle. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)
NANAIMO - Local and provincial leaders got an earful from Nanaimo residents tired of escalating crime in the community.More than 200 people crammed the Nanaimo Entertainment Centre Tuesday night to so...
Alex Rawnsley Oct 01, 2019 Nanaimo MLA Sheila Malcolmson was in the line of fire of angry residents at an Oct. 1 meeting in downtown Nanaimo. Social disorder concerns linked to addiction and mental health issues were discussed.
NANAIMO - It remains unclear if a hotly contested housing proposal at the former Malaspina Gardens site will get off the ground.A marathon public hearing for 388 Machleary St. was adjourned Thursday, ...
Alex Rawnsley Sep 19, 2019 An artist rendering of what a large housing proposal for the old Malaspina Gardens site on Machleary St. would look like. Sketch depicts looking uphill from Kennedy St. (Molnar Group.)
NANAIMO - With any luck, Roger and Janet Bingham won't have to spend their 14th winter huddled together on their boat moored off the coast of Protection Island. Unfortunately luck is in short supply. ...
Alex Rawnsley Sep 10, 2019 Roger and Janet Bingham, who hope to not spend their 14th winter on the chilly waters off Protection Island. (Submitted/Janet Bingham)
NANAIMO - A previously underutilized part of Nanaimo's downtown is receiving a significant development boost. Construction is underway or planned for numerous mixed-use developments in the Chapel St. ...
Maria Doty Sep 05, 2019 Crews recently demolished a run-down building on Front and Chapel Streets to make way for a six-storey hotel. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)
PARKSVILLE - The finishing touches are being put in place before more than 50 people experiencing or close to experiencing homelessness have a new place to thrive. Orca Place, an $8.4 million supporti...
Maria Doty Aug 16, 2019 Many residents of Orca Place won't have personal effects to fill their rooms, but are expected to quickly make each suite feel like home. (Spencer Sterritt/NanaimoNewsNOW)
PARKSVILLE - A day long-in-the-works has finally arrived for those experiencing homelessness in the Oceanside area. The 52-unit, $8.4 million supportive housing facility known as Orca Place officially...
Maria Doty Jul 30, 2019 ICCS executive director Violet Hayes and Oceanside Task Force on Homelessness member Renate Sutherland. (Spencer Sterritt/NanaimoNewsNOW)