If you went from Gabriola to Nanaimo this afternoon, you might have noticed all manner of commotion, smoke, and noise in the Nanaimo Harbour: there was a boat on fire. It seemed to be a 30-40 foot boat (though what can one tell from afar?), and there was lots of brown smoke to start with. [...]
Filed in ferries,Nanaimo,news 4 Comments so far
Gabriola’s new recycling program left me with a problem – the RDN says we can’t put glass in our recycling bins anymore. What to do with the glass, then? GIRO isn’t a convenient option for me, so I went to check out the Nanaimo Recycling Exchange. Their recycling depot is just off Bowen Road near [...]
Filed in environment,Nanaimo Comments Off
This is one of several freighters anchored near Nanaimo. (Photo taken from the Quinsam, of course.) Do they unload somewhere nearby, or are they just waiting for a space to anchor in English Bay?
Filed in Nanaimo 4 Comments so far
Looking for good coffee on Gabriola? If you like regular coffee you’ll do fine. But if you want espresso or espresso ristretto …ah, well. You’ve got to make your own or get off the island. Our favourite coffee place in Nanaimo these days is Mon Petit Choux. The croissants are fantastic, the barista is brilliant, [...]
Filed in food,Gabriola Island,Nanaimo 4 Comments so far
In February I blogged about a Lotus pinnatus, a rare flower that grows on Gabriola and in the Nanaimo area. Nanaimo was thinking about adopting that flower as its official emblem; now they’ve done it. From the Nanaimo News Bulletin: Nanaimo names Lotus pinnatus as official floral emblem. At the height of its annual, short-lived [...]
Filed in Gabriola Island,Nanaimo,native plants Comments Off
[Let me begin by thanking Gabriolan for the invitation to contribute to this blog. I expect any future contributions will likely follow the model of this one: infrequent but fairly lengthy coverage of a specific topic related to some human cultural aspect of Gabriola and nearby areas. I claim no expertise in most of these [...]
Filed in First Nations,Gabriola Island,Nanaimo 4 Comments so far
On Gabriola, we have serious problems with invasive plants. Broom, daphne, honeysuckle, holly, English ivy, blue iris — these are just a few of our problems, and they’re spreading at an alarming rate. They Aren’t From Here. They take more resources than they should, and steal nutrients and water that native plants should be getting. [...]
Filed in Gabriola Island,gardening,invasive plants,Nanaimo,native plants 2 Comments so far
Now this is just too much fun and comfort to miss. (Or I am easily amused?) Next time you’re in Nanaimo, stop in at the Flying Fish. (It’s at the corner of Bastion and Commercial Street.) Go try the Zero Gravity Perfect Chair. Sit down, pull the lever on the left armrest, and push back. [...]
Filed in Nanaimo Comments Off
From the Daily News: No interest in proposal to pipe water to Gabriola. A Gabriola resident’s idea to pipe water to the island from Nanaimo failed to get a bite from the Islands Trust on Thursday. Jeremy Baker made his pitch to the Islands Trust committee struck to deal with a growing water shortage problem. [...]
Filed in environment,Gabriola Island,Islands Trust,Nanaimo Comments Off
Today we were in Nanaimo, and stopped by a cafe called The Buzz for coffee. Pretty good coffee! We’ve been many times. Near the cash register, they’ve posted this sign. It introduces Achala, the sponsor child the cafe supports. They take money from the tip jar, and sponsor this kid in Sri Lanka. This made [...]
From the Nanaimo News Bulletin: Investor needed for commuter ferry. A businessman’s plans for passenger ferry service between downtown Nanaimo and Vancouver hinges on another investor stepping to the plate. Ihab Shaker, owner of Coastal Link Ferries, started a commuter run from Bowen Island to Vancouver last fall. In January, the company was contemplating a [...]
Wow. Get a load of Darrell Bellaart’s article in the the Nanaimo Daily News: Bridge idea is likely doomed. Just imagine a simple toll bridge being the only obstacle to the 10-minute weekend drive to Gabriola. A daytrip to visit an islander or to spend an afternoon on one of the beaches. The additional traffic [...]
Filed in environment,Gabriola Island,Nanaimo 2 Comments so far
If you’ve ever waited for eight or nine hours in the emergency ward at the Nanaimo Regional General Hospital, you might be interested in this idea: virtual waiting room pitched to ease ER loads. The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service is proposing a virtual emergency department waiting room that could take the load off the real [...]
Filed in Nanaimo Comments Off
The City of Nanaimo to wants to see how many people are interested in a passenger ferry service from Nanaimo to Vancouver Harbour. If you’d like to say your bit on the topic, complete their online survey.
I’m planning a trip to Nanaimo soon, and already drooling about what I’m going to have for lunch. With that in mind, I thought I’d pause and tell you about my favourite Nanaimo lunch place, the Thirsty Camel. Do you know it? It’s just a short walk from the Gabriola ferry terminal, at the top [...]
The other day I went to the Snuneymuxw exhibit at the Nanaimo Museum. The part that interested me most was a little plaque that said: The Snuneymuxw had a small breed of dog whose fur was spun and woven into fabric. Through trade, they also aquired wool from mountain goats and later, sheep. As with [...]
Filed in Gabriola Island,history,Nanaimo Comments Off
Now here’s something you might like to attend if you’re in Nanaimo tomorrow night: Archaeological Society of British Columbia Nanaimo chapter presentation: 7 p.m. at Vancouver Island University, Building 356, Room 109. Nick Doe will make a presentation on the meaning of the petroglyphs on Gabriola Island. That’s from the Nanaimo Daily News. They didn’t [...]
Filed in events,Gabriola Island,history,Nanaimo Comments Off
