Home > General
admin on March 11th, 2010

The Town of Qualicum Beach has 6 vacant lots up for sale.  They are:

1125 Ravensbourne Lane
266 Hoylake Road West
770 Eagle Ridge Place
773 Eagle Ridge Place
527 Aspen Avenue
531 Aspen Avenue

For more information and deadline to purchase visit Qualicum Beach.

Tags: Qualicum beach

Home > General
admin on March 11th, 2010

Have you noticed the gas prices have jumped up?  It must be spring break, or the busiest traveling weekend is coming up.

Tags: gas prices on vancouver island

Home > Arts, Portraits
admin on March 10th, 2010
adrianduke Portrait Wednesday   Say hi to Adrian

Adrian

Portrait courtesy of “Artist Marie”.  If you would like to be featured on Portrait Wednesday just send an email to info@midislandnews.com

Home > General
admin on March 10th, 2010

Next month on April 4th or 5th is the Qing Ming Festival when Chinese families visit the graves of their ancestors with offerings.  There is a rich history of Chinese settlement in Nanaimo.  There are 4 cemeteries which include Chinese graves in Nanaimo.  In 1890 the coal company donated land at the corner of Stewart and St. George Street it was an active cemetery from 1890 to 1924.  In 1976 the Nanaimo Chinese community presented the site to the City as the Garden Memorial to Chinese Pioneers.  This was the first garden in Canada to commemorate the contribution made by the Chinese and their Canadian-born children to Canada.  Thanks to the hard work of Ed Lee, Chuck Wong and Davey Thom.   For historical records you can find more information at the Nanaimo Community Archives.

Tags: festival, nanaimo

Home > General
admin on March 9th, 2010

Parksville’s Wood Chipping Program is to get under way April 6 to April 23, 2010 between the hours of 8 am and 2:30 pm.

Only put out branches for pickup on the scheduled day!
Branches with a maximum diameter of 6 inches (15 cm), stacked with the larger end of the branch or trunk facing the roadway;

Piles must be limited to a size of 5 feet wide by 3 feet high, and only one pile per residence will be removed by the chipper crew.

Here is the Spring Chip Up Schedule:
Monday, April 6 through Thursday, April 9
north of Highway 19A (ocean side of highway), including the north side of the highway, between Dogwood Street and Wright Road
Monday, April 12 through Thursday, April 15
south of Highway 19A, including the south side of the highway, between Moilliet Street and Church Road, including both sides of Moilliet Street
Friday, April 16 through Tuesday, April 202
east of Moilliet Street to Corfield Street, north and south of the highway, including both sides of Corfield Street
Wednesday, April 21 through Friday, April 24
east of Corfield Street, north and south of Highway 19A, including the resort area, to the eastern boundary of the City

Questions? call Parksville Engineering  Depart. 250 248-5412

Tags: parksville

Home > Outdoors
admin on March 8th, 2010
barrow's golden eye

Barrow's Goldeneye courtesy of Ralph Hocken's Photography

This Barrow’s Goldeneye was seen at Qualicum Beach, Vancouver Island.

Enjoy your spring break!

Tags: photo moments monday, Qualicum beach

Home > General
admin on March 8th, 2010

How does the water get to your tap? How is it managed? How it is cleaned?   Did you think the City of Nanaimo looks after this?

The City of Nanaimo is looking for a primary waterworks supplier who will manage the delivery of the water services.  To find out more go to www.nanaimo.ca

Tags: nanaimo, WaterSmart

Home > Arts, Comics
admin on March 5th, 2010
bob's budget blues

help the budget blues!

Art work courtesy of “Artist Marie”

Hope you have a scuba weekend!

Tags: comical character hand drawn, funny friday

Home > General
admin on March 5th, 2010

Where you affected by the heavy rains which caused flooding between January 11-18, 2010?

There is funding available to you if you incurred more than $1,000 of  damage, you maybe able to qualify.

Areas of Nanaimo and the Regional District of Nanaimo were affected by the floods in January.

To find out more call the Provincial Emergency Program at 1-888-257-4777.

The deadline is April 27, 2010.

Tags: nanaimo

Home > Events
admin on March 4th, 2010

Are you a gardener? The place to be is Seedy Sunday this Sunday March 7, 2010 from 10 am to 3pm at Bowen Park Auditorium.

Head down to Seedy Sunday and trade or purchase organic and non-hybrid seeds.  Also, you can purchase native plants, bee houses, rain barrels and other tools for self-reliance.
The focus is on, but not limited to, organic, heritage and heirloom seed varieties.  Attendees are encouraged to bring their own well marked seeds to trade at the seed exchange table.

Have Fun!!

Tags: seedy sunday in nanaimo

Home > Outdoors
admin on March 3rd, 2010

The Brant Geese are arriving from their non stop flight from Morro Bay, California! Over 3000 air km!

Drop by Parksville Community Park to find out all about Brant geese as they congregate waiting for the amazing spring phenomena of the Pacific herring spawn.  Time to feed up for the next leg of their amazing journey to Alaska.

Spotting scopes will be set up and Arrowsmith Naturalists will be on hand to answer all of your questions about the biodiversity in Parksville Bay and the Strait of Georgia.

Learn about the life history of Brant, how biologists keep track of individuals that have been coming to Parksville & Qualicum for decades and about the biodiversity of species that make the Strait of Georgia one of the most fascinating places on earth.

Saturday, March 6, 2010
10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Parksville Community Park

For more information on activities visit The Brant Festival

Tags: parksville, Qualicum beach, the brant wildlife festival

Home > Arts, Portraits
admin on March 3rd, 2010
portrait of carly

Watercolour by "Artist Marie"

If you would like to be featured in our Portrait Wednesdays, send an email to info@midislandnews.com

Tags: Portrait Wednesday

Home > Outdoors
admin on March 2nd, 2010

Hello BC has a really nice write up about scuba diving in Nanaimo:

Legendary oceanographer Jacques Cousteau once described the Strait of Georgia  as “the best temperate water diving in the world, second only to the Red Sea.” Not surprisingly then, scuba divers eager to forgo a trip to the Middle East are thrilled by the proximity of world-class marine adventures near Nanaimo.

Nanaimo has smartly established itself as the premier diving destination in Canada. The big attraction: Three “artificial reefs” created from decommissioned and scuttled navy ships. A handful of scuba diving outfitters and charter companies can provide all necessary gear to make the experience safe and memorable.

Divers flock here to either explore the ships or introduce themselves to the local marine life from walk-in spots along the coast. The cold, green waters are home to giant Pacific octopi, wolf eels, sea lions, seals and an undersea garden of sponges, kelp beds and brilliantly colored anemones.
Artificial Reefs

The sunken ships are a major draw for thousands of divers annually. Representatives from the Artificial Reef Society of British Columbia and the Cousteau Society were on hand for the sinking of the H.M.C.S. Saskatchewan in 1997. The 366ft/112m destroyer now sits on the ocean floor near Snake Island, a bird sanctuary and seal colony east of Nanaimo.

A few dozen flipper strokes from the Saskatchewan is the H.M.C.S. Cape Breton, a Second World War supply vessel sunk in 2001. Recognized as the world’s largest artificial upright reef, it’s a playground for advanced divers.

Beginners are advised to hone their diving skills on the area’s latest artificial reef. A deep-sea rescue tugboat, commissioned in 1940 for service in the North Sea off the English coast, was sunk in 2005 in the relatively shallow waters of Departure Bay.

Enjoy your scuba adventure!

Tags: nanaimo, scuba diving

Home > Arts, Music
admin on March 2nd, 2010

Are you a musician? Are you an entertainer?  Nanaimo Parks and Recreation needs you!

Entertainers are needed for Canada Day and for Hot Summer Nights concert series.   Applications are accepted until March 31, 2010.  For more info visit www.nanaimo.ca or email Tara.Fedosoff@nanaimo.ca regarding Canada Day entertainment or Brian.Sugiyama@nanaimo.ca regarding Hot Summer Nights entertainment wanted.

Tags: Hot Summer Night Conert Series, nanaimo