Your help is needed! The Community Organized Dental Clinic Committee is looking for volunteers to help finish setting up a dental clinic situated above the Diner’s Rendezvous restaurant at 489 Wallace Street in Downtown Nanaimo.

The committee is also in need of donations or discounts on building materials. It is also looking for more dentists to volunteer at the clinic, in addition to the four already willing to offer their services.

Leanne Salter, chair of the Committee said there are many people who need the help. “To suffer like that for so long, there are a lot of people right now that are in a lot of pain and suffering and can’t afford to have it addressed,” said Salter. “We want to deliver services to people that don’t have the means to access regular dentist clinics now.”

To volunteer or donate building supplies, please call Chris Boldt at 250-758-7121.

You will be rewarded after the annual pool maintenance shutdown at the Ladysmith Community Centre which is closed until September 12.  The fitness Centre is open during the pool shutdown as follows: Monday – Friday, 6:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Saturday- Sunday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Closed Sunday, Sept. 12.
The pool reopens and fitness classes start Sept. 13 with the regular Fall Schedule.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Tim’s Tuesday Sept. 14, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. Free Everyone Welcome Swim…a donation to the Food Bank would be appreciated.

Are you interested in going green? There are some very informative Green Building Seminar Series coming up that you will want to visit.
Starting on September 7th until the 18th there will be the following seminars. All seminars run from 7pm to 9pm:

1.Tuesday, September 7 at St. Columba Presbyterian Church Hall in French Creek, Troy Glasner of E3 Eco Group,
Carsten Jensen of Jensys Buildings;

2.Wednesday, September 8 at Extension Community Hall in Extension, Jack Anderson of Anderson Greenplan
Elke Cole of O.U.R. EcoVillage and Elke Cole Natural House Design and Consulting;

3.Thursday, September 9 at North Cedar Fire Hall in Cedar, 
Jack Anderson of Anderson Greenplan,
Brandon Bauer of The Blue Raven Farm;

4.Monday, September 13 at Lighthouse Community Hall in Qualicum Bay, Jim Smith of Wizards 4 Environmental Technologies,
Ryan Clark of Twelve Cubed Constructions;

5.Tuesday, September 14 at Oliver Woods Community Centre in Nanaimo,
Ken Connolly of Pheasant Hill Homes,
Ryan Clark of Twelve Cubed Constructions;

6.Wednesday, September 15 at Bradley Centre in Coombs, Ann and Gord Baird of Eco-Sense,
Cindy and Bill McCaugherty of RainCoast Homes;

7.Thursday, September 16 at Nanoose Library Centre in Nanoose Bay, Carsten Jensen of Jenesys Buildings,
Michel Labrie of Michel Labrie Architect
Scott Fleenor of TerraTek Energy Solutions;

8.Friday, September 17 at Gabriola Community Hall on Gabriola Island, Cindy and Bill McCaugherty of RainCoast Homes,
Ian Gartshore of Shore Energy Solutions.

On Saturday, September 18 residents will have an opportunity to visit green building sites that use innovative technologies and practices such as passive design strategies, solar hot water heating, green roofs, straw bale construction, cob construction, and compact building design.

For more information go to www.nanaimo.ca

Have you seen all the renovation activity at Ravensong Aquatic Centre in Qualicum Beach?  There is so much work to do that the Ravensong Aquatic Centre will not re-open as scheduled on September 26.  Instead, the pool, which closed for construction on June 6, is scheduled to re-open on Monday, December 6.

A variety of upcoming aquatics programs at Ravensong will also be affected by the extended closure, including swimming lessons, aquafit, public swim sessions, birthday parties, and user group rentals.

The extension of the Project Schedule is required primarily to cover repairs to the glass curtain walls on the East & West walls, remediation of severely corroded structural steel, and required window replacements, items which were beyond the extent of what was known at the time the original schedule was generated. Also contributing to the scheduling are some secondary items, such as extended equipment manufacturing and delivery timelines, mold abatement, and selective interior remediation work.

The $4.6 million Ravensong Upgrades 2010 project includes replacing the pool’s barrel vault skylight, replacing the water treatment system, light fixture replacements, improvements to change rooms, addition of solar water heating, drain pipe work, and air handling and electrical upgrades.

The additional upgrades include new lighting in the lobby and change rooms, new exterior painting and signage, re-tile of the whirlpool, and conversion of space to accommodate a fourth family change room.

Are you planning to head off the island this long weekend?  You will be interested to know that the following are historically busy times for the ferries at Departure Bay:

Thursday and Friday September 2 & 3rd from  1pm to 6pm. / Monday, September 6th from 3pm to 4pm. / Tuesday, September 7th from 8:30am to 3pm.

Happy Planning!

Are you ready to turn green? Starting in September two city garbage routes, E and F will receive their green kitchen composting bins and information packages.  To find out which route you are just have a look at the top left hand corner of your garbage collection schedule.

Scheduled collection on the 10 routes involved starts after Thanksgiving. Residences on the 20 remaining City-serviced Routes, ‘A’ through ‘D’, will start participating in 2011.
The Green Bin Program will be picked up every week, while the recycling and garbage collection will alternate schedules.  Here’s all the things you can put in your green bins: (please do not put your pet’s doggie doo bags in there!)

•Food leftovers, plate scrapings
•Meat, fish, poultry and bones
•Fruit and vegetable scraps
•Dairy products, butter, mayonnaise
•Egg shells
•Bread, cereal, grains
•Pasta, rice, pizza
•Baked goods, candies
•Soiled paper towels and tissues
•Soiled paper food packaging
•Food soiled cardboard
•Used paper cups and plates
•Coffee grounds, filters, tea bags
•Ice cream and milk & cream cartons
•Baking ingredients, herbs, spices
•Houseplants, cut and dried flowers
•Nuts and shells
•Compostable bags (must have certified compostable logo)

For more infomation go to www.beyondcomposting.ca

Do you live in Extentsion? There will a pubic information meeting regarding Myles Lake Road, in Extension, Electoral Area ‘C’ to provide an opportunity to review an application proposing to create a four lot subdivision for a property at 2610 Myles Lake Road in Electoral Area ‘C’.
The public meeting will be held at: Extension Community Hall
2140 Ryder Street, Extension 
on: Thursday September 9th 2010
time: 7:00 – 9:00pm

Are you a Gabriola resident?  If you fill in a SepticSmart survey you will be entered to win free groceries!

Gabriola residents who complete the survey by August 31st will be entered into a draw for a $50 voucher at the grocery store of their choice. The survey is intended for Gabriola residents, and is available at www.septicsmart.ca, or by calling 250-390-6560.

Regional District of Nanaimo staff will use the survey to improve the region-wide SepticSmart education program, as well as future newsletters.

In July the RDN mailed a four page SepticSmart newsletter to all homes on Gabriola Island. Staff will update the newsletter as recommended by the survey, and will mail a new version to rural residents throughout the RDN in late 2010. Launched in November 2008, SepticSmart encourages homeowners to be proactive in the care and maintenance of their septic systems.

Do you supply lighting? Tenders are invited from qualified and experienced firms for the lighting upgrades, for the following City of Nanaimo buildings:
Fire Station 1 666 Fitzwilliam Street
Fire Station 2 2499 Dorman Road
Fire Station 3 6230 Hammond Bay Road
Parks Yard Buildings 89 Prideaux Street
Public Works Yard Administration 2020 Labieux Road
Public Works Truck Barn 2020 Labieux Road
Public Works Yard Casting Shed 2020 Labieux Road
Public Works Purchasing 2020 Labieux Road
Completion of the described work is by March 3, 2011. The contract and purchase order is planned to be awarded after receiving BC Hydro incentive approval, anticipated to be late September or October 2010. The City intends to award all of the sites to one vendor. The City of Nanaimo does reserve the right to add or delete sites depending on available budget and Hydro approvals. An optional pre-bid site meeting will be held at 9:00 a.m., August 20, 2010 convening at the main reception office at the Public Works Yard, 2020 Labieux Road, Nanaimo, BC to view the  sites and receive any questions regarding the proposed work.  Closing date and time: Responses must be received at the Nanaimo Purchasing Department before 2:00 PM PST on August 31, 2010. 

For more information of this opportunity and others visit the City of Nanaimo website.

If you drive down Bowen Road in Nanaimo plan to take an alternative route on August 21 & 22, 2010.
Contractors working for the City of Nanaimo will be relocating the sanitary sewer in preparation for the upcoming Quarterway Bridge construction in 2011. Anticipated construction completion is mid to late September.
This project requires rock blasting to excavate the utility trench crossing on Bowen Road. To address public safety concerns, Bowen Road will be CLOSED from Pryde Ave. to Wakesiah Ave. to all vehicular and pedestrian traffic on Saturday, August 21, at 7:00 a.m. and will be reopened on Sunday, August 22, at 9:00 p.m.

Southbound vehicular traffic will be detoured to Townsite Rd. via Pryde Ave. Northbound vehicular traffic will be detoured to Townsite Rd. via Wall St.