At the last Nanaimo Council meeting on Monday, October 28, 2013, city hall watcher Mr. Fred Taylor gave a presentation to council regarding concerns for the future of Caledonia Park in Nanaimo.

The debt-laden City may be looking to sell off some land starting with the lot at 350 Park Street, which is to be changed over to R1 Single Dwelling Residential Property from Community Service Two (CS2).   The property is owned by the City of Nanaimo  but remains vacant and is surrounded by other City owned vacant R1 lands.

Why not make the slope part of Caledonia Park? Why would they want to rezone this area to build houses on an unstable cliff, given all the seismic concerns of the City? Is this why the playing field and sports building have been left to abandonment?

“Zoning Bylaw Amendment Bylaw 2013 No. 4500.053” (ZA1-51 – 11 text amendments and 10 map changes) passed first and second reading on Monday, October 28, 2013 with Councillors Bestwick, Kipp and MacKay opposed. The red line marks a trail that people currently use and the blue line is the Millstone River.

Caledonia Park Nanaimo

Could this be another Pioneer Park situation where a few rezoning shuffles and swaps end up as a potential housing development, where people once thought they had a park? The Caledonia Track Field is owned by School District 68.

First and second reading have already passed. There should be a public hearing on this topic soon. Email mayor&council@nanaimo.ca and request they make Caledonia Park and adjacent lands a park—not too much to ask since the City of Nanaimo owns these R1 lots.