Midcoast Morning

Art is in the air this weekend in Nanaimo. To mark Nanaimo’s 25th annual artwalk, Midcoast Morning spoke with the artists behind some pieces you might see around town. David Martinello’s new sculpture Compelling Agency was recently installed in the old city quarter as part of the city’s temporary public art program, and Amy Pye explains why having her banner design chosen to mark 150 years of the...

Where do boats go when they die? There are more than a thousand tugs, ships, and other seafaring craft in British Columbia listed on the Canadian Coast Guard’s inventory of wrecked, abandoned or hazardous vessels. The provincial government recently announced grants totaling ten and a half million dollars for coastal cleanup initiatives. That funding is going in part to dispose of derelict vessels....

In theory, building and fire codes exist to protect us. But what happens if someone’s last resort for a place to spend the night doesn’t meet the building code? That’s a reality that Nanaimo City Council acknowledged this week. They approved a policy resolution telling staff not to enforce the building and fire codes when non-profit shelter operators were making reasonable efforts to address any i...

Nobody likes cold feet. As the weather gets colder, those unhoused in our communities know this more than anyone. Right now, two groups are coming together to help warm feet. Today we’re talking to Nanaimo Women Helping Women, a grassroots organization that works to support women–with or without children– in the community who are in crisis. They not only support women experiencing intimate partner...

Electoral reform is once again an issue in the House of Commons.  Back in the summer, NDP MP for Nanaimo-Ladysmith Lisa Marie Barron put forward a motion for the creation of a National Citizens Assembly on Electoral Reform. If created, this assembly would recommend alternatives to our current first-past-the-post system.  This comes after the Liberal government's 2015 campaign promise for electoral...

Nanaimo is a hub for arts & culture. This Friday, November 17th, the Nanaimo Art Gallery is hosting Making Waves, a community event to celebrate all things creative. This twice-yearly event highlights creatives from various areas of arts and culture in the city and gives attendees insight into the work they do. Featured in this event are four artists and creators who are making waves in their...

In another move by the provincial government in response to the housing crisis, new legislation has been introduced to create more small-scale multi-unit housing. The result of the new legislation will see changes in zoning allowing for small-scale multi-unit housing to be built where previously only single-family homes were allowed. A blanket up-zoning for much of B.C. In municipalities of more t...

Having just wrapped up, this fall’s GoByBike Week in Nanaimo saw over 480 riders participate in the event. With the event coming to a close, it’s now time to celebrate with a film festival. On November 9th the International Bicycle Film Festival will be screened in Nanaimo with films celebrating the culture of cycling. Hosted by Hub City Cycles Co-op and the City of Nanaimo, the festival will show...

Last week the provincial government launched a new $300 million dollar conservation tool to protect old growth forests. The Conservation Financing Mechanism will see  $150 million coming from the province, with the remaining $150 million coming from a funding commitment of the BC Parks Foundation. The conservation financing will ensure that First Nations and the province can conserve critical habi...

The struggle to find affordable housing is something many people are facing both young and old in British Columbia and across Canada. To help alleviate this stress, the provincial government recently introduced new changes to short-term rentals throughout BC. This move is meant to help bring back more long-term housing opportunities for renters. The government has stated that “B.C. is facing a hou...

Last week the Nanaimo Regional General Hospital saw the addition of the new Care and Connection Kiosk. The kiosks, provided by the Vancouver Island Health Authority, will allow anyone to access free life-saving harm-reduction supplies. It will also provide information on mental health and substance use support, services and treatments. Both North Island Hospital’s Campbell River campus and Victori...

This is part two of our two-part series on public transit in Nanaimo. In part one, we looked at what new plans BC Transit and the Regional District of Nanaimo are working on to provide better transit for residents. On top of hearing what new plans are in the works, we discussed the new Umo payment system. Umo is coming this fall to all BC Transit Routes allowing riders to pay with the Umo app or a...

Today we’ll be starting a new two-part series on public transit in Nanaimo. In part one, we’ll be looking at what new plans BC Transit and the Regional District of Nanaimo are working on to provide better transit for residents. In part two airing Friday, we’ll take a closer look at how students at Vancouver Island University are commuting to campus. New changes for the BC Transit customers will be...

The annual fall GoByBike Week is about to kick off this weekend and will run from October 16th to October 29th. Nanaimo has been taking part in this event since 1997 when it was first called Bike to Work Week. Residents of Nanaimo are encouraged to register for the event and record all their kilometres ridden during the week to submit them for a chance to win bike-related prizes. These kilometres...

The world's biggest Oktoberfest might have just finished in München Germany but far away from Bavaria in Nanaimo, our own city is celebrating the festival. The Nanaimo-Daybreak Rotary Club will be hosting their own Octoberfest on Saturday, October 21st at the Beban Park Social Centre.  This got me curious about the state of craft beer in our city and the sense of community surrounding it. The Nana...

A project is underway in the Cowichan Valley to restore 70 hectares of land to its natural state as an estuary. The estuary area originally housed three Quw’ustsun villages prior to the arrival of European settlers, who then over the years dyked the estuary, using it for forestry and farming purposes. The Cowichan estuary restoration project is led by several organizations. These include the Natur...

Hello and welcome to Midcoast Morning, CHLY’s current affairs show. I’m Lauryn Mackenzie. Campaigning is currently underway for the fall election of the Vancouver Island University Students’ Union, also known as VIUSU. Next week on October 11, 12, and 13th students from all three campuses will receive an email with a unique code that will allow them to vote in the election. Two student elections h...

On September 25th Nanaimo City Council voted 5-3 in its third reading to adopt the Zero Carbon Step Code starting in July 2024. This will start six years ahead of the provincial government’s timeline. The Zero Carbon Step Code will make it so new home builds in the city will no longer be able to have natural gas heating. This is in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in British Columbia. Prio...

Last Wednesday Nanaimo saw a large protest centred around SOGI first outside of School District 68 and then outside City Hall and then march down to Maffeo Sutton Park. SOGI or Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, exists to guide educators in educating students on how to be inclusive of all people and make safe spaces for students of all sexual orientations and gender identities. The anti-SOGI...

This past Sunday, Earthquakes Canada reported three earthquakes off the coast of Port Hardy. The swarm’s magnitude ranged from 4.3 to 5.9. More than 50 earthquakes have been reported by Earthquakes Canada, off the coast of Northern Vancouver Island since September 14. The biggest reaching a magnitude of 5.9. The Government of BC notes that Earthquakes are common on our coast, with an average of 3,...

In part one, we spoke with The Discourse's Julie Chadwick in studio and Lauren Kaljur over the phone to discuss their background as journalists and their observations over the last decade in local journalism and how they ended up working with The Discourse. Today in part two, we will touch on what it's like to run an independent media company and hear their thoughts on Bill C 18, the Online News a...

Hello and welcome to the first episode of the newly revamped Midcoast Morning, CHY's news and current affairs program. I am your host Lauryn Mackenzie. Welcome to our inaugural episode. With the launch of this program, we are going to first set out to understand the state of local journalism today in a two-part series. 
 What's changed over the last decade? It's an industry that has seen rapid cha...

Transcript:  Hi, I'm Lauryn Mackenzie, the host of the newly revamped Midcoast Morning, CHLY's current events news show. You remember the old show with Joe and Elijah, but now we are back going to continue keeping you on top of what's happening on the Salish Sea, just now in a new way. Join me every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 8:30 a.m. as we go in depth on topics that are important to you. B...

Host Joe Pugh speaks with both Community Policing Coordinator Christy Wood and Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog about recently released Neighbourhood Safety Audits in Nanaimo. He also looks into what’s going on to mark the month of Halloween at the Nanaimo Museum through a conversation with Steph Kveton, the museum’s programming coordinator. And to mark the 20th anniversary of CHLY, Joe speaks with Dr....

Host Joe Pugh reports on the ceremonies at Maffeo Sutton Park to mark the first national Day for Truth and Reconciliation. He also speaks with Andrew Gage from West Coast Environmental Law about the implications of a BC Supreme Court Justice’s decision not to extend the injunction that had been in place at Fairy Creek since April. Finally coverage on the city’s public consultation about what to do...