Cable Bay Public Hearing

The Public Hearing in Nanaimo on the zoning bylaw to change the lands west of the Cable Bay Trail to heavy industrial, with just a small buffer, continues this Wednesday, April 22nd, at 7pm. On EARTHDAY.

Last Thursday, there were some 500 people, 200 in the auditorium and 300 in the ante-chamber. 95%  wanted to ensure that the beauty and nature of the Cable Bay area is preserved.

This coming Wednesday, April 22nd, at 7pm – on EARTHDAY – council could potentially vote to approve the rezoning, and thereby to approve clearing 7400 trees, with all their wildlife, and to approve heavy industrial uses with all their noise, odours, and a pipe to carry toxic runoff into the ocean.

One of the councillors, Tyler Brown, can not attend for personal reasons, so our goal is to have as many people as possible speak at the microphone or by telephone, to keep it going until 11pm, so that the vote happens later in council when Councillor Brown can be present. It would not be right to make such a hugely impactful decision without all the councillors present.

The Snuneymuxw First Nation has  voiced very strong opposition. They have not been able to complete their discussions with Harmac/Nanaimo Forest Products, or reached agreement over significant archaeological sites in the area. Proceeding with rezoning before real First Nations consultation creates legal risk for the City and fails to honour the duty to consult that is owed to the Snuneymuxw people, on whose traditional territory this development sits.

If you can’t come in person, you can phone in for 3 minutes to share your opinion about the proposed rezoning to heavy industrial. Tune into the livestream on television (Rogers), and call 250-755-4455 at 7pm.

Some of us want no rezoning at all, to keep all the land forested and natural. Others are willing to support a compromise of some kind.

All of us want the proposed zoning bylaw to be rejected.

If you can make it, please come, and celebrate EARTHDAY together.

Bring signs simply saying EARTHDAY.

If you can’t come, phone in. We need as many people as possible to stand up for nature and wildlife. They don’t have a voice. We need to be their voice, on EARTHDAY, and every day.

You can read the 900+ written submissions here: https://www.nanaimo.ca/docs/property-development/development-applications/public-hearing-docs—ongoing/ra503-950-phoenix-way—submissions_redacted.pdf  The window for written submissions closed last Thursday.

Click here to view the Public Hearing agenda and watch the live video. The video will become available once the meeting has started. Click here and scroll down for the video link: https://www.nanaimo.ca/your-government/city-council/council-meetings/public-hearings

To Call-In During the Public Hearing: 

• Watch the meeting livestream and call in when the item you wish to speak to is being presented. Note, there will be up to a 60 second delay in the livestream. 
• Call in using the phone number (250-755-4455) displayed onscreen during the meeting. You will be put on hold until it’s your turn to speak.
• Calls will be answered in the order they are received.
• When it’s your turn to speak, staff will unmute your call and announce that you are the next speaker.
• State your name and address and the item you are speaking to. You will be given three minutes to speak and your comments must be relevant to the item being considered.
• Please mute all audio devices of the live meeting while you are speaking on the phone to prevent feedback. Do not put your phone on speaker phone.