Regional District of Nanaimo - Electoral Area G

This fall, the Province recognized the Regional District of Nanaimo for the many steps we are taking toward building more sustainable communities. At the Union of British Columbia Municipalities Convention in September, Premier Gordon Campbell presented the RDN with one of the Provincial Government’s seven inaugural Green Cities Awards. The Premier established these awards in the fall of 2006, to encourage local governments to think green in as many areas of their operations as possible.

Joe In choosing the first-ever Green City Award recipients, the Province evaluated nominated communities on criteria including liveability, climate change, and innovation, as well as the extent to which social, environmental and economic values are integrated throughout the communities.

In its size category, the Regional District of Nanaimo competed successfully against Metro Vancouver (formerly the Greater Vancouver Regional District) for the Green Cities Award. According to Premier Gordon Campbell, the RDN was chosen because of its green thinking in terms of solid and liquid waste management, regional transit, and regional development including urban containment.

This is a tremendous achievement for the Regional District of Nanaimo Board of Directors, as we have worked hard over the past few years to maintain our commitment to environmental, social and economic sustainability. We will continue to make improvements in our operations as we work toward this important goal.

Official Opening of Top Bridge Crossing

Top Bridge Opening The long-planned Regional Trail System bridge across the Englishman River is complete. On BC and World Rivers Day Sunday, September 30 2007, the Regional District of Nanaimo hosted the official opening of the Top Bridge Crossing.

The event began with a public ceremony at Top Bridge, followed by an open house at adjacent Englishman River Regional Park, a conservation area along the river corridor. Participants in the open house included the RDN, its planning consultant Lanarc-LGL and park partners The Nature Trust of BC, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Community Fisheries Development Centre, the BC Conservation Foundation, the Englishman River Watershed Recovery Plan Steering Committee and the Mid- Vancouver Island Habitat Enhancement Society. Visitors enjoyed hot dogs and celebratory cake, guided tours, hiking and more.

RDN Chair Joe Stanhope (L), Nanaimo-Parksville MLA Ron Cantelon, Electoral Area H Director Dave Bartram and Parksville Mayor Sandy Herle unveil a prototype for the official plaque to be mounted at Top Bridge Crossing.

The Top Bridge Crossing is an 81-metre pedestrian-cyclist cable suspension bridge spanning the Englishman River on the old 19th Century highway that once linked Nanaimo and Port Alberni. It connects the Regional Trail starting at Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park with Top Bridge Mountain Bike Park, Top Bridge Community Park and Englishman River Regional Park.

The Regional District of Nanaimo and the Province of British Columbia provided principal financing for the $500,000 Top Bridge Crossing. Additional contributors included the City of Parksville as well as numerous individual donors and area businesses. Top Bridge is a remarkable site, both for its natural beauty and for its history. The Regional District looks forward to working with area landowners and First Nations over the next year to complete improvements around the Top Bridge Crossing. For more information, contact RDN Parks at 250-248-3252, 1-888-828-2060 or visit www.rdn.bc.ca.

RDN Chair Joe Stanhope, Nanaimo-Alberni MP James Lunney and Nanaimo-Parksville MLA Ron Cantelon unveil the Barclay Crescent commemorative plaque.

Barclay Crescent Sewer Project

The Barclay Crescent sewer project is now complete, and sewer service is now available to 235 customers located on both sides of French Creek. On Friday, November 16, Nanaimo- Parksville MLA Ron Cantelon, Nanaimo-Alberni MP James Lunney and I unveiled a plaque at the Millennium Bridge to commemorate the completion.

In order to complete the project, the Regional District of Nanaimo received a two-thirds funding commitment from the Canada/British Columbia Infrastructure Grant program for up to $2.3 million, against a total project estimate of $3.492 million. The sewer service addresses environmental problems associated with failing septic systems. Prior to the completion of this project, Barclay Crescent was the only remaining large area in French Creek that was not serviced by sewer.