My Nanaimo This Week - February 24 to March 1, 2020

This week we rhyme about being kind to all kinds, get ready for spring activities and celebrate raising a flag for reconciliation. Read on!

Be Kind to All Kinds
The City of Nanaimo’s Youth Poet Laureate, Valina Zanetti, and the Nanaimo BC SPCA invite all local youth poets between the ages of 11 and 18 to submit their original poems to raise awareness on three BC SPCA topics:

• BC SPCA Rescue Stories (Refer to real BC SPCA rescue stories at www.spca.bc.ca/adoption_stories)
• Your Own Pet Rescue Stories
• Habitat Loss/Endangered Animals

Twenty poems will be chosen to create a poetry collection book. Of the twenty chosen poems, poets of the Top 3 poems will receive awards and cash prizes presented at a City Council meeting, and attend an unveiling event at the Nanaimo BC SPCA on April 23 to read their poems. The final poetry collection book will be provided to the Nanaimo BC SPCA to raise money for the animals in their care. The deadline for poem submission is March 30, 2020.

For more information visit the BC SPCA Poetry Contest page on the City website.

Be kind to each other
Wednesday, February 26 is Pink Shirt Day. This annual event raises awareness of the effects of bullying with a goal to end bullying. City of Nanaimo staff will be wearing pink on Wednesday in support of anti-bullying program. Join us and wear pink to work, school or wherever you are on Wednesday. 

Get ready for spring!
Nanaimo Parks, Recreation and Culture wants you to be ready for spring with the arrival of the Spring and Summer Activity Guide! Available from Friday, February 28, the guide has a number of programs and classes to keep you active all spring and summer. 

Registration for spring and summer programs opens Wednesday, March 4. Register online or by calling 250-756-5200.

Flag raising at City Hall
Last week, Councils from the City of Nanaimo and Snuneymuxw First Nation came together to take another step toward reconciliation at a flag raising ceremony. Snuneymuxw returned their flag to City Hall to fly along with the City's. This momentous occasion is a way forward to creating a welcoming place for all.  

Upcoming community events:

• Thursday, February 27: Musical Entertainment, 1:30 to 3 pm in the Bowen Park Auditorium. This week features Rick Haug.
• Sunday, March 1: Lions Free Skate, 12 to 1:30 pm at Frank Crane Arena

For a look at more City-related events, visit www.nanaimo.ca/goto/events.

This week’s Council and Committee Meetings 

Council's in session on Monday and the Advisory Committee on Accessibility and Inclusiveness has their inaugural meeting on Wednesday.   

• Monday, February 24: Governance and Priorities Committee meeting at 1 pm in the Service and Resource Centre Boardroom, 411 Dunsmuir Street 
• Monday, February 24: Council meeting at 7 pm in the Vancouver Island Conference Centre Shaw Auditorium
• Wednesday, February 26: Special Advisory Committee on Accessibility and Inclusiveness at 5 pm in the Service and Resource Centre Boardroom, 411 Dunsmuir Street  

Visit the Meetings, Documents and Videos page on the City website to view upcoming meetings, agendas and past meeting videos or visit the Council Meeting Summaries page to read a recap of decisions made in previous meetings. 

Here's a recap of City news from February 18-22:

• Calling all youth poets! Help support animals in need by writing a poem
• Raising a flag for reconciliation