Geese and marmots: a tale of two critters
The Canada goose and the Vancouver Island marmot, two iconic species in very different situations.
We’re going to hear about a pair of efforts on today’s show, one to get our goose population under control, and one to bring marmots back from the brink.
Nanaimo’s launched a bid looking for contractors to do some Canada goose egg addling.
At the same time, The Marmot Recovery Foundation is hiring for a pair of positions this summer.
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Nanaimo's new youth poet laureate
Page Pierce is Nanaimo’s new Youth Poet Laureate.
The Vancouver Island University education student will spend a two year term raising awareness of poetry and the impact that literary arts can have on community life.
Pierce, 21, has published 7 books of poetry, the first of those coming when she was 15.
CHLY reporter Mick Sweetman spoke with her in our studio.
We also follow up with Nanaimo's Poet Laureate Kamal Parmar, who reflects on her two years in the role so far.
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Food and beverage festival kicks off in Nanaimo
For the next two weeks It’s Dine About Mid-Island, as Nanaimo’s Food and Beverage festival returns for a second year.
During the event a variety of independent restaurants from Ladysmith to Qualicum Beach will be offering special menus.
Midcoast Morning is taking a look at the local food scene to mark the occasion.
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Touring Nanaimo's public works yard
Nanaimo is offering tours of its public works yard this weekend.
The city is looking to borrow $48.5 million to begin replacing and upgrading parts of the facility, which was built in the 1960s.
Members of the media were invited for a separate tour Tuesday, we’ll bring you excerpts from that..
We’ll also explore the Alternative Approval Process that’s opening up this week as the city seeks voter approval to borrow the money it will take to complete the project.
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BC's new French-language policy
British Columbia has a new French-language policy.
The five page document outlines a goal of incrementally increasing services available for francophones across the province.
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Jen Gerson on Canadian media in the digital age
National commentator Jen Gerson is in town for a talk tonight at Vancouver Island University, titled “Free speech in the digital age: the problems of censorship and the perils of regulation”.
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Reffing the beautiful game in Nanaimo
The stoppage time winner, the penalty save, the last second tackle, the dazzling dribble.
There are a lot of reasons why people might call soccer the beautiful game, but have you ever thought about beautiful refereeing?
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Christmas trees in January
What happens at a Christmas tree farm in January? And what’s the best way to dispose of your tree? Can you put it in the green bin?
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2023 in review with Mayor Krog (part two)
From the Hullo Ferry, to new turf fields, to some prime locations that are due for facelifts, we check in on the infrastructure of Nanaimo in part 2 of our 2023 Year in review with Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog.
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2023 in review with Mayor Krog (part one)
From speeding up adoption of the zero carbon step code, to a contentious alternative approval process, there’s plenty to look back on in municipal politics in 2023.
Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog stopped by the CHLY studio to help wrap up the last 12 months.
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2023 in books (part two)
As Nanaimo gets ready to turn the page on 2023, we’re taking a look at the year in books.
In this episode, we head to the Vancouver Island Regional Library to learn about the most checked out titles. We also hear from Literacy Central Vancouver Island’s Indigenous Literacy Coordinator Aimee Chalifoux.
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2023 in books (part one)
As Nanaimo gets ready to turn the page on 2023, we’re taking a look at the year in books.
In this episode, we explore the world of Literacy Central Vancouver Island, and hear from an independent bookseller in Nanaimo about the year in letters.
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International students face work restrictions
International students have received some answers about how much they’ll be allowed to work over the coming months.
The federal government provided an update on a number of temporary policies impacting international students, which had been set to expire at the end of the year.
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A petition for The Island Rail Corridor
It’s been more than twelve years since passenger rail on Vancouver Island ground to a halt.
Back in the 19th century, governments gave away around two million acres of land on southeastern Vancouver Island to get The Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway built. Now it sits abandoned.
But the unbroken 289 kilometre corridor stretching from Esquilmalt to Courtenay is still almost entirely intact.
In March, a small portion of the land was returned to the Snaw'naw'as first nation. At the same time, the provincial government announced it would provide 18 million dollars to study the future of the corridor.
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The world's largest hockey stick
If you’ve so much as driven through Duncan in the last thirty years, chances are you’ve seen the World’s Largest Hockey Stick.
Now, with its wooden structure rotting, its future is in doubt.
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Harewood Plains
Nanaimo’s MP is speaking up amid concerns that the habitat of the city’s official flower is at risk.
There’s a an application to build a subdivision on land in Harewood Plains, a site that the Nanaimo & Area Land Trust describes as home to critically imperiled ecological communities including Garry Oak woodlands and vernal Pools.
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Artwalk and local art
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.
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Derelict and abandoned vessels
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.
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Shelters and the building code
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? This week Nanaimo city council acknowledged that reality this week.
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Shoe and Sock Drive to Warm People's Soles
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.
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