23-12-01 – It's refreshing to see Attorney General Niki Sharma doing the job to which she was elected when she sounded off on a judge’s sentencing decision in a case. After the Law Society chided her for her comments, Sharma doubled down and repeated her concern over a range of sentencing decisions. The society expressed concern about how elected officials, including Premier David Eby, have been discussing criminal justice issues. The Law Society said it risks undermining public confidence in the criminal justice system. That alone demonstrates how far out of touch the judiciary is, not recognizing that public confidence in the system is already very low. They need to remember too they are appointed but governments are elected to oversee the system. MORE
AG Niki Sharma
Development process
needs a major overhaul
Accrediting professionals will require major changes
You are paying so others can drive electric vehicles
23-09-28
Immigrants
a vital part of our society
23-09-27
A case of parliamentary butt covering
23-09-25
Leaders need to get serious about crime
23-09-24
Is gambling taking over sports world?
23-09-22
Disagreement is not hate
23-09-21
It's a
matter of setting priorities
23-09-18
Freedom
of speech
is for everyone
23-09-20
Both sides
deserve to
be heard
23-09-19
Full disclosure will clear the air on Walker
23-09-17
BC Who?
Impact of
Conservatives
in next election
23-09-16
Housing
permitting
process needs
an overhaul
23-09-15
Drug-free zones won't fix what's wrong
23-09-14
It's time
to get
personal
23-09-13
Trudeau needs
to brush up on foreign relations
23-09-11
You can't fix the climate so adapt to the change
23-09-09
Going back to square one
on housing
23-09-07
Gender
reassignment
is a crime
against children
23-09-06
Thumbs up for
Collishaw
Air Cadet Squadron
23-09-05
Artificial Intelligence
could destroy us all
23-09-04
Thumbs up Dave Lawrence
of That Fifties Barbershop
23-09-03
Government mainly responsible for job growth
23-09-01
Voters not buying what
the NDP is selling
23-08-31
Exposing the great grocery price conspiracy
23-08-28
Wildfires unravel past gains on arresting climate change
23-08-29
Erasing hard-fought rights
for today's women
23-08-27
Never give your opponents
a free shot, they'll take it
23-08-24
We're paying a lot more,
but are we getting more?
23-08-26
Underbrush clearance still
not fixed after 20 years
23-08-24
Who loves inflation?
the government does
23-08-21
Canadian media ban
blame is being misplaced
23-08-20
Sometimes the alternative is
worse than the original problem
23-08-19
What a relief taking
politics out of wildfires
What we see from what I call the “B.C. Hurt Feelings Commission”, is Nanaimo city hall is infested with racists? So how do those loyal city employees feel after the ruling on the Victor Mema case when they were doing their jobs, and doing it well? They did not deserve to be painted with that brush, racially victimizing them (white and female) in the name of stamping out racism. Shameful. 23-08-18
When it comes to cleaning up the illegal homeless encampments throughout the city, has anyone ever considered “hiring” the campers to do the cleanups? It might translate into a long-term job as new encampments keep springing up as soon as the old ones are cleared out. That would provide them with money and a path to better living. One can always dream, can't one? 23-08-19
The repetitive federal NDP refrain about the private sector getting rich off housing seeks government takeover instead. Every action has a reaction. The alternative translates to taxpayers getting hammered when the public sector provides housing. And chances are, the public sector would do it at a much higher cost. Government doesn’t have money, it only spends ours. 23-08-20
23-08-14
Too often well-intentioned people leap before they look. Just weeks ago the provincial government announced a major program to supply air conditioners for low-income people in rental units. That was the good intention, but they could not deliver.
The money was there, but there were immediate hurdles, including landlords who own those properties, legal considerations and of course the bureaucratic entanglement of delivering within a few days.
Now that we’re nearing the end of the heat cycle, are they still going to install them regardless of need? Or will the politicians simply accept that they tried and that should be enough to molify voters?
It may be my jaded cynicism, but we’re all being played like a cheap fiddle. The White House announced early Monday that President Joe Biden had gone on a secret trip to Ukraine. Well, not so secret, they called Vladimir Putin to let him know so that he would not have bombs bursting in air.
And lo and behold, there was no military action but a great photo op as Biden strode into public, on cue, air raid sirens immediately wailed to enhance the drama.There was no air raid, and U.S. media who were along for the ride immediately waxed eloquent about Biden braving a war zone. Ho hum.
Phone and internet scams and frauds have caught our attention but now comes word where many of them originate. A U.S. report says many are coming from inside prison walls where inmates use cell phones to spread their misery to the outside world. Some states have scrambled cell phone signals but activists have launched court challenges that the prisoners’ rights are being violated.
And technology now goes even further where prisoners establish inter-prison networks to communicate with inmates in other prisons.
23/02/22
Where else but in Saskatchewan would hundreds of local folks jam into the arena in Maple Creek to watch cowboys face off against their Cree neighbours in a charity hockey game – the "Battle of the Little Big Puck?" The game is an annual tradition, having started in 1979.
In the third period, players trade their hockey gear for traditional wear. The Cree players wear feather headdresses, animal hide and face paint while the cowboys play in chaps, cowboy hats, plaid shirts and even spurs. The referees are RCMP officers in red serge. Naturally their mayor is Metis, ensuring neutrality.
Nekaneet Chief Alvin Francis says outsiders may raise an eyebrow at the teams calling themselves "Cowboys and Indians," but he believes people who learn about the community come to realize it's about mutual respect, unity and friendship. BUZZ HERE
23/02/21
Phone and internet scams and frauds have caught our attention but now comes word where many of them originate. A U.S. report says many are coming from inside prison walls where inmates use cell phones to spread their misery to the outside world. Some states have scrambled cell phone signals but activists have launched court challenges that the prisoners’ rights are being violated.
And technology now goes even further where prisoners establish inter-prison networks to communicate with inmates in other prisons.
23/02/20
It may be my jaded cynicism, but we’re all being played like a cheap fiddle. The White House announced early Monday that President Joe Biden had gone on a secret trip to Ukraine. Well, not so secret, they called Vladimir Putin to let him know so that he would not have bombs bursting in air.
And lo and behold, there was no military action but a great photo op as Biden strode into public, on cue, air raid sirens immediately wailed to enhance the drama.There was no air raid, and U.S. media who were along for the ride immediately waxed eloquent about Biden braving a war zone. Ho hum.
23/02/18
Our provincial government wants to know about seniors and what they think. The province has put out a call for interviewers to go into long-term care facilities to listen to the stories of seniors.
Government spends tons of money on paid pollsters. Why is it that when it comes to seniors they want volunteers? What happened to the philosophy of everyone being fairly compensated for their labour?
In 2021, there were 7,910 Indigenous people living in Nanaimo, making up 8.2 per cent of the population. In comparison BC’s Indigenous population represented 5.9 per cent and Canada 5.0 per cent of total population. The majority of the Indigenous population reported a single Indigenous identity, either First Nations, Métis or Inuk (Inuit). Of the Indigenous population in Nanaimo, 54.9 per cent (or 4,345) were First Nations people, 39.4 per cent (or 3,120) were Métis, and 0.8 per cent (or 65) were Inuit. Download the full State of the Economy report HERE
In 2023, children (aged 0-14) comprised 14 per cent of Nanaimo's total population. By 2033, this segment is projected to increase by 8.1 per cent, adding 1,190 children. However, as a proportion of the total population, the children category is expected to decline by 2 per cent over the next decade. Download the full State of the Economy report HERE
Population growth rates are influenced by two primary factors: natural increase (births minus deaths) and migration. In the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) in 2022, there were 1,122 births and 2,228 deaths, resulting in a negative natural growth rate that has persisted for decades. As a result, population growth in the region has been primarily driven by migration. Download the full State of the Economy report HERE
The working-age population (aged 15-64) constituted 62 per cent (66,846) of Nanaimo's population in 2023. This segment is projected to increase by 22.5 per cent (+15,032) by 2033, to represent 63 per cent of the total population. Download the full State of the Economy report HERE
Individuals aged 65 and older represented 24 per cent of the total population in 2023 and are expected to grow by an additional 6,239 persons by 2033, reaching 23.8 per cent of the total population. Download the full State of the Economy report HERE
The largest growth over the next decade is projected in the 25-44 age category (early working years), with an increase of 9,452 persons. The second-largest growth category is the 65+ category, with an increase of 6,239 persons. Nanaimo's average and median age was younger in the 2021 Census compared to the 2016 Census, indicating a trend towards a younger population. Download the full State of the Economy report HERE
Visible minorities make up 10 per cent of Nanaimo's total population, indicating increasing diversity in the region as the overall population expands. As of 2023, Nanaimo's visible minority population is estimated at 10,675 individuals. The three largest minority groups in Nanaimo are Chinese, South Asian, and Filipino, comprising 3.1 per cent, 2.4 per cent, and 0.9 per cent of the total population, respectively. It is projected that the total visible minority population will grow by 16 per cent by 2028, with the largest increases expected from Chinese migrants (596), followed by South Asian (309) and Filipino (246). Download the full State of the Economy report HERE
In 2023, the City of Nanaimo had 6,457 licensed businesses. The largest number of business licences are held by the construction sector, followed by retail and the “professional, scientific and technical services” sector. The number of total business licences increased by 10 per cent over the last decade. Download the full State of the Economy report HERE
Home-based businesses account for 38 per cent of total business licences issued in the City of Nanaimo. 67 per cent of Nanaimo’s businesses are locally owned and operated. 3.0 per cent of Nanaimo businesses are franchise operations and 9.49 per cent are branch offices of larger companies headquartered elsewhere. Download the full State of the Economy report HERE
In 2022, the City of Nanaimo was home to 3,610 businesses with one or more employees, indicating a consistent growth trend in the overall number of businesses with employees over time. Over the past decade, the number of businesses with employees has increased by 17.4 per cent. Additionally, in the past five years, sole proprietorships have seen a notable increase of 9 per cent in Nanaimo. You can download the full State of the Economy report HERE
In 2023, Nanaimo's labour force consisted of 68,400 individuals, showing a growth rate of 3.3 per cent, surpassing the 2.2 per cent growth rate in BC and the 1.8 per cent growth rate on the Vancouver Island Coast. BC is projected to have 1,017,000 job openings between 2022 and 2032, with nearly 80 per cent of these positions requiring some level of post-secondary education or training. You can download the full State of the Economy report HERE
In 2023, Nanaimo's labour force consisted of 68,400 individuals, showing a growth rate of 3.3 per cent, surpassing the 2.2 per cent growth rate in BC and the 1.8 per cent growth rate on the Vancouver Island Coast. BC is projected to have 1,017,000 job openings between 2022 and 2032, with nearly 80 per cent of these positions requiring some level of post-secondary education or training. Download the full State of the Economy report HERE
In 2023, the occupation with the highest number of job postings was for "retail salespersons," followed by cooks and "retail and wholesale trade managers." Across sectors, the highest number of job openings in 2023 were in the Healthcare and Social Assistance sector, followed by Retail Trade and Accommodation and Food Services. You can download the full State of the Economy report HERE
In 2022, overall student enrollment at Vancouver Island University (VIU) remained largely unchanged compared to 2021. However, there were notable shifts within the student body demographics: domestic student enrollment decreased by 1.6 per cent, while international student enrollment saw a notable increase of 9.4 per cent. You can download the full State of the Economy report HERE
In 2023, the estimated median household income in the City of Nanaimo is $81,606, marking a significant 19.8 per cent increase over the past five years. By 2028, Nanaimo's median household income is projected to reach $94,387, reflecting a growth of 15.7 per cent. In comparison, BC's median household income was $93,585 in 2023 and is anticipated to grow by 15 per cent over the next five years. You can download the full State of the Economy report HERE
On average in 2023, Nanaimo households spent 8 per cent more on shelter, 4 per cent more on food, and 3 per cent more on Household Furnishings and Equipment compared to the national average. Conversely, they spent 19 per cent less on transportation costs and 18 per cent less on personal insurance payments and pension compared to the national average. You can download the full State of the Economy report HERE