BOUQUET To all of the wonderful people at Volunteer Nanaimo for their incredibly generous and thoughtful gifts and support. Your dedication and hard work brought such joy and wonder to our residents here at Kiwanis Village Nanaimo. A heartfelt and resounding thank you for keeping our spirits bright.
BEEF To the people of Vancouver Island. Wake up. Our numbers are higher than ever despite the mask mandates, the restrictions, the limits meant to flatten the curve. Graphs and charts worldwide clearly show the same curve, regardless of restrictions. Stop blaming the odd person who doesn’t do it.
BOUQUET I had to call 911 three times last month. I am very impressed with the response and professionalism. Thank you. We are very lucky to have you in our city.
BEEF To Nanaimo for the regressive cat bylaw. I promise to dump all my garbage in the downtown core.
BOUQUET To my next-door neighbours Brian and Gail. After my two dogs had been attacked and I couldn’t find them, I phoned you in a panic. You found them safe on my front steps and stayed with them until I got home. You are the loveliest, most wonderful neighbours one could ever hope to have.
BEEF How disappointed I am to have senior’s day cancelled at the department store. Also our building supply and appliance stores has cancelled their involvement with Air Miles. Some of us seniors need these perks for things like groceries as we don’t have high income. This shopping was essential.
BOUQUET To the City of Nanaimo for acting on my beef about the lack of lighting on the crosswalks on Hammond Bay Road. I cannot tell you how my heart sang when I saw the new crosswalk signals being installed. I assure you there will be many grateful pedestrians and drivers aside from myself.
BEEF To the clinic. It’s not about the staff who are hard-working and friendly, but the system. Is it acceptable that we oldies who are not computer savvy are unable to book an appointment, but have to wait outside on the pavement because of the limit of people allowed inside the waiting room until a slot becomes available while the younger generation walk in at their allotted time?
BOUQUET To the beefer about people in the left lanes going slower than molasses. I’m very happy to see there are people who also know how to drive in Canada other than me.
BEEF To the woman walking two dogs that attacked my two small chihuahua dogs along Estevan Road. I was dragged down the embankment with my dogs. All three of us were pinned against the fence by your dogs with no escape route. Your dogs were on retractable leashes that were not appropriate for their size and weight and you had no control over them at all. This incident has been reported to animal control. Please do the right thing and call them.
BOUQUET To Scotty at C & S Transmissions in Lantzville. He was knowledgeable, polite, kind, sincere, fair and many more nice words. He was a pleasure to work with. Sure wish that there were more outstanding people like him working in Nanaimo.
BEEF To tailgate beefers. Intersections are where most accidents happen because people want to speed through them, endangering others.
BOUQUET A huge thank you to Green Thumb Nursery for providing space for us to make our annual swags, the proceeds of which go to help women and children in the community. A huge thank you also to Davey Tree experts for cutting and donating the cedar. Thanks to all Altrusans and their friends and family. We appreciate you all for helping us overcome the challenges this year, and making our fundraiser a huge success.
BEEF To Nanaimo city council. We have violent crime, theft, drug use, prostitution and homelessness, yet you deem it worthwhile to deliberate and spend our money on bike lanes, shopping carts, cats, addictions and doughnut theories. Just come on out and state that, you don’t want workers, taxpayers, car owners and youthful enterprises setting up here. I’m certainly looking elsewhere to live in this fine province.
BOUQUET To the kind fellow in the south-end Shoppers Drug Mart who helped push my car into a stall when it died in the middle of the busy parking lot. I was mid-anxiety attack, and you got me and my vehicle to a safe place efficiently and without judgment. The world needs more humans like you.
BEEF To the landlord, property management, and realtor for insisting on showing my daughter’s apartment during this second wave of COVID-19, for the purpose of selling it. She has multiple serious chronic health conditions and is immune compromised.
BOUQUET To Bryce with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure for speedy installation of two missing yield signs from the Island Highway. Thanks for keeping our roads safe.
BEEF To the provincial and federal government for appointing ministers to gravy train positions they have absolutely zero experience in. Shameful.
BOUQUET To builders who responsibly store and dispose of leftover construction materials in a timely manner. There are places, like Habitat for Humanity Restore, that would gladly take some of these materials off your hands. A great way to clean up unsightly building sites in the neighbourhood, while diverting waste from the landfill too.
BEEF To the City of Nanaimo for giving tax breaks to liquor businesses. What about homeowners’ taxes and fees? Crickets.
BOUQUET To Jason, owner of Stuck 4 A Truck for moving a happy senior, and to A. Donovan of Akers for a new, lovely home. To Shaw TV, Fortis Gas, B.C. Hydro for connecting services. To an angel who left a Thrifty’s Smile Card on the bus stop bench at the Port Place shopping centre. Kindness forwarded.
BEEF Regarding passing lanes. No, the left lane when driving through a city or town is not only for passing because there are too many turn-offs. Please get your facts straight.
BOUQUET To the cyclists who use their bells when coming up behind walkers on the E&N and Parkway trails. Thank you. And a gentle nudge in that direction to those who don’t.
BEEF To the gym. Every morning when I drive by I see in the window and it’s busy and everyone on the treadmills has no mask and is side-by-side less than six feet apart.
BOUQUET To the fabulous violinist who played at Westwood Lake for all us to enjoy, from a distance of course.
BEEF To the local business owner for crying poverty and threatening bankruptcy all over town while driving a new sports car.
BOUQUET To the lovely woman working at ICBC who helped us renew our IDs. Your kindness, professional manner and humour made the task a fun experience for the person I care for and myself and your colourful, sequined jacket also made our day a little brighter.
BEEF To the person driving the red/burgundy car parked next to a small silver car in the clinic’s parking lot. You parked so close to the driver’s side of my car that I had about five inches to get into my vehicle after physiotherapy. You and many others need to be considerate of those around you. I hope someone does to you what you did to me.
BOUQUET To one of my favourite customers who I love to chat with who makes me laugh and brought me in a homemade baby blanket that his mom made for my new grandson. Warms my heart. Thanks so much.
BEEF To the people complaining about the city’s garbage pickup calendar. It clearly shows what is picked up and when. The symbols are a different shape for each pickup and the colours used are the same as the colours of the particular containers to be picked up that week. The calendar really is user-friendly.
BOUQUET Gratitude to the kind lady walking on Albatross Way who rescued my ski jacket from the pavement, kept it safe and posted a note to others in her area that it had been found. Very quickly it was returned to me. It was an act of great kindness and I shall endeavour to pay it forward.
BEEF To my doctor’s office. It takes 45 minutes on hold to make an appointment, then when you get an appointment the doctor is always late. So I sit in the clinic which has many other doctors and patients, exposing myself to so many other people.
BOUQUET To the ladies at Highview Optical. Thanks for repairing a senior’s eyeglasses even though he didn’t purchase his glasses at Highview. So appreciated.
BEEF To the beefer about the seven-layer dip. You have too much time on your hands if you have to beef about that, they carry it all the time, so what are they to do, pull it off the shelf during COVID, really?
BOUQUET To Dr. Ehman. He listens to my concerns and questions, always responding quick and thoughtfully. He worked magic to get me into the hospital for an emergency ultrasound immediately after I called him. I was relieved that my baby was doing fine and dandy despite the scare. I can’t wait until my baby is born under his care. We are in good hands. The reception staff are wonderful too.
BEEF To the woman with her intimidating presence and disparaging remarks while my son and I played with our dog in a small fenced park when there was no one else there. I know the rules, but call bylaw and complain about me instead. I’ll never understand people who go around ruining other people’s joy when it has zero effect on them.
BOUQUET To Turley’s Florist, thank you so much for providing bouquets to each week’s random bouquet winner. My son and I attended your store to pick up a bouquet and your staff was so kind and accommodating. The flowers and wrapping were beautiful. We truly appreciate your generosity.
BEEF To people who set their hair on fire if they see someone who is not wearing a mask properly. You are probably the same people who are clamouring over who should get the vaccine jab first. I suggest a good ‘dose’ of common sense, followed up by a dose of discernment, a follow-up dose of reason, accompanied by a dose of analytical thought.
BOUQUET To the staff member at the north Nanaimo London Drugs who went out of her way to reunite me with a parcel that was sent to them by mistake.
BEEF To walkers who don’t move over when encountering oncoming walkers. Come on guys! If you’re walking with a companion, move single file to your far right. Even before COVID protocols, it was inconsiderate to expect the other person to move off the path to accommodate your not moving over.
BOUQUET To Tara M. from The Shape You Are In for providing exercise classes via Zoom for those of us who are staying home. They are fun to do and so easy to do at home. Thank you so much.
BEEF To staff and visitors at the hospital, please stop throwing your dirty masks on and near the property. Be responsible adults.
BOUQUET To the city council and mayor for moving the city forward. Many people want to nitpick, but my husband and I voted them in to do a job and we believe they are doing well. We don’t ride bikes on the city street but if many do then it’s worth having bike lanes for ease and safety. We are grateful this is a professional, competent administration that works well together.
BEEF To the woman who was annoyed about me delivering the paper at about 8:15 p.m. While I appreciate that you were upset that your barking dog woke up the kids, your tirade towards me, to use your own words, was “unacceptable.” Even worse was your parting shot, telling me to get a “real” job. While delivering papers doesn’t pay as well as my previous job as a school teacher, believe me, it is indeed a real job, and one that I take pride in.
BOUQUET Thank you to our neighbour John’s, grandson who cleared several driveways in Woodgrove Estates Park. It was a lovely surprise and well appreciated.
BEEF To bus drivers who do not wear face coverings while driving. You may be legally exempt but not morally.
BOUQUET To the couple who got out of their car and very kindly helped to push mine to safety when I spun out in the middle of an icy road. Really appreciated.
BEEF There was a flashing strobe light, high-vis vest, flashing crosswalk lights with two people in the crosswalk and a posted 30-kilometre-per-hour construction zone on Metral Drive, yet you thought it was OK to blow through without stopping. You could have killed us.
To submit a beef or a bouquet to the Nanaimo News Bulletin, e-mail editor@nanaimobulletin.com.
