BOUQUET To the kind lady who sat with me at Island Vet when my dog was tragically hit by a school bus, until my support people showed up. A beef to the bus driver, though I know it wasn’t all your fault, you could be driving slower up and down our hill.
BEEF To the three young people in Sway’ A’ Lana Lagoon sitting on the bench by the parking lot ‘shotgunning’ whatever they were drinking then tossing their cans in the bushes behind them. There were two garbage cans about 10 feet on either side of you. It was very disrespectful. The city should also put can collection/recycling bins along with the garbage cans.
BOUQUET To the friends and neighbours on Linley Valley Drive who came out to help eradicate the broom in the park and on the street. A special thanks to Kathy and Sharon for their continued assault on the broom along the roadside. Sidewalk is finally cleared.
BEEF To the Canadian government for endorsing the Olympics. Travel to see your family is deemed not essential however a sporting event across the globe is? I am confused.
BOUQUET To every single person involved in the Greater Nanaimo Pollution Control Centre secondary treatment upgrade project. Thanks to you, the ‘big stink’ in north Nanaimo has been mostly eliminated. Before the upgrade we couldn’t enjoy our outdoor areas because of headaches and nausea caused by the stink. Now we can.
BEEF To drivers who leave their vehicles idling. It’s against an existing bylaw, it’s really bad for the environment and it’s gross. Who wants to breathe carbon monoxide?
BOUQUET To the friendly smiles along Westwood Lake trail. It’s nice to see so many people enjoying our beautiful Island.
BEEF To the government for installing ‘check stops’ restricting the free travel of Canadians. Let’s call them what they are which is a violation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms of all Canadians.
BOUQUET To Dr. Calwell and nurse Paul for their compassionate care while I was in emerg and they were slammed. Thank you.
BEEF To the motorcyclists who almost caused a very bad accident at the corner of Uplands and Rutherford. We were stopped at the red light and proceeding to turn right on to Rutherford when this motorcycle passed us on the right side of our car and blew through the red light almost hitting the car in the intersection. You could have killed or injured any one of us. Still shaking it was so unbelievable scary.
BOUQUET I’d like to see submissions applauding people who have gone out of their way to make the pandemic easier whether it’s front-line workers, store workers, neighbours or strangers who show thoughtfulness and made things a little easier. Lots of bouquets and no beefs.
BEEF Are you a landlord with a property on Waddington Road? Does your tenant have a dog? Perhaps you should check with the city to see if there have been any barking complaints.
BOUQUET To the front desk staff at Anchor Medicine. You are always polite, cheerful, helpful and patient, even during this wack pandemic. They never complain, and if you really need it, they will get you in. Thank you, you are noticed and appreciated.
BEEF To Lantzville council for upgrading Sebastion Road but then severely restricting access to the public beach to all except those within walking distance to the beach. People who have to drive to the beach have nowhere to park their cars. This is a public, not a private beach.
BOUQUET To the RCMP and other law enforcement. Thank you for doing a job that is tough and under consistent scrutiny from all sides who have not walked a single step in your shoes. Keep up the great work that you do.
BEEF To city council who think more task forces and committee reports will provide shelter for Nanaimo’s homeless people. That and chasing them around the city and fencing off public spaces is the opposite of a solution.
BOUQUET Thank you to Paul at Van Isle Septic Service for your friendly and helpful service pumping our septic. You rock.
BEEF To portable speaker enthusiasts. You are not my DJ. In fact, you should be kind of embarrassed by your taste in music. Do us both a favour and put some headphones on.
BOUQUET To Ken R., ‘The Knife Sharpener’ for fixing my stand-up shears and not charging a dime.
BEEF Seriously? Omianan? Worst design idea so far in the entire city. For $50,000! Disgraceful.
BOUQUET To the house on Stonewood Place with the gorgeous array of shrubs and plants. I have been walking our new puppy daily since January and your gorgeous yard gives me a huge uplifting smile each day I walk by.
BEEF To the city for spending $1.2 million for Serauxmen Stadium’s fence. Yes, just a fence. What’s next, $5 million for gold-plated bleachers? Worst of all, it’s during a pandemic when most people can’t attend an event there anyway.
BOUQUET To the kind soul who offered my son and my dog a water bottle each at Maffeo Sutton Park while we watched the sign go up. Because of you, we were able to stay and play for much longer – thank you.
BEEF To drivers who speed on residential streets with no sidewalks. Where do you think pedestrians, including kids and seniors, walk?
BOUQUET To GP Dr. Kathryn King. She’s always there for my family; she never rushes you; she always listens attentively; she is medically astute. Oh, and she’s also a first-rate palliative care physician. Thank you!
BEEF To this council for not having crosswalk lines, bike lane lines and walking lane lines repainted years after they’ve faded into nothing. Instead of spending millions on vanity projects, spend a fraction of that on maintaining existing infrastructure.
BOUQUET To Hannah, who we used to see walking by our house every day with her dog. You bought our son a bear stuffie at Christmas. We have not seen you for a while and hope that you’re OK. Thank you for your kindness. We miss seeing you.
BOUQUET To all the staff at Lexitor Medical. Especially Dr. Grimes for helping us every step of the way with our pregnancy. We couldn’t have asked for better care and were completely blown away with the dedication shown to us and our little one. Also a bouquet to the entire perinatal unit at NRGH. We are so thankful and will do our best to pay it all forward.
BEEF To city council for talking about a walkway to Departure Bay when they can’t even finish the gaps in the walkway along Newcastle Channel. Why spend tens of millions on a complicated walkway when you can’t even manage a relatively simple stretch for a fraction of the price?
BOUQUET To fourth-floor nurse Troy at NRGH for working his tail off. Keep on keepin’ on Troy. Thanks for working so hard through a pandemic.
BEEF To the city for not putting traffic-calming measures on Beach Drive before the new apartments are built. We already have no sidewalks, lots of kids and people driving too fast thinking it’s a short cut to the ferry. And why is Beach Drive 50km/h – same as the highway with four lanes and sidewalks?
BOUQUET To the manager at Real Canadian Superstore who always seems to appear during busy times to ensure lineups are organized and safe.
BEEF To council for the painted tractor tires on Georgia Avenue. $2,500 per tire per year for tires that do nothing. What an embarrassment.
BOUQUET To every member of our community who picks up others’ garbage. It’s such a shame that it has to be done but you make the world a better place for doing it. Thank you.
BEEF To council who spent $57K of hard-earned tax dollars on a Nanaimo sign in the park. Pride comes from good governance, and a clean, vibrant and safe city, not a giant sign.
BOUQUET To the COVID vaccination team at Beban Park. I can’t say enough good things about them. Everyone was pleasant, polite, patient, efficient, cheerful, my nurse explained things thoroughly. The monitor lady walked around while we were all waiting our 15 minutes after our ‘jab’ to ensure that we were all OK. What a great experience.
BEEF To council for removing the Opal traffic calming. Yet again proving your claims about active transportation are nothing more than flaccid virtue signalling.
BOUQUET To Turley’s Florist for excellent customer service.
BEEF To the guy on the dirt bike on Jingle Pot Road who was speeding and tailgating me. I moved over to avoid a rabbit on the side of the road at the same time you decided to cross a solid yellow line and pass me. I could have killed you. I’m still shaken over this.
BOUQUET To The Brooks Landing Tim Hortons team. Thank you for the ‘drive thru’ window stand you created and delivered, and all the delicious muffins, doughnuts, cookies, tea and coffee you provided. You helped us create a fun and memorable activity for all residents and staff.
BEEF To drivers who mount roof racks, cargo carriers, and bike racks for aesthetics. Looks ugly, hurts aerodynamics, and adds weight. If it is not carrying cargo, take it off and save fuel. Every little bit helps. My favourite is the empty kayak roof racks that make your car look like a buck. Pretty cool.
BOUQUET To Tacomania food truck, amazing tacos, amazing team. Thank you for bringing your taco truck to feed our staff during our four-year anniversary. It was an awesome day. We love your tacos.
BEEF To the deadbeat dad who still causes grief to his son’s loved ones, putting a gag order on his son’s death and then telling lies to his fiancée. To top it off, you stole his belongings when you promised it to the one person your son loved.
BOUQUET To the young man who found my wallet in the parking lot at CIBC in Country Club Centre. He returned it to our home with everything intact, but I was unable to thank him as I was in the shower, so here is my big thank you.
BEEF To council for failing to save significant arbutus trees on an inner city development property, while they hypocritically wave around their motion to save Fairy Creek.
BOUQUET To the angel who turned in my lost wallet to the H&R Block office on Terminal Avenue. You have restored my faith in the goodness of people, prevented some huge headaches, and made me very happy and relieved. Thank you.
BEEF To the lady who came into my grocery store and would not comply with government regulations. You upset many staff, customers and threatened the manager with a lawsuit. Please stay at home. No one wants your business and your attitude.
BOUQUET To Save-On-Foods at Country Club Centre for hosting the Youth 20/20 Can homeless youth donation drive and to all the generous community members who donated to make the drive a huge success. Thank you. Bouquet to Youth 20/20 Can members for giving of your time put on the drive to support other youths in need. Thank you for making a difference.
BEEF To the judge who sentenced the ‘Schoolhouse Squatters’ and the school board for their lacklustre response. $72,000 in damage and zero accountability for the criminals’ actions. I need to rethink my line of work.
BOUQUET To my daughter. Thank you for tagging along the impromptu nine-kilometre trek to exercise off my stressed grumblings. You’ve shown great generosity of spirit. You’re a good human being, kid.
BEEF To the local real estate agent who after making commission on a $1.3-million sale couldn’t be bothered to the send the seller even a thank you card.
BOUQUET To my son. You maturely apologized to your sibling for a misunderstanding. It’s a bigger person who takes responsibility and owns their actions. I’m proud of how you’re growing into a fine young man.
BEEF To the landlord in Nanaimo who raised my granddaughter’s rent $300 in December. This is not allowed. She’s afraid not to pay.
To submit a beef or a bouquet to the Nanaimo News Bulletin, e-mail editor@nanaimobulletin.com.
