BOUQUET To the staff at NRGH, especially the nurses in the ICU. I was hospitalized for a serious incident and although I was shocked how short-staffed the hospital was, and how there are always so many patients in the hallways in the general wards, I was impressed by how hard the maintenance, assistants, and nurses were working. The ICU nurses were extremely efficient, intelligent and, despite all the challenges, kind. It was much appreciated.
BEEF To the woman riding her bike at Maffeo Sutton Park. You were in an area busy with pedestrians (including a group of seniors with obvious mobility issues), you had no helmet and you were using your cellphone.
BOUQUET To Joel, Vanessa and helpers at Double J Contracting. We needed help moving furniture out of our home for renovations, and we were in quite a bind. You guys saved the day! I highly recommend these guys – they do all sorts of services. On-time, professional, a great value, excellent communication and great customer service.
BEEF When is the SPCA going to end catch-and-release fishing? Tormenting any animal till it’s exhausted, purely for entertainment, is cruel. If you aren’t going to eat it, you should leave it alone.
BOUQUET To the beefers, the bouquet bearers, and to all of the people responsible for making Beefs & Bouquets happen. My family and I moved here one month before the pandemic and reading the Beefs & Bouquets has given us the chance to get to know our new neighbours. Thank you so very much.
BEEF To all you beefers out there. Find something better to do than complain. We all have to live here together. Not everyone is going to do everything the way you want it to be done. Get over yourselves. Let’s hear more nice stuff. Bouquets to all the nice folks out there not whining.
BOUQUET To the City of Nanaimo animal control staff and officer who quickly co-ordinated and removed a deceased deer from our yard. A tough part of the job and much appreciated.
BEEF To the woman with the walker blasting her personal security alarm at every vehicle that drove by her. Don’t believe that is what that device is meant for, besides, my dogs weren’t too pleased with the sound either.
BOUQUET To RCMP officers. I have often seen them having to deal with people who are high on some substance, which cannot be easy. The officers who arrived on scene on Prideaux Street were amazing. They were very kind and compassionate with the man in question as well as being gentle in helping him to his feet. There is a lot of bad stuff being said about the police, but I appreciate the fact that they are willing to put their lives at risk in order to keep me safe.
BEEF To Bonnie Henry for taking away my right to have lunch out with my 94-year-old mother-in-law in September.
BOUQUET To the bus driver on No. 40 to Woodgrove who went out of his way to help an elder on the bus. Also, No. 30 bus driver pulled over to let someone know there was no bus where they were standing. I see the drivers work so hard and deal with difficult situations many times. Also, grateful for getting us through the worst of COVID. To all of the transit community I wish a thousand bouquets.
BEEF To John. My skate blades are a fine size, thank you. Besides, it’s the personality that matters.
BOUQUET To the people on my paper routes who helped keep me cool this hot summer by soaking down my hat for me. And a special thanks to those who supplied me with cold water bottles along the way, especially the house on Labieux.
BEEF To the person who removed my three-year-old granddaughter’s fairy door from one of the trees along the path at Neck Point. She was very proud of her door and sad to see it was missing. It’s also sad to have to explain to a young child that there are jerks that do things like this. Many children (and adults) enjoy looking at the fairy doors.
BOUQUET To Dr. Turner and Albert in the NRGH emergency. You two were not only professional and thorough but you were extremely compassionate and caring in my time of need. Nanaimo is lucky to have you.
BEEF To the SUV pulling the speed boat on Metral, you are on video. You blew through an occupied, fully lit crosswalk, with flashing lights and a person waving a light in your face, yet you deemed it unnecessary to stop. You could have killed someone. Thanks to the lady who stopped to check on my wife.
BOUQUET The South End Community Association’s first-ever scavenger hunt was a great success. Special thanks go to: Pirate Chips, Cold Front Gelato, Gabriel’s Gourmet Café, A Wee Cupcakery, Yours and Mine Consignment, Nanaimo Art Gallery, Literacy CVI, Nanaimo Museum, Ironworks Café and Crêperie, plus Janet and Cali Birch. We’d also like to thank the Southgate Country Grocer, Port Place Starbucks and the fruit stand on the corner of Milton and Nicol Streets for their generous donations of sandwiches, wraps, muffins, cookies, juice, coffee and fruit.
BEEF To Premier John Horgan. Made a big deal about studying gas prices, and has done nothing. Gas in the Interior of B.C. $1.42.9 a litre. Here $1.62.9.
BOUQUET To the person who posted the bouquet to Alberta visitors. Thank you for acknowledging that we have been disparaged. We like B.C. visitors and welcome you at any time.
BEEF To the person who owns some of the bus shelters and does not bother removing the eyesore graffiti paint on them when reported.
BOUQUET I find the submitted list of reasonable options for the portable speaker enthusiasts acceptable and I would submit that adding anything by Neil Diamond is reasonable.
BEEF To the person who has scratched an obscenity into the brand-new wooden bench installed for passers-by to sit and enjoy the beautiful garden at the top of Wentworth Street.
BOUQUET To the amazing people who came to our aid when my husband had a medical issue at Driftwood restaurant. Your kindness did not go unnoticed during this difficult time. Thank you.
BEEF To the beefers whose complaint is self checkouts. How do you get gas for your car? Do you pump your own?
BOUQUET To the staff at Pleasant Valley and Cilaire Elementary. They managed a wrenching temporary building switch with professionalism and care.
BEEF To the neighbour who verbally berated my puppy for barking. You’re a coward, won’t even show your face to me.
BOUQUET To the lovely lady who bought me some chicken at the outdoor market. Thank you. That was a very kind gesture and I will pay it forward.
BEEF To the owner of the pizza place who insults, degrades and yells at his young staff. It is very uncomfortable for your customers to listen how you speak to your staff. You should be ashamed and your staff should find other employment, they do not need to be treated this way. It is called bullying. I will not be back to your establishment.
BOUQUET To all the staff at NRGH. Please don’t let the ignorant, shameful protests outside our hospital bring you down. Most of our community is extremely grateful for all your hard work and sacrifices and bravery during this incredibly stressful time. I don’t know what we would do without you.
BEEF To the lawyer for disrespectful conduct directed at a disabled gentleman, charging $13,000 for probating a small estate and delaying the process for almost four years. No accountability, no responsibility taken.
BOUQUET Kudos to the couple that spend their walk picking up litter in north Nanaimo, and a big beef to those that put it there.
BEEF To our government for mandating vaccine passports. As a vaccinated person who is not afraid of my unvaccinated family and friends I resent the government telling me who I can go out to dinner with, who my daughter can ask to be in her wedding party or who I can enjoy going to a hockey game with. How much freedom will we sacrifice to feel safe?
BOUQUET To the wonderful person who found and turned in my small key ring set at Canadian Tire. I back-tracked, praying. Huge thank you for quickly turning a bad day back to normal. Hoping good karma comes your way.
BEEF Once again the same council member is at it with the virtue signalling and once again I stare at the same garbage on the street, cracks in the sidewalk and potholes.
BOUQUET To all our wonderful health-care workers. Please know, the majority appreciate you and are truly so thankful for you. So saddened to see that disgusting, reprehensible, selfish behaviour directed your way. Those protesters probably don’t have enough caring or common sense to be ashamed.
BEEF To the young kid who works at the campground in a neighbouring community who refused to be vaccinated. You tested positive for COVID and are ill, but not before you exposed potentially 1,000 people to COVID because of your choice.
BOUQUET A special thanks to Bestsellers Bookstore – you played a key part in building my graphic novel collection and making my three children avid readers. You will be missed.
BEEF To the customer service business that has informed staff that it will no longer be providing disposable PPE and staff that wish to use it must purchase it for themselves.
BOUQUET To Tim’s Automotive. Remarkably fast, efficient, professional service at extremely reasonable prices. I’ve been disappointed by other local mechanics so Tim’s will get 100 per cent of my business from now on.
BEEF To the camper who had a campfire on Mt. Benson in the false summit area. A bouquet to the man who berated the camper, and who then carried 10 litres of water up to the site the next morning and extinguished the still-smouldering, unattended fire. We need fewer careless campers and more people like you. Thank you.
BOUQUET Kudos to the contractor responsible for the repaving on Yellow Point Road. Nice job.
BEEF To the veterinary hospital. You had no problem taking my $3,000 for my senior bulldog’s surgery, but when he got an infection from it, you made us wait three weeks for an appointment despite us calling you five times, begging you to get him in because his health was declining rapidly. How is it that you don’t have a veterinarian in the building some evenings?
BEEF To Mother Nature for harming the old and the weak, and the sick, and then finally the stupid with COVID-19. Kindly just cut to the chase next time and focus on the stupid.
BEEF To the mayor. Industry, organizations, municipalities are made up of individuals. Each individual is cognizant of climate change. If every individual – always starts with one – were to follow their conscience and lead to prevent further intensity of climate change, this city would depend on reliable and affordable wind and solar energy as do other municipalities.
BEEF To the person who hates raisins, maybe don’t be so lazy and make your own trail mix. Bulk sections have everything you need, even more M&M’s.
BEEF It is certainly the right of people to choose not to wear masks or get vaccinated. But these people do not have the right to put others at risk. If you don’t want to follow public health orders then stay home or only socialize with others of your ilk. The safety of the majority certainly outweighs the selfishness of the few.
BEEF To anti-vaxxers. Take responsibility, if you get the coronavirus, don’t go the hospital.
BEEF My only sibling is addicted to drugs and I have lost two cousins to the opioid crisis. Our government does nothing to get people off drugs. Supportive housing is an ill-planned Band-Aid. When a housing unit goes up in your neighbourhood, you will understand. Before you judge me, perhaps it is you that needs more education.
BEEF To the business burning incense. This is a fairly scent-free town for a reason. I’ve had to considerably change my route to work to avoid your store’s smell as it gives me migraines. I can only imagine the restaurant beside is losing customers as there’s never anyone eating on the patio during your business hours. Please be more considerate.
To submit a beef or a bouquet to the Nanaimo News Bulletin, e-mail editor@nanaimobulletin.com.
