BEEF To all of the anti-vax, anti-mask and COVID deniers. Please ensure that you have forwarded your ‘election to opt out’ statement to the Ministry of Health with respect to the B.C. Medical Service Plan. I’m sure you you would prefer to avoid any of the hypocritical issues you may have to deal with in the event that you become ill as a result of the pandemic.
BOUQUET Thank you to the kind lady who helped me back out of the parking space when my truck was in a tight space and very very close to other cars. This was at the Port Place parking lot.
BEEF We live near Piper’s Lagoon and I can’t believe all the illegal fireworks that were set off New Year’s Eve. What part of illegal do you not get? How come people seem to think that the rules never apply to them? Come on people, grow up.
BOUQUET To Kian Place drivers who come to a complete stop, checking both ways for oncoming traffic (including small children on bikes and skateboards) before proceeding onto Crystal. We’ve witnessed a few near misses. Let’s all try harder to keep everyone safe.
BEEF To the people leaving their garbage next to the garbage can at Jack Bagley Park in Nanoose. I suppose it never occurred to you that the crows would find your large cooked turkey remains or that they would spread it all around so that dog owners would be unable to let their dogs loose. Or that the sharp turkey bones would be a hazard for the dogs when ingested. No worry about vet bills for you.
BOUQUET To Dana and the team at London Drugs Nanaimo North Town Centre. Thank You for your generosity and hard work preparing Christmas gifts for seniors. You made this Christmas very special for our residents. There were tears of joy, lot of laughs and sharing of happiness.
BEEF To the store. I needed one bulb for my outside yard light. I was told the best they could do was to sell me 12 which would cost over $1,000. I bought the bulb for $15 at Nedco and only had to buy the one. Some store policies make no sense.
BOUQUET So refreshing earlier this month for only positivity in this section of the paper. We all need positivity right now. Let’s feed the right spirit. Thank you.
BEEF To Dr. Bonnie Henry. NHL hockey is not essential. Yet another example of only for me not for thee elitism.
BOUQUET To the boy who found my pink wallet at Departure Bay and his mom who reached out to me over Facebook. Thank you so much for returning it. You have no idea how much I appreciate it.
BEEF To the beefer who would like to have the barrier removed on Gulfview. Goodbye to quiet walks and beautiful views with your four-legged friends. This will become a high speed two-lane traffic shortcut. Be careful what you wish for.
BOUQUET To Krystal at the Wallace Street Medical Clinic for all the hard work she does. She goes over and beyond and genuinely works for the patients’ best interest.
BEEF To mayor and council who still continue to waste tax dollars on things that we no longer can afford and do not need.
BOUQUET To the dump truck driver of Bully’s Landscaping and Turf Farm helping a driver by pushing his stalled vehicle out of the intersection of Turner Road and the old Island Highway. Cheers to him.
BEEF Did I miss acceptance to the elitist club that allows people to speed in the Metral Avenue school zone? Please tell me why you think you are above the law and can drive at sometimes twice the posted speed?
BOUQUET To the City of Nanaimo for tidying up our treasured Neck Point Park by removing fallen tree and upgrading flooded paths. Greatly appreciated. Also would like to say thanks for the lovely upgrade, trees, pathway and cedar fencing along Hammond Bay Road in front of the water treatment plant. Looks fantastic and so much safer. Thank you and keep up the great work.
BEEF Almost an entire year into COVID, the emergency room is a free-for-all. There is no order as to who goes next other than remembering who was there before you. I sat for well over an hour, to have multiple people jump ahead of me. I can contently wait my turn and am grateful for our hospital workers, but perhaps get a number system to remind people to wait their turn.
BOUQUET To Tobias, Darrel and their teacher Matt. I read your story in the News Bulletin and was very moved. You two young men are lights in the darkness right now. Thank you for taking your experience and compassion and turning it into action to help those in need. Thank you to your teacher and the district for supporting you in this project.
BEEF To Canada Post. After 20 years of you delivering my mail to the wrong mailbox, I am done. You have forced a person in a wheelchair to go pick up his mail from the post office weekly. If I wasn’t on the ball Canada Post would’ve cost me over $1,000 in lost medical equipment.
BOUQUET To Nanaimo for taking such good care of our bird population. Thousands more this year. I saw so many enjoying our public fountain this summer.
BEEF To the person in the little car who tailgates me with high beams along Kilpatrick and Jingle Pot in the morning and lays on the horn when I turn left onto East Wellington. If following the speed limit is not going to get you where you are going on time please do not take it out on me. May I suggest you leave a bit sooner.
BOUQUET Thank you for the quick turnaround to the City of Nanaimo for filling in and installing proper drainage on the path at Neck Point Park. With the recent rains, the path had made extremely large puddles and as a daily user it is well appreciated.
BEEF To the people buying and stores selling birdseed. Nature has been surviving for millennia without your help. Leave nature alone.
BOUQUET To the lady for her bouquet regarding the Costco cart mixup. I felt terrible and was so embarrassed for the mistake as my cart had about the same amount in it. When I went back, I heard you mention it to your husband in panic so I put it near you to make sure it was safe. Sorry again. I really appreciated your kind words. I wish I wasn’t shy and came straight to you.
BEEF After reading Beefs & Bouquets on Jan. 6, where’s the beef?
BOUQUET To all staff at Woodgrove Save-On-Foods for great service to our community over this past challenging year. Special thanks to Gjeva who always goes the extra mile to be helpful and connect with customers.
BEEF To city hall. Here we go again. Two years ago the city printed a new garbage schedule that was almost impossible to read. After much protest from the citizens, they printed a larger one that could actually be read. This year, the city has printed another new garbage schedule which can only be read by Superman with his x-ray vision or by citizens who have a magnifying glass and a flashlight. Please re-print to something we can actually use.
BOUQUET I would like to change my beef to a bouquet as when I went back to Walmart, not only was my wallet there, but my money and lotto tickets. It gives me great joy for honest people.
BEEF To the medical clinic staff for being rude and dismissive. Messages are never returned in a timely manner. We show up for appointments only for them to be cancelled without our knowledge. My father is 98 years old, you have me as an emergency contact yet you chose to call my father who has dementia and tell him his appointment has been cancelled.
BOUQUET To the two young people who helped me after a major fall at Neck Point. They answered my call for help, stayed with me until they were sure I could walk again then followed me back to the parking lot where they even offered to drive me home. Thank you.
BEEF Many cyclists using the Westwood Lake trail are completely lacking in etiquette and are a danger on the trail. They approach from behind without warning from a bell or shouting a warning. Parents, teach your kids to be safe and courteous cyclists by warning others of their approach.
BOUQUET To the Nanaimo Bakery on Bowen Road for their excellent COVID safety protocol. In the café the tables and chairs are thoroughly cleaned as soon as they are vacated, separation between café and bakery is excellent and the staff are efficient and friendly. It is a comforting place to visit in these difficult times. And of course, excellent baked goods.
BEEF To Canadian citizens travelling to the U.S. for the COVID vaccine. If you think your health care is so great in Canada, wait for your vaccine in Canada; do not delay or take away an opportunity for the vaccine from people outside your country. Plus, you should not be doing leisure travel at this time.
BOUQUET To people who say hello, good day, etc. to strangers on the waterfront, in the stores, on the street, everywhere, because at this time we all need this connection to let everyone know that we are in this pandemic together and a friendly hello can mean so much. You never know when you may make a new friend.
BEEF To the port authority for keeping the public washrooms on the Harbourfront Walkway closed since the beginning of COVID when all other public washrooms in Nanaimo re-opened months ago. I’m starting to think it’s a cost-saving decision and nothing to do with COVID.
BOUQUET To Angela at Island Savings credit union’s Cedar branch for so diligently and patiently solving a tricky problem I had with an Interac deposit. She was so pleasant and kind.
BEEF To the member of Lantzville council who ignored my request for a public water fountain. Said it would cost too much. Meanwhile what do the birds do in summer when your creek beds are dried up and global warming imminent? Planning ahead is good.
BOUQUET To Tyler at Winchelsea Veterinary Services. The kindness and compassion he gave us when we and Stormy needed it was above anything I could have expected. Thank you so much for helping us cope.
BEEF I was shocked when I read the Beefs & Bouquets section earlier this month and found only bouquets. What a disappointment to not be able to revel in the grumblings of my fellow residents. I hope to see only beefs in the following edition.
BOUQUET To the owner of the cabin on Shack Island with the Canada flag painted on its roof. This summer, the maple leaf became a heart and at Christmas, you decorated your cabin with lights. Thank you for uplifting our spirits and creating magic and joy.
BEEF A warning to Departure Bay beach users. I am finding syringes, with needles still attached, in every section. Beneath the wall, beside logs and in the seaweed. Please watch carefully where children are playing and dogs walking. A needle drop would help me and others to dispose of them.
BOUQUET To the paramedics and doctors who so sensitively and professionally handled our misfortune on New Year’s Day. The emergency nurses were incredibly comforting and you could tell that their concern and kind words were genuine.
BEEF To the low-life thieves who stole tools that had belonged to a man who recently died. It’s like grave-robbing. Bad karma will get you.
BOUQUET To the kind, thoughtful person at Nanaimo North Town Centre who found my black embroidered change purse on the ground beside my vehicle and tucked it under my windshield wiper. Thank you so much; it is very special to me.
BEEF To the burger restaurant that allowed a group of five to have lunch together. They were clearly not from the same household as they were on their lunch break. They were able to laugh and have beers while the rest of us follow the rules.
BOUQUET We would like to thank Nanaimo Quilters’ Guild for the lovely placemat given to the Meals on Wheels people, it was a lovely surprise. Beautiful work.
BEEF To the truck driver stopped on Northfield. I was travelling on Bowen. As I approached the intersection you proceeded to turn right on Bowen. I had a green light and had to swerve into the left lane. I was shaken.
BOUQUET To the caring ladies who stopped to make sure I was safe after an embarrassing stumble in front of the north-end Shoppers Drug Mart. You are wonderful role models to your child companion.
To submit a beef or a bouquet to the Nanaimo News Bulletin, e-mail editor@nanaimobulletin.com.
