An organization opposed to the Nanaimo event centre won’t be allowed to set up a table at upcoming open houses.
In a 4-3 vote Monday, city council voted down a bid to allow NoVote2017 to set up a table at open houses on the proposed events centre.
Coun. Diane Brennan, who made the motion, said it’s not atypical for government to fund the opposition just so everybody gets each side of the story. Government has deep pockets, citizens sometimes have a deep suspicion of what might be occurring under a government initiative and there are questions on this project, she said.
“These people are not asking for money, they are just asking for space where they can make their material and their information available to people who are interested in learning about the multiplex and what it might mean,” she said.
Coun. Bill Yoachim said an open house is to provide information, answers and questions and is not a place for debate.
Coun. Bill Bestwick doesn’t want to see a yes table or no table, but the information the city has and that it’s invested in to have available.
“If people that aren’t in favour of it wish to come and hand out their information, which they did at the last ones then they can come and do it at this one too,” he said.
The first open house is today (Thursday) from 6-8 p.m. at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre's Dodd Narrows Room.