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LETTER TO THE EDITOR: City needs to develop upward, not outward

When there is no more open land to claim, then what, asks letter writer
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The City of Nanaimo’s urban containment boundary, as shown in the city plan. (City of Nanaimo image)

To the editor,

The city needs to grow up.

I have lived here for the last 40 years and have seen a lot of growth in Nanaimo. Unfortunately that has come at a high cost with the loss of many acres of viable farm lands. There has only been three, maybe four buildings built in Nanaimo over five-to-six floors in height. Cameron Island, the Coast Bastion Hotel, the renovation/addition to the old Malaspina Hotel are all that come to mind except for the new hotel project on Gordon Street. That is 30-plus years since the building of Cameron Island and the Malaspina Hotel conversion. In that time, they have used all but one five-acre farm plot in Harewood and Fairview. The last remaining plot is now a community garden in Harewood. They have cleared almost entirely around Linley Valley, filled in Hammond Bay and turned Jingle Pot Road into the Shady Quarter Mile. Chase River has been filled in and now they’re setting their sites on the land from the Chase River hill to the other side of Cedar Road. When there is no more open land to claim, then what?

They have already heard a request to move the city boundary lines to incorporate this latest sprawl.

It’s time to grow up guys, while there is still some open land left.

Jeff Wisemiller, Nanaimo

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Build Nanaimo upward, not outward


The views and opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the writer and do not reflect the views of Black Press or the Nanaimo News Bulletin.

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