Calling all trail enthusiasts and nature lovers
Cable Bay
NEEDS your Help
Letter Writing Campaign
Do you love the Cable Bay area and want to see it protected for future generations?
Please send an email that tells the RDN Board why Cable Bay Trail and Forest is important to you!
Send to:
RDN Board Chair: Vanessa.craig@rdn.bc.ca, Mayor&Council: mayor.council@nanaimo.ca copy: RDN Area A Director: Jessica.stanley@rdn.bc.ca
Tell them why you love Cable Bay and why the City of Nanaimo and the Regional District (RDN) should work together with the province and conservation agencies to protect the entire east side of Cable Bay!
Remind them of the old growth forest, the Garry Oak meadows, the tall sword ferns, mossy trees, mushrooms, owls, song birds, birds of prey, frogs and salamanders, the deer and important animal corridors. Send them your pictures!
Tell them about the short cuts that take you to Joan Point Park/Dodd Narrows which get you there in less than 30 minutes so you can see the orcas that you are tracking on the whale watching pages!
Remind them how your children love to see the “moustache man/fish rock” and how much they enjoy looking for wooden owls and hidden dinosaurs. Remind them that this is a favourite family hiking spot where seals, sea lions and orcas can be seen a few feet from shore! Are they aware an endangered sea otter has recently been spotted in the narrows on more than one occasion!
Remind them how the parking lot is overflowing almost every weekend because Cable Bay is not just enjoyed by locals, it’s an Island destination and a huge tourist draw!
Current Development Applications
Subdivision Proposal (Eastside) –
https://www.nanaimo.ca/whatsbuilding/Folder/SUB01502
Industrial Proposal (Westside) –
Save the Cable Bay Forest and Ecosystems
The lands on the west side are owned by Nanaimo Forest Products Limited (NFPL) and they have proposed industrial lots as close as 50 m from the trail! The lands on the east side of the trail are privately owned and another major development has been proposed (34 lots and expanded roads).
These lands connect to Joan Point Park/Dodd Narrows and they form a loop/short cut to Joan Point. They are also widely used by the public.
The forest surrounding this area is full of wildlife. Garry Oak meadows are throughout and are home to rare and endangered plants. Garry oak ecosystems are among the most endangered ecosystems in Canada with only three percent remaining in a natural state. Their beauty comes to life every spring.
Updates
December 2024 – Looking for a gift that shows you care about Saving Cable Bay? Buy one (or more) of our beautiful Tote Bags! $20 each and available at Champagne Hill Botanicals, 2083 Furn Rd., Cedar BC. Also available at the Medicine Shoppe, in Cedar. If you can’t make it to either of the shops, contact us at savecablebay@gmail.com and we’ll get a tote bag to you.
September 2024 – Nanaimo Forest Products (NFP) scheduled a Public Information Session in regards to the rezoning of their lands from Rural Resource to Heavy Industrial.
Meeting: October 23rd from 4:00-8:00 pm at Moose Hall (1356 Cranberry Ave, Nanaimo).
See Betty’s full Facebook video reel here:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/reel/468378969549238 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/DBXwU2AJm_b/?hl=en TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@whichbetty/video/7428068212262046982?q=which%20betty%20nanaimo&t=1729552879901 ____________________________________________________________________
June 2024 – Read the Discourse article about Save Cable Bay here.
April 2024 – Read the 20+ page list of investors for 1270 Phoenix Way here. (This is only one of 6 parcels.)
February 2024 – The 100-meter buffer celebration is over and no longer accurate. New applications to the City show a 50-meter buffer with a wider buffer where development was never feasible, e.g. cliffs, ESAs, etc.
The insertion of the words ‘average 100-meter buffer’ appears to be a significant and misleading representation of intentions.
May 2022 – “‘If you want to go far, go together:’ An initially proposed 50 metre buffer of forested land west of the beloved Cable Bay Trail will instead be 100 metres, staving off development…” Read article from Nanaimo News Now.
March 2022 – Nanaimo Forest Products Ltd. acquires land west of trail: https://www.instagram.com/p/DBXwU2AJm_b/?hl
Save Cable Bay Tote Bag – make a statement!
Show that you want to Save Cable Bay with our new Tote Bag!
We are raising funds with this fantastic natural cotton Tote Bag – it’s perfect for just about anything … your laptop or to carry groceries! Tell the world that you want to Save Cable Bay!
You can purchase this bag for $20 at: Champaign Hill Botanicals, 2083 Furn Rd., Nanaimo (Cedar area)
OR, at: The Medicine Shoppe, 1834 Cedar Rd. (Cedar Village Shopping Centre)
OR, contact us at savecablebay@gmail.com and we’ll get a tote bag (or two) to you.
Rich & Diverse Ecosystem
The lands surrounding the Cable Bay Trail represent a diversity of ecosystems from wildflower meadows to old growth forests to shoreline flora and fauna. These lands are at risk of development that will damage the natural environment and impact trail users.
Winter 2023 Update: After reports of unnecessary (and possibly unintended) vehicle destruction to the Garry Oak Meadows within the east lands, we implore the property owners to exercise positive stewardship of these fragile and rare ecosystems wherever and whenever possible.
Joan Point Park
Joan Point Park is a City of Nanaimo park that is only accessible through private lands. Cable Bay Trail ends at the bridge. The trail from the bridge to Joan Point is owned by Mosaic. The other route to Joan Point also on private land is via the path/road off the main trail after the third gate (aka east side lands). There are signs stating, ‘Now Entering Joan Point Park’ on both sections of the private land.
The City pulled the east side lands out of the Urban Containment Boundary in June of 2022. This was seen by trail enthusiasts as a huge win for the Cable Bay Area as that meant the City would not be providing services to this area effectively making the lands undevelopable.
We continue to advocate to City to officially purchase the east side lands.
The Lands Surrounding Cable Bay are at Risk of Development!
The development plans for this area do not fit with the City of Nanaimo’s Doughnut Economic Model which emphasizes the protection of diverse natural landscapes.
The hike to Cable Bay and Joan Point Park is one of the most popular and scenic hikes in the Nanaimo area. We need to ensure that these lands are protected as an intact ecosystem for the benefit of wildlife, plant life, and for people who want to enjoy fresh air, exercise, and serenity.
Please help us reach our goal of expanding the boundaries of the Cable Bay Trail to encompass the surrounding lands and to secure access to Joan Point Park.
- Keep the conversation going by joining our Facebook group for the latest news and photos: facebook.com/groups/savecablebaytrailarea.
- Sign the petition here.
Be Part of the solution
Sign the petition. Cable Bay is not the space for an industrial wasteland, drought-encouraging clear-cuts, or McMansions.
It is: flora, fauna, fire-resistant old growth, & diverse ecosystems.
Cable Bay is a natural greenspace haven worth protecting for today and tomorrow’s generations.
Marine Life
The hike is not complete without checking out the areas diverse marine life. In the spring, watch for orcas travelling through the narrows.
Centurians
The 400+ acres includes both very mature forests as well as verified old growth forests.
