Calling all trail enthusiasts and nature lovers

Cable Bay
NEEDS your Help

URGENT!

Say NO to I4 rezoning at the Public Hearing on Thursday April 16th - 7:00pm
Shaw Auditorium, 80 Commercial St., downtown Nanaimo

If you can’t attend in person, submit your comments Online or by email to: public.hearing@nanaimo.ca.  In your submission, please note the bylaw number (Bylaw No. 4500.249 for 950 Phoenix Way) and your position of opposition for the proposal. The deadline for submissions is 2:00 p.m. on the day of the Council meeting when the Public Hearing will take place.

You can also call-in during the Public Hearing at 250-755-4455. For more information about call-in, please refer to the City of Nanaimo website at: https://www.nanaimo.ca/your-government/city-council/council-meetings/public-hearings


Sarah Wayne Callies is an internationally acclaimed actor (Walking Dead, Prison Break, Colony), director, writer, producer, and Podcast Cohost.
 
Sarah’s advocacy work includes over a dozen years with the International Rescue Committee as well as environmental initiatives with Pacific Wild and SeaLegacy.  Immense gratitude to Sarah and everyone at Pacific Wild who created this video. 
 
Please speak up at the Public Hearing on April 16, 2026 at 7:00 pm at the Shaw Auditorium in Nanaimo, 80 Commercial Street.
 
Please consider making a donation to Pacific Wild as they do such incredible work: https://pacificwild.org/?form=PW-MAIN

We are so excited to share this video of Sarah with you! Please share, share, share!!!

Together our voices can make a difference!

Save the Cable Bay Forest and Ecosystems

The lands on the west side of Cable Bay Trail are owned by Nanaimo Forest Products Limited (NFPL) and they have proposed I4 Heavy Industrial lots as close as 50m from the trail!  A local Registered Professional Forester (RPF) has recommended a 200m buffer to protect the forest from windfall and to maintain water flow from minor streams to the forest.

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.

We need to protect these ecosystems and make this entire area a park for all to enjoy. The City of Nanaimo is listening to concerned trail users and the 21,000 people who have signed a Petition requesting this area become a park.
In 2022 the OCP was updated and these lands were removed from the Urban Containment Boundary! This was a major win as it means The City will not service these lands. The subdivision application suggests wells and septic though there are no wells registered at this time.
 
It’s time to finally make this area a park for all to enjoy! Follow along and let mayor.council@nanaimo.ca that it’s time to turn this beloved trail into a park!

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 2024Nanaimo 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.

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.

  1. Keep the conversation going by joining our Facebook group for the latest news and photos: facebook.com/groups/savecablebaytrailarea.
  2. Sign the petition here.
Photo Courtesy of Mike Bailey
Photo Courtesy of Sharon Lynn Hagen
Photo Courtesy of Daniell Adair

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.

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