More Nanaimo Info

Ca

Yesterday I went to Miners Heritage Day in my local park. Must have been several hundred people there, lots of young and old, both Euro- Canadians and and Native People. This event is put on by the South End Neighborhood Association, which I am going to join at their next meeting. As well as putting on the Miners Day, they are also a watch-dog group when it comes to development of the neighborhood. Exactly the sort of local, decentralized, grass roots group an anarchist should be involved with, methinks. Part of the celebration involved a walk around the neighborhood led by a women born here and whose grandfather had been a coal miner. She pointed out individual houses and buildings and gave their history and function. During here childhood in the 1940's and extending well past the 1950's South Nanaimo was a strong community. During this period this neighborhood, comprising an area roughly six blocks long and four block wide had:

a dry goods shop

green grocer

convenience store

grocery

butcher shop

garage

laundry

2 general stores

ice cream parlor

fish and chips joint

bakery

2 hotels

3 bars

school

All the businesses on this list were owned and run by local people.

What's left in South Nanaimo in this glorious era of suburban shopping centers and multinational corporations ? Two convenience stores, one sleazy hotel, two bars. But we do have several crack houses and a Hells Angels Club House, so not all is lost...

nadians and and Native People. This event is put on by the S