Two shootings, a stabbing, an attempted assault of myself, multiple large fires, stolen property and increasing environmental damage. What more needs to happen in order for the Province of BC and City of Nanaimo to clear the Millstone Estuary Riverbank of current and future occupants?!

Innocent citizens are increasingly becoming victims of violence from those living on this bank, between the Old White Spot and Barsby Park. People are too terrified to visit beautiful Barsby Park anymore because of the multiple dangerous individuals that have shot and attempted to injure citizens, such as myself.

The MASS of toxic trash and complete destruction of the plants, trees and soil, of the riverbank (a riparian area), have caused many animals to flee this area. Deer used to graze here, Belted Kingfishers nested in the bank, Turkey Vultures rested on the bank. They have all left. We have no idea of the impact on the salmon, River Otters, Beavers and other creatures that call(ed) this area of the river home. As plants are removed, slope erosion and stability become a concern as well.

The people living on the Millstone Riverbank are a SEVERE safety risk to the people of Nanaimo. If the inhabitants, and their built structures, are not permanently removed and the area restored to what is once was, innocent citizens will continue to be assaulted, fires will continue to happen (wasting taxpayer money and resources) and this important estuary area will be completely ruined.

1. We request that the Province and City remove all camps on the Millstone Estuary Riverbank across from Barsby Park.
2. We request that the Province and City prevent all future camps and structures from being erected on the Millstone Estuary Riverbank.
3. We request that the Province and City remove the years’ worth of trash that has collected in mounds on the Riverbank and is polluting the estuary.
4. We request that the Province and City repair the environmental damage done to the Millstone Estuary Riverbank so that the plants and animals can repopulate this important riparian area and slope stability can be restored.

We may not be able to restore safety and environment damage in the entire City of Nanaimo, right now, but we can start with this one crucial area. 

To stay updated and be part of the solution, join the "Friends of Millstone River" Facebook group. 

LOCATION:

METAL BAR THROWN AT ME BY ONE OF THE OCCUPANTS:

Trash hauled out of the Millstone dump site by Van Isle Clean Team and volunteers in 2022. There is still at least five times this amount on the bank in that same spot. 

Large, permanent structure erected and been there for over a year. As the RCMP stated to me, because they are allowed to permanently camp here they become territorial of "their" property causing them to resort to violence to protect "their" property.

Much of the groundcover plants have been removed and stairs have been dug into the bank. Concerns regarding erosion and slope stability. 

Storm drain

Toxic dump...Van Isle Clean Team already moved an entire truckload from this specific spot. I have continued to remove garbage that falls from this dump into the river. The City will not remove this garbage. More and more garbage keeps getting added to this dump site. 

Semi-permanent/permanent structures are increasingly being built on the bank. The deer, rabbits, and other wildlife used to roam through what was trees and bushes here. 

Because these camps are here permanently the garbage accumulates like at a dump. Why are people allowed to camp indefinitely in a riparian area and dump their trash. If you or I did that we would be fined and charged. In this specific spot, a family of beavers is living. This is also an estuary and the City and Province are letting garbage flow into an important environmental habitat.