Historical font City seeks community help to refurbish landmark. PAGE 13 Cult classic Nanaimo theatre company tackles Monty Python script. PAGE 34 On the MEND New program teaches children and families healthy habits. PAGE 3
Former NHLer talks abuse PAGE 31
Celebrating
1988
2013
Years
www.nanaimobulletin.com
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2013
VOL. 25, NO. 65
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History teacher compiles book on war dead
Study charts arts economic impact
BY CHRIS BUSH
BY TAMARA CUNNINGHAM
THE NEWS BULLETIN
THE NEWS BULLETIN
T
hanks to some diligent digitization of records by a volunteer with the Vancouver Island Military Museum, new life is being breathed into the histories of 124 men from Nanaimo who died in the First World War. Their names, cast in bronze on Nanaimo’s downtown cenotaph, are being connected to a living record of who they were when they lived and worked in Nanaimo before they shipped overseas. Now the descendants of some of those men living in Nanaimo today can glean insight about their ancestors from a book of remembrance on display at the museum. Information for the book – the first phase of a project to fill in details about where the men came from, their religions, medical histories, occupations and other data – was gathered by museum volunteer Angus Scully, a retired history teacher who spent last summer organizing the data to produce the book. “Because you can digitize data you can analyze it in ways that would have taken years or would have been impossible before,” Scully said. ◆ See ‘MUSEUM’ /2
The arts and culture scene is thriving in the Nanaimo region, generating more than $150 million in economic activity, a new report reveals. The Nanaimo Economic Development Corporation presented the results of its first-ever arts and culture economic impact study Friday. It was jointly released with a draft of the city’s new cultural plan. According to the $19,000 report by Roslyn Kunin and Associates, the arts and culture sector has a “large economic footprint,” supporting 1,330 jobs in Nanaimo region and generating $154.5 Having arts million in ecoand culture is nomic activity. Jobs in inforgoing to be even mation, culture more important and recreation are also on because we the rise, with cent are going to be ai n 40-per c re a s e i n employment having a real in 1995 and global race for 2012. General employment talent. only rose by 20 per cent. Sasha Angus, chief executive officer of Nanaimo Economic Development Corporation, said the report shows the size and prevalence of arts and culture is significant, with “literally thousands of jobs that depend on the sector.” The information is the economic corporation’s first concrete proof on the state of arts and culture and it’s anticipated to not only give Nanaimo a benchmark to grow the sector, but also better position the city to woo new business and creative professionals. ◆ See ‘STUDY’ /4
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Past& present CHRIS BUSH/THE NEWS BULLETIN
Brian McFadden, Vancouver Island Military Museum vice-president, holds the details behind the names of men listed on downtown Nanaimo’s cenotaph who died in the First World War.
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