Cable Bay: Urgent Call-to-Action
Post written by Deanna Fourt, NCAH Director, Policy & Advocacy Working Group Lead
Nanaimo residents have a critical one-time opportunity on April 16th to influence the fate of 74 hectares (182 acres) of forested land around the beloved Cable Bay Trail in the City of Nanaimo's Duke Point neighbourhood. A proposed rezoning would have the property at 950 Phoenix Way, which is home to rich biodiversity including roughly 7400 trees, changed from Rural Resource (AR1) to Industrial (I4). This rezoning already passed the first and second readings at the March 23rd council meeting, and a public hearing will be held on April 16th before council votes on the third reading and final adoption of the rezoning.
Under Nanaimo’s current zoning bylaws, if the rezoning is approved the land owner is free to proceed with any permitted industrial use of the land, including waste incinerators, petroleum refineries, LNG export facilities, and chemical plants. Even if residents strongly oppose a project because of concerns about toxic pollution, noise, odors, or greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), city council will have no power stop development once the I4 zoning is in place.
On November 17, 2025, council directed staff to prepare a report with options on zoning amendments that would allow council to approve or deny emissions intense heavy industry developments on a case-by-case basis, instead of these industries being permitted by default in all industrial zones. The staff report has not yet been presented to council.
Please participate in the Public Hearing to help protect this area, much of which is designated as environmentally sensitive in the official City Plan, to the greatest extent possible. We ask for all economic development to be carried out in a way that meets the needs of today’s residents without exceeding the limits of the planet we call home. Our specific asks are:
Avoid locating industrial zones in environmentally sensitive areas
Create public parks between Cable Bay and the adjacent Dodds Narrows to protect critical biodiversity and coastal habitats, and allow residents to visit and enjoy them in perpetuity
Retain this large forested area to mitigate greenhouse gases and adapt to climate change - so vital for our community, given Nanaimo is far from its GHG emissions reduction goal and has yet to meet its stated goal of 40% canopy coverage
Take climate action to safeguard citizens against the negative health, environmental and economic costs of worsening climate impacts
Show your support by (in order of impact):
Attend the public hearing in person. It starts at 7:00pm sharp on Thursday April 16th, 2026, at the Shaw Auditorium at 80 Commercial St. You can sign up in person at the event, and you will get three minutes to speak.
Phone in to the hearing to speak. You can watch the livestream at home and phone 250-755-4455, and you will be able to wait for your turn to speak (detailed instructions are here).
Email public.hearing@nanaimo.cabefore 2:00pm Thursday 16th, April 2026. In the subject line of your submission, please note the bylaw number (Bylaw No. 4500.249 for 950 Phoenix Way) and your position of opposition for the proposal.
Please remember, council members are not allowed to accept any further input on this matter after the close of the Public Hearing.
Thank you for your help with this important issue!