News Release - February 5, 2016

New Signs Welcome Visitors to Nanoose Bay

Highway drivers may have noticed new community identification signs in the Nanoose Bay area. The Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) has been working with local community members, the Snaw-Naw-As (Nanoose) First Nation, the City of Parksville and the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure on the project, and the final product has now been unveiled to the public.

The large signs welcome visitors to Nanoose Bay with a stylized arbutus tree and the tagline "Nurtured by Nature." The image of a sawbill merganser - an acknowledgement of the Snaw-Naw-As (Nanoose) First Nation - is also featured.

"I'm very pleased with the broad, positive community support that the final signage design and location has received," said Bob Rogers, Electoral Area 'E' Director. "I think the signs do speak to our sense of community, our connection to nature and the importance of the Snaw-Naw-As (Nanoose) First Nation. For those of us who call Nanoose Bay home, we indeed live in an area 'nurtured by nature' and I hope this is the

first phase of a Nanoose Bay themed community signage project." Chief Brent Edwards of Snaw-Naw-As (Nanoose) First Nation commented, "Our thanks to David Bob and the individuals he worked with at the RDN in ensuring that the welcome sign acknowledged Snaw-Naw-As. We look forward to working with the RDN on future interests."

The signs are part of a pilot community identification program for RDN Electoral Areas.

The three signs are at the following locations:

• Driving north on Highway 19 at the intersection with Rumming Road
• Driving south on Highway 19 past the weigh scales as you enter Nanoose from Parksville
• On Northwest Bay Road at the Nanoose Bay - Parksville boundary

Contact:

Chris Midgley
Manager, Energy and Sustainability
Regional District of Nanaimo
250-390-6568
cmidgley [at] rdn.bc.ca (cmidgley[at]rdn[dot]bc[dot]ca)