A visit from the city’s namesake ship helped people in Nanaimo mark Canada Day Tuesday.

Large crowds gathered to take in the sunshine in Maffeo Sutton park, where local musicians performed,  community groups showed off their work,  and a bevy of food trucks saw their services in high demand.

Midcoast Morning brings you sounds from the event, including an interview with the CO of HMCS Nanaimo.

Nanaimo is looking to ban the sale of invasive plant species at shops in town.

This Monday at a governance and priorities committee meeting councillors voted in support of a plan to ask staff to draft a bylaw banning the sale of invasives.

A number of species including English Ivy, Himalayan Blackberry, Scotch Broom, and Daphne were listed in a staff report as impacting the city’s parks and natural areas.

CHLY' reporter Lauryn MacKenzie speaks with ecological consultant Hunter Jarratt about invasive species in Nanaimo.

Midcoast Morning also hears from Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon, who responded to recent comments from Nanaimo City Council that followed a letter in which the minister declined a request to meet and discuss funding for daytime shelter spaces.

Nanaimo is debating how much new developments should have to pay to support community infrastructure.

The city is looking at updating its Development Cost Charge (DCC) bylaw for the first time in seven years, and creating an Amenity Cost Charge (ACC) bylaw.

Midcoast Morning breaks down what DCCs are, what the timelines are for changes to the bylaws, and what the province and members of the development community have to say about potential updates to DCCs.