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What started as a joke-turned-viral video in early 2025 has spawned not only the immensely successful Nanaimo event but also 43 similar initiatives nationwide.<\/p>\n
Many, like Nanaimo, are also using the influx of visitors in a bid to recruit healthcare workers to an overburdened system.<\/p>\n
Tod said the personal, organic format of Infusion has been key in 34 healthcare workers moving to work in Nanaimo in the last 10 months and another 3,000 applying to work across B.C.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you are a nurse in Iowa who has a trans kid, and the only thing holding you back from making the decision to come to Canada is you need to talk to another parent, to find out, \u2018is my daughter going to be safe in Canada?\u2019 We can set you up with someone to talk to you in five minutes, if that\u2019s all it takes. There are communities across this country that will help out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jocelyn added the connections found in the Infusion community have meant a great deal to her.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just wanted to tell you guys how humbling it is to see everything you shared with us\u2026about yourselves and your journeys and your current life and the things that you\u2019re dealing with and your experiences. It\u2019s humbling to realize that you spend your attention on us, on the things that we care about, and you join us in it.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the crowd Saturday were Scott and Joy Beatty, visiting from Westport, Washington and exploring a move away from the U.S.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe definitely are looking to relocate,\u201d Joy told NanaimoNewsNOW. \u201cWe just bought a home in Japan, and we are looking to add to our international experience. We\u2019re ready to relocate permanently out of the United States and find another place to call home.\u201d<\/p>\n
Joy is a mental health professional, while Scott is a home healthcare aid.<\/p>\n
Both have met with a number of professionals in healthcare, immigration, and real estate during their visit to Nanaimo, trying to ensure any move which eventuates is a smooth one.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are both in health care-adjacent industries. We know that [Scott] has to get registered now under a certain umbrella, but we learned all that just in the past hour, so this has just been invaluable. It has saved us so much time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Both Joy and Scott said they are searching for a quality of life \u201cwe can\u2019t find in the United States\u201d and they\u2019re \u201cnot comfortable to stay\u201d under the current political climate.<\/p>\n
Also exploring a move were Portland, Oregon\u2019s Richard and Stacie Howard.<\/p>\n
Stacie discovered Nanaimo Infusion through social media posts and thought it was the perfect excuse for a holiday and to explore somewhere new.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am evaluating whether or not we want to stay in the United States, specifically Portland and so we have been touring different parts of the world,\u201d Richard said. \u201cWe were in Tokyo last year, we\u2019re probably going to hit up Ireland this summer, hitting Canada right now, to try and feel out if we want to land somewhere and where it would be.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stacie, originally from Bend, compared the central Oregon community to Vancouver Island.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s like Bend\u2019s personality with Portland\u2019s landscape. You have a lot of accessibility to go throw yourself into a kayak, or, I heard there\u2019s a ski resort somewhere on the island. I\u2019m a huge skier, so this is all very attractive in that way.\u201d<\/p>\n
Both praised the accessibility and support in Nanaimo, not only for Stacie\u2019s visual impairment but also for the couple\u2019s autistic son.<\/p>\n
The slow speeds on area highways was a noted drawback, however, the couple said tongue-in-cheek.<\/p>\n
Among the visitors this weekend was Alison Klossner, a physiotherapist from Portland, Oregon, who mentioned she\u2019d never heard of Nanaimo prior to last year\u2019s Infusion event.<\/p>\n
Once the 2026 edition was announced, she made the decision to use the event to celebrate her birthday while also exploring a potential move.<\/p>\n
\u201cI like the atmosphere of Nanaimo. It\u2019s friendly, like today we\u2019re here at the food cart fair. It\u2019s a beautiful town on the ocean, and it feels a lot like Portland, where you have the shops and the art galleries, and it\u2019s just like a kind of a community feel to it.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said the last 10 years \u201chave been really challenging in the United States,\u201d and she feels the time is right to either stick it out or make a move.<\/p>\n
Klossner, 55, attended an open house for healthcare workers at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital on Friday, April 24, to help gather more information on making the switch.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs I understand it, I would have to take the board exam, which is a bit of a barrier, as I haven\u2019t had to take a board exam since I first entered my career about 30 years ago. That\u2019s a three-hour written then two-hour oral exam\u2026then I can apply for licensure at that point.\u201d<\/p>\n
She\u2019s not the only one charting the same course forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have met other physical therapists going through the same thing, one just took the board (exam), and she said she\u2019d let us know how it all went when she gets her scoring back. So that\u2019s been good to watch that process happen through her eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n
New to Infusion for 2026 was Premier David Eby, briefly speaking to the crowd while flanked by his mid-Island MLA\u2019s Sheila Malcolmson, George Anderson, Josie Osborne and Stephanie Higginson.<\/p>\n
Eby said there are obvious difficulties between Canada and the United States currently, but it was clear the divisions were not between people but rather political ideologies.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not a fight between Americans and Canadians, this is a political issue, and this too will pass. What will help us get through to the other side is events like this, and this is so inspiring to see you here.\u201d<\/p>\n
No other formal events were planned for the Infusion weekend, with visitors and locals encouraged to explore the area at their own pace.<\/p>\n
We\u2019re on Bluesky!<\/strong> Stay up to date on news across central Vancouver Island through Bluesky, by following @<\/a>NanaimoNewsNOW.bsky.social<\/a>.<\/p>\n info@nanaimonewsnow.com<\/a><\/p>\n Follow us on:<\/strong> Twitter (X)<\/a> | Bluesky<\/a> | Facebook<\/a><\/p>\n