Nanaimo news

• $110K raised as Kelowna fundraiser for autism grows into national movement

  08-06-2026 21:04 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A fundraising initiative started in the Okanagan is celebrating a milestone in its efforts to fund autism support networks across Canada.
  Founded by Kelowna resident Kim Inglis, the fundraising group Making Waves for Autism has announced it has raised over $110,000 for Autism Canada since getting its start in 2024.
  The fundraiser has gathered enough money that Autism Canada has been able to launch its Community Assistance Program ahead of schedule in October 2024.
  The program helps individuals w
  
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• Nanaimo non-profits receive total of $2.1 million in gaming grants

  08-06-2026 23:15 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A total of $2.1 million from the province’s community gaming grants is being distributed to Nanaimo non-profits.
  According to a media release put out by the provincial government on June 4, 40 non-profits will be benefiting from the grant.
  These include the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Central Vancouver Island, which is receiving $94,750, the Growing Opportunities Farm Community Collective, which is receiving $20,000, the Nanaimo Disability Resource Centre Society, which is receiving $6
  
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• PHOTOS: Island FanCon returns to Langford uniting fandoms of all kinds

  08-06-2026 22:10 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Gandalf, a Korok and Sailor Moon walking into a building might sound like the setup to a joke few would understand.
  But at this year’s Island FanCon, it became a reality.
  More than 4,000 people dressed as their favourite fictional characters flocked to Langford’s City Centre Park, from June 5 to 7, for the third annual Island FanCon, celebrating fandoms of all kinds.
  Whether you’re a self-proclaimed geek, an avid Dungeons & Dragons player, a Star Trek aficionado or simply a
  
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• B.C. commits nearly $20 million on projects to reduce wildfire risk

  08-06-2026 21:40 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The B.C. government is making good on a multi-million dollar pledge to the Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC) in a bid to increase the province’s woodlands.
  On Monday,June 8, the Province announced it’s fulfilling the third year of its financial commitment to the Forest Enhancement Society, and the organization will be receiving $20 million in funding to support dozens of forest enhancement projects this year. The announcement came at AcuTruss in Kelowna.
  “The best wildfi
  
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• B.C. doctors ratify new 4-year deal, get more pay for rural and maternity care

  08-06-2026 21:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  B.C.’s doctors have ratified their main labour agreement with the province for the next four years.
  The agreement between the province and Doctors of BC increases funding for doctors practicing in areas of need, adds eligibility for after-hours premiums and provides funding to address gender inequity and income disparities.
  “Our health care system is under enormous strain, and this agreement will help support doctors in delivering the best possible care,” Doctors of BC Presiden
  
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• Interior Health warns of rising pertussis cases ahead of summer in B.C.

  08-06-2026 21:12 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Interior Health is warning individuals and families to be vigilant against pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, as cases of the highly contagious respiratory infection increase across the region.
  Health officials say infections have risen in recent weeks and are expected to climb further through the summer as travel, camps and large gatherings create more opportunities for the disease to spread.
  “Public health officials are asking everyone to stay informed and help prevent the spre
  
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• Nanaimo getting in on FIFA 2026 World Cup soccer celebrations

  08-06-2026 20:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The FIFA World Cup 2026 soccer tournament begins this week and Nanaimo is joining in the celebrations.
  Team Canada will join in on the action on Friday, June 12 when it plays Boznia-Herzegovina in Toronto and will then migrate to Vancouver for games against Qatar and Switzerland on Thursday, June 18 and Wednesday, June 24 respectively.
  Knockout stage games are also set for July 2 and July 7.
  The City of Nanaimo’s parks and recreation department is hosting a viewing party as part of its Fre
  
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• B.C. golfer qualifies for first PGA Tour start at RBC Canadian Open

  08-06-2026 20:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A bogey on the final hole could not stop Jeevan Sihota from punching his ticket to Canada’s biggest golf tournament.
  The 22-year-old qualified for the 2026 RBC Canadian Open after successfully navigating a two-stage qualifying process, earning the first PGA Tour start of his career.
  View this post on InstagramA post shared by Jeevan Sihota (@jeevan.sihota)Sihota guaranteed his place in the 147-player field on June 7 at The Pulpit Club in Ontario, where 84 players competed in a one-day, 18-
  
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• Victoria poised to take province to task on historic law court building

  08-06-2026 19:45 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A Victoria councillor hopes the city will take the province to task for the state of its national historic site in Bastion Square.The provincially-owned Former Victoria Law Courts National Historic Site of Canada, a registered heritage building at 28 Bastion Square, once housed the Maritime Museum of BC but has been closed to the public since 2015.Coun. Susan Kim hopes council will agree to have staff inquire with the province about the current condition and plans for use of the building, with a
  
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• Texas company to pay $12.2M to Hieltsuk Nation to settle tugboat diesel spill impacts

  08-06-2026 19:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A Texas-based cargo barge operator has agreed to pay $12.2 million to settle with a B.C. First Nations for environmental damage from a 2016 tugboat diesel spill.
  The deal with the Heiltsuk First Nation, based in Bella Bella, requires the company to participate in a traditional washing and healing ceremony and to provide 90 days’ notice when transiting the nation’s waters.
  When the Nathan E. Stewart tug boat ran aground in the nation’s territory on Oct. 13, 2016, it spilled appr
  
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• Esquimalt family hosts epic dance party to raise awareness of rare disorder

  08-06-2026 19:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  When a cold Mediterranean wave washed over baby Kalliopi Christofi, her older brother Ari cried from the cold.Kalliopi didn’t flinch.
  Days later, the memory would solidify some concerns for her parents, Kelsey and Nico.The Esquimalt family was living in Cyprus at the time, where Nico hails from.Kelsey had noticed when Kalliopi, her second baby, didn’t flinch during her first needle poke – but it didn’t raise concern.Slowly the baby started to not meet her developmental mi
  
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• Nanaimo secondary school will be performing Mr. Toad and friends

  08-06-2026 14:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Dover Bay Secondary School will be performing a play adapting an old English children’s book.
  The Winds in the Willows, which is adapting the 1908 children’s book of the same name by Kenneth Grahame, will be performed at the Nanaimo school on June 10, 11, and 13 at 7 p.m., and an additional matinee at 1 p.m. on Sunday, June 14.
  The play is set in England around the turn of the century, and follows the exploits of anthropomorphized small woodland creatures – Mole, Rat, Badger, a
  
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• Nanoose Bay man still rocking in floor curling at 100 years old

  08-06-2026 05:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Alwin Hinz recently celebrated his 100th birthday.
  The Nanoose Bay centurian got to mark the occasion by playing floor curling, the game he loves, at the Nanoose Bay Community Centre.
  Hinz uses a walker when he plays and uses a long stick to push the rocks. He also directs curlers on where to roll the rocks. He said he has been playing the game for 29 years now.
  Right after the game, his floor curling colleagues presented him with a cake. His family from Germany also flew into town to hold a spe
  
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• District of Lantzville will hold open house to discuss future of historic church

  08-06-2026 01:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The District of Lantzville will be holding an open house to discuss the future of Lantzville Heritage Church.
  In the June 2026 Community update newsletter sent out by the district, the district are inviting residents, community groups, as well as interested stakeholders to attend a public open house regarding the future of the church adjacent to Costin Hall.
  The open house will be taking place on Thursday, June 11, at Costin Hall, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
  Lantzville Heritage Church is located
  
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• BRIONES: Going cuckoo over photographing birds

  07-06-2026 23:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Lately, I’ve become obsessed with photographing different species of birds.
  It’s a major departure from my longtime passion for sports photography.
  Earlier this year, I found myself looking up more often, paying attention to the birds chirping overhead and flying from tree to tree. Some scanned the horizon from lofty perches, while others hunted patiently before swooping down to catch a meal.
  Before long, birdwatching became something I couldn’t ignore. Now, it’s a habit
  
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• City of Nanaimo wants public input on impacts of rising sea levels

  07-06-2026 22:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The City of Nanaimo is encouraging people to complete a survey related to rising sea levels and its impacts on the city.
  Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog said in his mayor’s report at the council meeting on May 25 that the city is moving into the second and final round of public engagement for the ‘Our Coastal City’ project, an initiative that, in partnership with Snuneymuxw First Nation, is developing a plan to better understand and respond to rising sea levels.
  He said that technic
  
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• 250 original ancient objects bring Egypt to life in Victoria museum

  07-06-2026 22:20 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Mummification, the underworld, the grave and the afterlife take centre stage for the next year at the Royal BC Museum in Victoria.The exhibit Ancient Egypt: Obsessed with Life shares rituals, beliefs and artistry that supported this complex civilization’s transition from one existence to the afterlife.
  Hands-on activities and a virtual three-dimensional ride through the Egyptian underworld also create physical experiences designed for children and families.
  “We’re thrilled to w
  
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• Vancouver Island’s Nicoll brothers sign pro baseball deals in Hamilton

  07-06-2026 21:35 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Two baseball players from Coombs, Brandon and Trevor Nicoll, have signed up to play with the Hamilton Cardinals in the Canadian Baseball League for the 2026 season.
  The Cardinals are a professional side in Southern Ontario.
  For Brandon, this will be his second stint with the Cardinals, who signed him up last season. In his CBL debut with the Cardinals, Brandon batted .305 and led the Hamilton team with seven home runs in 39 games, earning him an all-star selection.
  Prior to joining the Cards, Br
  
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• One fatality in vehicle crash on Highway 5 near McLure: RCMP

  07-06-2026 19:42 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Update, 11:17 a.m.
  A person has died in a vehicle collision on Highway 5 near McLure.
  B.C. RCMP have confirmed that at around 6:30 a.m. on Sunday, June 7, B.C. Emergency Health Services called in to report that a semi-truck collided with an SUV, which resulted in one fatality.
  The location of the crash was on Highway 5 near McLure.
  A reconstructionist was notified as well as the coroner, RCMP say.
  The highway was closed for the investigation.
  As of 11:05 a.m., Drive B.C. was notifying the public
  
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• Business Notes: Expect lots of fun at Landlubber Pub during FIFA games

  07-06-2026 14:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Landlubber Pub has big plans for soccer (football) fans during the upcoming FIFA World Cup series.
  Owner Andrew Pederson said the popular Nanaimo pub will select a game a day during the five-week series, which runs from June 11 to July 19, and broadcast it on Landlubber’s numerous screens.
  He said the games chosen will include teams favoured by his customers, and they will likely include competitions with France, England and Canada in them.
  “Nanaimo has a big international community,
  
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• Deception used to fool Nazis prior to D-Day invasion, says Nanaimo Legion exec

  07-06-2026 01:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Canada’s contributions to a seminal moment in the Second World War were commemorated at Royal Canadian Legion branch in Nanaimo.
  Legion Branch 256 (Mount Benson) held a memorial Saturday, on the 82nd anniversary of the D-Day invasion when Canada and its allies landed at Normandy, France on June 6, 1944. Lew Forth, Branch 256 second vice-president, emceed the event, remembering the lives lost on Juno Beach.
  The first line of German defences was “completely smashed by evening,” h
  
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• Nanaimo RCMP asks for public’s help in finding owner of stolen tools

  06-06-2026 22:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Nanaimo RCMP is asking for the public’s assistance in identifying the lawful owner of a large quantity of hand tools and multiple sets of nail guns recovered from a stolen vehicle.
  On Friday, May 22, officers located the tools inside a red pickup truck parked near the intersection of Northfield Road and Spencer Road.
  Despite ongoing efforts, investigators have been unable to determine who the tools belong to.
  Photographs of some of the recovered items, which include two nail guns and a met
  
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• VIDEO: Vancouver Island restaurant destroyed in early morning fire

  06-06-2026 22:05 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Fire crews tackled a blaze at a family-owned Brentwood Bay restaurant.
  Central Saanich Fire Department says they attended a structure fire early Saturday morning (June 6) at Garden Fork Restaurant around 3 a.m.
  Fire Chief Stacy Lee said crews arrived to find the restaurant heavily involved in fire, with flames affecting the basement, main floor and attic.
  The fire was effectively knocked down by about 4:30 a.m., though firefighters remained on scene Saturday morning dealing with hot spots.
  Unfor
  
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• New six-storey housing development with 95 units proposed for Northfield Road

  06-06-2026 19:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A development that would see 95 new housing units constructed on a 1.5-acre property on Northfield Road is being proposed.
  The project proposes the construction of a two-storey commercial office building fronting the property at 2124 Northfield Rd., with a six-storey residential building behind it.
  The property is located just east of Beban Place, close to the Northfield-Bowen Road intersection.
  Currently, an industrial building and multiple modular office trailers are located on the property.
  T
  
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• Maple Ridge pro cyclist wins silver in Italian race

  06-06-2026 18:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Maple Ridge pro cyclist Maggie Coles-Lyster got on the podium at a race in Italy.
  Coles-Lyster, 27, got her first medal on the World Tour, as she sprinted to a second-place finish at the Giro d’Italia Women. It was the sixth stage of the event – a 160 km race from Ala to Brescella. She races for the Human Powered Health team.
  “This is a dream result at this point,” Coles-Lyster said. “I know I have the skills to ride a finish like that, and the smarts, and so I just
  
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• LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Mark Carney and Bananarama

  06-06-2026 17:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  To the editor,
  On May 25, Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters that Premier Danielle Smith’s referendum question on whether to hold a vote to separate her province of Alberta from Canada, was a “dangerous bluff.”
  As an economist, Carney knows very well that uncertainty always frightens away investors, and he also knows a fair bit about bluff, if truth be told. Only recently a memorandum of understanding was signed saying that Canada will give priority status to a privately
  
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• ‘We desired to find a tunnel’: B.C. wall yields artifacts, no tunnels

  06-06-2026 16:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A major conservation project on a historic Wharf Street retaining wall has uncovered long-lost artifacts from Victoria’s early commercial waterfront, while putting a famous local myth to the test.
  The restoration, completed by Heritage Masonry & Conservation, focused on a retaining wall connected to two of the city’s earliest commercial buildings: the Hudson’s Bay warehouse and the Turner Beeton & Co. office, both constructed in the 1800s.
  Holding layers of development
  
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• Langford dad leads age-old method to ‘teach the child and carve their character’

  06-06-2026 14:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  As a dad to three young children, Dylan Warnberg knows the challenge of maintaining balance between keeping them moving, body and mind, and screen time.The Langford carpenter was on a lunch break, ironically perusing his own social media, when an Instagram post captured his attention.“It was a picture of kids at a workbench,” Warnberg recalls of his first brush with the Sloyd Experience. “I immediately dove into ‘what is this organization?’”
  Now the founder of
  
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• COLUMN: Climbing Mount Benson well worth the effort

  06-06-2026 14:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  I’ve always been fascinated by Mount Benson, that 3,400-foot mountain that dominates the skyline in western Nanaimo.
  I remember sailing into Departure Bay when I first visited Nanaimo in the 1980s on a ferry from Vancouver, and Mount Benson immediately caught my attention as it loomed over the city, covered in trees right up to its summit. When I moved here about 10 years later, I was determined to climb to the top and see how far I could see in every direction.
  There are a number of clear
  
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• One B.C. forced to move venues in Kamloops after $7.7K security bill from city

  06-06-2026 02:50 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Free speech is in the spotlight after the City of Kamloops jacked up the price for controversial politician Dallas Brodie to speak at a publicly-owned venue — forcing her One B.C. party to scramble and change locations just days before the event.
  The city wanted Brodie, who represents Vancouver-Quilchena in the legislature and is the sole sitting member of One B.C., to pay more than $7,700 to cover security costs for a two-hour appearance at the municipally-owned Sandman Centre on Sunday,
  
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