Nanaimo news

• 2 dead after B.C.-bound flight crashes in Alberta mountainside

  10-09-2026 19:17 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Transportation Safety Board of Canada says that given the terrain it will not be deploying to the site of a fatal plane crash in Alberta.
  “Given the terrain in the area, and the condition of the aircraft wreckage, TSB investigators will not be deploying to the site at this time,” a safety board media relation coordinator said in an emailed statement.
  “We are however coordinating in the recovery efforts, and we will be examining the wreckage once it has been retrieved from t
  
  Read more

• COLUMN: Fishermen should know how to swim

  12-09-2026 21:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  I was sad to hear that three commercial fisherman had drowned in two separate incidents in the waters around my old stomping grounds in northern Newfoundland this summer.
  The latest happened last week when a squid fisherman in a boat loaded down to the gunnels with squid capsized just 200 feet from the wharf he was heading to so he could unload his catch.
  Apparently, he was not wearing a life jacket and reports indicate that he didn’t know how to swim.
  When I was living and working as a re
  
  Read more

• LETTER TO THE EDITOR: We need to prioritize homelessness

  12-09-2026 20:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  To the editor,
  Homelessness in Canada has doubled since 2018, driven by the shrinking supply of affordable rental units for the lowest-income Canadians. According to the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness, nearly a million more Canadians are on the edge of homelessness right now. So without action, the problem in our community is likely to get even worse.But we have a once-in-a-decade opportunity to change course, because Canada’s next national housing strategy is being developed right
  
  Read more

• Kelowna athlete and therapist conquers prestigious trail race in France

  12-09-2026 18:50 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A Kelowna respiratory therapist traded in her uniform at Kelowna General Hospital for a pair of runners to compete in the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc, a 174-kilometre trail race known to be one of the most prestigious in the world, on the Aug. 28 weekend.
  ​Emilie Mann, who is also a 33-year-old professional ultra-endurance athlete for Merrell Canada, travelled to Chamonix, France to take a crack at racing against the world’s best trail runners, facing more than 10,000 metres of elevati
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Robin Allen Sirovyak

  12-09-2026 17:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  In Loving Memory ~
  December 9, 1964 – June 28, 2026
  We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Robin Allen Sirovyak of Nanaimo, B.C. on June 28, 2026 at the age of 61. Born on December 9, 1964 in Lethbridge, Alberta, Robin earned an electronic technologist certificate at SAIT in Calgary, and worked in a variety of positions in avionics and electronic manufacturing. In 1994 he moved to Vancouver, settling in Nanaimo in 2001. Robin is survived by his brothers Wayne (Twyla), David, Dar
  
  Read more

• Remembering 9/11: Canadians, Americans gather at B.C. border

  12-09-2026 17:07 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Retired New York Police Department lieutenant Kevin Lynch remembers quite clearly where he was on Sept. 11, 2001, and shared his initial memory of the twin tower attacks at Peace Arch border crossing in South Surrey Friday, where hundreds of Canadian and American dignitaries, first responders, military and border personnel gathered for a 25th anniversary Northwest 9/11 memorial ceremony.
  Lynch had been hired as a police officer in 1999, so he was still fairly new, working bicycle patrol in downt
  
  Read more

• Nanaimo Jazz Festival underway with several upcoming concerts and events

  12-09-2026 14:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Nanaimo Jazz Festival has begun, highlighting jazz and celebrating the genre for the 10th year.
  The Nanaimo Jazz Festival is first kicking off on Saturday, Sept. 12 and Sunday, Sept. 13, with free concerts at Maffeo Sutton Park, followed by two weekends of hit performances at different venues in the city.
  Mary Ancheta with her group MA:Q will be performing on Friday, Sept. 18 at The Queen’s, Dee Daniels & Trio will be performing on Saturday, Sept. 19 at Coast Bastion Inn ballroom.
  
  Read more

• Ladysmith Maritime Society’s restored skiff launches after 3,000 hours of work

  12-09-2026 14:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Last week, Ladysmith Harbour was the location for a sneak preview of what is going to be a highlight of the Victoria Classic Boat Festival over the 2026 Labour Day weekend.
  The Maritime Museum of BC is debuting a restored 19th century, 16-foot Royal Navy skiff-gig that was originally serving alongside the historic HMCS Rainbow, one of the first two ships commissioned into the newly formed Royal Canadian Navy in 1910.
  A skiff-gig is a traditional naval vessel, specifically a historic, light, shal
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Headline history: Dodd Narrows was considered for a tidal-energy project

  12-09-2026 03:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Dodd Narrows, the 55 to 80 metre-wide channel separating Vancouver Island and Mudge Island at the end of the Cable Bay Trail, was once considered for a tidal-energy project.
  The channel acts as a funnel for ocean tides, and water speeds can reach up to nine knots in the channel during peak flows.
  In 2011, Tony Irwin, head of what was Western Tidal Power Ltd., saw the potential in the tidal energy in the channel, and began exploring the possibility of harnessing the energy and directing it into t
  
  Read more

• Nanaimo and Lantzville candidates declared for 2026 municipal election

  12-09-2026 01:18 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  With the nomination period deadline hit, candidates for City of Nanaimo council, Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools’ board and Regional District of Nanaimo rural directors have been declared.
  On the ballot of mayor of the City of Nanaimo, Leonard Krog (incumbent), Brunie Brunie, Anne Marie Dryden and Sarah Lovegrove.
  Running for City of Nanaimo council, incumbent councillors Sheryl Armstrong, Hilary Eastmure, Ben Geselbracht, Erin Hemmens, Paul Manly, Janice Perrino and Ian Thorpe.
  Also on t
  
  Read more

• Man wanted for alleged drug offences in the Comox Valley: RCMP

  12-09-2026 00:59 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Comox Valley RCMP is looking for a man wanted on charges related to the alleged trafficking of the drug gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) and impaired driving by drugs.
  Attish Kumar Kalia committed these offences in the Comox Valley. Kalia is 36 years old, described as having dark brown hair and brown eyes, and is approximately 5’10” tall and 181 lbs.Kalia is known to travel Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainlaind.
  Anyone who knows the whereabouts of Kalia can call the Comox Valley RCMP a
  
  Read more

• Building new B.C. ferries in China cost Canada $1.5B in lost GDP, report finds

  12-09-2026 00:31 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Building four new BC Ferries ships in China will cost roughly $1.5 billion in lost GDP and cede the equivalent of 10,000 person-years of employment, according to a new report prepared for a group of unions pushing for future ferries to be built locally.
  The report also estimates that $413 million would have ended up in government coffers, offsetting construction costs.
  In May of 2025, BC Ferries selected a Chinese state-owned shipyard as the winning bidder to build four new massive hybrid-electr
  
  Read more

• B.C. loses $1.5B GDP boost by building ferries in China, report finds

  12-09-2026 00:31 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Building four new BC Ferries ships in China will cost roughly $1.5 billion in lost GDP and cede the equivalent of 10,000 person-years of employment, according to a new report prepared for a group of unions pushing for future ferries to be built locally.
  The report also estimates that $413 million would have ended up in government coffers, offsetting construction costs.
  In May of 2025, BC Ferries selected a Chinese state-owned shipyard as the winning bidder to build four new massive hybrid-electr
  
  Read more

• 19 Wing Comox involved in cruise ship medevac 180 km northwest of Port Hardy

  12-09-2026 00:12 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Royal Canadian Air Force’s 19 Wing Comox was involved in a rescue operation on a cruise ship.
  On Sept. 8, the wing’s 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron was deployed under the command of the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) Victoria to evacuate an injured crew member and accompanying medical personnel from a cruise ship sailing 182 kilometres northwest of Port Hardy.
  A CH-149 Cormorant helicopter, callsign RSCU 915, and a CC-295 Kingfisher, callsign RSCU 503, were tasked and
  
  Read more

• Alberta First Nation moving ahead with plans to protect gender-affirming care

  12-09-2026 00:03 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A First Nation in Alberta is planning to make its reserve lands a safe haven for gender-affirming care for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.
  The Saddle Lake Cree Nation announced it would be pursuing these measures as a response to a series of bills from the Alberta government that place severe restrictions on transgender youth and their families. The announcement was made during a Treaty 6 gathering in Fort Pitt, Sask on Wednesday (Sept. 9).
  Dr. James Makokis, a Nehiyo two-spirit fami
  
  Read more

• Conditional discharge for ex-Nanaimo Mountie, who had sex with vulnerable woman

  11-09-2026 23:38 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A former Nanaimo RCMP officer, who interacted with a vulnerable woman while on duty and had sex with her after work, will not have a criminal record, provided he completes a probation order.Mark Tyler Hilland, 47, pleaded guilty to breach of trust by a public officer for a July 2, 2024 incident and was sentenced in B.C. provincial court in Nanaimo by Judge Reginald Harris on Friday, Sept. 11. Andrew McLean, Crown counsel sought a suspended sentence, which would lead to a criminal record, while B
  
  Read more

• Williams Lake joins firefighters in remembering those lost in 9/11

  11-09-2026 23:20 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  “Where were you when the world stopped turnin’ that September day?” by Alan Jackson played outside the Williams Lake Fire Hall on Friday, Sept. 11 as firefighters prepared to climb in remembrance of the 343 New York City Fire Department members who lost their lives 25 years ago.To honour and remember the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, the Williams Lake Fire Department (WLFD) held an honour guard march before inviting everyone to join them and climb the WLFD tower starti
  
  Read more

• One airlifted to hospital following single-vehicle collision west of Williams Lake

  11-09-2026 23:12 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A single-vehicle collision near Riske Creek west of Williams Lake on Friday, Sept. 11, resulted in one person being airlifted to hospital.According to a news release, Williams Lake RCMP received a report of the incident at a remote location off Farwell Canyon Road at approximately 6:53 a.m.RCMP, BC Emergency Health Services, and Central Cariboo Search and Rescue personnel attended the scene, where they determined the vehicle had left the roadway and rolled down an embankment.
  “All four occ
  
  Read more

• One air-lifted to hospital following single-vehicle collision west of Williams Lake

  11-09-2026 23:12 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A single-vehicle collision near Riske Creek west of Williams Lake on Friday, Sept. 11, resulted in one person being air-lifted to hospital.According to a news release, Williams Lake RCMP received a report of the incident at a remote location off Farwell Canyon Road at approximately 6:53 a.m.RCMP, BC Emergency Health Services, and Central Cariboo Search and Rescue personnel attended the scene, where they determined the vehicle had left the roadway and rolled down an embankment.
  “All four oc
  
  Read more

• Norman Easson Winton

  11-09-2026 22:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  In Loving Memory ~
  September 17, 1935 – August 27, 2026
  Norm Winton of Nanaimo passed peacefully on August 27, 2026, surrounded by loving family. He was incredibly well-read, loved jazz and golf, was deeply ethical and quietly brilliant. He was devoted to his wife, children and grandchildren. His passing leaves the world a sadder place, but we are grateful for everything he taught us.
  Norrie was born in Perth, Scotland on September 17, 1935. He grew up with older brother, Bill (Kate), and
  
  Read more

• B.C. Cattlemen partner with Alberta Beef Producers to provide feed to local ranchers in need

  11-09-2026 21:38 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The B.C. Cattlemen’s Association (BCCA) is teaming up with the Alberta Beef Producers (ABP) to support ranchers and livestock producers impacted by the 2026 wildfire season.On Friday, Sept. 11, the BCCA put out a release announcing the partnership. By working with the ABP, the BCCA aims to connect B.C. livestock producers facing feed shortages and/or wildfire impacts with Alberta livestock producers who have extra feed, pasture, or other cattle-feeding capacity.“This has been an incr
  
  Read more

• Lantzville Road to be closed for three weeks for culvert replacement

  11-09-2026 21:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Lantzville Road is set to be closed for three weeks for a culvert replacement.In a release issued on Sept. 8, the District of Lantzville stated that the road will be closed from Sept. 10 to an estimated date of Oct. 1, due to the replacement of the Blood’s Creek culvert.The district stated that no one can pass through the work area including residents. People can reach their property, but it can only be done through their side of the closure.
  Those living east of the creek are asked to com
  
  Read more

• Former B.C. Conservative Teresa Wat joining Peter Milobar’s new party

  11-09-2026 20:20 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Richmond-Bridgeport MLA Teresa Wat announced Friday that she is joining the new political party — as yet unnamed — currently led on an interim basis by Kamloops Centre MLA Peter Milobar.
  “After careful consideration, I have decided to join Peter and the growing team of sitting MLAs to help build this new party,” Wat said in a news release announcing her decision. “I believe that this party can bring people together from across our province and replace the NDP as Bri
  
  Read more

• Island city deal secures parkland for future generations, water-loving pooches

  11-09-2026 19:44 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  News of a “significant community announcement” at Langford Lake had some folks worried U.S. President Donald Trump was about to strike again.
  But there was no cause for alarm.
  “Before I go further, I do just want to be clear that this event has nothing to do with renaming Langford Lake,” joked Kyle Taylor from Westhills Land Corp. “Strange times that we live in and just in case anyone was nervous about that: not happening.”
  The news proved much more meaningful
  
  Read more

• Floating RV on B.C. river sparks social media speculation

  11-09-2026 19:17 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A homemade “houseboat” on a South Surrey river has stirred up some attention on local social media community groups.
  Comprised of an RV sitting on a raft made of barrels, what appear to be aluminum or steel beams, and strips of plywood attached together with some kind of straps, the floating vessel is moored on the Nicomekl River in Surrey, near Nicomekl Portage Park and the old Elgin Road bridge behind the Crescent Road Esso.
  On social media, photos of the project started circulatin
  
  Read more

• Nanaimo RCMP warns public of cellphone scam

  11-09-2026 19:15 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Nanaimo RCMP is warning residents about a scam targeting people who have recently received new cellphones through legitimate service providers.
  Police have received several reports of victims obtaining a new phone through a carrier promotion, only to be contacted days later by someone claiming to represent the provider.
  The caller advises that the wrong device was shipped and asks the customer to return it using a prepaid shipping label provided by email.
  Believing they are dealing with their se
  
  Read more

• Nanaimo RCMP warns public of cell phone scam

  11-09-2026 19:15 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Nanaimo RCMP is warning residents about a scam targeting people who have recently received new cell phones through legitimate service providers.
  Police have received several reports of victims obtaining a new phone through a carrier promotion, only to be contacted days later by someone claiming to represent the provider.
  The caller advises that the wrong device was shipped and asks the customer to return it using a prepaid shipping label provided by email.
  Believing they are dealing with their s
  
  Read more

• Seniors glory in the cards at 55+ BC Games in Kamloops

  11-09-2026 19:10 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  You know who has it rough at the 55+ BC Games in Kamloops this week?
  Cribbage players.
  I don’t say that – well, yes, I suppose I do – because I’m a participant in the gruelling card game that has fractured familial relationships.
  At least, in my family.
  Take my late, great Uncle Norm, for example, who once infuriated his brother – my father, Bill – with, as my dad so elequently put it, “such *&^&^%$#@! luck” in a cribbage game that Bill rip
  
  Read more

• Little Oysters in Fanny Bay celebrates expansion of 44 new child care spaces

  11-09-2026 18:56 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Beachcombers Academy & Little Oysters Child Care announced the opening of 44 new licensed child care spaces with a ceremonial ribbon cutting on Sept. 10.
  Beachcombers Academy is a B.C. independent school and child care facility that offers care for children aged 30 months to school age and academics for students in kindergarten to grade 7. The academy is a registered non-profit operated by the Beachcombers Education Society.
  The ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund supports the new child care spaces,
  
  Read more

• Parksville council considers temporary modular winter shelter

  11-09-2026 18:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Parksville council is considering a temporary 10-mat seasonal shelter on an empty lot on Pioneer Crescent.
  Council heard a presentation by Shayla Day, CEO of DayHomes, who said if approved the pilot project would see pre-booked guests stay for a seasonal term of up to seven months.
  “It would operate 24 hours a day with a minimum of two trained staff on site,” Day said during a presentation to council’s Sept. 9 meeting. “Overnight it provides safety. During the day it prov
  
  Read more

Follow @news_nanaimo on Twitter!