Nanaimo news

• Zeballos and Ehattesaht First Nation will be without power overnight Tuesday

  13-01-2026 23:40 via nanaimobulletin.com
  The Village of Zeballos and the Ehattesaht First Nation on Vancouver Island’s west coast will lose power overnight Tuesday due to a damaged power line.
  According to BC Hydro, poor weather prevented a full helicopter patrol on Jan. 13, and a ground patrol was unable to determine the cause of the outage.
  If conditions improve tomorrow, BC Hydro said a helicopter will patrol the line and transport crews and materials to the damaged section so repairs can begin.
  Updates will be shared as they
  
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• Village on Vancouver Island’s northwest coast to be without power overnight Tuesday

  13-01-2026 23:40 via nanaimobulletin.com
  The Village of Zeballos and the Ehattesaht First Nation on Vancouver Island’s northwest coast will lose power overnight Tuesday due to a damaged power line.According to BC Hydro, poor weather prevented a full helicopter patrol on Jan. 13, and a ground patrol was unable to determine the cause of the outage.
  If conditions improve tomorrow, BC Hydro said a helicopter will patrol the line and transport crews and materials to the damaged section so repairs can begin.
  Updates will be shared as t
  
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• Baby orca spotted near Tofino malnourished and wounded, photos show

  13-01-2026 23:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  A baby Bigg’s (Transient) orca photographed travelling with T068C pod near Tonquin Beach off Tofino on Jan. 5 appears to be in poor health and will likely die, according to whale researcher and Executive Director of Bay Cetology Jared Towers.
  He said the little calf is very skinny, very young and has an open wound on its dorsal fin.
  “The thing that is really concerning is, if you look at the head, the head is really pronounced compared to the back. The mom’s back is kind of con
  
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• B.C. court says arbitrator’s vaccine opinions don’t matter, tosses Purolator COVID ruling

  13-01-2026 23:16 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Turns out, the B.C. courts don’t think it is up to a labour arbitrator to decide if provincial public health orders are correct.
  In a decision released Friday (Jan. 9), the B.C. Court of Appeals invalidated a decision granting compensation for lost wages and benefits to Purolator employees and contractors put out of work because they refused COVID vaccines.
  The arbitrator had decided that the scientific consensus at the time held that vaccines were no longer effective, even though Provinci
  
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• Draft pipeline rolls through B.C. again as NHL mid-term rankings revealed

  13-01-2026 23:15 via nanaimobulletin.com
  The best B.C.-connected prospect in this year’s NHL draft conversation might be from Alberta.
  But the West Coast angle this winter is strong, with B.C. talent dotted throughout Central Scouting’s rankings.
  NHL Central Scouting unveiled its mid-term rankings for the 2026 NHL entry draft, set for June 26-27 in Buffalo, N.Y.
  Former Victoria Royal Keaton Vernheoff — a native of Fort Saskatchewan — topped all local connections, ranking second among North American skaters. In a
  
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• Deadline looms for motor-free Race 2 Alaska boat challenge along B.C. coast

  13-01-2026 23:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Anyone itching to get to Alaska under their own power needs to get their gear in order.
  The Race to Alaska (R2AK) — which sees people aboard a vessel under human or wind power, racing against other adventurous souls — is reminding prospective participants that its deadline looms.Applications to R2AK opened up, as usual, in November. Most years, it takes until April to fill out a solid fleet, but organizers are taking a different tack this year. Applications are closing early.
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• Abby Roque suspended one game for illegal hit on Vancouver’s Abby Boreen

  13-01-2026 22:21 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Montreal Victoire forward Abby Roque has been suspended for one game for a hit to the Vancouver Goldeneyes’ Abby Boreen’s head, the PWHL announced Tuesday (Jan. 13).
  Roque was given a five-minute major penalty and game misconduct four minutes into the third period for the hit. Boreen briefly left the ice, where she was assessed by medical professionals, and returned to the bench shortly thereafter.
  Following an automatic review by the PWHL Player Safety Committee, it was found that R
  
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• Princess Anne confirmed as new royal patron of the Royal Victoria Yacht Club

  13-01-2026 22:20 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Royal Victoria Yacht Club (RVYC) has a new royal patron after Buckingham Palace accepted a request sent late in 2025.
  The club’s past commodore Dale Gann says Princess Anne has agreed to be RVYC’s royal patron for the next three years.
  “I wrote a letter … approximately two months ago, and we received official notification from Buckingham Palace that she agreed,” he said. “We’re just really honoured.”
  Gann says the patronage is fitting because Prin
  
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• B.C. drug-impaired driver claims he ‘only’ smoked marijuana, admits to crack use

  13-01-2026 21:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  A motorist in Kelowna has been arrested for allegedly impaired and distracted driving at the same time.
  On Tuesday, Jan. 6 just before 10:30 a.m., a BC Highway Patrol Officer in unmarked police cruiser drove passed a driver travelling on Harvey Avenue who appeared to have a glass pipe in his mouth.
  “When the man was pulled over, he claimed he was ‘only’ smoking marijuana,” said BC Highway Patrol Cpl. Michael McLaughlin. “Perhaps he didn’t realize it’s il
  
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• UVic library among top 15 in North America for innovation in design

  13-01-2026 21:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  A library or a learning space in a university usually goes beyond books to the academic community.
  It can act as a place where the students feel included and empowered to reach their full potential.
  That’s exactly what the University of Victoria’s Mearns Centre for Learning at McPherson Library wanted to achieve when a remodel was suggested.
  The new design of the centre achieved its original target and went further, reaching among the top 15 libraries in North America for innovation
  
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• Quake in St. Elias Mountains offers window into Yukon’s tectonic forces

  13-01-2026 21:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  The magnitude 7.0. Hubbard Glacier earthquake that struck the St. Elias Mountains on Dec. 6 has opened up, what Yukon Geological Survey (YGS) researchers believe to be, a historic opportunity to study one of the territory’s least‑understood tectonic regions.
  The event triggered more than 200 landslides in a heavily glaciated corridor near Mt. Logan, a setting where large earthquakes are rarely recorded, Geoscience Research Manager Jan Dettmer told the News.
  Preliminary observations c
  
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• Man facing sex assault/child porn charges breached bail by visiting B.C. gym

  13-01-2026 20:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  A man facing sexual assault and child luring charges went against his release order in visiting a Vernon gym.
  Michael James Parmiter was at Planet Fitness June 16-19, 2025, despite conditions that he not go to a place where anyone under 18 may be present.
  Parmiter faces seven serious Criminal Code charges in Ontario — two separate counts alleging luring a child; an allegation of making and publishing child pornography; possession of child pornography; allegation of sexual assault; allegati
  
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• Dad’s gift pays out $675K for Brentwood Bay man

  13-01-2026 19:45 via nanaimobulletin.com
  A gifted scratch-and-win ticket has made a Brentwood Bay resident $675,000 richer.
  BCLC identified the lucky winner as Thomas L., who received the Set For Life ticket from his dad.
  The winning ticket was purchased in Walmart at Hillside Mall in Victoria.
  “I was sitting at home, thinking ‘No way, this has to be a prank scratch [ticket]’,” Thomas said. “I turned it over and read it a few times.”
  “It’s super exciting to win a big amount like this,&rdq
  
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• ‘Those nuts are back’: dedicated volunteers track seabirds from on board BC Ferries

  13-01-2026 19:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Diehard Comox Valley naturalists traded champagne and party hats for toques and binoculars before hitting the decks of the Salish Orca to search for seabirds this New Year’s Eve.
  The ferry expedition was one of three separate day-long surveys conducted in the Comox Valley during the annual North American Christmas Bird Count between Dec. 14 and Jan. 5.
  About a dozen expert birders bundle up to make the return journey on the Little River to Powell River route each year, rain or shine, said
  
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• Vancouver Goldeneyes fall short against Montreal Victoire

  13-01-2026 19:26 via nanaimobulletin.com
  The Vancouver Goldeneyes fell to the Montreal Victoire 1-0 Sunday (Jan. 11).
  The Victoire hosted the Goldeneyes in Québec City as part of the PWHL Takeover Tour, in front of a crowd of 14,624.
  Montreal Victoire rookie Nicole Gosling scored the lone goal of the game from the blue line during the second period. Gosling shot the puck into the Goldeneyes’ end as many on her line changed. The puck deflected off a Goldeneyes player and went into the back of the net, giving the Victoire th
  
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• Evacuation alert issued for homes along Nanaimo River

  13-01-2026 19:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  The Regional District of Nanaimo has issued an evacuation alert for some homes along the Nanaimo River due to the risk of flooding.
  The alert was issued Monday, Jan. 12 at a little after 1 p.m., affecting homes along Alice Road, Aros Road, Raines Road, Riverside Road and Wilkinson Road.The alert is for affected residents to prepare to evacuate should an evacuation order be made. Residents are asked to pack essential items, locate all family members and designate a meeting area outside the alert
  
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• Raise your glass: 1,000s expected to toast 20 years of Victoria Whisky Festival

  13-01-2026 18:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  The Victoria Whisky Festival will mark a major milestone this year as it celebrates its 20th anniversary.
  The four-day festival runs from Jan. 15 to Jan. 18, at the Hotel Grand Pacific on Victoria’s Inner Harbour.
  Founded in 2006, the volunteer-run festival has grown into one of the province’s major whisky events, drawing attendees and brand ambassadors from around the world. It features tastings, master classes and special events designed for everyone from newcomers to experienced w
  
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• Mildly Sexy Lumberjacks bring cheeky comedy to Vancouver Island

  13-01-2026 17:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Canadian Steam is aims to heat up Vancouver Island in the dead of winter.
  Canadian Steam is a comedy and live-music show coming to Campbell River on Jan. 30 and Victoria Jan. 31. It blends fast, improv comedy, music, enthusiastic dancing and jaw-dropping eh-rotica, and frisky Canadian charm.It’s Whose Line Is It Anyway? energy meets Magic Mike confidence, with dad bod reality and Island audiences have been lapping it up.“We keep coming back to Campbell River because the audiences her
  
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• After a ‘month’s worth of snow in days’, Whitehorse bracing for incoming thaw-freeze

  13-01-2026 16:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  The City of Whitehorse is bracing for warmer weather after the “massive” snowfall during a short duration of time, followed by a melt. and then a freezing period in the forecast.
  The city’s director of operations Travis Whiting told city council that crews are preparing for the shift as they look towards the end of the week, with Environment Canada forecasting a high of +7C on Friday.
  “We’re going to expect to see some challenging road conditions,” Whiting sai
  
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• Winter disc golf tournament to bring players from across Island to Campbell River

  13-01-2026 15:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  The 5th Annual Winter Classic will bring professional and amateur disc golf players to Campbell River next month from across Vancouver Island.
  Colin Filliter, player and director of the Campbell River Disc Golf Society, said the one-day tournament is the city’s biggest disc golf event of the year, bringing some of the best professional players from around the Island.
  Those familiar with the sport will recognize the names: Max, Shane and Ben Dixon from Nanaimo, and Daryl Watson from Salt Sp
  
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• B.C. woman says restaurant harassed online for hosting Pierre Poilievre

  13-01-2026 15:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  A Maple Ridge restaurant that hosted Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre and about 40 local Conservatives suffered harassment afterward.
  “This was scary for me, it was very bad,” said Veronica Reale of Ronny’s Bistro.
  She explained the harassment went from one-star reviews and slanderous comments on Google, to online talk about boycotting her business. She was afraid of the damage that could be done to a good reputation she has been building for about 14 years.
  Poilievre did an
  
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• Nanaimo theatre students performing fast-paced romantic comedy about blind dating

  13-01-2026 14:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  A fast-paced romantic comedy with an eccentric group of characters will be performed by students at Dover Bay Secondary School.
  Check Please! by Jonathan Rand will be featured in four shows at the school, running from Jan. 14-16.
  Alex Brennan, drama teacher and show director, said the show was originally planned to be performed in 2021, with a different cohort of Grade 11 and 12s. When public events began to be shut down due to the pandemic, the students had to just perform it for the school, so
  
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• Alberni Valley Bulldogs release tribute video for Evan Hammond

  13-01-2026 14:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  The Alberni Valley Bulldogs have a released a tribute video sharing moments from Evan “Hammer” Hammond’s devotion to the team.
  Hammond, who died Jan. 2, was the voice of the Bulldogs for more than 20 years, doing the play-by-play coverage of hockey games and bringing a strong passion for the game to his coverage.
  The video shows some of the team’s favourite memories with Hammond covering every goal, every teddy bear toss and every win.
  The tribute video, put together by C
  
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• Greed motivated gutter cleaners accused of murdering elderly B.C. couple: Crown

  13-01-2026 14:09 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Three men accused of killing an elderly Abbotsford couple in 2022 were motivated by “debt, financial pressure and greed,” a packed courtroom was told Monday (Jan. 12) at the opening of their trial.
  Co-Crown counsel Dorothy Tsui, in her opening statements in B.C. Supreme Court in Abbotsford, said Khushveer Toor, Gurkaran Singh and Abhijeet Singh of Surrey acted together to commit first-degree murder.
  “The ultimate cost of accomplishing their shared objective of stealing money we
  
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• Staffing issues again diverting expectant moms from B.C. Lower Mainland hospital

  13-01-2026 14:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Another closure of the maternity ward at Ridge Meadows Hospital is imminent.
  Women planning to give birth at the hospital in Maple Ridge are being warned by health officials that they will be diverted to a different hospital – in either Langley or Surrey – for a five-day period starting later this week.
  Fraser Health Authority is telling expectant families that the maternity ward will be closed down from Jan. 15 to 19 – it’s the second shutdown of its type in as many mont
  
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• Little hawk recovering thanks to sharp-eyed B.C. dog on a Sunday stroll

  13-01-2026 14:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  An adult red-tail hawk was due to have surgery Monday to fix a broken wing after being rescued on the Surrey-Langley border Sunday, Jan. 11.
  Murrayville resident Shauna Frankelson was walking her dog, Cinder, in the area of 192 Street and 36 Avenue on Sunday.
  “She’s the one who actually spotted it first,” Frankelson said of her dog. “And she just stopped dead in her tracks. And I’m like, ‘what are you looking at?’ And I look up, and there’s all the
  
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• B.C. Chronic Wasting Disease count climbs to 9 after another case confirmed

  13-01-2026 14:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Another case of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) has been confirmed in a white-tailed deer harvested near Jaffray, marking the ninth confirmed case of the disease in the province.
  This newly confirmed case was detected through testing of hunter-harvested animals within an established CWD management zone in the Kootenay region.
  All confirmed cases in the province to date have been identified through surveillance efforts in that CWD management zone.
  The Province says it continues to work closely with
  
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• Carrier scores 2 in 20 seconds as Habs thump sagging Canucks 6-3

  13-01-2026 04:10 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Defenceman Alexandre Carrier scored two second-period goals in a span of 20 seconds, helping the Montreal Canadiens to an 6-3 win over the slumping Vancouver Canucks in NHL action Monday at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
  Noah Dobson also scored for Montreal (26-14-6), while Jakub Dobes made 19 saves to earn the win in goal.
  Centre Elias Pettersson, Evander Kane and Max Sasson replied for the Canucks (16-24-5), who are winless in their last seven games. Nikita Tolopilo took the loss between the pip
  
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• World Cup podium result overjoys B.C. freestyle skier battling for Olympic return

  13-01-2026 04:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Six years is a long time for an elite athlete between World Cup events.
  To get on the podium in a race after what she’s been through left Vernon’s Elena Gaskell exhilarated.
  Gaskell was third Friday, Jan. 9, at the women’s freestyle skiing slopestyle World Cup event in Aspen, Colo. (Slopestyle is where athletes ski or snowboard down a course including a variety of obstacles such as rails, jumps and other terrain park features. Points are given for amplitude, originality and qua
  
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• VIDEO: Another atmospheric river hits the South Coast of British Columbia

  13-01-2026 02:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Another atmospheric river hitting B.C.’s south coast is expected to ease Tuesday, but not before flood watches were put in place for rivers throughout the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island.
  Not every atmospheric river event can be called a pineapple express, but all pineapple express events are atmospheric rivers – like the one that has been saturating the region. Overnight Sunday the heavy rain total in Chilliwack was 46.4 mm, according to Chilliwack weather observer Roger Pannett
  
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• Nanaimo Search and Rescue teams get ready for rescues - Nanaimo News Bulletin

  13-01-2026 02:11
  Nanaimo Search and Rescue teams get ready for rescues  Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
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• Nanaimo Search and Rescue teams get ready for rescues

  13-01-2026 02:06 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Nanaimo Search and Rescue volunteers geared up to be ready for potential evacuation orders after the Nanaimo River swelled to near flooding after heavy rains over the weekend.
  The volunteers, including those specializing in fast water rescue, gathered in a lot next to the Cedar Road bridge over the river at the intersection of Harmac, Raines and Cedar roads Monday morning, Jan. 12. At the time no flooding had been reported, but water was rising beyond the river’s banks and toward propertie
  
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• Hearing to begin to probe Vancouver police actions into death of Myles Gray

  13-01-2026 01:58 via nanaimobulletin.com
  A public hearing is set to begin Jan. 19 into the death of 33-year-old Myles Gray, who suffered cardiac arrest following an altercation with police in Burnaby in 2015.
  The hearing will consider whether the seven Vancouver Police Department officers involved intentionally or recklessly used unnecessary force. It is expected to be one of the longest and most in-depth public hearings ever held by the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner.
  Police were initially called to the scene in a Burnaby
  
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• B.C. psychology prof says setting goals key to keeping New Year’s resolutions

  13-01-2026 00:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  With holiday ornaments packed away, Christmas trees chipped and New Year’s champagne guzzled, Islanders from Port Hardy to Victoria are setting resolutions in the hopes of improving their lives.
  But as January edges on, pricey gym memberships will undoubtedly go unused, strict diets will be broken and lofty goals will fall by the wayside ignored, neglected and overlooked.
  “This is very common,” said Frederick Grouzet, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Vi
  
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• Homegrown Vancouver Whitecaps player joins Comox Valley United practice - Nanaimo News Bulletin

  13-01-2026 00:25
  Homegrown Vancouver Whitecaps player joins Comox Valley United practice  Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
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