Nanaimo news

• Avalanche Canada begs caution as wind slab buries Rogers Pass skier

  15-01-2026 21:59 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Four backcountry skiers had their destination in sight last Saturday afternoon when a wind slab took their group for a brief but buckling slide, burying one who was quickly rescued without injury.
  A Mountain Information Network (MIN) report shared with Avalanche Canada recounted that the group had been 500 metres away from the Asulkan Cabin in Glacier National Park on Jan. 10 when the leader triggered a wind slab avalanche down the sheltered left side of the slope they were ascending along.
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• Specialist on James Webb Telescope to present in Nanaimo

  20-06-2026 22:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Astrophysicist Nathalie Nguyen-Quoc Ouellette, the only outreach scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope in Canada, will be travelling to Nanaimo to discuss the advanced telescope, the search for alien worlds and her research on galaxy formation.
  In the June presentation hosted by the Nanaimo Astronomy Society, on Thursday, June 25, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Beban Park Social Centre, audiences will hear about “Cosmic Wonders with the James Webb Space Telescope.”
  Ouellette, who
  
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• LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Empathy and compassion is the answer

  20-06-2026 20:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  To the editor,
  Re: Nanaimo’s council considers banning camping in two downtown parks, June 17.
  This letter is directed toward the South End Community Association (SECA) and other “neighbourhood advocates” with regard to their ongoing efforts to eradicate people experiencing homelessness from their neighbourhoods. I have witnessed your “advocacy” for your “neighbours” throughout the past few years in successfully shutting down essential, life-saving servi
  
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• HERBERT: Black Hills Nota Bene an icon on the B.C. wine scene

  20-06-2026 20:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Black Hills Nota Bene has been an icon on the British Columbia wine scene for more than a quarter-century.
  Ross Wise, MW, head winemaker at Black Hills Estate Winery, led the way until recently, when he handed over the winemaking reins to Ryan McKibbon. That has not been the only change at Black Hills. Following the 2023 harvest came the winter freeze of January 2024, wiping out much of the old vines. Immediately, a major replant began.
  A more nuanced replant had already been in the works, but &
  
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• Lytton wildfire grows to 600 hectares on second day of blaze

  20-06-2026 18:54 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Saw Creek wildfire near Lytton is sized at 600 hectares as of Saturday morning (June 20).
  The wildfire was discovered on June 19 and was initially noted as 10 hectares in size. Within a couple of hours it had jumped to 100 hectares, and later in the evening it was marked as 200 hectares by the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS). The latest update at 9:14 a.m., June 20, puts the wildfire at 600 hectares.
  The fire is suspected by the BCWS to be human caused.
  The Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD
  
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• Lytton wildfire at 600 hectaresas Highway 1 remains closed

  20-06-2026 18:54 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Update, 11:45 a.m.
  An update on the Saw Creek wildfire states that the fire, currently assessed at 600 hectares, has not crossed the Fraser River or Lytton Creek.
  The wind has shifted, and is blowing from north to south. The fire is exhibiting Rank 2 and 3 behaviour but is described as “not aggressive.”
  BC Wildfire Service crews are focusing their attention on the fire’s southern perimeter.
  Highway 1 remains closed between Boston Bar and Cornwall Road (Ashcroft), with detours a
  
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• WORLD CUP DAILY, June 20: U.S. beats Australia; 4 matches Saturday involve Germany, Sweden

  20-06-2026 16:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Daily FIFA World Cup match updates and news for Black Press Media publications.
  There were four World Cup matches Friday and another four Saturday as group play continues at stadiums in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.
  Friday, the U.S. topped Australia 2-0 in Seattle in the day’s first game, with Alex Freeman finding the back of the net in the 43rd minute, after Australia’s Cameron Burgess booted the ball into his own goal 11 minutes in.THE GOAL STANDSAfter a VAR check for offside, the U
  
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• COLUMN: Let’s celebrate the Best of Nanaimo in 2026

  20-06-2026 14:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Where do the years go? It’s amazing, and perhaps a bit shocking, that we’re working on our 25th edition of Best of the City.
  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not surprised we’re still celebrating Best of the City, I know firsthand how popular the annual survey is. We understand how important it is to you and we are very grateful for your enthusiasm. It’s easily the biggest and best feature we publish each year.
  I suppose for me, it’s the reflection back and the r
  
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• VIDEO & PHOTOS: Indigenous Peoples Day brings culture, connection to Colwood

  20-06-2026 04:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The old jokes are always the best.
  After asking folks gathered at the shore of Esquimalt Lagoon to repeat back to him the Lekwungen phrase “Eykwachey’ul,” Bradley Dick (Yuxwelupton Qwal’ qaxala) hits them with the punchline.
  “You’ve all just committed to giving me all your money,” he says, drawing a wave of laughter from the crowd.
  He admits it’s a joke he tells every year at National Indigenous Peoples Day celebrations, held in the grounds of Roya
  
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• Mitchell throws for 5 TDs as Tiger-Cats dump visiting B.C. Lions 41-27

  20-06-2026 04:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Stop. Hammer time.
  The B.C. Lions ran into a buzzsaw Friday night, dropping a 41-27 decision to the host Hamilton Tiger-Cats in CFL action at Hamilton Stadium.
  Quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell passed for 285 yards and five touchdowns for the Ticats (2-1), who got majors from Maximilian Mang (2), Kenny Lawler, Kiondre Smith, Kurleigh Gittens Jr. and Jake Doleaga. Kicker Marc Liegghio added five conversions.
  For the Lions (0-2), who were missing four wide receivers due to injury, Nathan Rourke tossed
  
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• Wildfire of note near Lytton grows to 200 hectares, Highway 1 impacted

  20-06-2026 03:15 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Update, 10:06 p.m.
  The Saw Creek wildfire near Lytton is now 200 hectares in size.
  The wildfire, which was first reported by BC Wildfire Service as 10 hectares late Friday afternoon, has rapidly grown through the evening.
  It was noted as 100 hectares at 6:45 p.m. The most recent update, which put the fire at 200 hectares, was made at 9:45 p.m.
  Firefighting crews from around the province are being called in to assist in tackling the wildfire of note.
  The fire is suspected to be human caused.
  This
  
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• Wildfire of note near Lytton grows to 200 hectares, evacuation order issued

  20-06-2026 03:15 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Update, 10:30 p.m.
  An evacuation order has been issued for areas east of Highway 1 north and south of Lytton.
  According to the Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD), the evacuation order impacts about 13 properties in Electoral Area I (Blue Sky Country). It was put in effect at 10 p.m.
  Impacted areas are as follows:Properties east of Highway 1 from Florence Road north to Airport Road
  Any other properties as outlined on the attached mapThe TNRD has also issued an evacuation alert for two prope
  
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• UPDATE: Lytton wildfire grows to 100 hectares, Highway 1 impacted

  20-06-2026 03:15 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Update, 9:37 p.m.
  The Clearwater Volunteer Fire Department has been called in to help battle the Saw Creek wildfire.
  They posted to their Facebook page at 9:15 p.m. on Friday saying that the BC Wildfire Service requested a crew from the department to go to the evolving wildfire near Lytton.
  “We are sending our Type 3 Engine with three personnel. We wish them well and stay safe,” the department said.
  Travel from Clearwater to Lytton takes over three hours.
  The wildfire of note is esti
  
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• Lytton wildfire grows to 100 hectares, Highway 1 impacted

  20-06-2026 03:15 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Update: 7:11 p.m.
  The blaze south of Lytton is now being reported as 100 hectares, as of a 6:45 p.m. update from the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS).
  Highway 1 is currently impacted with 116.7 km between Cottonwood Road and Airport Road closed in both directions.
  Multiple BCWS crews are responding along with Lytton Fire and Rescue. Aerial resources and structure protection have also been deployed.
  The wildfire service says the blaze is currently burning at Rank 4 and 5, meaning a highly to extremely
  
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• 10-hectare wildfire discovered 4 km south of Lytton

  20-06-2026 03:15 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A wildfire sparked about four kilometres south of Lytton.
  The BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) reported the fire on Friday afternoon, with the latest update coming in at 5:38 p.m.
  The blaze, located near Saw Creek, is an estimated 10 hectares and is burning out of control.
  Flames can be seen on the east side of the Fraser River along the Trans-Canada Highway.
  Drive BC notes a road closure on Highway 1 in both directions between Cottonwood Road and Airport Road for 116.7 km.
  “There is a wildfire.
  
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• Temple and boutique face long recovery after fire in Victoria’s Chinatown

  20-06-2026 02:45 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A fire that scorched a long-standing Chinatown building on Monday (June 15) has left Canada’s oldest Chinese temple heavily damaged and a longtime Victoria business navigating an uncertain future.
  Just before 3 p.m., a fire broke out at the Tam Kung Temple, a national historic site originating as a shrine in the 1860s. Yen Wo Society president Nora Butz said members are still not permitted inside.
  Investigators are working to determine the source of the fire. According to Butz, the society
  
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• Youth under 12-month terrorism peace bond in Salmon Arm school threat case

  20-06-2026 02:04 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  RCMP say a youth is under a 12-month peace bond after an investigation of a threat toward a Salmon Arm school.
  The court imposed the bond on June 16, according to a news release from the RCMP’s Federal Policing Pacific Region Friday (June 19).
  More to come.
  
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• Canada Shore to begin filming in Kelowna’s McKinley Landing this month

  20-06-2026 01:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Fans of the TV series Canada Shore can be on the lookout for stars from the show, as its second season is set to begin filming in Kelowna later this month.
  ​A notice for filming was sent to Kelowna residents, letting people know that the cast will be moving into a new house in McKinley Landing, where a majority of the season will be filmed.
  ​Canada Shore is a spin-off series of the popular TV series Jersey Shore, which blew up in popularity in 2009 and is still producing new seasons
  
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• TransLink reports highest ridership since 2020 for Canada-Qatar match

  20-06-2026 00:48 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  TransLink saw its highest ridership Thursday since early 2020.
  There were 1.36 million boardings across the TransLink network on June 18, which was the day of the Canada-Qatar World Cup match at BC Place. A typical day would see 1.19 million boardings.
  TransLink says ridership growth was “especially strong” in Richmond, Burnaby and the Tri-Cities.
  The top 10 stations – excluding downtown stations and FIFA Fan Festival shuttle stations – were Bridgeport, Brentwood, Oakridg
  
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• Vernon woman charged with murdering her mother

  20-06-2026 00:41 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A case of alleged matricide has entered provincial court in Vernon this week.
  Tandra Conn has been charged with first-degree murder in relation to the death of her mother, Martha Conn, in Vernon on June 20, 2025.
  Tandra was charged on Wednesday, June 17. The 53-year-old remains in custody.
  The Morning Star witnessed police at Brookside Gardens Estates on June 21, 2025, the day after the alleged murder. On June 23, Vernon North Okanagan RCMP said officers were called to a family disturbance that
  
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• Vancouver Island firefighters warn against use of bark mulch in gardens

  20-06-2026 00:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Parksville Fire Department was called to a fire that broke out in the garden area in front of Orca Place on Friday afternoon, June 19, at approximately 1:30 p.m.
  Fire crews arriving at the scene quickly doused the flames and conducted preventative measures around the area.
  Assistant Fire Chief Cam Cruickshank said it was a bark mulch fire caused by spontaneous combustion. He said they don’t recommend people use bark mulch in their gardens.
  “They’re beautiful to look at but they
  
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• Nanaimo’s water supply is looking good, so far, as summer kicks in

  20-06-2026 00:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Nanaimo’s water supply is looking “fairly good” as the summer season begins, according to Nanaimo senior staff.
  Speaking to Nanaimo’s governance and priorities committee during a meeting in May, Mike Squire, the city’s manager of water resources, said there has been lots of news during the spring that the snowpacks in the mountains on Vancouver Island, which many communities depend on to replenish their water supplies for the dry summer months, were at record lows t
  
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• B.C. nurses vote 67% to reject recently negotiated tentative collective agreement

  20-06-2026 00:05 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  B.C.’s nurses have voted to reject the tentative deal negotiated between their union and the B.C. government on May 22.
  The union’s president said the vote — 67 per cent of members rejected the deal — shows the “frustration” members have with pressures facing the profession.
  “For many nurses, this vote was about more than the terms of a collective agreement,” BCNU President Adriane Gear said in a Friday afternoon (June 19) news release. “It i
  
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• PHOTOS: B.C. photographer captures rare moment of herons raised by eagle

  20-06-2026 00:02 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Herons and eagles are natural enemies, but in Chilliwack they evidently put their differences aside, according to a local photographer.
  Ian McAlpine shared his “once in a lifetime” story on social media after seeing young herons being raised by an eagle.
  He was walking along the Vedder Rotary Trail in Chilliwack with fellow photographers Mercedes Bustamante and Lynn Kroetch, when “eagle-eyed” Bustamante spotted a young heron in an eagle nest on May 21, McAlpine said.
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• Site E, Homathko dam proposals divide B.C. First Nations, confound Site C critics

  19-06-2026 23:53 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  B.C.’s decision to revisit long-dormant plans for two massive hydroelectric projects is already exposing division between First Nations, environmentalists and trade unions.
  This mixed bag will likely present a complex set of challenges for the province’s New Democrat government to navigate if officials decide to proceed with the developments, as all three of these core NDP constituencies vie for influence.
  So far, the government is proceeding cautiously.
  On Monday (June 15), Adrian D
  
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• WORLD CUP PHOTOS: B.C. celebrates Canada’s historic 6-0 win over Qatar

  19-06-2026 23:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Canada’s FIFA World Cup 2026 team made history on Thursday, June 18 – and people were celebrating across B.C. as Canada trounced Qatar 6-0 in action at BC Place.
  The win gave Canada its first-ever World Cup victory.
  Jonathan David scored three times for Canada, which became the first squad outside Europe and South America to score six goals in a World Cup match.
  Thursday’s massive win puts Canada at the top of Group B with four points, tied with Switzerland but boasting a bette
  
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• Premier meets with North Cowichan leaders after call for help on homelessness, addiction

  19-06-2026 23:05 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  North Cowichan Mayor Rob Douglas followed up on his June 12 letter to Premier David Eby asking for help with the homelessness, addiction, and the mental health crisis in his community with a face-to-face meeting.
  “His office got back to us quickly which was great,” said Douglas, noting that he and North Cowichan CAO Ted Swabey met with Eby and Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs Christie Boyle on June 18 in Vancouver.
  “We’re definitely hopeful,” Douglas said o
  
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• Victoria to Port Hardy cycling relay raises more than $270K

  19-06-2026 22:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A team of nine cyclists raised a record $272,843 for the Island Kids Cancer Association (IKCA). The 2026 End2End cycling relay wrapped up at Victoria’s Trek Bicycle Store on Thursday (June 18) after a non-stop journey to Port Hardy and back.
  The fundraising total more than doubled the $110,000 raised during last year’s event.
  The nine-person team included Jen Millar, Sara Park, Ed Bain, Jeff King, Saskia Bjornson, Ryan Clarke, Morgan Harker, Kevin Nunn and Sophia Pugh.
  View this post
  
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• Victoria sees largest increase in available rentals in Canada’s top 10 markets

  19-06-2026 22:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Victoria remains one of Canada’s most sought-after rental markets, despite signs that renters are becoming more selective in their housing searches.
  According to RentCafe Canada’s Renter Interest report for the first quarter of 2026, Victoria ranked sixth nationally for renter interest, maintaining its position from the previous quarter.
  The report found available rental listings in Victoria increased 63 per cent year over year, the largest increase among the country’s top 10 r
  
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• North Oyster resident donates $50K for nerve treatment research

  19-06-2026 21:50 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Spasticity is not a word that is common for most people, but North Oyster resident Murray McNab has a handle on it.
  So much so, that McNab and his wife Betty donated $50,000 to the Victoria Hospitals Foundation in support of the research conducted by doctor Paul Winston and the team at the Victoria Peripheral Nerve and Spasticity Clinic.
  Spasticity is an involuntary muscle stiffness and tightness that prevents normal movement.
  It occurs when damage to the brain or spinal cord disrupts how signal
  
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