Nanaimo news

• B.C. attorney general ‘hopeful’ on DRIPA changes this fall, but won’t commit

  16-09-2026 04:12 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  While B.C. Attorney General Niki Sharma wouldn’t commit to amending the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) this fall after a summer of consultations with First Nations, she did say she is “hopeful” a path forward can be found.
  “Our government has been contacting various leaders. They gave us ideas. And we’re making really good progress,” she told reporters at the Union of B.C. Municipalities meeting in Vancouver on Tuesday. “I wi
  
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• 5 children rescued in the Philippines after B.C. sexual exploitation case

  16-09-2026 18:46 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A New Westminster man has been charged with multiple child sexual exploitation offences in an international investigation that led to the rescue of five children in the Philippines.
  Gerard Saunders, who lived in New Westminster at the time of the alleged offences, is charged with possession of child sexual abuse material, making child sexual abuse and exploitation material and agreeing or making an arrangement with a person to lure a child, police said in a release Tuesday (Sept. 15).
  Saunders w
  
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• ‘No more band-aids:’ province chooses Campbell River areas for Working Forest Landscape Model

  16-09-2026 18:27 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Province of British Columbia, in partnership with the Na̲nwak̲olas Council and four of its member First Nations — Tlowitsis, We Wai Kai, Wei Wai Kum and K’ómoks — has identified areas near Campbell River as the first candidate area to explore a proposed Working Forest Landscape Model.The area was selected through targeted engagement with industry and existing land-use and forest-planning processes.
  The proposed model is a co-ordinated, three-zone approach t
  
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• One man dead after incident involving truck in downtown Nanaimo

  16-09-2026 18:25 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A man is dead following a motor vehicle incident in the parking lot of the Co-op gas bar on Victoria Crescent in downtown Nanaimo on the morning of Wednesday, Sept. 16.
  Nanaimo RCMP said the investigation is in the early stages, but can confirm that one man has died in the incident.
  Kevin Shaw witnessed the event at the approximately 6:30 a.m.
  He said he heard a fuel truck backing up towards the gas pumps in the parking lot of the gas station and the driver was blowing his horn to warn anyone th
  
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• Nanaimo Port Authority shortlists applicants for president, CEO position

  16-09-2026 14:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Nanaimo Port Authority has had 186 applications from across the globe for its president and CEO position since the job was first posted in May.
  NPA chair Donna Hais said the selection has been shortlisted down to four, and the final interviews are expected to be concluded by the end of September.
  “We expect that we’ll be making an announcement on who our new president and CEO will be made by the middle of October,” she said.
  Ian Marr, the current president and CEO of the NP
  
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• Papers cut in Nanaimo for Crime Stoppers fundraiser

  16-09-2026 03:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Documents and bills were cut to ribbons in a Central Vancouver Island Crime Stoppers in Nanaimo this past weekend.
  The group’s community paper shredding event took place Saturday, Sept. 12 at the Country Grocer at Bowen Road in Nanaimo, offering people a chance to come with their personal papers and have them cut up and safely disposed, for a donation.
  Brian Cornborough, CVI Crime Stoppers’ president, said people were eager to have their documents and papers cut up.
  “People cam
  
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• Ski club unveils state-of-art training facility in Vernon

  16-09-2026 01:39 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  It’s new. It’s state of the art.And it rests comfortably on a North Okanagan mountain.
  The Silver Star Freestyle (Ski) Club (SSFC) has unveiled its new dryland training facility at SilverStar Mountain Resort.
  The facility will create unprecedented training opportunities for freestyle skiers and snowboarders in B.C., Western Canada, and beyond.
  “This is a really exciting moment for freestyle skiing and snowboarding in our region,” said Carson Dorward, SSFC president. &ldqu
  
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• Mid-Island Co-op customers fuel up for a good cause

  16-09-2026 01:31 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  It felt like a party at the Mid-Island Co-op gas bar on Bowen Road today.
  On Tuesday, Sept. 15 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., employees were at the entrances of the gas bar with pom-poms encouraging motorists to pull in for gas, while other waited to wash their windows as they filled up their tanks.
  It was all for a good cause as 10 cents for every litre of gas sold at the gas bar, as well as Mid-Island Co-op’s 16 other gas stations on the Island, during that time, went to the Children’s Healt
  
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• UFV agricultural report shines spotlight on decline of mid-size B.C. farms

  16-09-2026 01:06 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A recent Statistics Canada report revealed a $457 million net loss for the B.C. agricultural sector in 2024, but the BC Agriculture Council and BC Dairy have now responded with a study of their own.
  In a new report created by staff at the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV), the two agricultural groups cited findings that they said help paint the full picture of the current state of the agricultural sector.While Statistics Canada shared that the province’s farms suffered a total loss of
  
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• VIDEO: Team Leavitt wins pull time at Kelowna’s annual Haul for Hope

  16-09-2026 00:26 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The KF Centre for Excellence in Kelowna was an exciting place to be the morning of Sept. 15.The annual Haul for Hope fundraiser took place starting at 9 a.m. with 13 teams raising funds for Hope Air and competing for the best time in pulling a 67,000 pound WestJet plane.There to share her story with competitors was Penticton’s Rhonda Caron, a Hope Air patient who was diagnosed with acute leukaemia.Caron stayed with family in Vancouver while receiving treatment she could not get locally, bu
  
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• Campbell River-area Tlowitsis Nation calls for end to ‘vandalism of our new community’

  16-09-2026 00:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Tlowitsis Nation’s chief and council has issued a statement regarding ongoing vandalism to their property and belongings at its new community, Nenagwas.
  “Over this past weekend heavy damage was done to our beautiful canoe entrance at our new community entrance on York Road,” the statement read.
  “Every ground light used to light up the canoes at night was smashed with rocks and a paddle was ripped from one of the two canoes and thrown on the ground. There were several
  
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• Body found in burning vehicle in Victoria

  15-09-2026 23:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Victoria Police Department says they’re investigating a vehicle fire where a person was found dead in the 700-block of Queens Avenue – which has been closed most of the day.
  Around 7 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 15, a VicPD officer who was on their way to work came across the burning vehicle and called 911. The Victoria Fire Department attended and extinguished the flames within minutes of arrival, police say.
  “Major Crime Unit detectives are investigating and have a robust prese
  
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• Harbour Air acquisition of Pacific Coastal to create B.C. regional airline group

  15-09-2026 22:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Harbour Air is set to acquire Pacific Coastal Airlines, bringing the two British Columbia-based carriers under common Canadian ownership while keeping their brands and operations independent.
  The airlines announced the proposed acquisition on Sept. 15, saying the deal would combine Harbour Air’s seaplane network with Pacific Coastal’s wheeled-aircraft network to expand regional connectivity across B.C.
  The transaction is subject to regulatory approval and the airlines did not provide
  
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• CBSA removes 111 individuals linked to extortion from Canada since August 2025

  15-09-2026 21:58 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Canada Border Services Agency has removed 111 people from Canada since August 2025 who have been linked to extortion.The CBSA said in a news release Monday (Sept. 14) that most of those removed have been in the Pacific region, which includes B.C. and the Yukon. The agency issued 91 orders for people in the Pacific region, removing 58 individuals. The agency said it issued 50 removal orders for individuals in the Greater Toronto Area, removed 23 people, and issued 47 removal orders in the Pra
  
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• New partnerships bringing drone and aerospace innovation to Kelowna

  15-09-2026 21:55 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Kelowna is going to be the home of drone and aerospace innovation in B.C.
  ​The City of Kelowna, Kelowna International Airport (YLW), FireSwarm Solutions and Okanagan College (OC) have launched partnerships to build a future hub for AI-enabled drone and aerospace innovation.
  ​A Memorandum of Understanding was recently signed by FireSwarm and the City of Kelowna, along with a second one between FireSwarm and Okanagan College.
  ​FireSwarm is a Canadian aerospace and defence startup
  
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• Man arrested for uttering threats in Nanaimo’s north end at Sept. 11.

  15-09-2026 21:46 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A man was arrested for uttering threats in the TD Bank on Turner Road, at Longwood Station, on Friday, Sept. 11.
  Rt/Const. Sherri Wade, with the Nanaimo RCMP, said police were called to the scene at approximately 1 p.m. and apprehended the man.
  She said the suspect had no weapons on him, and no one was injured in the incident.
  “The man was released from custody under his own recognizance, and charges are pending,” Wade said.
  [email protected]
  
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• BC Hydro issues public safety notice for increased flows within Campbell River’s Elk Falls Canyon

  15-09-2026 21:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  BC Hydro is asking visitors to Campbell River’s Elk Falls to take extra care in the coming weeks.
  This is the time of year for increased flows within Elk Falls Canyon to accommodate salmon migration and spawning.Elk Falls is a natural barrier to fish passage.The water flow in the canyon will increase from about five cubic meters per second to about 8 cubic meters per second during the migration flows.
  The higher flow down the canyon requires a public safety notice in place for every Wednes
  
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• Nelson youth IIO investigation closed

  15-09-2026 20:47 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  B.C.’s police watchdog has concluded their investigation into the arrest of a youth in Nelson on Aug. 11, 2026. The investigation determined that there is no connection between police actions or inaction and the injuries the youth sustained while in custody.
  According to a report released Sept. 15, the Independent Investigations Office of BC (IIO) says around 11 p.m., a member of the Nelson Police Department (NPD) arrested a youth who appeared intoxicated and became uncooperative with the
  
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• Campbell River search and rescue save pair sheltering from wind, heavy rain

  15-09-2026 20:38 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Campbell River Search and Rescue (CRSAR) members jumped to action to rescue a pair of hikers from the frigid elements on Sept. 8.
  Late that Tuesday night, CRSAR members responded to an iPhone SOS activation from two people sheltering in a tent at Sandbag Lake during extreme winds and heavy rain, with concerns for hypothermia.
  Sandbag Lake can be found along the Mount Myra trail, above Tennent Lake in Strathcona Provincial Park.
  In a social media post, CRSAR stated that four members responded to
  
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• Scammer posing as RCMP officer steals $19K from Island resident

  15-09-2026 20:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A Sidney resident is out nearly $19,000 after falling victim to a phone scammer posing as a police officer.
  Sidney/North Saanich RCMP say a local man reported the fraud on Sept. 2 after receiving a call from someone claiming to be an RCMP officer.
  The caller told the victim his personal information had been leaked. Using this story, the scammer convinced the man to hand over sensitive details related to his cryptocurrency account.
  The victim later checked his account and discovered that almost $
  
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• Cowichan Exhibition returns with new events, favourites

  15-09-2026 19:47 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Family fun, and engaging Ex-cellence.Celebrating its 158th year, ​the Cowichan Exhibition returns with with new events and classic fair favourites at the Cowichan Exhibition Grounds in North Cowichan from Sept. 17 to 20. This year’s theme is ‘Proudly Canadian’.“Celebrating our 158th year is something we are incredibly proud of,” said executive director Shari Paterson. “The Cowichan Exhibition is so much more than a three-day fair — it is a celebrat
  
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• UPDATE: Mechanical problems cancel multiple Victoria-Vancouver sailings

  15-09-2026 19:45 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Multiple BC Ferries sailings on the Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay have been cancelled because of mechanical difficulties.
  The Queen of New Westminster was pulled from service Tuesday morning (Sept. 15), so engineers could investigate an issue with its propulsion system.
  Because of this, the 10 a.m. sailing from Tsawwassen and the 12 p.m. Swartz Bay sailing have both been cancelled.
  Other sailings on this route are expected to proceed as scheduled, said a BC Ferries service update.
  Anyone booked on on
  
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• Mechanical problems put Victoria-Vancouver sailings at risk of cancellation

  15-09-2026 19:45 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Mechanical difficulties have put some BC Ferries sailings on the Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay at risk of cancellation on Tuesday (Sept. 15).
  BC Ferries said one of its vessels is currently holding in dock while engineers investigate an issue with its propulsion system issue.
  While work is underway, the 10 a.m. sailing from Tsawwassen and the 12 p.m. Swartz Bay sailing are both at risk of cancellation.
  Other sailings on this route are expected to proceed as scheduled, said a BC Ferries service update
  
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• Sasquatch sleuths, enthusiasts make tracks for B.C. Bigfoot town hall

  15-09-2026 19:40 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Hundreds of Sasquatch enthusiasts currently cruising the high seas will soon disembark in Victoria hungry to learn more about the creature’s connection to Vancouver Island.
  Their search for answers will lead them to the Sngequ House Conference Centre in the grounds of the University of Victoria, where they will join Greater Victoria locals for the Victoria Bigfoot Town Hall.
  The event brings together researchers and investigators for an evening of presentations, discussion and audience int
  
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• Coastal Conference Champ Nanaimo Clippers to set sail on new BCHL campaign

  15-09-2026 19:33 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  After losing the B.C. Hockey League Rogers Cup final in five games last spring, with four going to overtime, the Nanaimo Clippers are prepping for the start of a new hockey season.
  Many players from that Coastal Conference-winning team, including goalie Eliot Séguin-Lescarbeau, have departed, but Colin Birkas, head coach and general manager, said there are new faces that can fill the void, including Hugo Laring from Goteborg, Sweden, who takes over for Séguin-Lescarbeau between the
  
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• Wei Wai Kum First Nation breaks ground on waterfront hotel in Campbell River

  15-09-2026 19:25 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  It was a day to remember for the Wei Wai Kum First Nation, and the first step for a downtown Campbell River hotel that’ll be three years in the making.
  The Nation marked a significant milestone in its economic development journey on Sept. 11 with a traditional land blessing and groundbreaking ceremony for a new waterfront hotel.
  It will be branded a Tapestry Collection by Hilton and with a planned opening of spring 2029.The hotel is Nation-owned and will be managed by Innovation Hospitalit
  
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• KidsPlay Foundation stands by its mission as CEO faces criminal charges

  15-09-2026 19:12 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  KidsPlay Foundation says it remains committed to supporting youth through sports camps, educational forums, mentorship and community patrols.
  The foundation issued a social media statement after the announcement that its founder and CEO faces criminal charges of fraud and theft of more than $5,000.
  “We understand that this situation has prompted thoughtful questions within our community, and we emphasize that the matter is currently before the courts. We respect the judicial process and be
  
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• KidsPlay Foundation reaffirms mission amid criminal charges against CEO

  15-09-2026 19:12 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  KidsPlay Foundation says it remains committed to supporting youth through sports camps, educational forums, mentorship and community patrols.
  The foundation issued a social media statement after the announcement that its founder and CEO faces criminal charges of fraud and theft of more than $5,000.
  “We understand that this situation has prompted thoughtful questions within our community, and we emphasize that the matter is currently before the courts. We respect the judicial process and be
  
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• UFV to offer virtual exercises for youth diagnosed with cancer

  15-09-2026 18:23 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A new virtual exercise program will soon offer free, accessible physical activity to youths who have been diagnosed with cancer or a blood disorder.
  The University of the Fraser Valley has announced they are launching The Move Club, a 12-week virtual physical activity program.“Being diagnosed with cancer or a blood disorder as a child or adolescent is really challenging,” said Amanda Wurz, researcher and assistant professor at UFV. “It comes with a host of physical symptoms and
  
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• Four-story building with 46 housing units proposed for central Nanaimo

  15-09-2026 14:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A four-storey residential building with 46 housing units and underground parking is being proposed on a half-acre lot located at 1575 White St. in central Nanaimo.
  The City of Nanaimo’s design advisory panel gave the proposed housing project a thumbs up at its meeting on Thursday, Sept. 10, along with 16 recommendations for improvements to the design.
  After a presentation on the proposal and discussion, Coun. Hilary Eastmure, who is a panel member, raised some concerns around accessible-pa
  
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