Nanaimo news

• B.C. looking to seize White Rock man’s 2 homes in organized crime probe

  16-07-2026 02:26 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The B.C. government is attempting to seize two multimillion-dollar homes belonging to a White Rock man recently arrested in a significant U.S. federal investigation into Indian organized crime groups.
  The investigation, called “Operation Hard Ball,” has led to more than two dozen arrests of individuals connected to three Indian-based transnational organized crime groups: Lawrence Bishnoi, Ravinder Dhanda and Jaggu Bhagwanpuria. Law enforcement is looking for 10 fugitives, seven in th
  
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• Victoria Deaf community calls for new service hub after closure

  20-07-2026 20:50 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  More than two weeks after the Island Deaf and Hard of Hearing Centre (IDHHC) shut its doors, members of Vancouver Island’s Deaf community gathered at Victoria City Hall on Friday afternoon, sharing emotional stories of loss while calling on the province to help restore services they say are essential.
  The town hall brought together Deaf, Deaf-Blind, hard of hearing residents, interpreters, parents, advocates and allies following the organization’s June 30 closure after 35 years of op
  
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• Nanaimo considers contributing $75,000 to affordable housing pilot project

  20-07-2026 20:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Nanaimo is considering contributing $75,000 to the Nanaimo Prosperity Corporation as part of an effort to increase the number of affordable-housing units in the municipality.
  The city’s governance and priorities committee made that recommendation at its meeting on July 13, after a lengthy discussion.
  Members of the Housing Nanaimo Working Group, which consists of a number of partners, including the Anchor Corporation and the Nanaimo Prosperity Corporation, spoke to the committee at its mee
  
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• Strong Cowichan presence helps Crimson Tide claim B.C. regional rugby title

  20-07-2026 20:25 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The 2026 provincial regional rugby championships were held at Abbotsford Exhibition Park June 4 and 5, with the Vancouver Island Rugby Union’s Crimson Tide earning the overall title, just two points ahead of the Fraser Valley Venom.
  The tournament featured British Columbia’s top U15 to U19 players representing four regional teams: the Crimson Tide (Vancouver Island), Fraser Valley Venom, Vancouver Wave and the Interior. The championships returned to Abbotsford after being held at Sha
  
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• Campbell River RCMP investigating early morning stabbing

  20-07-2026 19:43 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  On July 19, at approximately 2:30 a.m., police were called to a parking lot in the 1200 block of Cedar Street for a report of a 30-year-old female who had been stabbed.Multiple RCMP members responded to the scene, locating the 30 year old victim and ensured that she received the necessary medical assistance from Emergency Health Services. She was later transported to hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.RCMP members from the Major Crime Unit, Forensics Unit and General Duty, remained
  
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• Heat warning in effect for B.C.’s North, Central coasts

  20-07-2026 19:22 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Parts of B.C.’s North and Central coasts are under a heat warning until Wednesday, Environment Canada says.The yellow warning was issued Monday (July 20) for Terrace, Kitimat and Bella Coola, with a high forecast confidence. The warning is in effect until Wednesday, and will then be followed by a cooling trend.Environment Canada says a ridge of high pressure will bring high temperatures to the region, with daytime highs expected in the low 30s and overnight lows in the mid-teens.The warnin
  
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• Family vehicle impounded after Williams Lake learner caught speeding 168 km/h

  20-07-2026 17:01 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A Williams Lake family’s brand new vehicle was recently impounded for excessive speed after a learner driver was caught doing 168 kilometres an hour in a 120 km/h zone on the Coquihalla Highway.
  The 20 year-old-woman, who was accompanied with five family members, was stopped on Highway 5, south of Merritt, in her dad’s 2026 Honda Pilot on Saturday, July 11 by the BC Highway Patrol.According to a news release, the Williams Lake woman was issued a $368 fine under the BC Motor Vehicle A
  
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• Some residents not evacuating Brunswick Complex wildfires: FVRD

  20-07-2026 16:01 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Eight evacuation orders are in place due to the Brunswick Complex wildfires in the Fraser Canyon, but the Fraser Valley Regional District (FVRD) said some residents have chosen to stay behind or return to the areas after evacuating.
  In a video update on Sunday (July 19), FVRD communications manager Samantha Piper said the regional district “continues to be aware” that some residents have not evacuated or have returned to evacuation order areas.
  “You are violating the law. This
  
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• 7 buildings destroyed in Brunswick Complex wildfires; some residents not evacuating

  20-07-2026 16:01 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  UPDATE (11 a.m.) –Seven buildings have been destroyed by the Ainslie Creek wildfire, according to the Fraser Valley Regional District (FVRD).
  In a statement, the FVRD said four buildings were either residential structures or seasonal cabins, while the other three were accessory structures or structures supporting commercial uses.The regional district conducted rapid damage assessments on buildings confirmed to be damaged or destroyed by the fires. The FVRD said further damages may be repor
  
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• Fire smoke set to settle across Greater Victoria

  20-07-2026 14:59 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The air is anticipated to thicken with particulates as wildfire smoke from the interior of B.C. is expected to filter down to the coast Monday (July 20).Particulates in the air will be minimal for the South Island, spreading across the Island. The smoke is forecast to linger into Wednesday morning, which is as far as the predictor firesmoke.ca projects.
  The program shows interactive forecasts of hourly and daily averages and daily maximum concentrations of PM2.5 particles – fine inhalable
  
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• Early-bird tickets on sale for Nanaimo Independent Film Society fall season

  20-07-2026 14:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Early-bird tickets are now on sale for the fall season of the Nanaimo International Film Screen Society.
  Eight films have been announced for the season, running from September to December, five for the main features, and three additional ones for matinees.The five main films shown will be Thelma (2024), Eleanor the Great (2025), It Was Just An Accident (2025), Koln 75 (2025) and The Mother and the Bear (2024). The three matinee films that will be shown are Mr. Nobody Against Putin (2025), Peak E
  
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• Death during annual swim event confirmed as 5th drowning on Okanagan this year

  20-07-2026 05:45 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A person who drowned at Tugboat Bay was participating in the annual Across the Lake Swim, Kelowna RCMP have confirmed.
  Emergency crews were called to the bay on Saturday morning, July 18. According to Cpl. Steven Lang, media relations officer with the Kelowna RCMP, police were alerted to a drowning in the area.“They were a part of the Across the Lake swim yesterday,” he said.
  Lang added he did not have the exact circumstances of how the victim was found, but added that strong headwin
  
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• City of Kimberley under evacuation alert due to wildfires

  20-07-2026 05:16 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The City of Kimberley and outlying areas are on evacuation alert due to wildfires burning roughly 15 kilometres the west of the municipality.
  The evacuation alert, issued late July 19, covers the entire city, including the ski hill, as well as 66 properties in Area E west in the St. Mary’s Lake region.
  “Given the current and forecasted conditions on both fires, particularly with ongoing hot, dry weather and little to no rain, the BC Wildfire Service has made the recommendation that E
  
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• THORPE REPORT: High school girls drain hoops

  19-07-2026 22:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Continuing our review of top local secondary school basketball teams from the past season, we turn now to girls’ results.
  Schools with the highest level of population compete at the Quad A or AAAA level, which locally applies to Dover Bay and Nanaimo District Secondary.
  This year the top senior girls’ team came from Dover Bay, as the senior Dolphins hosted and placed second at the Islands and advanced to provincials. Shayne Pfeiffer, Curtis Slater, and Adrienne Linder coached the squ
  
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• Latest designs viewable at City of Nanaimo Loudon Park project open house

  19-07-2026 20:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Nanaimo residents will have a chance to view the latest Loudon Park improvement project concept drawings and give their two cents later this month.
  An open house will be held Thursday, July 23 at the park by Long Lake at 4295 Victoria Ave. from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., the city said in a press release. Part of the project is a new community building and the new designs took into consideration input from user groups, community organizations and residents provided thus far, the city said.
  The community
  
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• B.C. golfer wins U.S. Girls’ Junior championship

  19-07-2026 19:19 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  B.C. golfer Clairey Lin has won the U.S. Girls’ Junior championship.
  Lin, from Langley, defeated Amelie Zalsman of St. Petersburg, Florida, in the 36-hole final at Old Chatham Golf Club on Saturday.What a week by Langley, B.C.’s Clairey Lin at the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship at Old Chatham Golf Club in Durham, N.C.
  Stroke Play (36 holes): Medallist (-13)
  Round of 64: W, 3&2
  Round of 32: W, 4&3
  Round of 16: W, 4&2
  Quarter-finals: W, 2&1
  Semifinals: W, 1-up
  Fi
  
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• WORLD CUP DAILY, July 19: Kick-off for the championship match is 12 p.m. PT today

  19-07-2026 16:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Daily FIFA World Cup soccer match updates and news for Black Press Media publications.
  Argentina will face Spain in the World Cup championship match today (July 19) at New Jersey Stadium.
  The game will be refereed by Slovenian Slavko Vinčić, who will be the first Slovenian to referee a World Cup final.
  “So, first of all, a shock. Then happiness. I was shaking, so it’s an incredible honour to get the World Cup final,” he said. “It’s something that… i
  
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• Business Notes: Woodgrove Centre’s Landmark Cinemas completes major upgrades

  19-07-2026 14:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Get ready for a whole new movie-viewing experience at Landmark Cinemas, located at Woodgrove Centre in Nanaimo.
  After approximately seven months, Landmark Cinemas has completed major renovations to each of the theatre’s eight theatre auditoriums that will transform movie-watching just in time for the summer-blockbuster season.
  Ryan Dion, Landmark Cinema’s vice-president of operations, and Mark Welton, president of IMAX Global Theatres, presented the upgrades to the press on July 9.
  G
  
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• QUIZ: A salute to Canadian music

  19-07-2026 14:20 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Canada has a rich and vibrant musical environment.
  This country is home to many noted musicians, innovative composers, iconic performers and legendary music festivals.
  How much do you know about Canada’s music scene? Put your knowledge to the test with these 10 questions.
  Good luck.
  Loading…
  
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• Spotlight shines on breast cancer survivors at Nanaimo dragon boat races

  19-07-2026 00:25 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Those who have beaten breast cancer were front and centre at the Westwood Lake Dragon Boat Regatta in Nanaimo this weekend.
  The fundraiser is raising money for cancer treatment at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital and there were specific races honouring breast cancer survivors.The event began Saturday, July 18 and ends Sunday, July 19.
  Rashida Hamir, of the Breast Friends Dragon Boat Racing Team from Edmonton, said she races because she “wants to feel that [she’s] strong and can do a
  
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• COLUMN: Nanaimo’s dragon boat festival needs more support

  18-07-2026 20:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  I remember my adrenaline pumping as my dragon boat team lined up with other teams in the Newcastle Channel to prepare for a race during the annual Nanaimo Dragon Boat Festival more than 20 years ago.
  We had trained for months to participate in the festival and now we were about to find out how we stacked up against other teams from Nanaimo and from as far away as Portland who had also spent a considerable amount of time on the water honing their paddling skills.
  My team was the Bastion Dragons a
  
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• LETTER TO THE EDITOR: I disagree that Rock City wetland has no surface water connection

  18-07-2026 18:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  To the editor, and for the attention of Nanaimo Mayor Krog and councillors,
  Re: New environmental issues raised over Nanaimo Rock City apartment-building project, July 15
  Nanaimo’s recent council meeting was an appalling display of deception and denial. Tamara Brown politely raised the issue that the city appears non-compliant with provincial Riparian Areas Protection Regulation (RAPR) law, since its framework excludes unmapped watercourses. Director of planning Jeremy Holm and the city&rs
  
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• WORLD CUP DAILY, July 18: England and France face off in Bronze final

  18-07-2026 16:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Daily FIFA World Cup soccer match updates and news for Black Press Media publications.
  France and England face off at 2 p.m. PT today in Miami in the 2026 bronze World Cup final.
  The match will be refereed by Jesus Valenzuela.
  England has won two of three World Cup matches against France: 3-1 in June 1982 during the group stage and 2-0 in July 1966 in London. France defeated England 2-1 in the 2022 quarter-final in Qatar.
  Spain will take on Argentina in the championship match on Sunday at 12 p.m
  
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• Former undercover officer turns decades of experience into crime novels from Ladysmith home

  18-07-2026 14:45 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  After spending more than 30 years working undercover against drug traffickers, kidnappers and organized crime, Ladysmith resident Lawrence Ricketts is telling stories once again — this time through fiction.
  Ricketts, a former police officer whose career included undercover assignments in Toronto, Saanich and Vancouver, has published four novels inspired by people, operations and experiences that shaped his career, with a fifth book already underway.
  While the stories are fictional, Rickett
  
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• Cannabis shop application receives few comments at public hearing

  18-07-2026 14:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  There was little comment, either for or against, a proposal for a new cannabis-retail store in the Brooks Landing at a public hearing that was held on Thursday, July 17.
  Nanaimo city council gave the first two readings to the proposal for the store, which would be located at 2180 Highland Boulevard, at its meeting on June 22.
  One caller at the public hearing indicated that he felt the location was too close to other cannabis shops in the area, while one speaker said he likes the fact that he wou
  
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• B.C. Lions fall 19-17 to Edmonton Elks, lose QB Rourke to injury

  18-07-2026 06:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The B.C. Lions lost more than a game Friday night.
  Starting quarterback Nathan Rourke suffered a (non-throwing) shoulder injury on the first drive of the game and didn’t return, as the visiting Lions dropped a 19-17 decision to the Edmonton Elks in CFL action at Commonwealth Stadium.
  Cody Fajardo threw for 282 yards and a touchdown for the Elks (5-1). Receiver T.J. Luther had the lone Edmonton TD, while Vincent Blanchard booted four field goals and a convert. Chase Brice replaced Rourke (t
  
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• Snowbirds touch down at North Saanich museum ahead of Victoria flying show

  18-07-2026 02:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The BC Aviation Museum in North Saanich boasts some special visitors as the Snowbirds touch down during its annual open house this summer.The Canadian Forces flying team is on hand for the second day of the open house, signing autographs on Monday, Aug. 3, the day before a highly anticipated performance along the Victoria waterfront. Current Snowbirds team members will appear for autograph sessions, anticipated around 2 p.m., alongside former pilots and support crew. Among them is Sidney residen
  
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• $53K from touring cyclists strengthens perinatal care at Nanaimo hospital

  18-07-2026 01:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A sizable donation from touring cyclists from across the globe has boosted care for expectant mothers at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital.
  Canada Cycles for Kids, which raises money for kids across Canada via fundraising rides, is doing its first tour on Vancouver Island and stopped by the Nanaimo health-care facility to present a cheque of over $53,000 which will go towards a perinatal operating room cautery machine and a new fetal monitor, with price tags of $28,745 and $24,500 respectively,
  
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• B.C. Premier Eby wants Canada to adopt RICO-type laws to combat organized crime

  18-07-2026 01:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Premier David Eby says the B.C. government has stretched provincial laws about as far as they can go to combat organized crime, and he now wants the federal government to enact laws similar to those in the United States under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, commonly known as RICO.
  “I’ll be blunt: currently in Canada, I do not believe that we have the full capacities we need to attack organized crime,” Eby said Friday.America’s RICO law was created
  
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• Kelowna MP hangs with the kids to announce Canada Child Benefit increase

  18-07-2026 00:25 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  To support families across the country, the federal government announced an increase is coming July 20 to the Canada Child Benefit.The tax-free payment provides families with up to $8,157 per child under the age of 6 and up to $6,883 per child aged 6 to 17.
  Stronger support for families is coming July 20 with an increase to the Canada Child Benefit. To celebrate, Kelowna @FuhrMP spent some time with the kiddos at the BGC North Glenmore Club @KelownaCapNews @BlackPressMedia pic.twitter.com/GdC4Jm
  
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