Nanaimo news

• Beban Park Pool scores best for accessibility in city audit

  15-09-2026 01:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Beban Park pool has come out on top for accessibility among a number of Nanaimo’s public facilities in a recent audit.
  The pool achieved a 71.5 per cent certification score for accessibility by an audit conducted by the City of Nanaimo based on an audit program established by the Rick Hansen Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to creating a world without barriers for people with disabilities.
  Facilities must achieve a minimum of 60 per cent in the audit to be accessibility
  
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• THE MOJ: B.C. Lions set up nicely for CFL’s stretch drive

  17-09-2026 20:06 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  CONTROLLING THEIR OWN DESTINY: The 49-28 win over the Montreal Alouettes last Saturday at BC Place was a big one for the Lions and sets them up nicely for the stretch drive. Their remaining games include Saskatchewan (home), Toronto (away), Ottawa (home), Calgary (away) and Winnipeg (home). Run the table and the Lions finish in second place in Western Division. It’s not going to be easy but it is possible. The key game is the one against the Riders which will probably determine whether or
  
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• ‘Never seen anything like it’: Boaters rescue bear cub from middle of Okanagan Lake

  17-09-2026 20:03 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Christina Zamniuk could hardly believe what was happening when a small bear cub climbed exhausted and shivering onto her boat in the middle of Okanagan Lake over the weekend.Zamniuk, who lives in Abbotsford but spends time in the summer with her husband at their Vernon lake house, said they were out on the water heading towards Adventure Bay Saturday afternoon, Sept. 12, when they noticed something black in the water.“I think he thought it was a dog,” she said of her husband after th
  
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• Need for fundraising climbs as United Way BC hosts annual kick-off breakfast in Kelowna

  17-09-2026 20:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The United Way BC kick-off breakfast took place at the Laurel Packinghouse in downtown Kelowna on the morning of Thursday, Sept. 17, welcoming a variety of businesses and supporters to begin fundraising for the 2026-27 year.
  The non-profit organization focuses on strengthening community connections to support people in need across the province, with fundraising for several causes run by business partners in their local community.
  Ahead of the panel discussion on children, youth and exploring fam
  
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• 3 Okanagan governments have water protection work recognized at UBCM

  17-09-2026 19:45 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The work being done to protect the primary water source in Lake Country and Vernon was recognized at the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) Community Excellence Awards ceremony on Sept. 15.
  The North Aberdeen Plateau Wildfire and Watershed Resilience Initiative, which is a collaborative effort between The Okanagan Indian Band (OKIB), Regional District of North Okanagan (RDNO) and District of Lake Country, received the Presidents Committee Choice Award at UBCM.
  “This work is the result of pe
  
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• Embattled B.C. Conservative Leader Findlay says she’s ‘not going anywhere’

  17-09-2026 19:33 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Embattled B.C. Conservative Leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay told local government leaders Thursday she is staying on as leader, and doubled down on that shortly after.“I’m not going anywhere,” Findlay told media during a scrum following her address to the Union of B.C. Municipalities in Vancouver on Sept. 17.
  “As I said in my speech just now, we have a young party. We’re still in growing pains. There were a number of MLAs who left under the original acclaimed leader John
  
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• Land acquisition increases area of Westwood Lake Park in Nanaimo

  17-09-2026 18:15 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  With Westwood Lake Tennis Club closing, there will be an addition of 1.15 hectares of land at Westwood Lake Park.
  In a press release, City of Nanaimo said it has purchased land at 2367 Arbot Rd., where the club is currently located, for close to $3 million.
  The club will close on Nov. 1 with a covering over tennis courts to be removed and the city to take ownership on Dec. 18. The expectation is to open “the site to the public shortly thereafter” and while the city won’t operat
  
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• Alberta man, 29, charged with arson in B.C. hospital fire in 2020

  17-09-2026 18:14 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Nearly six years after an alleged arson at Burnaby Hospital, a 29-year-old Alberta man has been charged.
  The B.C. Prosecution Service approved a charge of arson, disregard for human life, against Yu Yun Wang on Sept. 8, according to a news release from Burnaby RCMP Thursday (Sept. 17).
  Wang is currently in custody in Alberta on unrelated charges, police said.
  Burnaby RCMP responded to a report of a fire at Burnaby Hospital just before 6 a.m. on Nov. 16, 2020. However, police said the fire happen
  
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• Grandma, 93, keeps Trail connected to Terry Fox’s dream from Vancouver

  17-09-2026 18:08 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Forty-five years after Terry Fox inspired a nation with his determination to find a cure for cancer, Joyce Cook is still walking for his dream.
  Only now she’s doing it 628 kilometres from her hometown of Trail.
  Cook, 93, who now resides in Vancouver, recently received a plaque from the Terry Fox Foundation recognizing 45 years of participation in the annual run inspired by Fox’s Marathon of Hope.
  For Cook, however, the plaque is less about recognition and more a reminder of why she s
  
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• Earthquake near Kootenay Lake rumbles region

  17-09-2026 16:44 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  An earthquake rumbled the Kootenays early Thursday morning, Sept. 17.
  Earthquakes Canada reported the 3.7 magnitude quake struck about 5:30 am PT on the east shore of Kootenay Lake near Grey Creek (at 49.64°N, 116.78°W), at a depth of about four kilometres.
  People reported feeling the earthquake in Nelson all over the Kootenays, as far away as Cranbrook and Trail.No damage or injuries were reported.
  
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• Alberta boy back home, doing well after near-fatal drowning incident in B.C. river

  17-09-2026 16:39 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Maria Warren calls her son, “a fighter and a warrior.”So do the doctors who looked after him as he recovered from a harrowing Aug. 3 incident in the Shuswap River in Enderby, she told The Morning Star Tuesday, Sept. 15, two weeks after nine-year-old Paul-Angelo returned home from hospital in remarkable condition.
  Remarkable because Paul-Angelo had nearly fatally drowned, having been trapped underwater by driftwood for five to 10 minutes, according to the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP, a
  
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• Alberta boy back home, doing well after near fatal drowning incident in B.C. river

  17-09-2026 16:39 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Maria Warren calls her son, “a fighter and a warrior.”So do the doctors who looked after him as he recovered from a harrowing Aug. 3 incident in the Shuswap River in Enderby, she told The Morning Star Tuesday, Sept. 15, two weeks after nine-year-old Paul-Angelo returned home from hospital in remarkable condition.
  Remarkable because Paul-Angelo had nearly fatally drowned, having been trapped underwater by driftwood for five to 10 minutes, according to the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP, a
  
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• Run in Nanaimo honouring Terry Fox set for this weekend

  17-09-2026 14:40 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Legacy of Terry Fox will live on this weekend with a cancer research fundraising walk in Nanaimo.
  Terry Fox, an 18-year-old from Coquitlam, B.C. embarked on his Marathon of Hope on the other side of the country (Newfoundland) in April 1980, but it was cut short due to a recurrence of cancer in Sept. 1980 – he died on June, 28, 1981.
  The Terry Fox Run in Nanaimo will take place Sunday, Sept. 20 at Bowen Park (500 Bowen Rd.) hosted by City of Nanaimo, with a goal of raising $28,400 and a
  
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• Witnesses sought regarding incident between police and man on Bastion Street

  17-09-2026 14:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Independent Investigations Office of BC is seeking witnesses to the arrest of a man in Nanaimo.
  Initial information provided by the RCMP states that around 10:45 p.m. on Sept. 12, police received a call about a man refusing to leave a bar on Bastion Street near the intersection with Commercial Street.
  Upon arrival, officers located the man and then attempted to arrest him on the sidewalk outside the bar.
  During the interaction with police, the man suffered an injury related to a broken glass
  
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• Why does your sweet puppy suddenly become a land shark?

  17-09-2026 14:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  If I had a dollar for every message I receive from a puppy guardian saying, “My puppy is attacking me!” or “My puppy is completely out of control,” I’d have an impressive collection of dog toys by now.
  The good news? Your puppy isn’t trying to attack you, dominate you, or make your life miserable.Puppies are still developing the cognitive and emotional skills they need to navigate the world. Their brains are nowhere near mature, and their ability to regulate t
  
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• Complainant recounts alleged attack in Kelowna sexual assault trial

  17-09-2026 03:03 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  WARNING: This article contains details about a criminal sexual assault trial and may be disturbing to some readers. If you or someone you know has been impacted by sexual violence, contact the Central Okanagan Elizabeth Fry Society at (250) 763-4613 or the RCMP.
  The trial for a Kelowna man charged with one count of sexual assault stemming from a reported incident in 2021 began in a Supreme Court in Kelowna on Sept. 15.
  Brandon Hildebrand Acosta is accused of sexually assaulting a woman in her h
  
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• Federal Conservatives raise affordability, spectre of EU taxation ahead of B.C. caucus retreat

  17-09-2026 03:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A pitch for affordability was at the centre of the Conservative Party of Canada message ahead of the party’s caucus retreat in Penticton.
  A brief press conference by Deputy Leader Melissa Lantsman on Sept. 16 was followed by an address by Party Leader Pierre Poilievre.Lantsman’s portion was focused on responding to recent reports that Prime Minister Mark Carney had approached the European Union about Canada becoming an association member, news that was first shared by the Wall Street
  
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• Injured cat back with family following Summerland wildfire

  17-09-2026 01:21 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A black cat, found alone and injured during the Bald Range wildfire, has been treated and is now reunited with his family.
  The injured cat was discovered by someone working behind the fire line. The rescuer scooped up the cat and rushed him to a veterinary hospital.
  Examination there revealed severe burns on the bottom of the cat’s feet, along with dehydration and a painful ear mite infestation.
  The veterinary team began treatment, providing pain medication, fluids, wound care and regular
  
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• Nanaimo accepting applications for social development grants program

  17-09-2026 00:27 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Nanaimo is now accepting applications for the 2027 social development grants program.
  The program strives to support initiatives that enhance social cohesion, address the root causes and effects of poverty, contribute to the vitality of the community, and foster social inclusion and social equity.
  A total of $85,000 is available under the grant program.
  Eligible organizations include non-profit societies, recognized religious groups and/or neighbourhood associations recognized by the city that p
  
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• Nanaimo accepting applications for social development grants program.

  17-09-2026 00:27 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Nanaimo is now accepting applications for the 2027 social development grants program.
  The program strives to support initiatives that enhance social cohesion, address the root causes and effects of poverty, contribute to the vitality of the community, and foster social inclusion and social equity.
  A total of $85,000 is available under the grant program.
  Eligible organizations include non-profit societies, recognized religious groups and/or neighbourhood associations recognized by the city that p
  
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• Low flying helicopter checks Fortis gas lines for leaks across B.C.

  16-09-2026 23:19 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Low-flying helicopter sightings are keeping work water cooler and social media conversations abuzz in Greater Victoria.Those talks will continue across the province as FortisBC performs its aerial inspections in B.C.
  To make sure the gas system continues to operate safely and reliably, FortisBC confirmed it’s performing aerial inspections of gas transmission lines across the province, the company confirmed to Victoria News.“As part of our integrity management program, we inspect all
  
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• Fernie woman faces 9/11’s fallout, 25 years later

  16-09-2026 23:08 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Thousands of people lost their lives in the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Centre 25 years ago, but the long-term impacts to people who experienced it are still being uncovered.Patti Sonntag was a student studying at university in New York on Sept. 11, 2001 when she volunteered to help the medical team and emergency services deliver aid at Ground Zero. More than two decades later, she has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called retroperitoneal liposarcoma, linked to toxic dust at the si
  
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• UBCM president delivers sharp rebuke to provincial government in annual address

  16-09-2026 22:05 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Union of B.C. Municipalities President Cori Ramsay blasted the provincial government in her annual address on Wednesday, expressing deep frustration on a wide range of issues.
  “If I were to characterize how our members are feeling right now, the word that comes to mind is frustration,” Ramsay told local government delegates at the UBCM convention in Vancouver.
  UBCM presidents serve one-year terms. This conference concludes Ramsay’s time in the role, and Squamish Coun. Jenna Sto
  
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• Okanagan curling team second at Saville Shootout in Edmonton

  16-09-2026 22:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  New rink, nice result.
  Vernon’s Jim Cotter returned to competitive men’s team curling with a second-place finish at the 20-team Saville Shootout in Edmonton.
  Cotter, 51, fell 5-4 in the final Monday, Sept. 14, to Benny Kapp of Fuessen, Germany. The Cotter rink collected $4,000 for second place. Kapp pocketed $6,000.
  Playing with Cotter are third Jared Kolomaya of Kamloops, second Connor Deane of Kelowna, lead Erik Colwell of Vernon, and alternate player Brad Wood of Penticton.
  The ne
  
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• B.C. Rail Corridor Alliance presses province for funding, governance

  16-09-2026 21:37 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Members of the BC Rail Corridor Alliance renewed their calls for the B.C. government to take a more active role in preserving the rail corridor between Squamish and Prince George at the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM).
  On Tuesday, Sept. 15, members of the BC Rail Corridor Alliance, which is made up of government and First Nations representatives, met with the province to discuss the railway. In 2025, CN Rail had announced its intention to discontinue the line, prompting the formation of the a
  
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• UPDATE: First responders respond to Nanaimo Regional General Hospital after construction worker injured

  16-09-2026 21:32 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Nanaimo Fire Rescue, police and B.C. Ambulance Service were on the scene at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital for a rescue incident.
  First responders were called out to the cancer centre construction site just before noon on Wednesday, Sept. 16.
  According to John MacKenzie, Nanaimo Fire Rescue assistant chief of operations, it involved a man who was working at the site.
  “Our crews were called for industrial accident here at NRGH for a worker who fell, from what I’m told, approximatel
  
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• UPDATE: First responders head to Nanaimo Regional General Hospital after construction worker falls, injured

  16-09-2026 21:32 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Nanaimo Fire Rescue, police and B.C. Ambulance Service were on the scene at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital for a rescue incident.
  First responders were called out to the cancer centre construction site just before noon on Wednesday, Sept. 16.
  According to John MacKenzie, Nanaimo Fire Rescue assistant chief of operations, it involved a man who was working at the site.
  “Our crews were called for industrial accident here at NRGH for a worker who fell, from what I’m told, approximatel
  
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• UPDATE: First responders at site at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital after worker injured

  16-09-2026 21:32 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Nanaimo Fire Rescue, police and B.C. Ambulance Service are at the scene at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital for a rescue incident.
  First responders were called out to the cancer centre construction site just before noon on Wednesday, Sept. 16.
  Traffic was closed off on Dufferin Crescent by the hospital, but has since re-opened.
  According to John MacKenzie, Nanaimo Fire Rescue assistant chief of operations, it involved a man who was working at the site.
  “Our crews were called for industria
  
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• First responders head to Island hospital after construction worker falls, injured

  16-09-2026 21:32 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Fire crews, police and B.C. Ambulance Service were on the scene at a hospital on Vancouver Island for a rescue incident.
  First responders were called out to the cancer centre construction site at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital, just before noon on Wednesday, Sept. 16.
  According to John MacKenzie, Nanaimo Fire Rescue assistant chief of operations, it involved a man who was working at the site.
  “Our crews were called for industrial accident here at NRGH for a worker who fell, from what I&
  
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• First responders at site of incident at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital

  16-09-2026 21:32 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Nanaimo Fire Rescue, police and B.C. Ambulance Service are at the scene at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital for a rescue incident.
  First responders were called out to the cancer centre construction site just before noon on Wednesday, Sept. 16.
  Traffic is closed off on Dufferin Crescent by the hospital.
  More to come.
  – Files from Jessica Durling, News Bulletin
  [email protected]
  
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