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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• Nanaimo RCMP asking for help locating stolen vintage bike

  22-09-2026 18:46 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Nanaimo RCMP is asking for the public’s assistance in locating a vintage bike that was stolen from outside a residence on Nanaimo Lakes Road.
  At approximately 10:20 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 21, the Nanaimo RCMP received a report that a 1954 JC Higgins Jetflow bicycle had been stolen from the home.
  At the time of the theft, the bike had been locked to a bicycle rack attached to a vehicle.
  The locks were defeated and the bicycle was taken.The bicycle is a very distinctive vintage model.
  It has
  
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• Premier David Eby expected to call provincial snap election today

  22-09-2026 17:49 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  After a week of speculation, Premier David Eby is expected to call a snap election Tuesday afternoon.
  He has called a news conference at 12:15 p.m. at Government House in Victoria. This is where he must go to meet with the Lieutenant Governor to “drop the writ” and dissolve the legislature.
  A provincial election called today could be as soon as Saturday, Oct. 24 – a week after the municipal elections.Eby has tried to position this as a necessary step to cement his mandate in re
  
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• Crash kills 2 in Enderby

  22-09-2026 17:47 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Two people were killed in an early-morning crash in Enderby Monday.
  The Vernon North Okanagan RCMP are investigating the collision which took place Sept. 21 around 2:15 a.m.
  Police responded to a report of a single vehicle collision in the 1100 block of George Street.The investigation has determined the blue Volvo was travelling northbound on George Street when it left the road, colliding with a hydro pole and four parked vehicles in three different addresses.The 31-year-old male driver and 20-y
  
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• Construction of new long-term care facility in Lantzville begins

  22-09-2026 17:38 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Construction is now underway on the upcoming six-storey long-term care home in Lantzville, with completion expected in 2029.
  B.C. Health Minister Ravi Kahlon was joined by MLAs, local government officials and elders from the Snuneymuxw First Nation in a groundbreaking ceremony at the construction site of the new $350-million facility, located at 6910 Lantzville Rd., on Monday, Sept. 21.
  When completed in 2029, the long-term care home will provide 298 new beds, including an 18-bed hospice unit, a
  
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• B.C. capital, Empress Hotel murder steal spotlight in Jason Priestley drama

  22-09-2026 17:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Canadian actor Jason Priestley has shared the screen with many co-stars over his nearly five-decade career, but his latest might just be the biggest one yet.
  Joining the former Beverley Hills, 90210 teen heartthrob and co-star Cindy Sampson for the new television show Private Eyes West Coast is B.C.’s capital city itself: Victoria.
  And there’s no disguising the fact the comedy-drama has set up shop in the province’s ‘Garden City’.
  From familiar landmarks to local bu
  
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• Sooke hills fire grows to 50 hectares, smoke visible across the South Island

  22-09-2026 16:21 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Mount Jack wildfire outside Sooke on the South Island continues to burn out of control despite active work by crews.Discovered Sept. 20, the fire has grown to more than 50 hectares by late Sept. 21, according to the BC Wildfire Service.
  The fire, about four kilometres west of Sooke River, and south of Mount Jack continued to grow under dry conditions Monday (Sept. 21).
  “Earlier this afternoon, warm and dry daytime conditions fueled fire behaviour significantly, producing a highly visib
  
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• North Island communities make a long day on the bike worthwhile

  22-09-2026 15:31 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  On paper, 1,200 kilometres on a bicycle sounds pretty daunting.
  Then you break it down day-by-day, and it becomes a little more manageable. Still eventful, still tiring, but manageable.
  Monday (Sept. 21) was slated to be the biggest test of the bunch. The 146-kilometre ride from Port McNeill to Sayward started with the kind of adrenaline you probably need before spending nearly 150 kilometres on a bike.
  At Sunset Elementary and North Island Secondary School, students lined the way to cheer on th
  
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• VIU Mariners’ soccer teams make pitch for PacWest postseason in 2026

  22-09-2026 14:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Vancouver Island University soccer teams have both hit the pitch with visions of making the playoffs this season.
  Both women’s and men’s Mariners teams opened the 2026 regular season earlier this month in North Vancouver against the Capilano University Blues – a respective 3-0 win and 1-1 draw – and played their home openers on Saturday, Sept. 19, at Q’unq’inuqwstuxw Stadium – both scored 3-1 wins over the Douglas College Royals.
  Emma Thornton (midfielde
  
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• Longtime Vernon radio voice falls silent

  22-09-2026 14:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  He had a voice made for radio.
  And Paul Burke put his set of pipes to great use across Canadian airwaves.
  Burke, former morning man in Vernon at CICF AM radio (now The Ranch FM), died Sept. 15, one month shy of his 80th birthday.
  Born in Lindsay, Ont., Burke spent much of his life sharing his voice, his stories, and his love of radio with the community.
  At one point, in the early 2000s, Burke’s voice could be heard on as many as 30 different radio stations around Canada and the world, than
  
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• Cocaine, cash found on senior e-scooter rider after arrest: Salmon Arm RCMP

  22-09-2026 04:49 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A violation ticket for riding an e-scooter without a helmet may be the least serious offence relating to a 74-year-old man’s recent arrest by Salmon Arm RCMP.
  At 5 p.m. on Aug. 1, police stopped the senior scooter rider on Shuswap Street for not wearing a helmet. However, the man was “previously observed making numerous short stops at known problem residences,” said Salmon Arm RCMP media relations officer Const. Andrew Hodges in a news release.The man was asked for identificati
  
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• Investigation continues into wildfire that destroyed 100+ structures near Summerland

  22-09-2026 04:41 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Investigators continue to seek additional potential witnesses or evidence into the origins of the Bald Range Wildfire on Aug. 7.
  Penticton RCMP investigators have been working in partnership with the RCMP Forensic Identification Section, RCMP Fire Investigators, BC Wildfire Service, Natural Resource Officers, and the Office of the Fire Commissioner to determine the cause of the fire.
  No details into the origins have been released, but a Sept. 21 news release stated that the investigation has co
  
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• CONCERT REVIEW: Foo Fighters bring 31 years of big rock hits to BC Place

  22-09-2026 03:08 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Foo Fighters have a long history of playing music in Vancouver, from those baby steps at Commodore Ballroom 31 years ago to full-blown rock show at BC Place Stadium on Sunday (Sept. 20).
  Dave Grohl’s band of soldiers effortlessly cranked out three decades of familiar songs on a warm, late-summer night. The stadium roof was open, filling the city with big power chords and thundering drums for close to three hours, hit after hit after hit.
  Foo Fighters are now well-oiled on this tour, launch
  
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• Burnaby Hospital redevelopment back on after ‘brief’ cancellation

  22-09-2026 02:15 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Infrastructure Minister Bowinn Ma says the Burnaby Hospital redevelopment is back on, but with a renewed plan.
  The Burnaby Hospital Phase 2 plan – along with eight other projects – was officially scrapped in April, following the release of Budget 2026. In the budget, timelines for the projects were to be “repaced,” but it did not reveal the cancelled contracts at the time.
  Now, Ma says that “brief pause” has allowed for “a lot of fine work to occur by a
  
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• Fatal train strikes more than double in B.C.

  22-09-2026 01:37 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  More than double the number of people have lost their lives at train crossings so far this year, and that number doesn’t appear to be slowing, with two people fatally struck in the Fraser Valley in the past month.
  The BC Coroners Service reported that 13 people have been unintentionally killed by trains in the first eight months of 2026, which is a massive increase from the six who died during this same period last year.
  To mark the start of Rail Safety Week, Transportation and Transit Min
  
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• Charges laid in 2025 crash that killed Kelowna senior

  22-09-2026 00:13 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The alleged driver of the uninsured BMW involved in a car crash in February 2025 that killed a Kelowna woman and was investigated by the Independent Investigations Office of B.C. (IIO) has officially been charged.Charges were approved on Friday, Sept. 18 for Tristian Pelletier-Vallee. The now-30-year-old is charged with dangerous operation causing death, dangerous operation causing bodily harm and failure to stop for a collision on Feb. 27, 2025 at Highway 97 and Highway 33 in Kelowna.The BMW wa
  
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• Sooke wildfire grows to 35 hectares, smoke visible across South Island

  22-09-2026 00:09 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A human-caused wildfire near Sooke continues to grow in size with smoke visible across Greater Victoria.
  First discovered Sunday (Sept. 21), the fire is located within the Sooke Hills, four kilometres west of Sooke River, south of Mount Jack.
  Initially listed by the BC Wildfire Service as two hectares in size, Monday afternoon (Sept. 21) the fire had grown to 15 hectares.
  An update shortly before 5 p.m. said the fire now stands at 35 hectares.
  The fire is listed as ‘out of control’,
  
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• Sooke wildfire grows to 15 hectares, smoke visible across South Island

  22-09-2026 00:09 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A human-caused wildfire near Sooke continues to grow in size with smoke visible across Greater Victoria.
  First discovered Sunday (Sept. 21), the fire is located within the Sooke Hills, four kilometres west of Sooke River, south of Mount Jack.
  Initially listed by the BC Wildfire Service as two hectares in size, Monday afternoon (Sept. 21) the fire had grown to 15 hectares.
  The fire is listed as ‘out of control’, meaning it is spreading or is expected to spread beyond the current perim
  
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• Lantzville council directs staff to confer with fire chief about temporary uses of new fire hall property

  22-09-2026 00:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Lantzville council is directing staff to talk to the fire chief about additional uses of the property proposed to become the new fire hall.During the Sept. 9 meeting of Lantzville council, councillors unanimously passed a motion directing staff to confer with Neil Rukus, Lantzville’s fire chief, to determine additional fire department uses of the property at 7915 Clark Drive ahead of the planned construction.
  In a report added to the council agenda, the land is slated to be the location of
  
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• Nanaimo RCMP asking for public’s help locating missing woman

  21-09-2026 23:52 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Nanaimo RCMP is asking for the public’s assistance in locating 48-year-old Jody Watkin, who has not been seen since July 26.
  Watkin was reported missing to the police on Aug. 18.
  Investigators have followed up on several investigative avenues, but have been unable to locate Watkin.
  Police are concerned for her health and well-being as she is currently unhoused and requires medication that she may not have access to.
  Watkin is described as a Caucasian woman, 5 ft 4 in tall and 180 lbs with
  
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• No criminality: Woman’s body found 10 years after disappearance near Salmon Arm

  21-09-2026 23:21 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The remains of a woman missing for more than 10 years have been found.
  The Vernon North Okanagan RCMP announced Monday that Deanna Wertz was located on Sept. 13 in a vast wooded area in the 2000 block of Yankee Flats Road in Salmon Arm.
  Civilian dog trainers were working in the area when human remains were found around 12:30 p.m.The remains were removed and positively identified as those of missing person, Deanna Mildred Wertz.Wertz was originally reported missing to police in the Yankee Flats a
  
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• MLA McInnis rejoins Conservatives

  21-09-2026 23:15 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Columbia River – Revelstoke MLA Scott McInnis is rejoining the Conservative Party of B.C. after briefly sitting as an independent amid internal caucus turmoil.
  McInnis left the party on Sept. 2, citing he could no longer support the “direction, judgement and decisions” of newly-elected party leader Kerry Lynne Findlay.Findlay resigned as party leader on Sept. 20 after an exodus of over a dozen Conservative MLAs since the summer, as common issues included concerns with her leade
  
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• Columbia River – Revelstoke MLA McInnis rejoins Conservative caucus

  21-09-2026 23:15 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Columbia River – Revelstoke MLA Scott McInnis is rejoining the Conservative Party of B.C. after briefly sitting as an independent amid internal caucus turmoil.
  McInnis left the party on Sept. 2, citing he could no longer support the “direction, judgement and decisions” of newly-elected party leader Kerry Lynne Findlay.Findlay resigned as party leader on Sept. 20 after an exodus of over a dozen Conservative MLAs since the summer, as common issues included concerns with her leade
  
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• B.C. Conservatives appoint Lorne Doerkson interim leader as ousted MLAs rejoin party

  21-09-2026 23:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The B.C. Conservative caucus voted to install Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Lorne Doerkson as interim leader after Kerry-Lynne Findlay resigned Sunday afternoon.
  “My focus is on moving forward,” Doerkson said. “Last night, my colleagues nominated me to become leader of the official opposition, the interim leader, which I obviously accepted.”
  If Premier David Eby calls a snap election this week, as rumoured, Doerkson would be running to be the next premier.
  Findlay resigned after
  
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• Short term rental policy pondered by Lake Cowichan council

  21-09-2026 22:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Town council is working hard to ensure visitors to Lake Cowichan have more legal options to stay the night.
  “We’ve seen many tournaments and other options coming to Lake Cowichan, and with the lack of accommodations, it would appear that most people reside either in areas where short-term rentals are allowed,” explained Mayor Tim McGonigle.
  He noted visitors often stay on First Nations properties on the Youbou side of Cowichan Lake or in Duncan instead of within the town becaus
  
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• Castlegar cancer survivor alleges unsafe Kelowna hospital stay after surgery

  21-09-2026 21:50 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A Castlegar breast cancer survivor is sharing some very personal information in the hopes that no one else will have to go through the things she experienced during a stay at Kelowna General Hospital.
  In October 2022, 47-year-old Leslie Chrusch discovered a small lump in her left breast.
  She was nervous, but with no family doctor, wasn’t sure where to turn.
  Thankfully, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Chrusch heard repeated commercials on the radio promoting mammograms. Each t
  
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• THORPE REPORT: Local golfers hit long and straight

  21-09-2026 21:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  With summer officially ending next week, the golfing season has seen year-end tournaments at both the professional and local levels.
  For the pros, the PGA season officially ended with the recent Tour Championship tournament in Atlanta. There, Scottie Scheffler capped a successful season on tour with his second FedEx Cup title and the tournament’s $10 million first-place prize money.
  Not quite so lucrative, but arguably just as entertaining, were tournaments held at several local golf cours
  
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• B.C. government files lawsuit against OpenAI in Tumbler Ridge shooting

  21-09-2026 20:41 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  B.C. Attorney General Niki Sharma said Monday (Sept. 21) that the government has filed a lawsuit in California against OpenAI in the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting.Sharma said the lawsuit stems from OpenAI’s failure to notify law enforcement after it first became aware of an “alarming” conversation between the shooter and the ChatGPT chatbot.She said the government is seeking accountability and support for community rebuilding efforts, including for a new school.More to come.
  
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• Vancouver Island crosswalk project honours veterans

  21-09-2026 20:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A new commemorative crosswalk on Memorial Avenue at Fir Street is moving forward after the Town of Qualicum Beach awarded a $122,727 contract to Coastline Civil Inc.
  The crosswalk is being designed as a commemoration of local veterans, connecting the town’s pedestrian-safety improvements with its commitment to remembering those who have served.
  The project will provide a safer, more visible crossing for people accessing the weekly Farmers’ Market and nearby community destinations. It
  
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• Scammers stealing new phones Cowichan RCMP warn

  21-09-2026 20:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Scammers are stealing people’s brand new cell phones, North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP warn.
  The swindle targets individuals who have recently received a new cell phone through a legitimate wireless provider, RCMP said in a press release.
  Victims are contacted by someone claiming to represent their service provider and are told that the wrong phone was shipped to them. They are then instructed to return the device using a prepaid shipping label sent by email.
  Victims send their phones back, only
  
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