Nanaimo news

• Changing weather conditions could make for challenging weekend on fire front

  01-08-2026 02:45 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) is warning that weather conditions over the long weekend could increase the hazard of wildfires and leading to challenging conditions for those fighting them.
  A cold front is forecast to move across much of British Columbia this weekend, bringing thunderstorms and strong, gusty winds. By the time this activity reaches the Southern Interior, it will come with little or no rainfall.
  Due to hot and dry conditions and continued drought, fuels are increasingly susceptib
  
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• UPDATE: Peachland properties on evacuation order, Highway 97 closure extended

  08-08-2026 09:27 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Update: 2:02 a.m.
  An evacuation order has been expanded to properties on Brenda Mine Road and in the Renfrew and Upper Princeton areas. Residents on evacuation order should leave their properties immediately to keep safe.
  DriveBC has also extended the Highway 97 closure. It now stretches from 500metres north of Hardy Street in Peachland to the Pyramid Picnic Area in Kickininee Provincial Park.
  The following addresses are covered in the order:
  Aikens Road (all properties)
  875 Brenda Mines Road
  Bl
  
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• UPDATE: Highway 97 closed, Summerland evacuated from raging wildfire

  08-08-2026 09:27 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Update: 1:02 a.m.
  Highway 97 is closed in both directions through Summerland as the Bald Range wildfire continues to spread.The closure starts 500 metres north of Hardy Street in Peachland and extends south to Bentley Road in Summerland.Update: 12:57 a.m.
  The RCMP has closed the northbound lanes of Highway 97 coming into Summerland, according to reports.DriveBC has not provided an official update on the highways within the current wildfire impacted areas.
  Update: 12:24 a.m.
  All of Summerland in
  
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• UPDATE: All of Summerland ordered to evacuate as wildfire approaches Highway 97

  08-08-2026 09:27 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Update: 12:24 a.m.
  All of Summerland in its entirety is under evacuation order due to the Bald Range wildfire.Everyone must leave the area immediately. Members of the RCMP, Search and Rescue and BC Wildfire will be expediting this action.
  Highway 97 still appears open from Penticton to West Kelowna including Drought Hill. Highway 97C has no reported closures. DriveBC has not provided an update on the highways within the current wildfire impacted areas.
  What you should do:
  • Follow the evacu
  
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• PHOTOS: Wildfire rapidly spreading, encroaching on Peachland, Summerland

  08-08-2026 06:02 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Bald Range wildfire has grown to 5,000 hectares since being discovered a little before 5 p.m.The wildfire sparked along Princeton-Summerland Road northwest of Summerland in the late afternoon of Aug. 7.Evacuation order are in place Brent Road and Log Chute Road area south of Peachland, Faulder, from Darke Lake south to Bathville Road, including Garnet Valley and the Deer Ridge area, west of Cartwright on Prairie Valley Road and the Princeton-Summerland Highway to kilometre 15.People in these
  
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• UPDATE: Some Westside residents can return home as OKIB rescinds evacuation order

  08-08-2026 03:09 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Update: 6:09 p.m.Some residents on Okanagan Indian Band (OKIB) land on the Westside can return home as the band has rescinded an evacuation order early Friday evening.The following areas are no longer under an evacuation order as of 5 p.m. Aug. 7: All of Desert Cove, 32, 34 and 41 Antoine Rd. to Gottfriedson Road, all residents of Spotted Eagle Drive., Hawhola Road, Smitken Road, and Wilfred Road.The OKIB notes that properties on independent water systems are permitted to return to the area iden
  
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• Canada’s biggest taxonomy lab to call Esquimalt home

  08-08-2026 02:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Canada’s biggest taxonomy lab, rooted in Victoria, supporting environmental monitoring programs across the country for decades, is moving to Esquimalt.
  Biologica Environmental Services Ltd., established in 1994 as a specialized aquatic environmental laboratory, currently houses 34 scientists, technicians, taxonomists, and support staff in 488F Bay Street.
  Speaking to Victoria News, president Tara Macdonald said that they chose to move to Esquimalt because they think it is an operational fi
  
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• RCMP investigating three more fires following string of suspcious blazes in Shuswap

  08-08-2026 01:37 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  North Shuswap firefighters responded to more fires along Squilax Anglemont Road on Friday – two days after tending to a string of suspicious blazes now being investigated by the RCMP.The Scotch Creek/Lee Creek, Celista and Anglemont fire departments were back in action Friday afternoon, Aug. 7, after three spot-sized grass fires were discovered in the Scotch Creek area near Copper Cove Road.
  “Thanks to the quick actions of residents and people passing by, as well as the fire departme
  
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• ‘I’ve lost about 8 people to suicide,’ youth delegate tells Inuit council in Nunavut

  08-08-2026 01:28 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The severe state of mental health issues among youth in the North isn’t a shock to anyone anymore, says 22-year-old Gwen Natsiq.Representing Canada as a youth delegate at the Inuit Circumpolar Council’s general assembly in Iqaluit, Natsiq spoke about how she’s been personally affected by Nunavut’s high rate of suicide.
  “In the past five years alone, I have lost around eight people to suicide,” she said.There are generally 25 to 37 suicides in Nunavut each year
  
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• Vancouver Island public urged to be vigilant of invasive species

  08-08-2026 01:22 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Vancouver Island residents are advised to keep an eye out for one of the region’s most unwanted visitors, the invasive European Green Crab.
  The warning comes after a monitoring program led by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) found the species in Esquimalt Lagoon.
  The volunteers of Esquimalt Lagoon Stewardship Initiative, coordinated by the Capital Regional District, one of the many groups involved with trapping European Green Crabs across the region, told Victoria News that the public mus
  
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• UPDATE: Evacuation alert rescinded for Inonoaklin Creek wildfire east of Vernon

  08-08-2026 01:15 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  An evacuation alert in place for a single property near a wildfire off Highway 6 has been rescinded.
  The Regional District of Central Kootenay pulled back the notice Friday, Aug. 6 for the Inonoaklin Creek blaze.
  Meanwhile hot, smoky and dry conditions continue to challenge crews fighting wildfires throughout the province.
  The situation is much the same at the 1,223-hectare Inonoaklin Creek blaze near Needles, east of Vernon.
  “Local smoke concentrations have increased,” the BC Wildfi
  
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• ATVBC recommends members postpone riding due to fire risk

  08-08-2026 01:15 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  One B.C. organization that advocates on behalf of off-road riders is recommending that its members postpone riding until conditions improve, while another says that it respects whatever decision its members make.
  On Aug. 5, both the Quad Riders ATV Association of British Columbia (ATVBC) and the Four Wheel Drive Association of BC (4WDABC) issued statements about the current situation in the province’s backcountry.
  ATVBC has recommended that its members postpone any riding they have planned
  
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• Auditor general of Canada reviewing Nunavut drinking water management

  08-08-2026 00:58 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Nunavut’s drinking water management is coming under scrutiny from the highest oversight office in the country.The Auditor General of Canada will conduct a performance audit of the territory’s drinking water management.The audit results are expected to be released in 2027.“As this audit is still in the planning phase, its scope, methodology, and timelines are still being determined,” the Office of the Auditor General of Canada stated.The auditor general independent scrutin
  
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• Terrace pilot killed in helicopter crash while fighting wildfire in Greece

  08-08-2026 00:29 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A Danish pilot living in Terrace has been killed in a helicopter crash while fighting a wildfire west of Athens, Greece on Aug. 2, 2026.
  Two helicopters, one piloted by Rune Kyndal, 46, came into contact with each other in midair, European news agencies report.
  Kyndal and a Greek firefighting coordinator were killed when their helicopter crashed. The British pilot of the second helicopter made an emergency landing and he and a Greek coordinator are now in hospital.
  Kyndal had worked as a heli-sk
  
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• DFO convicts four people for illegal shellfish harvesting in Deep Bay

  08-08-2026 00:25 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) recently convicted four individuals for illegal shellfish harvesting in Deep Bay in the summer of 2023.
  DFO fishery officers conducted their inspection near Deep Bay on Aug. 26, 2023, but throughout the investigation several of the accused failed to appear in court. Warrants were issued for their arrests, and the DFO states that information from the public through their Observe, Record, Report program assisted in their investigation efforts.
  “Obstructing f
  
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• UPDATE: Some residents not following evacuation orders for Quilpituk Creek wildfire

  08-08-2026 00:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  UPDATE: 3:00 p.m.
  Central Okanagan Emergency Management (COEM) is urging residents to follow the Evacuation Orders due to the Quilpituk Creek wildfire burning near Westside Road.
  ​COEM said they are aware that some residents have decided to remain in areas currently under order to evacuate and that anyone choosing to stay must evacuate immediately.
  ​“If you are in an Evacuation Order area, leave now. An Evacuation Order is not a suggestion. It is a life-safety measure,” s
  
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• Kelowna native shortlisted in Rugby Photographer of the Year contest

  08-08-2026 00:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A Kelowna native is being showcased on an international level after her photograph of a university rugby game was shortlisted by the Rugby Journal.Katrina Laurila has one of her sports photos on display in Twickenham, England at the World Rugby Museum after her photo made the top 20 in the landscape category for the Rugby Photographer of the Year contest.The photo, taken in Kelowna, captures a match between her post-secondary institute, Trinity Western University, and the University of British C
  
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• Nanaimo TMen in 2-0 series deficit vs. Victoria Shamrocks in WLA playoffs

  07-08-2026 23:57 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Nanaimo Senior A Timbermen will have to erase a 2-0 series deficit if they hope to advance in the Western Lacrosse Association playoffs.
  After losing Game 1 of their first-round series in Victoria to the Shamrocks 15-6 on Tuesday, Aug. 4, the TMen returned to Frank Crane Arena in Nanaimo and lost 17-8 on Thursday, Aug. 6.
  Team captain Colton Lidstone opened scoring for Nanaimo in the first period and the Timbermen traded goals with the Shamrocks with the score knotted at 4-4 going into the s
  
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• B.C. government seeks to seize vehicle linked to Surrey extortion shooting

  07-08-2026 23:43 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  B.C.’s director of civil forfeiture has filed a claim to seize a Range Rover that is suspected to have been involved in a February extortion-related shooting and fire in Surrey.
  The notice of claim was filed in B.C. Supreme Court in Victoria on July 31 against the owner of the 2010 Range Rover, Dayajeet Singh Billing and Jasmine Kaur, who claimed to have a “financial interest” in the vehicle.The claim outlines the series of events that occurred on/ or around Feb. 1, 2026.In the
  
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• Inquest issues 7 recommendations to reform policing practices after Haida Elder’s death in B.C.

  07-08-2026 23:38 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A coroner’s inquest jury has recommended seven reforms to policing practices in British Columbia, specifically regarding wellness checks, following the death of Haida Elder Jimmie Johannesson during a police wellness check in Surrey in April 2022.
  The jury delivered its verdict Wednesday (Aug. 5) after the seven-day inquest, held July 27-Aug. 5 at the Burnaby Coroner’s Court before the presiding coroner, Kristen Everett.A coroner’s inquest is a formal court proceeding conducted
  
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• RCMP officer cleared in 2024 Tsay Key Dene shooting

  07-08-2026 23:35 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  An RCMP officer has been cleared in the officer-involved shooting of an Indigenous man in Tsay Key Dene, according to a report by the Independent Investigations Office of B.C. (IIO) released on Thursday, Aug. 6.
  On the evening of April 9, 2024, RCMP received a 911 call reporting that an Indigenous man had shot two family members on the traditional lands of Tsay Keh Dene.
  The civilian witness who called 911 to report the incident at their home fled to a relative’s home. A second civilian wi
  
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• UN experts call for urgent measures to protect B.C. man and family

  07-08-2026 23:33 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Five independent experts appointed by the United Nations are calling on the Canadian government to ensure the safety of Surrey resident and Sikh activist Moninder Singh, who has received several threats to his life.
  Singh is a Canadian citizen activist who lives in Surrey with his family and has received four “duty to warn” notices from police about “credible and imminent threats to his life.”
  Singh is known for his advocacy work in the Sikh community. He is the chairpers
  
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• Police seek tractor-trailer driver who witnessed Coquihalla crash

  07-08-2026 22:54 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Police are looking for the driver of a tractor-trailer who is believed to have witnessed a crash that left a truck on its side on the Coquihalla.B.C. Highway Patrol was called to a crash on Highway 5 northbound near Exit 286, just south of Merritt on July 30 around 2:15 p.m., police said in a news release Friday (Aug. 7).
  Officers found a white GMC Sierra pickup that had left the road and flipped on its side. Police say the passenger had serious injuries, but no other vehicles were involved.&ldq
  
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• Court finds parts of B.C.’s involuntary care unconstitutional

  07-08-2026 22:37 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A B.C. Supreme Court justice has found a section of B.C.’s Mental Health Act unconstitutional when it comes to involuntary care and a director’s powers at provincial facilities.
  Justice Lauren Blake, in a July 28 decision, found that the second half of Section 8(a) of the Mental Health Act – the section being challenged – operates to “create a blanket restriction” on health-care consent and decision-making rights for all involuntarily admitted patients who do
  
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• Canucks vs. Kraken Prospects Showcase schedule announced for Abbotsford

  07-08-2026 22:33 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Vancouver Canucks have announced dates and times for the Prospects Showcase weekend, which is set for Abbotsford’s Rogers Forum on Saturday Sept. 12 and Sunday, Sept. 13.
  The pair of games showcase the top young players for each franchise and face-off is set for 4 p.m. on Sept. 12 and 1 p.m. on Sept. 13.
  Plans for this game were initially announced back in early-2025, with last year’s games featuring the teams playing in Everett, Wash. and Seattle. It’s possible this multi-
  
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• Man drowns taking pictures of waterfall in Golden Ears Provincial Park

  07-08-2026 22:05 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Maple Ridge Fire Rescue is sounding the alarm after a man who witnesses say was taking pictures Golden Ears Provincial Park fell into the water and drowned in front of family and friends.Assistant chief Gary Porter said they were called to the park at around 7:24 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 3, and arrived just before 8 p.m.
  Police were already on scene, said Porter, and were able to take one crew immediately to the of Gold Creek Lower Falls area.
  There they discovered two people wet on a rock on the le
  
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• Abbotsford’s Fred Zweep named 2026 Hockey Canada volunteer of the year

  07-08-2026 21:06 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  For the first time since 1995, a B.C. resident has been named Hockey Canada’s volunteer of the year.
  Abbotsford’s Fred Zweep, who has volunteered in the sport for close to 25 years, was named the 2026 winner on Friday (Aug. 7).
  Zweep currently serves as the commissioner of the British Columbia Elite Hockey League and is also in charge of BC Hockey’s Program of Excellence, which he has run since 2021.
  Volunteer of the Year Award | Prix du bénévole de l’ann&ea
  
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• Shuswap man scores touchdown with 2nd football hall of fame induction

  07-08-2026 21:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A Sicamous man has scored another touchdown with his second induction into a university-level football Hall of Fame.
  With his induction into the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees Hall of Fame happening Oct. 3, just days after Cam Innes’ 80th birthday on Sept. 30, other gift givers are going to have to up their game. Along with two athletes, he’ll be inducted on Oct. 3 as a “builder” with the team from 1978 to 1981.
  “I am a lucky and fortunate man,” Innes told the
  
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• Illegal fire fines issued in hard-hit Okanagan, Boston Bar, Clinton, 70 Mile areas

  07-08-2026 21:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The BC Conservation Officer Service (COS) descended upon areas of the province that have been heavily affected by wildfires to hand out tickets to people whose defiance of fire prohibitions threatened to make things worse.Conservation officers were busy throughout the B.C. Day long weekend supporting BC Wildfire Service, the RCMP and the Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness to help keep British Columbians and visitors safe.Officers were deployed in 70 Mile House, Clinton, Okana
  
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• BC Wildfire Service prepared for busy day in Cariboo Fire Centre

  07-08-2026 20:26 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The BC Wildfire Service is gearing up for what it predicts will be a busy day on the Pear Lake wildfire as an unstable weather system is expected to roll into the Cariboo Fire Centre.
  On Friday, Aug. 7, BCWS issued an update on the fire, which remains the largest in the Cariboo at 132,598 hectares as of Friday morning. They stated that today is expected to be an active day as the high-pressure system that has kept conditions smoky with light winds is expected to break down.
  “Our incoming s
  
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