Nanaimo news

• Connor McDavid, Rick Mercer, ‘Degrassi’ among inductees to Canada’s Walk of Fame

  01-05-2023 16:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  More inductees expected to be announced in the coming months
  
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• Nanaimo RCMP asks for public’s help in finding owner of stolen tools

  06-06-2026 22:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Nanaimo RCMP is asking for the public’s assistance in identifying the lawful owner of a large quantity of hand tools and multiple sets of nail guns recovered from a stolen vehicle.
  On Friday, May 22, officers located the tools inside a red pickup truck parked near the intersection of Northfield Road and Spencer Road.
  Despite ongoing efforts, investigators have been unable to determine who the tools belong to.
  Photographs of some of the recovered items, which include two nail guns and a met
  
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• VIDEO: Vancouver Island restaurant destroyed in early morning fire

  06-06-2026 22:05 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Fire crews tackled a blaze at a family-owned Brentwood Bay restaurant.
  Central Saanich Fire Department says they attended a structure fire early Saturday morning (June 6) at Garden Fork Restaurant around 3 a.m.
  Fire Chief Stacy Lee said crews arrived to find the restaurant heavily involved in fire, with flames affecting the basement, main floor and attic.
  The fire was effectively knocked down by about 4:30 a.m., though firefighters remained on scene Saturday morning dealing with hot spots.
  Unfor
  
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• New six-storey housing development with 95 units proposed for Northfield Road

  06-06-2026 19:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A development that would see 95 new housing units constructed on a 1.5-acre property on Northfield Road is being proposed.
  The project proposes the construction of a two-storey commercial office building fronting the property at 2124 Northfield Rd., with a six-storey residential building behind it.
  The property is located just east of Beban Place, close to the Northfield-Bowen Road intersection.
  Currently, an industrial building and multiple modular office trailers are located on the property.
  T
  
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• Maple Ridge pro cyclist wins silver in Italian race

  06-06-2026 18:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Maple Ridge pro cyclist Maggie Coles-Lyster got on the podium at a race in Italy.
  Coles-Lyster, 27, got her first medal on the World Tour, as she sprinted to a second-place finish at the Giro d’Italia Women. It was the sixth stage of the event – a 160 km race from Ala to Brescella. She races for the Human Powered Health team.
  “This is a dream result at this point,” Coles-Lyster said. “I know I have the skills to ride a finish like that, and the smarts, and so I just
  
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• LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Mark Carney and Bananarama

  06-06-2026 17:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  To the editor,
  On May 25, Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters that Premier Danielle Smith’s referendum question on whether to hold a vote to separate her province of Alberta from Canada, was a “dangerous bluff.”
  As an economist, Carney knows very well that uncertainty always frightens away investors, and he also knows a fair bit about bluff, if truth be told. Only recently a memorandum of understanding was signed saying that Canada will give priority status to a privately
  
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• ‘We desired to find a tunnel’: B.C. wall yields artifacts, no tunnels

  06-06-2026 16:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A major conservation project on a historic Wharf Street retaining wall has uncovered long-lost artifacts from Victoria’s early commercial waterfront, while putting a famous local myth to the test.
  The restoration, completed by Heritage Masonry & Conservation, focused on a retaining wall connected to two of the city’s earliest commercial buildings: the Hudson’s Bay warehouse and the Turner Beeton & Co. office, both constructed in the 1800s.
  Holding layers of development
  
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• Langford dad leads age-old method to ‘teach the child and carve their character’

  06-06-2026 14:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  As a dad to three young children, Dylan Warnberg knows the challenge of maintaining balance between keeping them moving, body and mind, and screen time.The Langford carpenter was on a lunch break, ironically perusing his own social media, when an Instagram post captured his attention.“It was a picture of kids at a workbench,” Warnberg recalls of his first brush with the Sloyd Experience. “I immediately dove into ‘what is this organization?’”
  Now the founder of
  
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• COLUMN: Climbing Mount Benson well worth the effort

  06-06-2026 14:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  I’ve always been fascinated by Mount Benson, that 3,400-foot mountain that dominates the skyline in western Nanaimo.
  I remember sailing into Departure Bay when I first visited Nanaimo in the 1980s on a ferry from Vancouver, and Mount Benson immediately caught my attention as it loomed over the city, covered in trees right up to its summit. When I moved here about 10 years later, I was determined to climb to the top and see how far I could see in every direction.
  There are a number of clear
  
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• One B.C. forced to move venues in Kamloops after $7.7K security bill from city

  06-06-2026 02:50 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Free speech is in the spotlight after the City of Kamloops jacked up the price for controversial politician Dallas Brodie to speak at a publicly-owned venue — forcing her One B.C. party to scramble and change locations just days before the event.
  The city wanted Brodie, who represents Vancouver-Quilchena in the legislature and is the sole sitting member of One B.C., to pay more than $7,700 to cover security costs for a two-hour appearance at the municipally-owned Sandman Centre on Sunday,
  
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• Vehicle severs power pole on Nanaimo’s Norwell Drive

  06-06-2026 02:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Power went out in some areas around Country Club Centre Friday afternoon shortly after 4 p.m. after a SUV ran into a power pole on Norwell Drive and completely severed it.
  Firemen on the scene said speed was definitely a factor in the crash, which occurred just east of the Bowen Road/Highway 1 intersection, and left the vehicle several damaged
  At least one person was taken to the hospital.
  
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• Vehicle severs pole off highway in Nanaimo, knocking out power

  06-06-2026 02:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Power went out in some areas around Country Club Centre in Nanaimo after a SUV ran into a power pole and completely severed it.
  First responders were called out to the 2800 block of Norwell Drive on Friday, June 5, just before 3 p.m., after a report of a motor vehicle incident. Firefighters on the scene said speed was definitely a factor in the crash, which occurred just east of the intersection on Bowen Road and Old Island Highway, and left the vehicle severely damaged.
  At least one person was
  
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• PHOTOS: B.C.’s Science World fully transforms into FIFA World Cup match ball

  06-06-2026 02:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The “Beautiful Dome,” Vancouver Science World’s transformation into the FIFA World Cup match ball, is now complete.
  The design includes 131 panels installed to create a 360-degree, 40-metre-diameter re-creation of the Adidas Trionda, the official match ball of the 2026 World Cup, a joint release from Destination Vancouver, Science World and the B.C. government.
  Trionda, meaning “three waves” in Spanish, pays homage to the three host countries, a previous news releas
  
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• A third of B.C.’s drowning deaths in 2025 happened in the summer months

  06-06-2026 01:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  There were 93 accidental drownings in B.C. in 2025, updated B.C. Coroners Service data shows.
  The B.C. Coroners Service updated its accidental drowning deaths report on Thursday (June 4), detailing deaths from 2015 to 2025. The 93 deaths in 2025 were a five-per-cent decrease from the 98 deaths reported in 2024.
  Thirty-six of the deaths in 2025 were reported during the summer months, with 10 in June, 11 in July and 15 in August. There were drowning deaths reported every month in 2025, with the fe
  
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• Surrey mayor breaks silence on police chief firing maelstrom

  06-06-2026 00:50 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke is distancing herself from the media maelstrom that’s followed the Surrey Police Board’s ouster of founding Surrey Police Service’s chief constable Norm Lipinski earlier this week and subsequent resignation of the board’s chairman and another director.
  Her political rivals are slamming her as a notorious intellectual author of Lipinski’s departure. Former mayor Doug McCallum, who is again seeking the mayor’s chair with his Safe Surrey
  
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• Graham Clowes

  06-06-2026 00:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  1938 September 16 Toowooba, NSW.Aust.
  2026 February 25 Nanaimo, B.C.
  Survived by children Stuart, Laura (Brad), Robin (Caitlin), Tim (Dana) and grandchildren, stepson Andrew (Chelsea) and grandchildren and stepdaughter Alyson. Also survived by his wife Elaine.
  He will be missed.
  Celebration of Life: Yates Funeral Home
  (1000 Allsbrook Road, Parksville)
  on July 9, 2026 at 2:00 pm.
  
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• B.C. adds 25,000 jobs in May, but still falling behind Canada as a whole

  06-06-2026 00:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  B.C. rode a Canadawide jobs wave in May, adding 25,000 for the month as part of the 88,000 added across the country.
  Canada’s unemployment rate dropped to 0.3 points to 6.6 percent, while B.C.’s rate remained steady at 6.8 per cent due to an increased number of people in the labour pool.
  Jobs Minister Ravi Kahlon says the numbers show a “significant uptake” in full-time jobs, and an “obvious, clear opportunity” for work in B.C.
  This is also the message he hear
  
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• 2 mosquito species in B.C. show results for virus that can cause human illness

  06-06-2026 00:25 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Two mosquito species that were tested as part of a surveillance project have shown positive results for a virus that can cause illness in people.
  The surveillance project was launched in summer 2025 in response to a cluster of pediatric encephalitis cases – swelling of the brain – in the Whistler area where invasive species and evidence of California serogroup virus among mosquitoes in the Sea-to-Sky region was detected. Three pediatric cases were identified in 2024.
  The pilot projec
  
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• Nanaimo RCMP police chase results in two in custody on Friday

  06-06-2026 00:18 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A police chase through Nanaimo on Friday has resulted in two people taken into custody, drugs seized and a stolen vehicle recovered.
  On Friday, June 5, at about 1:30 p.m. Nanaimo RCMP Reserve Cst. Gary O’Brien said RCMP observed a “suspicious vehicle” leaving an area known to police for criminal activity in North Cowichan.
  As police had a helicopter nearby, it was assigned to track the vehicle. It was followed by police dog services.
  The vehicle was tracked to an end road in th
  
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• UFC pay-per-view era in Canada ending with move to Paramount Plus in 2027

  06-06-2026 00:13 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Ultimate Fighting Championship fans in Canada have a new home to watch the promotion’s biggest events starting in 2027.
  The mixed martial arts organization announced on Thursday (June 4) that they are moving away from the traditional pay-per-view model in Canada and will be offering its numbered events on the Paramount Plus streaming platform.
  The deal runs for the next six years and the shows are included on all Paramount pricing options. Plans start at $7.99 per month. UFC pay-per-views
  
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• VI Raiders open 2026 BCFC season with home tilt against Okanagan Sun

  05-06-2026 23:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Vancouver Island Raiders begin their opening drive of the 2026 football campaign next month.
  The Canadian Junior Football League’s 2026 regular season schedule has been released and the Raiders begin B.C. Football Conference play with their home opener against the Okanagan Sun on July 18 at Q’unq’inuqwstuxw Stadium.
  The team travels to play the Prince George Kodiaks at Masich Place Stadium on July 25, followed by a three-game home stand with a game against the Westshore Reb
  
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• Comox Valley RCMP seize 10 knives and imitation handguns from impaired driver

  05-06-2026 23:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Comox Valley RCMP had a productive afternoon on April 30, seizing a sizable amount of weapons and cash, including 10 knives.
  At 12:29 p.m., the police responded to a report of two individuals believed to be using drugs in a parked vehicle at the Aquatic Centre parking lot.
  Officers located the vehicle. The driver, a male, was in and out of consciousness behind the wheel. The keys were still in the ignition. A female associated with the vehicle was observed displaying signs of drug impairment
  
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• Anthony Alessandro Iormetti

  05-06-2026 23:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  January 30, 1982 – May 13, 2026
  We are heartbroken to announce the sudden passing of our beloved son, who left us far too soon at the age of 44. Born in Lethbridge, AB, raised in Burnaby and Nanaimo, BC, and spent most of his adult life in Vernon, BC.
  Anthony is survived by his loving parents, Joanne and Alex Iormetti and his sister, Pamela Iormetti (Jen). He will be fondly remembered by his Zia Jenny and Uncle Cliff, who were a big part of his life. Also remembered by Albert (Brooke), Vin
  
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• Defamation suit filed in relation to 2025 shooting of 2 dogs in B.C.

  05-06-2026 23:25 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Legal action for defamation is being taken against eight Sooke residents in connection with the unsolved October 2025 shooting of two dogs that left one dead and one in critical condition on Farmer Drive.
  On Oct. 19, 2025, RCMP responded to the shooting that left 15-year-old Norwegian elkhound-shepherd mix Silo dead, and three-year-old Australian shepherd Riptide with a bullet in his body and a long road to recovery. The dogs’ owners, Gabe Nelson and Kaylee Peaker called it one of the &ldq
  
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• Williams Lake council backs forum on controversial jail closure proposal

  05-06-2026 23:17 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The City of Williams Lake will be scheduling an emergency public meeting for the consideration of temporarily closing the city’s jails following a councillor’s recommendation to transport what he described as “parasites” to other communities.
  After a delegation by Williams Lake RCMP Staff Sgt. and Officer in Charge Brad McKinnon on Tuesday, May 26, Coun. Scott Nelson continued to express his ongoing frustration with street disorder and mischief, primarily including smashe
  
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• 17 people died while hiking, climbing in B.C. in 2025

  05-06-2026 22:27 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Seventeen people died while hiking or climbing in B.C. in 2025, the latest B.C. Coroners Service data shows.
  The coroners service released the “Hiking/Climbing Related Deaths in BC, 2016-2025” on Thursday (June 4). In the 10-year period, there were 143 deaths, equating to approximately 24 deaths per year.
  The report shows that 2019 had the most deaths with 21, followed by 20 deaths in 2023 and 19 in 2016. The fewest deaths were in 2020 with eight.
  Most of the deaths happened between
  
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• Philanthropist couple donates $40M to Surrey’s SFU school of medicine

  05-06-2026 22:11 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Simon Fraser University’s school of medicine has received a whopping $40 million gift from the Stephens family, after whom the school in downtown Surrey will be named.
  This, the largest single donation in SFU’s history, was revealed Friday on behalf of the family, led by Ratana and Arran Stephens – co-founders of Nature’s Path and principals of Que Pasa.
  Their gift to the SFU Stephens Family School of Medicine will support research and innovation, training for students as
  
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• Kelowna kitchen nightmare: IH shuts down restaurant over ‘critical’ violations

  05-06-2026 21:52 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A string of violations discovered during a recent inspection has led to an Indian food restaurant in Kelowna being ordered to closed.
  An inspection report released by Interior Health (IH) on Wednesday, June 3 stated that Ustaad G76 Indian Cuisine, located on Rutland Road, has been ordered to close.
  The inspection named a series of concerns including temperature control, pest prevention, hygiene, and contamination issues.
  In total, the report lists three ‘critical’ questions not in co
  
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• Headline history: Flag theft from old Nanaimo hockey barn a suspected prom prank

  05-06-2026 21:01 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Graduation and prom time are approaching for students in Nanaimo-Ladysmith school district, who have historically pulled some fun, and not so fun, pranks to acknowledge the milestone.
  The May 3, 2001 edition of the Nanaimo News Bulletin has a brief about vandalism at the old Nanaimo Civic Arena, and other areas of the city, the weekend previous, with flag poles at front of the rink “bent over and the flags stolen.”
  The incident was suspected to be a prank on prom night, the brief fur
  
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• Fight against highly invasive weed continues for Vancouver Island man

  05-06-2026 20:36 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A year after launching a crusade against an invasive weed capable of causing death, Saanich resident Terry Smollett is still fighting its spread.
  After discovering the plant in his backyard and throughout his neighbourhood was the Italian arum, Smollett told Saanich News the battle is far from over.
  It’s said that the broad-leafed plant, which produces clusters of bright orange-red berries, was introduced to North America from Europe as an ornamental species.The Italian arum produces a tig
  
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