Nanaimo news

• Danielle Smith says there won’t be another separation referendum while she’s premier

  21-10-2026 19:58 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  There won’t be another referendum regarding separation as long as Danielle Smith is Alberta’s premier, she stated during an address to the province on Tuesday, Oct. 20.
  The premier issued the address following Oct. 19’s provincial referendum, where more than 75 per cent of Albertans voted to keep the province in Canada.
  “The people of Alberta cast their votes in an open and democratic referendum, and the resulting vote from Albertans has given our government a clear manda
  
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• Parks Canada rolls out Rogers Pass winter permits in final season of current avalanche agreement

  28-10-2026 21:00 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  Winter permits to access the Rogers Pass backcountry are returning this fall, with few changes for what looks to be Parks Canada’s final season managing the area under its current avalanche agreement.
  Glacier National Park’s winter permit system takes effect for the 2026-27 ski touring season starting Nov. 15, after Parks Canada opened the online quiz for obtaining permits and parking passes on Oct. 15.
  Since 1995, this system has allowed winter recreationists to access the park’s backcoun
  
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• Dead humpback whale identified, DFO investigating

  28-10-2026 20:42 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  The Canadian Pacific Humpback Collaboration says they have identified a dead humpback whale that was sighted on Monday near the Grace Islands – close to the location where the Queen of Surrey ferry struck a Humpback on Oct. 18.
  According to the Marine Education and Research Society (MERS), the whale was identified as Notcho, after a researcher noted the markings and shape of the right pectoral fins.
  “Notcho was nicknamed by participants of the MERS 2017 Marine Mammal Naturalist course for a
  
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• Salmon Arm true believer in running to appear in a Stan Lee Universe comic book

  28-10-2026 19:58 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  Already a super kid in his parents eyes, Salmon Arm’s Kennett Woodhurst is making new fans as Super Ear, his superhero identity.
  As of Tuesday, Oct. 27, the five-year-old True Believer was in first place in the quarter finals of Stan Lee’s Super Kid, a contest run by the Stan Lee Foundation, named after the legendary comic book writer and creator/co-creator of many famous Marvel Comics characters including The Fantastic Four, Thor, The Avengers, Black Panther, X-Men, Hulk, Iron Man and Spide
  
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• OpenAI suing to stop B.C. privacy commissioner’s Tumbler Ridge investigation

  28-10-2026 19:52 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  OpenAI filed a lawsuit in B.C. on Monday seeking to stop an investigation by the province’s privacy commissioner into the connection between the Tumbler Ridge shooter’s use of ChatGPT and the February school shooting.
  The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner is seeking production of all of alleged shooter Jesse Van Rootselaar’s ChatGPT logs, as well as all documents related to the company’s decision not to report the activity to police until after the shootings.
  Privacy com
  
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• What’s On, Oct. 28

  28-10-2026 19:30 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  MUSICSabbat, with support from Witches Hammer, Ares Kingdom and Empty Chalice, will be playing Japanese black metal on Oct. 29 at the Globe Live Studio at 6 p.m. Tickets are available at www.eventbrite.com.Cat Clyde & Dean Johnson (19+) will be playing Oct. 29 at The Queen’s, with doors at at 6 p.m. and showtime at 6:45 p.m. Tickets are available at www.thequeens.ca.Love Can Build a Bridge will be occurring on Oct. 30 at the Port Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Jóna Kristinsson will be performing as
  
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• Tom Cochrane, Ron James and more headline Cowichan Performing Arts Centre in November

  28-10-2026 19:30 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  The Cowichan Performing Arts Centre gives art lovers some events worth remembering this November. Legendary Canadian rock icon Tom Cochrane, tributes, and Ron James headline the first half of the month.•••
  What better way to escape the Mad Mad World we are living in than to kick off the month with Tom Cochrane as you have never seen or heard him before. In an intimate duo format as part of a series of theatre shows he will be performing across the province.
  If life really is a highway, thi
  
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• Caroline Elizabeth Grimmer

  28-10-2026 19:23 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  In Loving Memory ~
  May 13, 1942 ~ October 3, 2026
  With sadness, we announce the passing of our dear friend, Caroline Grimmer. Caroline was born and raised in St. Stephen, New Brunswick. She completed her Home Economics degree in Charlottetown, PEI, and taught in Summerside for 5 years. Then her independent spirit led her west to Nanaimo. She taught at Nanaimo District Secondary School from 1969 to 1986, and at Wellington Secondary School until her retirement in 1999. In addition to being a devot
  
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• YouTuber’s arrest in Kelowna caught on livestream, 911 call unfounded

  28-10-2026 19:20 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  A Vancouver-based Youtuber was arrested while live streaming a soccer tournament in Kelowna.Kelowna RCMP said a 911 call came in around 9:50 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24 for an individual in possession of a firearm and making threats at a recreation complex in the 4000-block of Gordon Drive.While on a live stream, Bashar Kudmani was seen being arrested by officers and escorted out of the facility.The allegations made on the 911 call were unfounded, said Cpl. Stephen Lang with the Kelowna RCMP.“No
  
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• THE MOJ: B.C. Lions host Roughriders Saturday in CFL West Division semifinal

  28-10-2026 19:11 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  LIONS LOOKING TO PUNCH TICKET TO EDMONTON: The B.C. Lions (10-8) face the Saskatchewan Roughriders (10-8) at BC Place on Saturday (1:30 p.m., TSN; 730 CKNW; Sher-E-Punjab Radio AM 600), with the winner advancing to next Saturday’s Western Final in Edmonton against the Elks (13-5). The Riders eliminated the Lions from the playoffs in each of the last two seasons, but both games were played in Regina – including last year’s 24-21 loss, in which the Riders scored the winning touchdown with ju
  
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• Deborah Bartley

  28-10-2026 19:05 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  In Loving Memory ~
  May 12, 1965 ~ October 16, 2026
  With deep sadness and heavy hearts, we announce the passing of Deborah Bartley, who left us after a courageous and hard-fought battle with cancer.
  Deb was an avid traveler whose love of adventure began early in life. As a young woman, she lived abroad, spending time in Greece and Mexico as a student. She embraced new cultures and experiences, carrying that curiosity and appreciation for the world throughout her life. She loved to explore both he
  
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• Victoria mystery author pens third book while navigating life in remission

  28-10-2026 18:00 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  A Victoria author is celebrating two major milestones this season: two years of cancer remission and the release of her third novel.
  Jean Paetkau feared chronic brain fog from her ongoing chemotherapy would end her writing career. Instead, she has defied the odds to publish Murder at the Otter Cove Market, the newest addition to her bestselling Breakwater Mystery series.
  Diagnosed with stage three ovarian cancer in April 2024, Paetkau wrote her first two books – Blood on the Breakwater and The
  
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• No danger to public after serious assault in Maple Bay, RCMP say

  28-10-2026 17:41 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP say there is no ongoing risk to public safety following a serious assault that occurred in the early morning hours of Oct. 26 in Maple Bay.
  Police say at about 4:50 a.m., they responded to the area of Donnay Drive and Adams Road after reports of the assault.
  The investigation remains ongoing, and investigators are asking witnesses who may have been in the area at the time of the incident to come forward. Police are also requesting any available CCTV or dash-camera foot
  
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• Darlene Moss

  28-10-2026 17:35 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  In Loving Memory ~
  September 3, 1943 ~ October 22, 2026
  After an amazing life, Darlene passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, following a short struggle with cancer. Darlene was an adventurer at heart but was always focused on helping others and creating a loving family. She was born in California and moved with her family to a farm in Smithers BC when she was a young teenager. Darlene was an active participant in all farm and outdoor activities; raising cattle, operating all of the farm
  
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• Federal diagnostic rules may be masking outbreaks in farmed salmon

  28-10-2026 17:30 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  A new peer-reviewed study of salmon farms in the Broughton Archipelago concluded that a viral heart disease in farmed Atlantic salmon is more common in British Columbia than federal figures suggest, and that the virus is escaping into surrounding waters.
  According to the study, published in the journal Aquaculture, findings suggest heart and skeletal muscle inflammation (HSMI) is more prevalent in B.C. waters than previously thought. Researchers state that even if farms control HSMI, it will not
  
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• Roy Harold Patzer

  28-10-2026 17:22 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  In Loving Memory ~
  June 13,1931 ~ September 25, 2026
  Roy was born in Richdale, Alberta to Otto & Mary Patzer, and spent his younger years on the family farm. In the 1950’s Roy proudly served in the Royal Canadian Air Force as a Driver / Mechanic, with postings in Ontario, Quebec, and Canada’s High North. He remained a long serving member of the Royal Canadian Legion and marched in many Remembrance Day parades.
  Following his military service, Roy worked as a heavy duty mechanic throughout
  
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• Youth riding dirt bike dies after being struck by vehicle in Nanaimo

  28-10-2026 17:19 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  A youth riding a dirt bike on Extension Road in Nanaimo’s south end was fatally struck by a vehicle yesterday evening.
  Reserve Const. Gary O’Brien said at approximately 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 27 the youth was struck, leading to an air ambulance transport to the hospital.
  He offered no further details at this time.
  Article will be updated with more information as it becomes available.
  [email protected]
  
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• John Angus Cronk

  28-10-2026 17:14 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  In Loving Memory ~
  August 19, 1935 ~ October 14, 2026
  John Angus Cronk passed away peacefully on October 14, 2026, after a brief illness. He was 91 and had lived a long, full, wonderfully interesting life. Born and raised in Toronto, John was a semi-professional pitcher for the Toronto Marlies farm team when the London Life Insurance Company hired him as a janitor (aka a ringer for its company baseball team). He soon became one of its star agents, eventually moving west as a regional manager and
  
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• Despite election wins, Nanaimo no longer B.C. NDP stronghold, says pundit

  28-10-2026 17:01 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  While B.C. NDP re-captured Nanaimo-Lantzville and Nanaimo-Gabriola in the B.C. provincial election, a political expert says the party’s foothold in the area may no longer be so firm.
  The snap election called by former B.C. Premier David Eby resulted in the Lorne Doerkson and the B.C. Conservatives securing a majority government with 48 per cent of the vote. Michael MacKenzie, Vancouver Island University political science professor, said while some predicted anger from the unnecessary election
  
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• Rick Hansen guest of honour at exclusive documentary screening in Williams Lake

  28-10-2026 16:09 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  Rick Hansen was recently excited to be back home in Williams Lake for a gala event featuring an exclusive screening of his story that sparked an ongoing mission to create a world without barriers and find a cure for paralysis after spinal cord injury.
  “This is where it all started,” Hansen told the Williams Lake Tribune on Saturday, Oct. 17 from the Gibraltar Room at the Cariboo Memorial Complex.
  Hansen was left paralyzed from the waist down in June 1973 after the vehicle he was riding lost
  
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• Victoria tops the nation in DIY Halloween costume searches; Kelowna 3rd, Vancouver 5th

  28-10-2026 14:56 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  Victoria has a bit of a reputation as a “last-minute city” where folks tend to purchase tickets en route to a show, and Google data shows it’s no different an approach to their Halloween costume preparation.British Columbia has emerged as one of Canada’s biggest hotspots for last-minute costume inspiration, with Victoria ranking first nationally for DIY Halloween costume searches per capita.
  B.C. ranks fifth in Canada for relative interest in “last minute costume”, as national search
  
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• Remembering Jesse: South Island crusader killed during Ukraine animal rescue

  28-10-2026 14:00 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  The province is mourning a South Island resident who lived and breathed animal rescue – and supporting their humans.“Jesse came into our lives and introduced us to two beautiful souls that in turn rescued us. Every encounter I had with Jesse was uplifting, full of laughter, love and compassion.”The post is just one among an outpouring online, many a refrain of love, compassion and inspiration for the Sooke man who co-founded an animal rescue more than a decade ago. Message upon message acr
  
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• VIU Mariners’ soccer teams charting course for 2026 PacWest championships

  28-10-2026 13:30 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  Women’s and men’s Vancouver Island University soccer teams have achieved their goals of reaching the playoffs, but now seek something loftier.
  The men’s Mariners team finished the 2026 regular season with a record of 2-2-2, enough for eight points and second in the Pacific Western Athletic Association conference, behind the Langara Falcons.The men were set to face the Douglas College Royals Saturday, Oct. 24, but self-imposed sanctions by Douglas College’s athletic department, after a po
  
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• Canucks end 10-game winless skid with thrilling 6-5 OT win over Anaheim Ducks

  28-10-2026 06:09 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  The skid is over for the Vancouver Canucks.
  Filip Hronek scored on a power play in overtime, capping a furious late rally as the Canucks beat the host Anaheim Ducks 6-5 in NHL action Tuesday at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
  Jonathan Lekkerimaki scored twice for the Canucks (3-10-1) who had dropped 10 in a row heading into the contest. Liam Öhgren, Brock Boeser and Jamie Oleksiakalso scored for the Canucks, with Boeser and centre Elias Pettersson adding two assists apiece. Leevi Merilainen
  
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• B.C.’s snap election held the day after 2020 class of MLAs secured pensions

  28-10-2026 01:30 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  By waiting until Oct. 24 to hold the B.C. snap provincial election, NDP Leader David Eby saved several of his party’s MLAs from losing their pensions.
  Had the election been called any sooner — and there was plenty of pressure for Eby to do so as the Conservative Party floundered — several outgoing MLAs would have received no pension.
  Any member of the B.C. legislature first elected on Oct. 24, 2020, and re-elected in 2024, had their pensions vested on Oct. 23, 2026.
  NDP caucus communicatio
  
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• B.C.’s snap election called for one day after 2020 class of MLAs secured pensions

  28-10-2026 01:30 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  By waiting until Oct. 24 to call the B.C. snap provincial election, NDP Leader David Eby saved several of his party’s MLAs from losing their pensions.
  Had the election been called any sooner — and there was plenty of pressure for Eby to do so as the Conservative Party floundered — several outgoing MLAs would have received no pension.
  Any member of the B.C. legislature first elected on Oct. 24, 2020, and re-elected in 2024, had their pensions vested on Oct. 23, 2026.
  NDP caucus communicatio
  
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• B.C. NDP meeting to select new interim leader this week

  28-10-2026 00:52 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  The B.C. NDP caucus is meeting this week to select an interim leader to replace David Eby, who announced he will step aside after leading his party to an ill-fated snap election.
  Both outgoing and new members of the legislature plan to meet.
  “Separately, the party will take a clear and honest look at the campaign and set the timing and process for a leadership race in the weeks and months ahead,” a caucus spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
  Outgoing Health minister Ravi Kahlon gave a
  
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• Suspect charged by Nanaimo RCMP after fatal incident involving pedestrian

  28-10-2026 00:36 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  A suspect has been charged after a fatal incident on Nov. 2, 2025, in which pedestrian Mahadi Redwan was struck and killed while walking along Island Highway North in Nanaimo.
  In a press release issued Tuesday, Oct. 27, Nanaimo RCMP stated that after a comprehensive investigation, Wael Hmaied was charged with one count of dangerous driving causing death under the Criminal Code, and a warrant was issued for his arrest on Wednesday, Oct. 21.
  Hmaied turned himself in to police on Oct. 26, and was l
  
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• Drawing of lots results in new mayor for Village of Lytton

  28-10-2026 00:01 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  The Village of Lytton has a new mayor, after a judicial recount confirmed a tied vote for that position and the decision came down to the drawing of lots.
  Jennifer Thoss has been confirmed as the incoming mayor, after the recount and draw on Tuesday (Oct. 27). She and incumbent mayor Denise O’Connor each received 45 votes in the municipal election held on Oct. 17, and a recount produced the same outcome.
  According to CivicInfoBC, there were an estimated 198 eligible voters in Lytton in this el
  
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• Princeton council seat determined by a draw

  27-10-2026 23:58 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  It came down to a draw, more than a week after the local government election, to determine the final seat in the Princeton town council election.
  The election was held on Oct. 17, but the vote resulted in a tie for the fourth of four councillor seats.
  On Oct. 26, Carrie Kassa, chief election officer for Princeton, declared Tyler Willis elected as councillor following a judicial recount lot draw.
  In the election, held on Oct. 14, Willis and Paula Shackleton were tied for the fourth spot on counci
  
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