Nanaimo news

• 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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• Canadian Forces Cyclone fly-by planned for Sidney Remembrance Day ceremony

  11-11-2026 14:50 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  Sidney is among the Island Remembrance Day services sets to get a Royal Canadian Air Force flypast.
  The Canadian Forces will conduct flypasts for several ceremonies at various times throughout the day including: Courtenay (CH-149 Cormorant); Comox (CH-149 Cormorant); Cumberland (CH-149 Cormorant); Lantzville (CC-295 Kingfisher); Qualicum Beach (CC-295 Kingfisher); Sidney (CH-148 Cyclone) and Vancouver (CP-140 Aurora).
  The aircraft will fly over the events at an altitude no lower than 500 feet ab
  
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• Blustery B.C.: Greater Victoria added to widespread wind warnings

  11-11-2026 14:23 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  Strong gusty winds are expected to persist through Wednesday (Nov. 11) afternoon across the eastern portion of VancouverIsland, including Victoria.
  Strong southeasterly winds gusting to 90 km/h will continue near Haro Strait as a robust frontal system remains over the South Coast. The winds are expected to ease below warning criteria by afternoon.
  The west coast and inland Vancouver Island continue to see bouts of heavy rainfall, through Thursday morning.Environment Canada predicts 150 to 200 mm
  
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• Freedom and love from the battlefield, Vancouver Island WWII veteran shares his story

  11-11-2026 13:30 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  Nick Janicki met her in a small dutch town called Deventer, his future wife and a bright spot in an ugly war.
  Her name was Dorothy Wolhuis, and while a friendship developed between them, there was also duty to both the Dutch people and to his late-brother’s unit, to clear the occupying German forces and free the people from Nazi control.In 2026, sitting in a small Nanaimo home, filled with photos of loved ones, was Janicki, the last surviving Second World War veteran from the Canadian Scottish
  
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• Chilliwack veteran, 95, recalls dangerous journey to Korean War

  11-11-2026 13:30 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  In 1950, Leroy George was engaged to a woman named Ruthie, on the promise that he would never join the military. They married on Aug. 7, 1950; within a week, George had enlisted.
  In November, George was on his way by train from Shiloh, Man. to Fort Lewis, Wash. for training. His train collided with another train on the way. Shortly after, Ruthie George was told her husband was dead.
  “That was quite a hell of a shock for my young wife at that time,” George said. “We hadn’t been married fo
  
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• QUIZ: Considering the effects of war

  11-11-2026 12:30 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  On Nov. 11, in communities across the country, Canadians will take part in Remembrance Day ceremonies to honour those who served and died in wars and military actions.
  Canada has had a military presence in two world wars and in many other conflicts. Canadian peacekeepers have been present in many parts of the world.
  In honour of the day, here are some questions about Canada’s role in past wars and conflicts since 1867.
  While you answer these questions, please take time to consider ways to work
  
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• OPINION: Will B.C. still have local newspapers to cover the next election?

  11-11-2026 12:00 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  British Columbians went to the polls twice in October, electing local councils and school boards just one week before choosing a new provincial government.
  For local newspapers, that meant covering two elections at once. Their journalists reported on hundreds of candidates, examined promises and helped voters understand the choices before them.
  Across Black Press community newspapers and eight Glacier Media publications alone, more than 7,000 election stories and columns were published. Nearly 2
  
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• Brewing super El Niño adding fuel to North Okanagan’s water concerns

  11-11-2026 01:21 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  The City of Vernon’s new council held its first meeting Tuesday, and one of its first orders of business was to receive some worrisome information relating to the area’s water shortages heading into next year.Hayley Dosser, a scientist with the Canadian Centre for Climate Services, made a delegation to Vernon council at its inaugural meeting Nov. 10, to discuss what is expected to be the most intense super El Niño on record, which has been building in the tropical Pacific Ocean since Septem
  
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• New housing village for Indigenous youth opens in Cedar

  11-11-2026 01:00 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  A unique housing village for First Nation youth, called ct ce’ Our Future, has opened in Cedar.
  Led by the Indigenous services provider Kw’umut Lelum Child and Family Services, in collaboration with community and federal funding partners, the site provides rapid, stable, and affordable-supportive housing for young adults, aged 19 to 26 years, transitioning out of the foster-care system.
  Located on Snuneymuxw First Nation land, the project features three private homes for young adults, along
  
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• B.C. businesswoman receives US$5K NEXUS fine in crackdown

  11-11-2026 00:00 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  A South Surrey woman who operated three boutique stores south of the border for more than a dozen years before closing her last U.S. shop in May says she has been stripped of her trusted-traveller privileges and hit with a US$5,000 fine for violating a rule she never knew existed.
  Suzanne Smith of Betty Be Good Boutique said Nov. 2 that her experience has made her nervous about future crossings, and that it is a cautionary tale that she hopes others can learn from.
  “I’m someone who regularly
  
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• LETTER TO THE EDITOR: VIU student refugee program cuts

  10-11-2026 23:30 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  To the editor,
  As a Nanaimo community member, I am deeply disappointed by Vancouver Island University’s decision to pull its long-standing funding for the World University Service of Canada (WUSC) Student Refugee Program. Walking away from this life-changing humanitarian commitment without allowing for collaboration or adequate transition planning will leave currently sponsored students stranded in financial and administrative uncertainty, a failure of institutional responsibility.
  For almost
  
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• Alberta First Nation sues B.C. over Site C dam impacts

  10-11-2026 22:46 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  The Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation in Alberta is suing British Columbia, the federal government, and BC Hydro for what it says are Treaty 8 rights violations related to several dams on the Peace River, including Site C, now known as the John Horgan Dam.
  “The Province and British Columbia Hydro built these hydroelectric projects without regard for the rights, culture and way of life of ACFN, which includes the exercise of its Treaty Rights,” the lawsuit, filed on Nov. 5 in B.C. Supreme Cour
  
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• Victoria health care trailblazer to be honoured with lifetime achievement award

  10-11-2026 22:30 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  A Victoria leader whose work shaped local health care and national land conservation is receiving a major philanthropic honour this month.
  Karen Morgan will receive the John Saunders Lifetime Achievement Award on Thursday, Nov. 19.
  The presentation takes place during the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Vancouver Island Chapter annual National Philanthropy Day Awards at the Union Club of British Columbia.
  Morgan spent over 21 years with the Saanich Peninsula Hospital Foundation. Du
  
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• Tickets down in 2026 for B.C. Highway Patrol driving for the conditions campaign

  10-11-2026 21:54 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  B.C. Highway Patrol issued 6,695 tickets during its “Drive Relative to Conditions” campaign in October.
  While that’s down slightly from the 2025 numbers, B.C. Highway Patrol is giving at least one example of how some drivers are “still reluctant to slow down in adverse conditions.”
  Police highlighted an instance near Merritt on Oct. 25 that shows dangerous driving in poor conditions is still a problem with a video of a driver getting pulled over in a news release Tuesday (Nov. 10).An o
  
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• THE MOJ: B.C. Lions search for answers after another CFL playoff exit

  10-11-2026 21:40 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  Another B.C. Lions playoff game on the road.
  Another loss. Another season ending in disappointment.
  This time, it was the Edmonton Elks who delivered the knockout blow, defeating the Lions 28-16 at Commonwealth Stadium last Saturday to advance to this Sunday’s Grey Cup against the Montreal Alouettes.
  It marked the fourth time in five years that the Lions had won the Western Semifinal, only to see their season end on the road in the Western Final. The lone exception came in 2024, when B.C. was
  
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• Cowichan Valley riding win official for Conservative Chen

  10-11-2026 21:37 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  The final count of ballots for the 2026 Provincial General Election is now complete, and the Conservative Party’s Bert Chen has officially been declared the winner of the Cowichan Valley riding.“I am most looking forward to following through on our campaign promises to hire more healthcare professionals, revive our forestry sector, and address public safety,” said Chen on Nov. 10.
  “Additionally, I want to get to move forward on providing the local infrastructure funding needed in North C
  
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• Duncan air quality warning follows prescribed burn in Lake Cowichan

  10-11-2026 21:12 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  An air quality advisory for the Duncan area on Nov. 1 due to elevated levels of fine particulate matter was the result of many factors, officials say.
  The most noticeable cause was the prescribed burns being undertaken in the Cowichan Lake area by Mosaic Forest Management.The fires were visible on the mountainside above Highway 18 on Oct. 31, prompting numerous calls from concerned residents.
  “While the sight of flames on the mountainside can understandably cause concern, these operations are
  
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• B.C. fashion designer to host solo show days after Project Runway Canada premiere

  10-11-2026 21:05 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  A B.C. fashion designer is preparing to take the spotlight with her first independent fashion show, celebrating a career milestone alongside her upcoming television debut.Serena Kealy, 23, will host her independent show on Nov. 23 at the Pony Room, a queer lounge in Vancouver, just three days after the premiere of the second season of Project Runway Canada on Crave.This self-taught local South Surrey and White Rock designer, said putting on her own show is something she’d been dreaming about f
  
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• West Shore kids keep their free passes to local hockey and lacrosse through 2030

  10-11-2026 21:02 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  Taking the family to the rink can be expensive, but the Q Centre turnstiles will stay free for West Shore kids through the end of the decade.
  A renewed sponsorship between Maxxam Insurance and the arena’s primary tenants extends the free youth ticket program for the Victoria Grizzlies and Victoria Shamrocks for three more seasons.
  The initiative allows up to two youth 18 and under to enter home games at no cost alongside a paying adult.
  Since launching in 2024, the program has covered 21,404 a
  
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• SHOP LOCAL: Downtown Nanaimo offers unique shopping experience

  10-11-2026 21:00 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  Matthew Rosenthal said he can do almost all his Christmas shopping in just four blocks in the Old City Quarter area of Nanaimo.
  Rosenthal, who is the owner of Wesley Street’s Cascara Consulting Engineers Ltd. and president of the Old City Quarter Association, said the whole downtown core has seen significant revitalization and densification over the years, that has resulted in many new unique and varied mom-and-pop shops opening up to join other distinctive stores that have made downtown Nanai
  
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• Krog admonishes non-voters as City of Nanaimo’s new council sworn in

  10-11-2026 21:00 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  City of Nanaimo’s new council has been sworn in and are ready to govern the municipality.
  Seven of the incumbents, including Mayor Leonard Krog, were re-elected in last month’s municipal elections and two new councillors, Andréa Coutu and Marnie Boers, were introduced to the council table at the well-attended swearing-in ceremony at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre on Monday, Nov. 9.
  As well, six council members were appointed at the meeting, to represent the city at the Regional Dist
  
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• Amanda Marshall brings Dirty 30 tour to Victoria, Duncan and Nanaimo

  10-11-2026 21:00 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  Admittedly, the 30th anniversary of her self-titled breakthrough album snuck up on Amanda Marshall.The smoky-voiced Canadian singer who broke into the pop music scene back in the ‘90s is pretty pleased with The Dirty 30 Tour: Pearl Celebration, Diamond Legacy so far, affectionately calling it the “tour that never ends.”
  “We just keep adding dates to it,” Marshall said with a laugh during a phone interview with Monday Magazine.The Dirty 30 Tour features Kellie Loder for some dates, incl
  
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• Amanda Marshall brings Dirty 30 tour to Victoria

  10-11-2026 20:59 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  Admittedly, the 30th anniversary of her self-titled breakthrough album snuck up on Amanda Marshall.The smoky-voiced Canadian singer who broke into the pop music scene back in the ‘90s is pretty pleased with The Dirty 30 Tour: Pearl Celebration, Diamond Legacy so far, affectionately calling it the “tour that never ends.”
  “We just keep adding dates to it,” Marshall said with a laugh during a phone interview with Monday Magazine.The Dirty 30 Tour features Kellie Loder for some dates, incl
  
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• Four grizzlies destroyed in Bella Coola following fatal attack

  10-11-2026 20:57 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  Four bears have been euthanized after being conclusively linked to the killing of a mother and daughter from Bella Coola.
  ​At a press conference on Tuesday, Nov. 10, BC Conservation Officer Service (BCCOS) Inspector Jeff Tyre confirmed that forensic testing determined that four grizzly bears captured by the BCCOS over the last several days were all actively involved in the attack.
  ​“Evidence from the investigation as well as animal DNA was analyzed and conclusively linked to a sow and thre
  
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• Rain shadow protects Victoria while Vancouver Island faces 150 to 200 mm of rain

  10-11-2026 20:30 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  Overlapping “orange” warnings of water across Vancouver Island should have residents eyeing storm drains.A couple of storm systems arrive on the coast back-to-back starting Tuesday, with Victoria through Nanaimo soggy, but the rest of the Island drenched in up to 200 mm of precipitation, prompting alerts from Environment and Climate Change Canada as well as the provincial River Forecast Centre.
  For Victoria and parts of the South Island, the rain shadow is helpful, says meteorologist Mike Gi
  
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• Cabot opens 2027 bookings at B.C. Interior golf course for hotel guests only

  10-11-2026 20:30 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  Green fees have been announced for Revelstoke’s new luxury golf course set to open next summer, though only hotel guests may play for the first season.
  Bookings for staying and playing at Cabot Revelstoke starting July 2027 have opened, its team announced early this month.
  The inaugural season for the 18-hole course at Revelstoke Mountain Resort will run July 2 to Sept. 30, but exclusively for golfers staying at the new 155-room Karl Hotel that overlooks the 18th green.
  For both local and visi
  
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• 133 people died in B.C. in September from drug overdoses

  10-11-2026 20:22 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  The B.C. Coroners Service says 133 people fatally overdosed in B.C. in September.
  The coroners service released the latest data Tuesday (Nov. 10) which showed approximately four people died per day in September.
  Between Jan. 1 and Sept. 30, there have been 1,143 drug-toxicity deaths in B.C. In 2025, there had been 1,399 deaths during the same period.
  So far in the 2026 data, deaths among people aged 30 to 59 accounted for 70 per cent of all fatal overdoses. Seventy-six per cent of those who have
  
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• UPDATE: Search suspended for missing canoeist north of Sayward

  10-11-2026 20:18 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  The search for missing 35-year-old James “Dakota” Smith has been suspended.
  Sayward RCMP said in a release that “utilizing the most current and effective search technologies, the JRCC, the RCMP and multiple search and rescue teams consolidated their knowledge and expertise to conduct a methodical and thorough search of the area.”
  “Despite the intensive search through inclement weather consisting of high unpredictable winds, heavy rainfalls and the frigid water temperature, the chances
  
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• Kelowna BMX rider pedals his way into Canadian Hall of Fame

  10-11-2026 19:57 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  A Kelowna BMX rider has earned recognition with an induction into the 2026 Canadian BMX Freestyle Hall of Fame.
  ​According to the hall of fame, Dom Mach has been riding since 1988, when he initially fell in love with the sport. The BMX rider first started riding his bike on the streets before turning to ramps and skateparks in his early years.
  ​According to a social media post by the Canadian BMX Hall of Fame, Mach has been “ripping everything and everything on his bike” since the age of
  
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• Song & Surf plans its 2027 swan song on the shores of Port Renfrew

  10-11-2026 19:36 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  Tickets for the Song and Surf finale are on sale now as the small music festival in Port Renfrew prepares for its swan song.“At the very first Song and Surf way back in the winter of 2008, no one knew that the small gathering was planting the seed for a collective of friends to bring 25 music festivals,” the festival said in a social media post announcing the final event in February.“This February, as we once again gather on the salty shores of Port Renfrew, we will celebrate all this and
  
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