Nanaimo news

• Dorothy May Johnson

  09-11-2026 19:10 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  In Loving Memory ~
  February 6, 1935 ~ October 31, 2026
  Dorothy ‘Dot’ Johnson of Nanaimo, BC passed away peacefully at the age of 91 on October 31, 2026, after enduring 4 years of Global Aphasia.
  Dot was born on February 6, 1935, in Beverly, MA. In 1947, she immigrated to Calgary, Alberta with her parents, Lillian and Stanley Coleshill, along with her sister Nancy. Dot enlisted in the RCAF in Calgary and served as a Radio Operator. It was in the service that she met Neil, and they married in
  
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• Karen Eileen Mullen

  09-11-2026 19:26 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  In Loving Memory ~
  April 21, 1956 ~ October 30, 2026
  It is with profound shock and unbelievable grief that the family of Karen Eileen Mullen announce her passing in the late evening of Friday, October 30, 2026, in palliative care at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital. Karen had suffered a major stroke while at home and after being taken to the hospital by ambulance just after noon, it was discovered that the stroke had caused an inoperable brain bleed.
  Karen was born on April 21, 1956, to John Ke
  
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• Douglas James Rough

  09-11-2026 19:17 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  Lovingly Remembered
  1935 ~ 2026
  It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Doug who departed this life peacefully and with love, on October 26, 2026, in his 91st year.
  Dad was born September 2, 1935 in Enderby B.C. He was the youngest of 4 siblings and survived by Sister Dorothy and brother Bill.
  In 1951 Dad met his childhood sweetheart Arlene Storey (1938 – 1994) four years later they married. Son, Gordon arrived shortly after followed by Daughters Laurie (Brian) and Patti (1
  
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• ‘Honouring their sacrifices’: Victoria commemorates Indigenous Remembrance Day

  09-11-2026 18:40 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  During the First World War, more than 4,000 Indigenous people served in the Canadian Army.Two decades later, more than 3,000 First Nations people served during the Second World War, alongside Inuit and Métis members.It is estimated that more than 12,000 Indigenous people served during the 20th century, with approximately 500 losing their lives.For generations, Indigenous people have played a vital role in Canada’s military efforts, with involvement dating back to the War of 1812 and the South
  
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• Not suspicious: Missing hunter found deceased near Merritt

  09-11-2026 18:21 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  The death of a hunter who was missing for several days is not considered suspicious.
  Vernon North Okanagan RCMP received a report of a missing person on Monday, Nov. 2, around 7:30 a.m. after family reported not hearing from him since Oct. 31.
  Claus ‘Myles’ Fahrmann, 57, had gone hunting somewhere in the Douglas Lake area and had not returned when expected.
  Five search and rescue teams from across the Southern Interior joined Nicola Valley Search and Rescue in the Douglas Lake Ranch area wit
  
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• Power restored to 99% of customers impacted by weekend storms, BC Hydro says

  09-11-2026 18:01 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  At the peak, BC Hydro crews were working to restore power to nearly 415,000 customers after a series of storms across the province over the weekend.
  BC Hydro now says power has been restored to about 99 per cent of those customers, but it could be multiple days before the hardest-hit rural areas have power restored.
  BC Hydro’s update Monday (Nov. 9) says that additional crews, contractors and specialized equipment remain in the region, with resources continuing to to be redeployed from other p
  
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• Salvation Army’s winter shelter now open

  09-11-2026 18:00 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  The winter shelter at the Salvation Army New Hope Centre is now open, giving unhoused people in Nanaimo a safe and warm place to stay overnight as the weather gets wetter and colder.
  Bern Muller, New Hope Centre executive director, said the 30-bed shelter, which is being partly funded by B.C. Housing, opened Nov. 1 and will be open each night until the end of March.
  “People who need assistance can come at the end of the day and have a meal and a safe and warm place to sleep for the night, and
  
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• The Rankin Family reunion tour kicks off with 5 concerts in B.C. next March

  09-11-2026 17:41 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  Five concerts in B.C. kick off a reunion tour for The Rankin Family next spring.Singing siblings Jimmy, Heather and Cookie Rankin, back performing for the first time in 15 years, announced a Together Again tour.
  A 23-date Canadian tour marks the 35th anniversary of “Fare Thee Well Love” becoming a hit song in 1992, two years after its release by the Nova Scotian family band.
  B.C. concerts are March 4 in Invermere at Columbia Valley Centre, March 6 in Vancouver at The Chan Centre, March 7 in
  
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• Bridge Lake women has baby on the side of Highway 5

  09-11-2026 17:37 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  When Marissa Ross planned the birth of her fourth child, she didn’t expect it to take place on the side of the highway in an ambulance.Yet that is just what happened to the Bridge Lake mother of four on Oct. 20 when her water broke. While she and her husband did their best to make it to Kamloops for the birth, Ross welcomed her new baby daughter, Remi, into the world just south of Little Fort on Highway 5.“Everybody was so supportive. I’m glad I did have the paramedic team there to support
  
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• Kelowna Centre riding going to a recount once again

  09-11-2026 17:22 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  A slim margin of 43 votes means the Kelowna Centre riding will once again need to be recounted.
  After the mail-in ballots were counted over the weekend for Election BC’s final count, the result will need to be recounted, much like in 2024.
  In the provincial election two years ago, Conservative candidate Kristina Loewen beat out NDP candidate Loyal Wooldridge by 40 votes to become the Kelowna Centre MLA.Now, two years later, the two raced for the same position. After election night on Oct. 24,
  
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• 100 years of Harewood Branch 10 Legion work include helping establish Westwood Lake

  09-11-2026 13:30 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  While the Harewood Legion has made many contributions to the Nanaimo community in its 100 years of existence, lesser known is its part in the development of Westwood Lake.
  Royal Canadian Legion Branch 10, the oldest in Nanaimo, was chartered by The Canadian Legion of the British Empire on Nov. 16, 1926, and in the last century, has assisted organizations such as Tillicum Lelum Friendship Centre, Nanaimo Child and Development Centre, the Great Nanaimo Toy Drive, Cranberry Volunteer Fire Departmen
  
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• Arla Jean Murch

  09-11-2026 03:42 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  February 19, 1934 ~ October 31, 2026
  Arla Jean was born in Kerrobert, Saskatchewan to Frederick Ernest and Maylo Rose Cunnings. She was predeceased by both parents, her brothers Garth, Barry and Dale; and by her ex-husband Bruce Murch and their three children Rob, Leslie and Tracy.
  During her long productive life she lived throughout Vancouver Island, attending Cowichan High School and ending up in Nanaimo. Her work life included nursing, accounting and establishing and directing the Nanaimo Aca
  
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• Kelowna firefighters shave heads to support cancer-stricken colleague

  09-11-2026 02:14 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  In a show of camaraderie, firefighters from the Kelowna and Vernon fire departments shaved their heads in a fundraising effort for their colleague, Stefon Marshall, who has been diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer earlier this year.
  The event was held at the Kelowna Fire Station on Enterprise Way near Dilworth Drive on Sunday, Nov. 8, where family and friends of the firefighters gathered to watch around 60 members of the fire department say goodbye to their locks in support of Marshall.
  Torren F
  
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• Nanaimo’s Port Theatre enjoys busiest year ever

  08-11-2026 18:00 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  The Port Theatre says it had the busiest year since the venue began operations.At its Tuesday, Nov. 3 annual general meeting, the Port Theatre handed out annual reports covering July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026. In the report, they said that they “welcomed more than 124,000 patrons, making this our busiest year since the theatre opened in 1998.”In addition, it said that their Spotlight Series had eight sold-out performances, with around 8,000 tickets purchased. Overall, ticket sales in the fisc
  
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• Nanaimo’s Port Theatre busiest year ever doesn’t include Beyond Van Gogh, Beyond Monet

  08-11-2026 18:00 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  The Port Theatre says it had the busiest year since the venue began operations.At its Tuesday, Nov. 3 annual general meeting, the Port Theatre handed out annual reports covering July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026. In the report, they said that they “welcomed more than 124,000 patrons, making this our busiest year since the theatre opened in 1998.”In addition, it said that their Spotlight Series had eight sold-out performances, with around 8,000 tickets purchased. Overall, ticket sales in the fisc
  
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• Beyond Van Gogh, Beyond Monet part of Nanaimo’s Port Theatre’s busiest year ever

  08-11-2026 18:00 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  The Port Theatre says it had the busiest year since the venue began operations.At its Tuesday, Nov. 3 annual general meeting, the Port Theatre handed out annual reports covering July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026. In the report, they said that they “welcomed more than 124,000 patrons, making this our busiest year since the theatre opened in 1998.”In addition, it said that their Spotlight Series had eight sold-out performances, with around 8,000 tickets purchased. Overall, ticket sales in the fisc
  
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• Thousands remain without power Sunday morning, as Cowichan one of hardest hit regions

  08-11-2026 17:09 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  UPDATE: 9 a.m. Nov. 8
  As of Sunday morning thousands of people remained without power in the Cowichan Valley. New outages overnight included major blackouts in the Cobble Hill (2,080 customers), Shawnigan Lake (2,359), Malahat (2,304) and Saltair (2,244 customers) areas, as well as more of the Cowichan Lake area (more than 2,000 customers).
  BC Hydro crews said they are working to repair the damage, but more outages could add to the burden before the storm passes completely.
  “We prepared for th
  
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• Salt Spring chef brings taste of Transylvania to any kitchen

  08-11-2026 14:30 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  Born to a Romanian mother and Taiwanese father, Haan Palcu-Chang grew up straddling two culinary worlds. After building his name in kitchens across Paris, Copenhagen, Singapore, Toronto, and Vancouver, he stepped away from the restaurant industry and relocated with his family to Salt Spring Island.
  He was a Top Chef Canada Season 11 finalist and the chef behind Favorites Thai BBQ’s Toronto Life Best New Restaurant win.Alongside the accolades and moves, he cooked up an online following of more
  
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• Where to attend Remembrance Day in Nanaimo and Lantzville

  08-11-2026 13:30 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  Community members can attend Remembrance Day ceremonies in Nanaimo or Lantzville.
  On Tuesday, Nov. 11, Branch 10 Nanaimo and Branch 256 Mount Benson will be hosting a joint ceremony at Dallas Square Park cenotaph beginning at 10:30 a.m. with the parade march and going until 11:30a.m., with a moment of silence at 11:11 a.m.
  Second World War veteran Nick Janicki will attend as a guest of honour.The service will be livestreamed through Branch 10’s YouTube page, which can be found at www.youtube.c
  
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• New street banners remember Ladysmith veterans

  08-11-2026 13:30 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  “I saw them at a BC/Yukon Legion convention, a couple of years ago and I saw these banners and I knew we just had to do this,” were the words of Darlene Paulson, president of the Ladysmith Legion Branch 171.
  It took more than a year’s planning but it started to pay off.
  The legion approached local businesses for support, and also got the support from the Town of Ladysmith, which in July of 2025 approved covering the cost of putting and and taking down the banners.
  Paulson said the project
  
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• Draisaitl nets 2 as Edmonton Oilers dump Vancouver Canucks 4-2

  08-11-2026 06:51 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  Leon Draisaitl scored twice, helping the Edmonton Oilers to a 4-2 win over the visiting Vancouver Canucks in NHL action Saturday at Rogers Place.Mattias Ekholm and Jason Dickinson also tallied for the Oilers (12-3-3), with Connor McDavid adding three assists and Devon Levi making 20 saves for the win in goal.
  Max Sasson and Brock Boeser replied for Vancouver (3-15-1), while Leevi Merilainen stopped 26 of 29 shots in absorbing the netminding loss.
  Edmonton opened the scoring 9:14 into the first p
  
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• Windstorm knocks out power to more than 10,000 in Cowichan

  08-11-2026 05:46 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  A wind and rainstorm has left more than 10,000 Cowichan Valley residents in the dark Saturday night, Nov. 7.
  As of 9 p.m., outages stretched from Maple Bay to Westholme, Duncan, Ladysmith, Mill Bay and Youbou.
  Large outages include one described on the BC Hydro website as north of Mays Road affecting 2,131 customers, one stretching from Maple Bay through Genoa Bay, Somenos Road and Quamichan area affecting 2,205 customers, one in the Sahtlam, Hillcrest Road and Paldi areas affecting 1,902 custom
  
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• District of Lantzville council holds inaugural meeting

  08-11-2026 04:00 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  The newly-elected councillors in Lantzville have been sworn in and appointed to various roles.
  The District of Lantzville held its inaugural meeting in Costin Hall on Wednesday, Nov. 4, in which councillors and the acclaimed mayor were sworn in by Judge Colleen Spier. Councillor-elect John Westby, was absent and sent his regrets, Mayor Mark Swain said.
  The report detailing the 2026 District of Lantzville general election results were received and approved unanimously by council. In the report, i
  
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• Edmonton Elks beat B.C. Lions 28-16, will meet Montreal in Grey Cup

  08-11-2026 03:44 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  The B.C. Lions saw their 2026 Grey Cup dreams come to an end Saturday in Edmonton.
  Quarterback Cody Fajardo passed for 274 yards and a touchdown and also rushed for 84 yards and a major, leading the host Edmonton Elks to a 28-16 win over the Lions before more than 40,000 fans in the CFL’s Western Final at Commonwealth Stadium. It was the first playoff game hosted by the Elks franchise since 2015.
  Austin Mack also scored a touchdown for the winners, who will face the Montreal Alouettes in the G
  
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• CBC broadcaster who honed culinary teaching skills in Victoria cooks up kitchen manual

  08-11-2026 02:00 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  The name Khalil Akhtar may ring bells for longtime local CBC radio listeners or those who dabbled in cooking classes at The Atrium in Victoria.For a little over a decade, ending in 2019, Akhtar served as co-host for On the Island with Gregor Craigie. Over those years, he also created a food column the city is where Akhtar first began culinary teaching at Cook Culture (now gone from the iconic downtown Victoria building).He’d routinely teach classes on the principles of Indian cuisine, as a dom
  
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• Four cougars spotted in Saanich backyard, goat killed

  07-11-2026 20:45 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  Four cougars were spotted in a Saanich backyard on Nov. 7, where they killed a goat before leaving the property.
  Saanich Police were called to the 4000-block of Prospect Lake Road after a resident reported seeing four cougars in their backyard.
  According to police, the cougars killed one of the resident’s goats, which was being kept in a fenced area of the property.
  By the time patrol officers arrived, the cougars had left the area and could not be located.
  The BC Conservation Officer Service
  
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• 1 grizzly bear captured in Bella Coola following fatal attacks

  07-11-2026 18:46 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  Testing is underway to determine if a captured grizzly bear in Bella Coola is linked to the recent attack that claimed the life of a mother and daughter.In a Friday, Nov. 6 Facebook post, BC Conservation Officer Service (BCCOS) stated one grizzly bear has been captured.“In coordination with wildlife biologists and the provincial wildlife veterinarian from the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, the bear will be safely cared for while assessments are completed,” the post reads.
  
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• ‘It was a series of moments’: How a Victoria designer found his craft

  07-11-2026 18:00 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  Watching his older friends pour every ounce of their time and paychecks into the gritty Tokyo tattoo scene, a young Rio Kaneki realized something was missing. He saw a relentless, absolute devotion to a craft, and he wanted it for himself.
  Finding that passion took a severe motorcycle crash, a lucky break to land a job at a screen printing shop, and a move across the Pacific to Victoria. Today, he has built a life around his creative output, but he is quick to correct anyone who gives him the wr
  
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• B.C.’s first detection of avian influenza this season is in Chilliwack

  07-11-2026 17:31 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  B.C.’s first detection of avian influenza of the season was found in Chilliwack.
  The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) reported that it happened in a commercial poultry flock in Chilliwack and the detection date was Friday, Nov. 6.
  A primary control zone is “to be determined” for the location.
  “To date, the most common avian influenza virus in domestic birds has been highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), subtype H5N1,” according to CFIA. “Avian influenza is not a food safety
  
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• Ladysmith Lions celebrate 85 years

  07-11-2026 14:30 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  For more than 85 years “where there’s a need, there’s a Lion” has been the slogan of the Lions Club of Ladysmith.
  On Sunday, Oct. 25 the Ladysmith Lions Club marked it’s 85th anniversary with a celebration dinner at the Ladysmith Seniors Centre.
  Catered by the seniors the event featured guests from all over the Island as well as District Governor Joanne Payment, and Mayor Deena Beeston. Hosted by past district governor, and now Ladysmith Lions president, Lorne Bunyan, the event feature
  
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