• Heat wave Cerberus has southern Europe in its jaws

    Heat wave Cerberus has southern Europe in its jaws
    Temperatures expected reach the mid-40s in some Mediterranean areas
  • THE MOJ: Don’t kid yourself, the Canucks’ second half will be all about culture

    Culture. You often hear that word when a discussion is focused on a team’s success or lack thereof.
    But what is it?
    Most have their own definition of it when it is applied to sports teams. Yes, there will be various ways to describe what it means exactly but at its core culture does have some basic tenets that transcend across any definition.
    It’s a word that you are going to hear a lot more of with the Vancouver Canucks as they begin their ‘hybrid’ rebuild.
    Chatting with
  • Allan Dudeck

    May 29, 1963 – December 5, 2025
    With heavy hearts, we announce the sudden passing of our beloved son, brother, uncle and friend – Allan Dudeck, surrounded by stories, laughter, tears and lots of love on Friday December 5th, 2025
    There will be a memorial service on January 17th at 2:00 p.m. – St. Paul’s Church Hall – 29 Church St. Nanaimo, BC
    Tributes link: www.arbormemorial.ca/en/sands-colwood/obituaries/allan-dudeck/152511
  • Police call for hold and secure at Nanaimo high school

    An incident in the vicinity of the Nanaimo and District Secondary School triggered a hold and secure action.
    According to an RCMP press release, police recommended the action at about 9:15 a.m. Monday, Jan. 5, to senior school district administration to ensure the safety of students and staff.
    Nanaimo RCMP, which would not comment on the nature of the alleged threat, responded to the unspecified incident and reported that by 10:15 a.m. the situation had been resolved and the hold and secure was
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  • Summerland pug vies for top dog honours at Westminster Kennel show

    For the second year in a row, a Summerland dog is on its way to a prestigious dog show in the United States.
    Am.GCh Hyclass Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going On ( aka Jerry) will be at the 150th annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in late January and early February.
    At the 2025 show, the dog was named the number two pug.
    “This is such an accomplishment to finish the year as the number two pug in breed points, two years in a row,” said Carole Walker, Jerry’s owner and breeder.
  • Brent Heil Pedersen

    October 4, 1933 – November 24, 2025
    Bent Heil Pedersen was born on October 4, 1933, in Hobro, Nordjylland, Denmark,and passed away peacefully on November 24, 2025.
    In 1951, Bent and his father, Alfred Christian, moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, to prepare a home for his mother, Rigmor Alma Heil, and his brothers,Hugo (Carol) and Knud (Claudia),who later joined them.
    Bent met his beloved wife, Lois Doreen Darke (predeceased March 28, 2011), and they were married on July 26, 1958.
    Bent
  • B.C. Conservatives create new committee to run leadership race

    The B.C. Conservative Party has taken a major step toward choosing a new leader, establishing the Leadership Election Organizing Committee (LEOC) to oversee the race, including administration of the rules and procedures.
    Scott Lamb, former federal Conservative Party president, will chair the committee. It will have seven voting members and three non-voting members. Skeena MLA Claire Rattée will represent the B.C. Conservative caucus as a voting member.
    “Our LEOC team will commence i
  • Have you seen Patricia Kent? Police ask public’s help to find missing woman

    North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP are asking for the public’s assistance in locating Patricia Kent who was reported missing on Dec. 31, 2025.
    Kent was last heard from on Nov. 26, 2025.
    The police are very concerned for Kent’s health and well-being and friends and family report that it is out of character for her to be out of contact for this long, RCMP said in a press release.
    Kent is describes as 30 years old, 5 foot 3 inches tall, 110 pounds with blond hard and hazel eyes.
    Anyone with inf
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  • VIDEO: Biggest drop in Canadian visits to U.S. is from B.C.

    Communities south of the B.C. Washington State border in Whatcom County have suffered the biggest drop in Canadian cross-border visits of any U.S. destinations.
    That was one finding in a report presented to Bellingham City Council on Dec. 8 by Laurie Trautman, director of the Western Washington University Border Policy Research Institute.
    Monthly land crossings into the U.S. from Aldergrove and other B.C. border communities have fallen 35 to 40 per cent compared to an average drop of 22 per cent
  • Victoria women’s team wins B.C. provincial curling title

    After an adrenaline-filled week of competition involving 35 teams and more than 200 athletes from across the province, the 2026 B.C. Women’s and Men’s Curling Championship finals wrapped up on Jan. 4 at Esquimalt’s Archie Browning Sports Centre.
    Among the finalists were two local teams competing for provincial titles and a chance to advance to the national championships.
    On the men’s side, Victoria’s team, led by Shawnigan Lake’s Jason Montgomery, crossed broo
  • VIDEO: Looking back at a year’s worth of beautiful images from B.C.’s Fraser Valley

    Chilliwack is a beautiful place to be, with nature providing ample opportunity for photographers of every level to capture striking images.
    Each week, we feature one photo from the many submissions that come in from the community.
    As we say goodbye to 2025, we wanted to thank all of our contributors to Community Camera for keeping us top of mind when taking your photographs.
    Enjoy this compilation video of just a sampling of the images we’ve been able to share with other readers.
    To have y
  • 1 dead in Central Saanich house fire early Sunday morning

    Central Saanich fire is investigating a fatal house fire in Saanichton early Sunday (Jan. 4).One person died in the Genoa Place fire that saw crews from Central Saanich with support from Sidney and North Saanich called out shortly before 1:30 a.m., the district confirmed in a news release. The identity of the victim is being withheld pending notification of family.No injuries were sustained by first responders.An investigation is underway.
    More to come…
  • Police watchdog investigating after man injured in downtown Victoria arrest

    Late New Year’s Day, Victoria Police were called to the 800-block of Johnson Street following reports of street disturbance which involved a man acting aggressively in public.
    VicPD were called shortly after 5:30 p.m. following reports that the man was yelling at passersby, challenging people to fight, running in and out of traffic and allegedly assaulting a member of the public.
    Responding officers located the man shortly after and attempted to take him into custody.
    According to VicPD, t
  • Company sued $6 million for unpaid fees related to Kootenay Lake ferry construction

    A company previously tasked with building the new Kootenay Lake ferry is being sued for over $6 million in unpaid fees.
    Western Pacific Marine, which was in charge of the ferry’s construction until it was removed from the project in early December by the provincial government, has been named a defendant in a civil claim by Eco HeavyDuty Repairs.
    The lawsuit, filed Dec. 24 in B.C. Supreme Court, alleges Vancouver-based Eco HeavyDuty Repairs is owed $6.4 million for unspecified work done on
  • Nanaimo company producing autonomous watercraft for military and civilian missions

    Autonomous boats built in downtown Nanaimo are creating ripples across the local marine technology sector.
    Shift Coastal Technologies is the brainchild of biologist-turned-entrepreneur James Spencer, who saw a need for marine vehicles that could get into dangerous shorelines that would be risky for crewed boats.
    Prior to developing autonomous vehicles, Spencer worked as a consultant with the mining industry and First Nations.
    But when he found working in the corporate environment “stifling
  • When DeVolder talks, people listen: B.C. public speaker a world trendsetter

    Talk about your trendsetters.
    That would be Vernon resident Mark DeVolder, who literally talks for a living.
    DeVolder is a public speaker, a global change specialist, who has presented in front of major corporations over the past several years. He spent most of 2025 among the top speakers worldwide according to the AAE (All American Entertainment) Speakers Bureau, and that included being on the top-15 list for 10 consecutive months.
    “It’s humbling to be part of a select group of 15 i
  • Meet Lance and Jagger, the only official search dog unit in Northwest B.C.

    The time and money spent training a B.C. search dog unit is significant, but the only K9 handler in the Northwest for a search and rescue team says it is absolutely worth it.
    Lance Barrowman and his dog Jagger volunteer with the Houston Search and Rescue group.
    Barrowman has been involved with various search and rescue groups for a long time, previously working in Kitimat with the marine search and rescue. His love of dogs inspired him to look into the idea of training a search dog. They were va
  • Shock and cautious optimism: B.C. Venezuelan community reacts to arrest of president Nicolas Maduro

    Shock. A very, very cautious optimism. And concern about the future.
    That was the reaction by many members of the Venezuelan community in B.C. to the capture of that country’s president, Nicolas Maduro, and his wife in Caracas by U.S. soldiers.
    Meriely Arias, a director of the Venezuelan Canadian Society of B.C. (VCSBC) first learned about the raid when an family member from Europe texted her late that evening, around 11 p.m.
    Then, the phone calls started coming in from other family member
  • More interruptions coming for Highway 4 traffic at Cameron Lake

    British Columbia transportation ministry work crews have released a schedule of road closures or shifts in traffic patterns for Highway 4 in January 2026.
    Crews will start working on bank maintenance along the highway at Cameron Lake west of Angel Rock from Monday, Jan. 5 to Friday, Jan. 30, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays.
    Both lanes will remain open to traffic for the duration of the project, according to Mainroad Mid Island Contracting, although brief lane shifts will be used by crews when
  • U.S. regulations foil world juniors doughnut delivery from B.C. couple

    A Nanoose Bay couple’s good-hearted attempt to send a Canadian junior hockey player his favourite doughnuts via express courier went awry, apparently due to U.S. regulations.
    When John Watt read about Team Canada’s Brady Martin’s pre-game ritual of eating two chocolate glazed doughnuts, he realized Martin would be in a tough spot without a Tim Hortons close by in Minneapolis-St. Paul, site of this year’s world junior hockey championships, so he decided to take matters int
  • VIDEO: B.C. Lower Mainland studio creating Canadian TV shows set in Canada

    At first look, it appeared a police takedown was underway at the Langley airport, with multiple armed police taking aim at a suspicious airplane on the south runway.
    But there was also a full production crew on the runway, recording the event, and the action would pause, then repeat as the crew recorded different takes.Movie shoot at Langley Airport pic.twitter.com/eHSrrSoawc
    — Langley Advance Times (@LangleyTimes) November 26, 2024
    It was an episode of Allegiance, a police procedural set
  • Food choices harvested straight from a Vancouver Island farm

    It’s the time of the year to indulge in the best food and drink, whether you’re splashing out on a holiday meal or planning the perfect party.
    From fresh turkeys and Island-grown heirloom potatoes, squash and Brussels sprouts, to artisan sourdough for your bread stuffing, and cranberries harvested fresh from Island farms, everything you need for a traditional holiday feast can be sourced close to home.
    FARM-TO-TABLE SHOPPING
    Gleaning local ingredients from farm-based food shops and m
  • Quatsino Coast Guard officer featured in Ocean Warriors: Mission Ready Season 2

    Quatsino Coast Guard officer James Wallas, is featured in the second season of Ocean Warriors: Mission Ready which premieres Jan. 8 on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN).
    This gripping series dives deep into the thrilling world of the Coastal Nations Coast Guard Auxiliary (CN-CGA) ocean rescues along B.C.’s coastline. Directed and produced by Steve Sxwithul’txw and Martin de Valk, season 2 brings audiences to the remote and rugged B.C. coast, following search and rescue
  • ‘Flag of Humanity’ children’s book a first for Vancouver Island author

    Parksville author Kurt Gottfried hopes his first-ever book will teach children they don’t need a special skill to clean up the environment and improve their community through hard work.
    The Flag of Humanity: Lunar Mission tells the story of four youngsters who pick up garbage, clean up the environment and eventually attract enough publicity to encourage benevolent extraterrestrials to visit and help out as well.
    “In the book, the kids basically take charge of world peace and pollutio
  • Taking a musical trip to Cuba – without leaving Nanaimo

    When Cuban-born conductor and artistic director of Vancouver Island Symphony Cosette Justo Valdes put together the three-day Cuban Vibes: A Symphonic Festival coming up Feb. 12-14 in Nanaimo, she put her whole heart into it.
    “It’s been a dream of mine to do such a thing – a festival hosted by a symphony orchestra,” she said.
    Honorary director of the prestigious Orquesta Sinfonica de Oriente in Santiago, Valdes has curated a world-class festival that includes stage dancers
  • Island Health report shows Alberni-Clayoquot area has health challenges

    Residents in the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District (ACRD) have a much higher mortality rate than the provincial and Island Health averages.
    An annual report by Island Health shows a breakdown of information on local health authorities across Vancouver Island. It shows the ACRD has a 97.6 per 10,000 mortality rate compared to its previous higher-than-average number 78.1 per 10,000. Provincially that number is 66.8 per 10,000 while the Island Health average is 69.6 per 10,000.
    The report says a
  • Victoria Hand Project’s latest prosthetic clinic grows in Gaza

    The latest installation by a Greater Victoria-based charity means four Palestinian patients who lost limbs to war are living fuller lives.
    The Victoria Hand Project, run from a small space at the University of Victoria in Saanich, harnesses 3D printing technology to create life-altering prosthetics to empower individuals worldwide, particularly where accessing prosthetics is challenging.
    By offering affordable and sustainable solutions, they restore independence, hope, and dignity to those who h
  • LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Workers must stand up for themselves at the ballot box

    To the editor,
    Working people power Canada’s economy. But despite our hard work, workers and our families are struggling to get ahead.
    Our paycheques are stretched thin. Grocery prices are sky-high, interest rates are crushing us, and the cost of a home is through the roof – all while the wealthiest corporations keep taking bigger profits.
    Corporations won’t keep themselves in check – so we need our governments to step up.
    Recent provincial election results show that vote
  • QUIZ: Exploring visions of the future

    The future is here.
    In the opening days of 2026, we are closer to the year 2150 than to 1900.
    In recent decades, many scientific and technological developments have occurred, and the world today is much different than that of just a few years ago.
    Some have attempted to predict what the world could become as scientific progress continues and as societies and cultures evolve.
    And others have embraced nostalgia and the values of earlier generations.
    How much do you know about the changing world in
  • Minten scores 2, including OT winner, as Bruins down Canucks 3-2

    Fraser Minten scored twice, including the overtime winner, leading the visiting Boston Bruins to a 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks in NHL action Saturday at Rogers Arena.
    Elias Lindholm also scored for the Bruins (22-18-2), with Jeremy Swayman making 31 saves for the netminding win.
    Filip Hronek had a goal and an assist for Vancouver, with forward Elias Pettersson adding a single goal. Kevin Lankinen took the loss in goal, stopping 18 of 21 shots.
    The Bruins opened the scoring on the powe

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