Nanaimo news

• Heinz Gerhard Bischoff

  21-09-2026 17:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  In Loving Memory ~
  September 2, 1929 – September 13, 2026
  After a long, meaningful life, Heinz Bischoff passed away peacefully on Sept. 13, 2026, at age 97. Born in Raddusch and raised in Vetschau, Germany, he was ambitious and hardworking. After working as a journeyman cabinetmaker, he decided to emigrate to Canada in 1951 and landed in Halifax by ship on January 11, 1952. While in Halifax, when he was asked where in Canada he would like to live, he was shown a map. Without hesitation, an
  
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• THORPE REPORT: Local golfers hit long and straight

  21-09-2026 21:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  With summer officially ending next week, the golfing season has seen year-end tournaments at both the professional and local levels.
  For the pros, the PGA season officially ended with the recent Tour Championship tournament in Atlanta. There, Scottie Scheffler capped a successful season on tour with his second FedEx Cup title and the tournament’s $10 million first-place prize money.
  Not quite so lucrative, but arguably just as entertaining, were tournaments held at several local golf cours
  
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• B.C. government files lawsuit against OpenAI in Tumbler Ridge shooting

  21-09-2026 20:41 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  B.C. Attorney General Niki Sharma said Monday (Sept. 21) that the government has filed a lawsuit in California against OpenAI in the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting.Sharma said the lawsuit stems from OpenAI’s failure to notify law enforcement after it first became aware of an “alarming” conversation between the shooter and the ChatGPT chatbot.She said the government is seeking accountability and support for community rebuilding efforts, including for a new school.More to come.
  
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• Vancouver Island crosswalk project honours veterans

  21-09-2026 20:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A new commemorative crosswalk on Memorial Avenue at Fir Street is moving forward after the Town of Qualicum Beach awarded a $122,727 contract to Coastline Civil Inc.
  The crosswalk is being designed as a commemoration of local veterans, connecting the town’s pedestrian-safety improvements with its commitment to remembering those who have served.
  The project will provide a safer, more visible crossing for people accessing the weekly Farmers’ Market and nearby community destinations. It
  
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• Scammers stealing new phones Cowichan RCMP warn

  21-09-2026 20:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Scammers are stealing people’s brand new cell phones, North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP warn.
  The swindle targets individuals who have recently received a new cell phone through a legitimate wireless provider, RCMP said in a press release.
  Victims are contacted by someone claiming to represent their service provider and are told that the wrong phone was shipped to them. They are then instructed to return the device using a prepaid shipping label sent by email.
  Victims send their phones back, only
  
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• Nanaimo jiu-jitsu academy athletes golden at Burnaby event

  21-09-2026 20:14 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Athletes from Island Top Team Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts topped the podium at a Lower Mainland event.
  Grappling Industries Vancouver took place at the B.C. Institute of Technology Recreation Services facility on Sept. 12 and all members of the Nanaimo-based academy captured gold, Rob Biernacki, head instructor, said in a press release.
  Among the medals captured by Daniel Jin, a gold in the teen gi blue belt division and a silver in the adult no gi intermediate division. Jin had &
  
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• Investigation ongoing for boy who went missing near B.C.-Alberta border in 2025

  21-09-2026 20:07 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  RCMP say the investigation into Darius MacDougall, who went missing a year ago, is still ongoing.
  Alberta RCMP marked the one-year anniversary of his disappearance on Monday with a news release.
  “The Alberta RCMP recognizes that Darius’ disappearance continues to weigh heavily on his family and those who know and love him,” the release says.
  “The passage of time does not lessen the importance of finding answers, and investigators remain committed to pursuing information t
  
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• B.C. physician wins woman’s healthcare award

  21-09-2026 19:58 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Local physician Dr. Unjali Malhotra was recently honoured by the Federation of Medical Women of Canada, earning an award for excellence in women’s healthcare research and education.
  Malhotra, a menopause and women’s health physician based in West Kelowna, was awarded with the Enid Johnson MacLeod Award, which represents national recognition for her work to advance women’s healthcare across the country.
  Malhotra is well-known for her work to grow the women’s healthcare fie
  
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• Business Notes: Nanaimo Hospital Auxiliary Thrift Store has extended hours on Thursdays

  21-09-2026 19:51 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Nanaimo Hospital Auxiliary Thrift Store is now open more hours.
  The thrift store, located in Northridge Village in the city’s north end, is open from from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursdays, three hours longer than Thursdays’ previous hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  Manager Gerry Denis said more people are shopping at the store, which carries gently-used clothing, books, and household goods, so they experimented with extended hours on Wednesdays, which proved to be successful.
  “We d
  
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• Fur Bears say bringing back Bear Smart sends ‘clear message’ at UBCM

  21-09-2026 19:49 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A B.C. wildlife protection group is calling on municipalities to reactivate Bear Smart.
  The Fur-Bearers identified earlier this year through freedom of information (FOI) requests that the province’s Bear Smart program was understated, not communicating its status, and, it said in a media release, “generally in disarray – all while numerous municipalities were attempting to achieve or renew their status.”
  According to the release, “bring back Bear Smart was the clear
  
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• Fur-Bearers say bringing back Bear Smart sends ‘clear message’ at UBCM

  21-09-2026 19:49 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A B.C. wildlife protection group is calling on municipalities to reactivate Bear Smart.
  The Fur-Bearers identified earlier this year through freedom of information (FOI) requests that the province’s Bear Smart program was understated, not communicating its status, and, it said in a media release, “generally in disarray – all while numerous municipalities were attempting to achieve or renew their status.”
  According to the release, “bring back Bear Smart was the clear
  
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• Cowichan Special Olympics athletes podium at Canada Summer Games

  21-09-2026 19:46 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Five Special Olympics – Cowichan Valley athletes brought home 12 medals, including four gold, five silver, and three bronze, while proudly representing the community and Team B.C. on the national stage Aug. 11 to 15in Medicine Hat, Alta.
  Jason Smith (swimming), Mark Skelton (swimming), Savannah Carlow (athletics), Louis Butler (10-pin bowling), and Krista Grzybowski (bocce) all medalled, but for the athletes, the experience was about much more than competition and medals.
  “The best p
  
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• City-run Vancouver Island clinic welcomes fourth doctor from Newfoundland

  21-09-2026 19:35 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The team at Colwood’s municipal-run medical clinic continues to grow.
  A fourth family physician joined the clinic this summer. The city says Dr. Swathi Ravinuthala brings with her international medical training, a strong commitment to community-based care, and a deep interest in improving access to primary health care.
  Born in Ireland, Ravinuthala grew up in Newfoundland before studying medicine at the Medical University of Lublin in Poland.
  “I was drawn to the Colwood Clinic model b
  
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• Conservative MLA logs on to emergency B.C. NDP meeting after accidental email blast

  21-09-2026 19:13 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A B.C. NDP caucus staffer sent out a notice of an emergency Sunday night caucus meeting to many MLAs outside the party — presumably by mistake — inviting opposition members to what appeared to be an election strategy session.
  At least one B.C. Conservative, Langley-Walnut Grove MLA Misty Van Popta, was able to log on to the 7 p.m. virtual meeting using the Microsoft Teams link provided.
  “People were just starting to log in, and then it got really quiet,” Van Popta said. &
  
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• Quesnel man sentenced for sex crimes against 12-year-old girl

  21-09-2026 19:12 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A judge in Quesnel sentenced a man to 12 months jail and two years probation on Sept. 17 for touching for a sexual purpose and invitation to touching for a sexual purpose.
  Colton Silas Stump, however, received 364 days credit for time served, resulting in one day custodial sentence, served by his court appearance.
  Judge Michelle Stanford found Stump guilty in September 2023 of the crimes committed between July 1 and Aug. 31, 2019. He was acquitted of a second touching for a sexual purpose charge
  
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• UPDATE: 2nd ‘out of control’ Sooke region wildfire grows to 10 hectares

  21-09-2026 18:55 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A wildfire in the Sooke Hills has grown to 10 hectares overnight.
  The fire was first discovered Sunday evening (Sept. 20), hours after another smaller wildfire sparked near Juan de Fuca Provincial Park.
  An update Monday morning (Sept. 21) by the BC Wildfire Service said the Leech River wildfire in the Sooke Hills had jumped from two- to 10 hectares in size.
  Aviation resources are supporting response efforts to the fire, which is listed by the BC Wildfire Service as ‘out of control’,
  
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• 2nd ‘out of control’ wildfire discovered in Sooke region

  21-09-2026 18:55 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Hours after a small wildfire was discovered near Juan de Fuca Provincial Park, a second sparked in the Sooke Hills Sunday evening (Sept. 20).
  Both fires are listed by the BC Wildfire Service as ‘out of control’, meaning they are spreading or are expected to spread beyond their current perimeter or control lines.
  The Leech River wildfire in the Sooke Hills is said to be two hectares in size, with aviation resources supporting response efforts.
  The cause of the fire is under investigat
  
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• B.C. Conservatives appoint Lorne Doerkson interim leader

  21-09-2026 18:46 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The B.C. Conservative caucus voted to install Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Lorne Doerkson as interim leader after Kerry-Lynne Findlay resigned Sunday afternoon.
  “We thank Lorne for stepping forward to serve during this important transition,” the party said in a statement. “Our caucus and party will now move forward together, focused on providing strong opposition and representing British Columbians across the province.
  Findlay resigned after several tumultuous weeks in which 14 MLAs
  
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• ‘A whole new purpose’: Tour de Rock hits the road after Port Alice sendoff

  21-09-2026 15:54 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A North Island village of just 739 residents raised almost $30,000 to launch the 2026 Tour de Rock on its 1,200-kilometre journey Sunday.
  The 22-person riding team officially began its trip by leaving Port Alice and weaving through Port Hardy before finishing the opening day in Port McNeill on Sept. 20.Tour de Rock rider Greg Beatty had half his hair and moustache shaved by his honorary rider Weston during Sunday’s stop in Port Hardy.
  The team cycled nearly 100 kilometres on the opening le
  
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• Skunk in the Kootenay Lake region tests positive for rabies

  21-09-2026 15:13 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Interior Health is advising that a skunk in the Kootenay Lake region has tested positive for rabies.
  The result was confirmed on September 17, 2026 by IH and the BC Centre for Disease Control. The skunk is believed to have been infectious between August 15 and September 4.
  A number of people who may have been exposed have already been assessed and treated by IH, and IH is asking that anyone within the area who may have had contact with a skunk come forward for assessment.
  Anyone who was bitten o
  
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• Annual Nanaimo Butterfly Run to be held at Westwood Lake

  21-09-2026 14:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The annual memorial Butterfly Run Vancouver Island will be held at Westwood Lake.
  The event, hosted by the Butterfly Support Network on Saturday, Oct. 3, aims to create a supportive environment for bereaved parents, and to raise awareness about the challenges many families and individuals face around infertility, pregnancy loss, infant loss, and the termination of a pregnancy due to medical reasons.
  The BSN, a registered charity, has made it its mission to provide a platform for families to come
  
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• Bookworms take note, Rotary Club of Nanaimo to hold fall book sale

  21-09-2026 00:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Readers can restock their shelves with books as the Rotary Club of Nanaimo preps for a fall fundraiser.
  The club’s fall used book sale begins on Friday, Sept. 25 and goes until Sunday, Oct. 4 at Nanaimo North Town Centre and Allan Smith, Rotarian and volunteer, says classics and poetry are big sellers.
  “The biggest customers, from experience … are young women from literature at [Vancouver Island University], they’ll buy them by the flat load,” said Smith. “Yo
  
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• Kerry-Lynne Findlay steps down as leader of B.C. Conservatives

  20-09-2026 22:48 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Kerry-Lynne Findlay has announced she’s stepping down as leader of the B.C. Conservatives.She posted a statement to social media Sunday afternoon (Sept. 20). It came hours after another defection from her party when Surrey Serpentine MLA Linda Hepner quit caucus.More to come.
  
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• MLA Linda Hepner leaves B.C. Conservative caucus

  20-09-2026 20:40 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Surrey-Serpentine River MLA Linda Hepner has resigned from the B.C. Conservative caucus, stating a loss of confidence in the party’s leadership.In a message received by a reporter with the Surrey Now-Leader, Hepner said she had decided to resign from the B.C. Conservative caucus effective immediately.
  “I have decided to resign from the Conservative Party of British Columbia caucus effective immediately,” Hepner wrote.Hepner said she remains committed to conservative principles,
  
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• QUIZ: Understanding international trade agreements

  20-09-2026 14:20 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The United States and Canada are caught in an international trade dispute, with each country imposing tariffs on goods from the other.
  Trade agreements, treaties and other negotiations are part of international relations, and these agreements are often complex.
  At the same time, the effects of these negotiations are felt by all residents of the countries involved.
  How much do you know about the present trade war and about Canada’s economy?
  Put your knowledge to the test with these 10 quest
  
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• Canadian play focusing on farms and bees will be performed at Nanaimo’s Bailey Studio

  20-09-2026 01:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A widely-performed Canadian play is set to be the season opener for the Nanaimo Theatre Group’s season.The Canadian comedy The Birds and the Bees will be played at Bailey Studio from Sept. 20 to Oct. 10.
  The play, according to the theatre group’s website, has its action centre around Gail’s farm, her failing beehives as well as her neighbour Earl who wants some companionship.
  Complications arise when Sarah, Gail’s daughter, a turkey farmer separated from her husband, move
  
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• Organizers expanding Go By Bike Week area beyond Nanaimo

  19-09-2026 23:13 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The call for people to use active transportation next week is going past Nanaimo boundaries.
  During Go By Bike Week, on until Saturday, Sept. 26, people are asked to choose bicycles as a travel method, and unlike past years, Nanaimo Area Cycling Coalition is organizing and encouraging people in Parksville, Qualicum, Gabriola Island and Ladysmith to join their Nanaimo counterparts.
  People that are interested are asked to register at https://logmyride.gobybikebc.ca/register, with opportunities to
  
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• B.C. government partners with UBC, McGill to develop life-saving gene therapy for Surrey boy

  19-09-2026 22:19 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Ministry of Health annouced Saturday (Sept. 19) that it would work with two Canadian universities to create a personalized gene-editing therapy for a young Surrey boy battling a rare, progressive neurodegenerative disease.
  Gurmoh is a joyful three-year-old boy from Surrey who dreams of becoming a firefighter one day and drives his toy truck around the house while “proudly wearing his fire hat,” but his parents say time is not on his side.
  Gurmoh was diagnosed with spastic paraple
  
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• B.C. arrest involving less-lethal weapons, police dog sparks IIO probe

  19-09-2026 21:37 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  An arrest in Saanich involving the deployment of “less-lethal use of force weapons and a police service dog” has sparked an investigation from the Independent Investigations Office of BC (IIO).
  The police watchdog is appealing for witnesses to the arrest which took place outside a Saanich home on Woodhall Drive Sept. 18.
  The IIO says Saanich Police Department responded to a call shortly after 10 p.m., about a man involved in a possible assault at the home. Members of the Greater Vict
  
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• LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel

  19-09-2026 20:07 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  To the editor,
  On September 8, Canada’s government implemented retaliatory tariffs on the U.S.
  Since the trade talks in Washington failed a couple of weeks ago, there have been many heated exchanges between the White House and elected officials in Canada, with each side blaming the other for their last-minute breakdown. After negotiating for three weeks, the trade agreement was supposedly settled and almost ready to be signed, when suddenly it wasn’t; that’s when the poop reall
  
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