Nanaimo news

• Hubbard, Pardi and Green among the main attractions for Sunfest 2026

  10-12-2025 23:40 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Vancouver Islanders are being urged to put a little sun in their music-lover’s stocking this year.
  Just in time for Christmas the lineup of headliners has been announced for Sunfest 2026, which returns to Cowichan Lake’s Laketown Ranch for four days of fun times and country music from July 30 to Aug. 2.
  Tyler Hubbard, Jon Pardi and Riley Green are just three of the main attractions.
  THURSDAY
  Country fans will be in their glory and ‘Heavensville’ on July 30 as they kick of
  
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• B.C. Hydro chips in on costs of City of Nanaimo pool water treatment upgrades

  12-12-2025 02:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  B.C. Hydro is chipping in to offset the City of Nanaimo’s costs for upgrades to water treatment systems at Beban Park Pool and the Nanaimo Aquatic Centre.
  The city replaced traditional ultraviolet technology with a more energy-efficient and sustainable filtration and enhanced chemistry process system at the sites, which has resulted in B.C. Hydro giving the city a $78,600 bonus to help with system implementation costs, according to a city press release Wednesday, Dec. 10.
  UV technology, fo
  
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• ‘We’re not going backwards’: B.C. rejects Metro Vancouver call to scrap housing legislation

  12-12-2025 01:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Despite falling rents and stabilized home prices, a group of angry Metro Vancouver mayors is calling on the B.C. government to back off on some of its signature housing policies.
  “The province’s housing legislation has been one of the most ill-conceived, poorly thought-out policy initiatives that this province has ever suffered under,” Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West said at a Thursday (Dec. 11) press conference. “Rather than unleashing more housing units, like the provinc
  
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• Historic coalition formed to study Victoria-Langford rail potential

  12-12-2025 00:40 via nanaimobulletin.com
  The push to ease gridlock between Victoria and the West Shore took a notable turn Thursday as First Nations and local governments signed onto a new coalition that will study what a future passenger rail line could look like, and whether it’s even feasible.
  They didn’t announce a rail line, but they did announce something many involved described as ‘historic’—a shared commitment to look at the Island Rail Corridor through the leadership and rights of the Esquimalt Na
  
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• District of Lantzville Notice of 2026 Council Meeting Schedule

  12-12-2025 00:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  District of Lantzville Notice of 2026 Council Meeting Schedule
  (Approved by Council November 26, 2025)
  Pursuant to section 127 of the Community Charter, public notice is hereby given that the District of Lantzville Council has established the date, time and place of the 2026 regular Council meetings and the schedule is available to the public by visiting the District’s website at lantzville.ca or the District of Lantzville Municipal Hall at 7192 Lantzville Road, Lantzville, BC between the
  
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• MISSING PERSON: Have you seen Michael Surgenor?

  12-12-2025 00:25 via nanaimobulletin.com
  The Campbell River RCMP is seeking the public’s help in locating a missing person, Michael Surgenor.
  Surgenor, 53, is described as a caucasian male. He is six feet, roughly 176 pounds and has close-cropped brown and gray hair.
  Surgenor was last known to be in Campbell River on Dec. 10 at around 10 a.m. He was wearing camouflage pants, a grey crew neck shirt and possibly a camouflage coat.
  Police say Surgenor may have tried to go hunting in a backroad area that was new to him. He drives a B
  
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• B.C.’s Isaac Boehmer re-signs with Vancouver Whitecaps

  12-12-2025 00:25 via nanaimobulletin.com
  The reigning Western Conference-champion Vancouver Whitecaps have re-signed Penticton-born goalkeeper Isaac Boehmer, the Major League Soccer club announced on Dec. 8.
  Boehmer’s new deal will see him stay in his home province through the 2027 season, with a club option for 2028.
  The 24-year-old was born in Penticton and resided in nearby Okanagan Falls.
  A product of Penticton-based Pinnacles FC, Boehmer first signed with the Whitecaps in August 2020 after coming through the club’s you
  
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• B.C. capital once again named the most generous community in Canada

  11-12-2025 23:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  For the third consecutive year, Victoria has been named the most generous community in Canada by crowdfunding platform GoFundMe, which recorded over 18,500 donors through 2025 despite economic strain and international tensions.
  With a population of 102,856 according to a 2024 estimate, almost 18 per cent of the city’s population – or nearly one in five Victorians – made a donation this past year.
  “Every donation is powered by a deeply human story. We see it in a neighbour
  
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• Additional evacuation orders for Abbotsford as floodwaters cross into Canada

  11-12-2025 23:20 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Floodwaters from the Nooksack River have crossed into Abbotsford on Thursday (Dec. 11) morning and have led to evacuation orders for 82 properties in the Huntingdon Village area.
  The orders cover Sumas Way up to 2nd Avenue in south Abbotsford near the Sumas border crossing.BREAKING: Floodwaters have crossed into Abbotsford from across the border and more evacuations are occurring, including the Enviro-Corp Recycling facility on 2nd Avenue in Huntingdon. More to come – pic.twitter.com/3VFy4
  
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• Moving company hauls entire home down B.C. road

  11-12-2025 23:10 via nanaimobulletin.com
  A home destined for demolition has been preserved thanks to a major move orchestrated seamlessly near Vernon today.
  The house at 7581 Baker Hogg Road was literally moved 400 metres down the road to its new home at 7868 Baker Hogg Rd.
  Nickel Bros., a home moving company based in the Lower Mainland, handled the heavy, and at times precarious, move Thursday, Dec. 11.
  “By moving the home instead of tearing it down, the project keeps a usable dwelling in service, preserves the materials and val
  
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• Nanaimo toy drive asking for more support to help record number of children

  11-12-2025 23:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  The Great Nanaimo Toy Drive is thankful for the community’s gift-giving efforts so far, but more help is needed between now and Christmas.
  The charity issued a press release Thursday, Dec. 11, appealing for volunteers and presents, especially for teens 13-17. There are more than 1,700 children registered this year, which organizers say is likely a record.
  “With registration numbers up again over last year and more children registered than before, we are tremendously grateful for the
  
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• UPDATE: Coquihalla Hwy. reopens between Hope and Merritt

  11-12-2025 22:05 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Update: 4:17 p.m.
  The Coquihalla Highway between Hope and Merritt has reopened in both directions.
  Highway 1 between Chilliwack and Hope and Highway 3 between Hope and Princeton remain closed. A detour is available through Highway 7 thanks to an alternating lane.
  No estimates been given as to when the highways will reopen.
  Updates to follow.
  Original:
  Several major highways out of Hope remain closed due to flooding and mudslides.
  The Coquihalla between Hope and Merritt, the eastbound lane of Hig
  
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• Coquihalla, parts of Hwy. 1 and 3 remain closed after flooding near Hope

  11-12-2025 22:05 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Several major highways out of Hope remain closed due to flooding and mudslides.
  The Coquihalla between Hope and Merritt, the eastbound lane of Highway 1 between Chilliwack and Hope and Highway 3 between Hope and Princeton all remain closed.
  Highway 1 eastbound in the Bridal Falls area is closed due to a mudslide. Engineers have assessed the area from the air and determined that water is still flowing from the mountains meaning it is not yet safe to begin clearing debris. The westbound lane is op
  
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• B.C. Mountie describes shooting that killed fellow officer

  11-12-2025 22:02 via nanaimobulletin.com
  The murder trial of Nicholas Bellemare heard testimony Thursday from an officer who entered a Coquitlam condo with Ridge Meadows RCMP Const. Rick O’Brien, who was killed during the raid.
  Bellemare is accused of having opened fire on officers with an AR-15 rifle as they raided the apartment – a drug stash house on the 22nd storey of 3007 Glen Dr., on Sept. 22, 2023.
  O’Brien was shot in the face.
  Bellemare was shot in the arm in the exchange of gunfire, and was arrested at the sc
  
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• B.C. Mountie describes lead-up to shooting that killed fellow officer

  11-12-2025 22:02 via nanaimobulletin.com
  The murder trial of Nicholas Bellemare heard testimony Thursday from an officer who entered a Coquitlam condo with Ridge Meadows RCMP officer Rick O’Brien, who was killed during the raid.
  Bellemare is accused of having opened fire on officers with an AR-15 rifle as they raided the apartment – a drug stash house on the 22nd storey of 3007 Glen Drive, on Sept. 22, 2023.
  O’Brien was shot in the face.
  Bellemare was shot in the arm in the exchange of gunfire, and was arrested at the
  
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• Controversial activist to fight $115 trespassing ticket after arrest at UVic

  11-12-2025 21:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  A controversial residential schools skeptic says she will be fighting a $115 ticket that was issued under the Trespass Act following her arrest at a chaotic, unsanctioned event at the University of Victoria.
  On Dec. 2, OneBC party leader Dallas Brodie was joined by academic Frances Widdowson in an attempt to “engage the campus community in discussion about the disputed claims of unmarked graves in Kamloops,” despite being warned by UVic that they did not have permission to hold the e
  
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• Staffing woes continue as Port Alberni hospital pauses patient admissions

  11-12-2025 20:49 via nanaimobulletin.com
  West Coast General Hospital (WCGH) in Port Alberni is pausing some patient admissions due to staffing shortages.
  The emergency department will remain open and teams at WCGH will stabilize and transfer patients to other hospitals when needed.
  Those affected will be people who do not have a family doctor working in the hospital, require admission and do not require specialist care.
  In a news release from Island Health, they say this could require two to three patients to be transferred daily.
  Peop
  
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• One person killed in accident in Ladysmith

  11-12-2025 20:11 via nanaimobulletin.com
  A single-vehicle accident claimed the life of one person in Ladysmith on Wednesday, Dec. 10.
  Ladysmith RCMP said at approximately 5 p.m. a vehicle stalled on the steep grade of Symonds Street near 3rd Avenue. The driver got out of the vehicle, and the vehicle started to roll backwards, hitting and killing the driver.
  “Witnesses immediately contacted emergency services and attempted to assist,”’ said Corp. Dave Motley of the Ladysmith RCMP in a statement.
  BC Ambulance and Ladysm
  
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• Delays to opening day at Mount Washington

  11-12-2025 18:55 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Friday, Dec. 12 was supposed to be opening day at Mount Washington but mother nature has had other ideas.
  The snow needed to open just hasn’t fallen and the hills are rather bare as is visible on the mountain’s live webcams.
  Despite the best efforts of the Mount Washington team, snowmaking has not been able to fill in the patches.
  While excited potential skiers and snowboarders were refreshing the webcams hoping for a miracle, so was Mount Washington’s general manager, Mike Man
  
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• Fake gold jewelry scam resurfaces on Vancouver Island

  11-12-2025 18:46 via nanaimobulletin.com
  The Sidney/North Saanich RCMP is warning residents of a scam circulating widely throughout the Capital Regional District where someone feigns distress to sell fake jewelry.
  Police were called after a couple, described as South Asian and driving a dark SUV, approached a victim at a Peninsula gas station, claiming they needed money to get home. The individuals offered what appeared to be valuable jewelry in exchange for cash. The items were later determined to be fake.
  Similar incidents have been
  
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• Person dies in RV fire in Nanaimo’s north end

  11-12-2025 18:20 via nanaimobulletin.com
  A person died in an RV fire in Nanaimo’s north end yesterday evening.
  Nanaimo Fire Rescue firefighters responded to a 911 call just after 5 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 10, and arrived at a property in the 6600 block of Dover Road to find a recreational vehicle fully ablaze, said Troy Libbus, assistant chief of operations.
  He said firefighters quickly put out the blaze but he couldn’t comment further at the scene last night, as he said Nanaimo RCMP had taken over the investigation.
  “It
  
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• Police investigating threats made against high school student in Nanaimo

  11-12-2025 18:15 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Police are investigating after a Nanaimo high school was locked down after reports of a threat.
  According to reserve Const Gary O’Brien, Nanaimo RCMP spokesperson, Nanaimo District Secondary School was locked down yesterday for 30 minutes, after reports of “a threat directed at a student.” The incident took place at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 10.
  “Officers felt it was a credible threat and based on consultation with the school administrators, they decided to lock the sc
  
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• Vancouver Island woman dials up idea to connect locals with lost loved ones

  11-12-2025 15:45 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Standing on the boardwalk of Langford’s Ed Nixon trail, hundreds of kilometres away from her hometown of Edmonton, Natalie McNeely feels the ache of distance – not only from the friends and family carrying on with life back home, but also the loved ones whose absence stretches even further.
  In her search for a way to bridge that quiet gap, she’s turning to an idea that has brought comfort to grieving communities around the world.
  McNeely hopes to introduce a “wind phone&r
  
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• B.C. Indigenous leader turns to animation to oppose salmon farm ban

  11-12-2025 15:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  The Deputy Chief Councillor of the Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation is leading a campaign against the federal government’s plan to phase out open-net salmon farming in British Columbia, warning it poses a serious threat to his community’s economic future.
  Isaiah Robinson, who also serves as CEO of the Nation’s Development Corporation, has launched a series of animated short films to challenge what he calls “politically motivated” misinformation surrounding aquaculture.
  
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• FBI release new photo of former Canadian Olympian on its 10 most-wanted list

  11-12-2025 15:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  A new photo has been released of Canadian Olympic snowboarder-turned accused drug trafficker Ryan James Wedding by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the United States.
  The FBI believes the new photo of Wedding, one of their 10 most wanted fugitives, was taken in Mexico this past summer.
  The 44-year-old is wanted for allegedly running and participating in a transnational drug trafficking operation that, according to the FBI, routinely shipped hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Columbia, t
  
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• How to keep your pets safe (and warm) this winter

  11-12-2025 14:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  As winter settles in and the temperatures drop, it’s the perfect time to check in on our furry family members. Dogs and cats may love a little fresh air, but cold weather brings real risks—frostbite, hypothermia, and even exposure to dangerous substances like antifreeze.
  With busy days and routines, it’s easy to underestimate just how fast the cold can affect them. So consider this your friendly winter reminder: a little extra care goes a long way toward keeping your pets safe,
  
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• ‘New wave of nurses’ integrating harm reduction into health care in B.C.

  11-12-2025 14:05 via nanaimobulletin.com
  As the effects of the toxic drug crisis become an intrinsic part of health care, nurses on Vancouver Island are having to adapt to what that means for keeping patients healthy.
  On Dec. 2, Vancouver Island University fourth-year nursing students hosted a harm reduction education panel along with the VIU Harm Reduction Alliance, intending to raise awareness about the toxic drug crisis, challenge stigma and foster a safer community.
  Nursing professor Sarah Lovegrove told the News Bulletin that harm
  
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• Shopping local helps opens doors for entrepreneurs

  11-12-2025 13:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  This holiday season, every local purchase tells a bigger story about central Vancouver Island.
  We asked Kelly McBride, business development and credit officer with Community Futures Central Island, to share her perspective.
  Q: What do you see when you look around our region in December?
  A: At first glance you see lights, decorations, busy shops and families out enjoying themselves. It is a beautiful time of year. My job is to look a little deeper and see how those moments turn into cash flow for
  
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• Fraser Valley rain easing, Nooksack to levels to decline by morning: Officials

  11-12-2025 06:07 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Officials say the rainfall has started to ease in the Fraser Valley, while the river flows in the Nooksack River are expected to peak at 10 p.m. and ease by early morning.
  The Emergency Management Ministry called for the urgent online update Wednesday night (Dec. 10) to address the flooding situation in the Fraser Valley, as well as road and highway closures. It came shortly after the Transportation and Transit Ministry urged drivers to avoid travel in the Fraser Valley, specifically in areas wh
  
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• Fraser Valley rain easing, Nooksack levels to decline by morning: Officials

  11-12-2025 06:07 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Officials say the rainfall has started to ease in the Fraser Valley, while the river flows in the Nooksack River are expected to peak at 10 p.m. and ease by early morning.
  The Emergency Management Ministry called for the urgent online update Wednesday night (Dec. 10) to address the flooding situation in the Fraser Valley, as well as road and highway closures. It came shortly after the Transportation and Transit Ministry urged drivers to avoid travel in the Fraser Valley, specifically in areas wh
  
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