Nanaimo news

• James William Thomson

  30-12-2025 22:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  April 8, 1943 – December 4, 2025
  Jim passed away peacefully on December 4, 2025 at NRGH with family at his side.
  He is survived by wife, Julie, sister Janis, sons Mike (Adrienne) and Chris (Mariko), Grandchildren Scott (Ivana) Lea, Nathan, William and Emily.
  No Scheduled service at this time. Celebration of life and Burial at a later date.
  
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• What’s On, Dec. 31

  31-12-2025 20:15 via nanaimobulletin.com
  MUSIC
  Eras: A tribute to Taylor Swift plays New Year’s Eve at the Queen’s Hotel on Dec. 31 at 6:30 p.m. Tickets $35 or $55 for both that night’s shows at www.showpass.com/nye2026thequeens.
  Vault New Year’s Eve party at the Vault Café with Mood:Lite, Numbia, Void DJs, MC Eye Labia and more on Dec. 31 starting at 8 p.m. Admission $15-20.
  New Year’s Eve Party with Big Daddy Band happening at the Moose Lodge on Dec. 31 from 8 p.m.-12:30 a.m. Tickets $40 at the do
  
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• Penticton turns 117: Municipality celebrates New Year’s Eve birthday

  31-12-2025 20:10 via nanaimobulletin.com
  When New Year’s Eve comes, so does another birthday for Penticton.
  Dec. 31, 2025, marks 117 years since the community was incorporated as a municipality.
  Penticton later became a city in 1948, seven years before the Vees defeated the Soviet Union 5-0 to win the World Cup in Krefeld, Germany, a moment that helped the community achieve international fame.
  At the time of its first incorporation in 1908, Penticton had a population of around 600.
  Two years later, in 1910, it was announced that
  
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• Northwest B.C. congregation prays for youth who allegedly burned down church

  31-12-2025 19:32 via nanaimobulletin.com
  The congregation of Burns Lake’s Island Gospel Fellowship is praying for the young person who allegedly burned down their church.
  On Dec. 22, Burns Lake Fire Rescue responded to the call of a fire at the church on Hwy 35. When firefighters arrived, the sanctuary was fully engulfed, but they were able to prevent the blaze from spreading to the attached gymnasium, which, on initial assessment, only suffered smoke and water damage.
  The fire was immediately deemed suspicious, and shortly after
  
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• 14 vehicles impounded after BC Highway Patrol catches speeders on Sea to Sky

  31-12-2025 19:31 via nanaimobulletin.com
  On Christmas Day, one BC Highway Patrol officer removed 14 “excessive speeders” from the Sea to Sky Highway.
  A news release from BC Highway Patrol Wednesday (Dec. 31) says the stretch of Highway 99 has become “notorious for speeding,” and the agency is the one that “must deal with the deadly crashes that result.”
  It adds that every driver who had their vehicle impounded on Christmas was at least 40 km/h over the speed limit, and two were caught doing 145 km/h
  
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• District of Lantzville Notice of Public Hearing: Wednesday, January 14, 2026, at 6:00pm

  31-12-2025 19:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  District of Lantzville Council will hold a public hearing as part of the regular Council meeting on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, at 6:00pm, and livestreamed at lantzville.ca to receive and consider input from all persons who believe that their interest in property is affected by the following proposed bylaws:
  “District of Lantzville Official Community Plan Bylaw No.150,2019,Amendment (6910 Lantzville Road) Bylaw No.424,2025”
  “District of Lantzville Zoning Bylaw No.180,2020,Amen
  
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• Committee Regular Meeting Dates

  31-12-2025 19:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Meeting Location: RDN Board Chambers, 6300 Hammond
  Bay Rd., Nanaimo
  Electoral Area Services Committee (EASC) Meeting 1 p.m. Board Meeting 1 p.m.For more information, visit the RDN meeting calendar at www.rdn.bc.ca/agendas-minutes-videos.
  For more information, please contact:
  250-390-4111 or toll free at 1-877-607-4111
  [email protected]
  Disclaimer: The 2026 Board and Electorel Area Services Regular Meeting Schedule is subject to change. To verify the accuracy of this information, please contact
  
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• Mill Bay farm warning of fearless cougar

  31-12-2025 19:20 via nanaimobulletin.com
  A family in Mill Bay is looking for solutions and safety after their pet cat was killed by a cougar on Dec. 28.
  Danya Hillyard and her family operate an organic hobby farm near the Brentwood Bay ferry terminal that has goats, ducks and other animals, and she said the cougar had been seen stalking the farm’s animals for several days before it boldly tried to snatch the cat from the deck.
  Hillyard said her mother-in-law interrupted the attack and the cougar released the cat, but the beloved
  
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• Skyrocketing heat highlights risks facing B.C. in first disaster report in 28 years

  31-12-2025 17:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  A recent report highlights the importance of understanding and reducing disaster and climate risks in B.C.
  The B.C. Disaster and Climate Risk and Resilience Assessment (DCRRA), the first in-depth update on provincial risk since 1997, flags rising temperatures and sea levels, and the potential implications of earthquakes, including a megathrust with a magnitude of 9.0 should it strike off Vancouver Island.
  Notably, the report warns that the annual average surface temperature in B.C. is rising muc
  
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• $40M in motorcycles seized as part of FBI pursuit of fugitive B.C. ex-Olympian

  31-12-2025 16:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Motorcycles valued at $40 million USD, two Canadian National Snowboarding Series medals, and some interesting artwork were some of the items police in Mexico seized after executing multiple search warrants in December in relation to FBI fugitive Ryan Wedding.
  Photos of the items believed to be owned by the former Canadian Olympic athlete, who is now one of the FBI’s 10 most wanted fugitives, were released by the Los Angeles FBI division, on Monday, Dec. 29, and on Tuesday, Dec. 30, noting
  
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• Nanaimo News Bulletin editor sends his final issue to the printing press

  31-12-2025 14:05 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Today’s paper is my final edition.
  After more than 20 years at the Nanaimo News Bulletin, the past eight and a half years as editor, it’s going to be a change for me, but pretty much everything changes.
  Certainly the newspaper business is different now than it used to be. I started with Black Press Media nearly 22 years ago, at the 100 Mile House Free Press. Back then, page layout was called ‘paste-up,’ because that’s literally how it was done – the articles a
  
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• Holiday emergency room closures spark concern in 100 Mile House

  31-12-2025 14:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Following multiple emergency room closures over the Christmas holidays, both local politicians and Interior Health agree that there needs to be a change.
  The 100 Mile District General Hospital’s Emergency Room has been no stranger to frequent temporary service interruptions over the last few years. In the last few months, however, these closures have increased in length and frequency, with the most recent taking place for 25 hours on Christmas Eve and for 13 hours from Dec. 26 to Dec. 27.
  
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• Yukon firm to build Canada’s first welded‑plastic all‑terrain landing craft

  31-12-2025 13:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Yukon Expedition Sleds is preparing to introduce what it says will be Canada’s first welded‑plastic all‑terrain landing craft, a project founder Ryan McGillivray described as a northern‑built response to shrinking ice seasons and changing access needs across remote regions.
  “So, right now, with climate change, the amount of time that people could drive their vehicles on ice roads is decreasing,” McGillivray said.
  He told the News the concept has been in develo
  
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• Regional initiative hopes to bring blood donations back to northern B.C.

  31-12-2025 13:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  A community-led initiative is calling on Canadian Blood Services to establish a blood plasma centre in northern B.C.
  Our Blood Counts is addressing the urgent need for blood products, as the North is the only region in the province that does not have a blood donor centre. The group is also calling for more support from northern communities and residents to help grow its cause, as it looks to bring a permanent centre to Prince George.
  Founder Mark Karjaluoto said the need for blood does not take
  
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• 2025 IN REVIEW: Presenting Black Press Media’s most-read stories of the year

  31-12-2025 13:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Most-read stories across Canada
  1. Driver fined $4,500, banned after twice ignoring Rogers Pass closure
  The provincial court hearing only happened toward the end of 2025, but the most-read story across Black Press Media sites was about a driver receiving a fine and getting banned after ignoring a B.C. highway closure – twice.
  2. Victoria grocery store vows to keep U.S. produce off its shelves
  By July, Urban Grocer in Victoria, B.C. had managed to keep American fruits and veggies off its sh
  
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• PHOTOS: hometown rivals collide as curling B.C.’s underway on Vancouver Island

  31-12-2025 13:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  The stones were barely settled on the ice before the drama arrived at the Archie Browning Centre.
  The 2026 B.C. Curling Championships got underway Tuesday in Esquimalt with a five-game opening draw that delivered tight finishes on the women’s side, decisive results in the men’s field and a particularly familiar showdown for two Victoria-based rinks playing just five kilometres away from their home arena.
  The closest games of the morning both came in the women’s championship, wh
  
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• Canucks continue to struggle at home, fall 6-3 to Philadelphia Flyers

  31-12-2025 06:40 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Five players had two points apiece, helping the visiting Philadelphia Flyers to a 6-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks in NHL action Tuesday at Rogers Arena.
  Bobby Brink, Noah Cates and Travis Konecny each had a goal and an assist for Philadelphia (20-11-7). Carl Grundstrom and Owen Tippett added single goals and Matvei Michkov and Trevor Zegras had two helpers apiece for the winners, with goalie Dan Vladar stopping 31 of 34 shots.
  David Kampf and Drew O’Connor scored for Vancouver (16-2
  
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• Canadian Forces SAR TECHs assist in technical rescue of Cariboo suspect

  31-12-2025 03:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Comox-based Search and Rescue Technicians (SAR TECH) were called in for their technical support after a suspect is said to have fled from an attempted traffic stop in Williams Lake.
  On Dec. 28, local RCMP were responding to multiple complaints of a suspected drunk driver in and around the city.
  When RCMP officers attempted to initiate a traffic stop, police said the suspect vehicle fled.
  They said the man later crashed the vehicle and attempted to flee on foot. In the process of attempting to ev
  
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• Nanaimo News Bulletin’s most-clicked news stories of 2025

  31-12-2025 01:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  1. Both Nanaimo sailors who were missing have now been found safe, Aug. 15.
  Nanaimo RCMP reported that both of the sailors who had been reported missing the previous week had been located and both were safe.
  “The Nanaimo RCMP would like to thank the public for the outpouring of tips that assisted in finding both persons in a timely manner,” noted a police press release.
  Police said that numerous tips helped them first locate the 33-year-old woman who had been reported missing, as wel
  
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• ‘Fellow in yellow’ arrives at Mile 0 in Victoria, heads up Island

  31-12-2025 01:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  For many, Mile 0 in Victoria is a start, and for some it’s an end.The marker near Dallas Road identifies the western end of more than 8,000 kilometres of Trans-Canada Highway that crosses the nation.For Trevor Redmond – who paused at the Terry Fox statue and dipped a toe in the nearby Salish Sea on Monday (Dec. 29) – it’s a kind of restart.“It’s a different meaning here to me. I think it is everyone else’s mile zero, it isn’t mine,” Redmond t
  
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• On a wing and a prayer – release of a rescued hawk at Williams Lake First Nation

  30-12-2025 23:56 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Sandra Johnson became an animal rescuer after she was struck by a person with their truck while on the job flagging along a roadway.
  Looking for something to do with herself after she stopped working due to the injuries, she began volunteering with the organization Orphaned Wildlife Rehabilitation Society, known as OWL, in Delta, helping animals with their recovery journeys.
  The non-profit rescues and rehabilitates injured and orphaned raptors and helps educate the public on the importance of th
  
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• Teen, 16, found dead in Vancouver after being reported missing: Police

  30-12-2025 23:53 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Vancouver police say a 16-year-old girl is dead a day after she was reported missing.
  Officers were called to a home near East Pender and Renfrew streets shortly after 9 a.m. Tuesday (Dec. 30) where they found the 16-year-old girl dead, police said in a news release the same day.
  The girl had been reported missing Monday, and Vancouver police said her disappearance was the subject of an investigation by North Vancouver RCMP.
  The cause of her death is currently unknown and the Vancouver Police De
  
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• Langley-Abbotsford MLA likely to run for B.C. Conservative leadership

  30-12-2025 23:45 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Langley-Abbotsford MLA Harman Bhangu said he will likely run for leadership of the B.C. Conservatives in the wake of John Rustad stepping down from the role.
  Bhangu said that over the holidays he has been meeting with friends, family, and people from across the province, and that his family is supportive of him running for leader.
  “I am strongly considering it, and I’m pretty sure I will be,” he said.
  The party has been led by interim leader Trevor Halford since Rustad resigned
  
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• Fundraiser started for Cowichan senior who lost home in fire

  30-12-2025 23:39 via nanaimobulletin.com
  A GoFundMe has been set up for a senior who lost his home when it was destroyed in a fire on Dec. 23.
  Rob Robinson had been living in a trailer on a hobby farm near the HUB at Cowichan Station.
  At approximately 7:30 a.m. on Dec. 23, just two days before Christmas, Robinson was in the barn feeding the farm’s rescue animals when his trailer was consumed by flames.
  While he was fortunate and escaped injury, he lost his trailer and all his possessions.
  Zach Williams, who lives in a house on th
  
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• Nanaimo News Bulletin’s most-read arts and entertainment stories of 2025

  30-12-2025 23:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  1. Nanaimo country music star breaks through to win two CCMA awards, Sept. 14.
  A rising country music star from Nanaimo made another breakthrough and is the fan’s choice in Canada.
  Cameron Whitcomb was one of the big winners at the Canadian Country Music Association Awards on Sept. 13 at Prospera Place in Kelowna.
  Whitcomb, the singer of Quitter and Gasoline and Matches, won the Fan’s Choice Award at the CCMAs, and also captured Breakthrough Artist of the Year.
  “This weekend ha
  
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• Vancouver woman dead after ‘mysterious’ Coquihalla Hwy. collision near Hope

  30-12-2025 23:14 via nanaimobulletin.com
  BC Highway Patrol are asking for the public’s help in solving a “mysterious collision” on the Coquihalla Highway near Hope that killed a Vancouver driver.
  According to police, the 21-year-old woman was fatally injured on Dec. 27 when the white Toyota Yaris she was driving, on the southbound lanes between the Sowaqua chain-up area and Othello Road, went down an embankment. The woman was taken to the hospital but succumbed to her injuries two days later.
  “This crash occurre
  
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• Oliver twist: B.C. baby name battle rooted firmly in Dickensian literary conflict

  30-12-2025 23:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  The latest round in a “battle” that has been going on since 1837 has seen Noah overtake Oliver as the most popular baby name in B.C.
  Noah was the top name for British Columbia babies in 2022 and 2023, before being overtaken by Oliver in 2024. However, “Noah” staged a comeback in 2025, with 198 more choices than Oliver.
  According to B.C.’s Vital Statistics Agency, the top 10 baby names in the province in 2025 were Noah, Oliver, Theodore, Liam, Olivia, Charlotte, Jack
  
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• B.C.’s North Coast highway shut down after heavy rainfall, washouts

  30-12-2025 22:49 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Extreme flooding caused by heavy rainfall continues to plague the North Coast.
  A 5.3-kilometre stretch of Highway 16 between Lawnhill Road and Miller Road on Haida Gwaii was shut down on Dec. 29 after a major washout.
  The highway closure was also extended between Prince Rupert and Terrace due to slushy and slippery sections, as well as rain on compact snow, cutting off access between the two cities.
  Assessments and construction are underway in all affected areas and there are no detours availabl
  
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• Ardell Eva Ramage (née Crack)

  30-12-2025 22:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  December 13th, 1941 – October 16th, 2025
  Ardell passed away peacefully at home in Nanaimo in the company of family and friends. She is survived by son Robert, daughter Denise, brother Roy, ex-husband William, extended family, and countless friends. She was predeceased by father Thomas and mother Mabel. Ardell grew up in Nelson, Lethbridge, and Nanaimo, graduating from Nanaimo District Secondary School in 1959. Friends and family remember her as highly organized, intelligent, fun-loving, an
  
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• Donations pour in for Nanaimo pets displaced by motel fire

  30-12-2025 22:10 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Donations for impacted families have been collected following a Boxing Day fire at a motel in Nanaimo, and there’s also been an outpouring of support for their pets.
  Nanaimo Animal Control made a Facebook post on Monday, Dec. 29, requesting donations of supplies to go to pet owners displaced due to a fire the previous week at Value Lodge Motel on Nicol Street.
  “Within two hours I’ve never seen this building get so busy,” said Jordan Briggs, Nanaimo Animal Control pound cl
  
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