Nanaimo news

• Kelowna drag star gets approval to push forward with defamation suit

  16-10-2026 00:40 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A defamation suit filed against Action4Canada is allowed to proceed.Justice Hardwick ruled in BC Supreme Court in Kelowna on Sept. 1 that Tyson Cook, also known as drag star Freida Whales, may continue with his suit claiming defamation by Action4Canada after the organization publicly opposed drag story time.Cook filed the suit on Dec. 19, 2024, alleging Action4Canada published false statements about Cook. The suit also names Graeme Flannigan, Tammy Ann Mitchell, Tori Olason and Person A as havin
  
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• Fully costed BC Conservative platform coming today, Doerkson promises in Delta

  19-10-2026 00:22 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  B.C. Conservative leader Lorne Doerkson promises a fully costed party platform will be available later this afternoon (Sunday, Oct. 18).
  Doerkson was asked about the platform by a reporter at a media event held to announce the party’s “Thriving Kids Plan.” Doerkson was joined by Conservative candidates from around the region including Delta South’s Ian Paton – whose farm provided the backdrop for the event – and Delta North’s Monica Mohan.Among the plank
  
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• Column: Vancouver Island needs housing for the workers its communities rely on

  18-10-2026 23:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Everyone wants a nurse on call when their chest hurts. The argument begins when that nurse needs an apartment down the street.
  Vancouver Island faces a contradiction between the public services residents expect and the housing they will accommodate.
  We want staffed emergency departments, available daycare spaces, reliable home support for seniors and businesses that stay open. Those expectations require people. Those people need somewhere to live.
  Yet propose apartments or townhouses in an estab
  
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• Business Notes: Get ready for the annual Witches’ Dance at Lobelia’s Lair on Halloween

  18-10-2026 14:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  It’s almost time for the annual Witches’ Dance at Nanaimo’s Lobelia’s Lair Metaphysical Treasures.
  Dana Gray, owner of the shop that is devoted to all things mystical and spiritual, said up to 70 witches will perform the Witches’ Dance at 2 p.m. on Oct. 31 in front of Lobelia’s Lair, located at #8 321 Wesley St.
  But Gray pointed out that the dancing witches are not associated with the devil and evil doings, as so many people have been taught to believe.
  &ldquo
  
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• Ken Sim out as Vancouver mayor, voters move left with Pete Fry

  18-10-2026 08:22 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Green Party of Vancouver’s Pete Fry is the new mayor of B.C.’s largest city, Vancouver.
  Fry beat out incumbent Ken Sim, of ABC Vancouver, by more than 20,000 votes as of 11:20 p.m. on Saturday (Oct. 17).
  As of 11:20 p.m., Fry had 70,183. Sim had 49,780 votes. There had been 106 out of 149 polling locations counted at that point.
  Fry took to the stage for his winning speech shortly after 10:30 p.m. on Saturday (Oct. 17). At that time, 75 out of 149 polling locations had been counted.
  
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• Leonard Krog wins re-election as mayor of Nanaimo

  18-10-2026 07:31 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Leonard Krog will remain mayor of Nanaimo for the next four years.
  Preliminary results from the municipal election on Oct. 17 indicates that Krog won the mayoral race with 10,368 votes, handily beating out contenders Sarah Lovegrove (8,461 votes), Anne Marie Dryden (6,084 votes) and Brunie Brunie (327 votes).
  Six incumbent Nanaimo councillors will also retain their seats.
  They include Ben Geselbracht (12,399 votes), Paul Manly (12,052 votes), Hilary Eastmure (10,660 votes), Sheryl Armstrong (9,3
  
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• Leonard Krog wins re-election as City of Nanaimo mayor

  18-10-2026 07:31 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Leonard Krog will remain mayor of Nanaimo for the next four years.
  Preliminary results from the municipal election on Saturday, Oct. 17 indicates that Krog won the mayoral race with 10,368 votes, beating out contenders Sarah Lovegrove (8,461 votes), Anne Marie Dryden (6,084 votes) and Brunie Brunie (327 votes).
  Six incumbent Nanaimo councillors will also retain their seats.
  They include Ben Geselbracht (12,399 votes), Paul Manly (12,052 votes), Hilary Eastmure (10,660 votes), Sheryl Armstrong (9
  
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• B.C’s newest municipality Okanagan Falls’ elects inaugural mayor and council

  18-10-2026 07:16 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  B.C.’s newest municipality has its first mayor. Matt Taylor has been elected mayor of the District of Okanagan Falls.
  According to Civic Info BC, Taylor received 780 votes to Tyler Johnsen’s 312 and Glen Innes’ 106.
  The Penticton Western spoke with Taylor shortly after he received the news himself.
  “I feel good,” said Taylor. “I think it was a decisive result, and I look forward to being able to benefit the community with having some experience in government.&
  
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• Lantzville council election results show almost no incumbents re-elected

  18-10-2026 06:58 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Preliminary election results indicate that a new slate of councillors will be elected for Lantzville council.
  The preliminary results, issued on Oct. 17 show that Scott Mack has received the most votes for councillor, 990 votes; followed by John Westby, 938 votes; incumbent Jonathan Lerner, with 881 votes; and Lee Forsyth with 843 votes.
  As there are four councillors set to be elected, it means that if these results hold, Mack, Westby, and Forsyth will be elected to council, while Lerner will be
  
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• Fatalities, injuries after fire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta

  18-10-2026 05:51 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  National Defence Minister David McGuinty confirms there have been both fatalities and injuries after an incident at CFB Wainwright in Alberta.
  McGuinty provided the update in a late-night news conference in Ottawa Saturday.
  “I’m saddened to share that there have been both fatalities and injuries as a result of an incident on the base.
  McGuinty couldn’t provide specific numbers on those dead or injured. He called it an “active and delicate situation.”
  Wainwright RCMP
  
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• LIVE – Nanaimo council election

  18-10-2026 05:32 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Welcome to the Nanaimo News Bulletin live results for the Nanaimo municipal election. All updates will be posted here as they appear.Sheila Gurrie, @cityofnanaimo chief election officer, says advance voting60%. Over 7k voters. 4k in 2022. Gurrie believes it breaks records.
  — Karl Yu (@KarlYuBulletin) October 18, 2026View this post on InstagramA post shared by Karl Yu (@karlyubulletin)
  
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• Calgary Stampeders keep playoff hopes alive after 32-13 win over B.C. Lions

  18-10-2026 03:50 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Vernon Adams Jr. tossed for 324 yards and a touchdown, leading the Calgary Stampeders to a 32-13 win over the visiting B.C. Lions in CFL action Saturday at McMahon Stadium.With the win the Stamps (9-9) kept their playoff hopes alive as they jockey for position in the West Division with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The Lions (10-7) have already clinched second place in the division and will host the West Semifinal on Oct. 31 at BC Place.Quincy Vaughn had two short touch
  
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• Kucherov tallies 2 as Lightning rally to double Vancouver Canucks 4-2

  18-10-2026 00:44 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Jake Guentzel’s goal early in the third period stood up as the winner, helping the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 4-2 win over the visiting Vancouver Canucks in NHL action Saturday afternoon atBenchmark International Arena in Tampa, Fla.
  Nikita Kucherov (2) and Pontus Holmberg had the other goals for the Lightning (6-2-0), with Dennis Hildeby making 12 saves to earn the win in goal.
  Linus Karlsson and centre Elias Pettersson replied for the Canucks (2-7-1), who finished winless on a six-game roa
  
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• LETTER TO THE EDITOR: MAiD: A ‘travesty of justice’

  17-10-2026 20:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  To the editor
  Recently I read the federal government was going to indefinitely exclude people suffering from mental illness from access to MAiD (Medical Assistance in Dying). The restrictive MAiD regulations have been drafted by callous, self-righteous people who are willing to turn a blind eye to the ongoing suffering of others.
  Numerous people, especially seniors, have fears about the future; namely, becoming physically or mentally incapacitated (partially or severely) and then being forced to
  
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• Valemount’s acclaimed mayor powerless due to sexual assault charge

  17-10-2026 19:53 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Owen Michael Torgerson, who ran uncontested for his third term as Mayor of Valemount, has been charged with sexual assault.
  When Torgerson can resume his political duties is unknown.
  Torgerson’s case came before Judge Cassandra Malfair in Prince George Provincial Court on Friday, Oct. 16. He was not there, but his lawyer, Jay Michi of Kamloops, appeared via videoconference on his behalf.
  Malfair agreed to Crown prosecutor Lisa Sukkau’s application for a publication ban to protect the
  
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• COLUMN: My camera’s getting old

  17-10-2026 14:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  My editor recently told me that my old Nikon D70s digital camera is nearing the end of its usefulness.
  She said the well-used camera, which I’ve dragged around me with during the last 26 years of my writing career and produced thousands of photos that ended up in publication, is now taking grainy pictures due to its advancing age.
  My editor said that, generally, most cameras have a life span of about 10 years, so I guess mine should be in a museum somewhere.
  I was surprised because to my k
  
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• QUIZ: Preparing for winter driving conditions

  17-10-2026 13:50 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  While winter is still a few weeks away, Canadians are putting winter tires on their vehicles and preparing for cold-weather driving conditions.
  Elsewhere, some parts of the country are already dealing with winter conditions.
  In past years, Canada has experienced some extreme blizzards and winter storms, in many parts of the country.
  Canada tends to prepare for snowy driving conditions, spending more than $1 billion a year to clear snow from streets.
  Are you prepared for the winter driving season
  
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• Phone scam spoofing Kelowna RCMP’s non-emergency line targets Canadians

  17-10-2026 03:09 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Individuals across Canada are receiving calls from someone alleging to be an RCMP officer, and the number appears to originate from the Kelowna detachment’s legitimate non-emergency line.
  These calls are a phone scam, where the fraudster appears genuinely connected to the Kelowna RCMP, in order to deceive individuals into providing sensitive personal and financial information.
  After receiving a significant number of reports from people claiming to have received fraudulent calls from the Ke
  
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• Tumbler Ridge shooter alleged co-conspirator indicted by U.S. grand jury

  17-10-2026 02:42 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A grand jury in Washington State indicted the alleged co-conspirator in the fatal Tumbler Ridge mass shooting, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
  James Cody Bryant, 30, was indicted Wednesday (Oct. 14) by a grand jury sitting in the Western District of Washington for conspiracy to murder persons in a foreign country for Bryant’s alleged role in the school shooting that left seven people, including the shooter, dead at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School on Feb. 10. The charge is spe
  
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• OPINION: Access to sport shouldn’t depend on where you live in B.C.

  17-10-2026 02:23 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  In communities across British Columbia, sport is about much more than competition. It’s where children build friendships, volunteers bring neighbours together, and families gather at local arenas, fields, pools and recreation centres. But for too many families, particularly in smaller and rural communities, the opportunity to participate is becoming increasingly difficult to afford.
  As British Columbians prepare to vote in municipal and provincial elections, affordability is understandably
  
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• OPINION: Access to sport in B.C. shouldn’t depend on where you live

  17-10-2026 02:23 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  In communities across British Columbia, sport is about much more than competition. It’s where children build friendships, volunteers bring neighbours together, and families gather at local arenas, fields, pools and recreation centres. But for too many families, particularly in smaller and rural communities, the opportunity to participate is becoming increasingly difficult to afford.
  As British Columbians prepare to vote in municipal and provincial elections, affordability is understandably
  
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• Headline history: Detached feet found on beaches near Nanaimo made global news

  17-10-2026 02:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The case of two detached human feet that were found on beaches near Nanaimo grabbed headlines around the world in the late summer of 2007.
  The Nanaimo News Bulletin story, which was published on Sept. 1, 2007, described the finding of the first two feet, with the initial one discovered washed up on a beach on Jedidiah Island, located on the Sunshine Coast north of Nanaimo, and the other one was found on a beach on Gabriola Island a week later.
  Both were right feet with socks still on them and in
  
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• Nanaimo RCMP seeks help in search of man who scared young girls

  17-10-2026 01:29 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Nanaimo RCMP is recognizing the good judgment shown by two young girls who sought assistance following an uncomfortable encounter with an unknown man.
  The incident occurred just before 3 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 15, on Walbank Road, near Sechelt Drive, according to a Nanaimo RCMP press release.
  The youths, ages 12 and 13, reported that after passing an unknown man, they became concerned when he began walking quickly in their direction.
  Trusting their instincts, they ran to a nearby residence and s
  
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• B.C. Conservative candidate says First Nations ‘conquered’ comment taken out of context

  17-10-2026 00:37 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Conservative candidate for Juan de Fuca-Malahat Mike Hicks was under fire Friday for saying at an Oct. 9 debate that First Nations must be “conquered.”
  But he says the remarks are being taken out of context.
  Hicks said in an interview that he meant that, by law, if a First Nation is unconquered, treaties must be negotiated.“In law, as I understand it, English law, you can’t just move into an area and take it over; you either have to conquer the First Nations in a war or s
  
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• Sturko promises 25K new school spaces

  17-10-2026 00:20 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  CentreBC leader Elenore Sturko said,during a visit to Langley on Friday, Oct. 16, that her party would provide permanent spaces for 25,000 more students in B.C. public schools.
  She said the new classroom spaces will be in place by 2031, with the districts with the most portables and fastest growth targeted first.
  “We’ll keep class size and class composition limits in teachers contacts and fund them fully,” Sturko said.
  Among her promises was to bring back letter grades for stud
  
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• Provincial candidates for Nanaimo discuss addictions, homelessness at forum

  17-10-2026 00:15 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Issues around public safety, homelessness, mental health and addictions were some of a variety of topics discussed by six candidates in the Nanaimo-Gabriola Island and Nanaimo-Lantzville ridings at an all-candidates forum.
  The candidates at the forum, which was hosted by the Greater Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce on Oct. 13, were asked what role the provincial government should play in dealing with these issues.
  Sheila Malcolmson, the NDP representative for Nanaimo-Gabriola Island, started the disc
  
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• BC Conservatives say Massey Bridge plan would pay for new hospital

  16-10-2026 23:53 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  BC Conservative Leader Lorne Doerkson says the money saved by building a bridge to replace the aging George Massey Tunnel would pay for construction of a new hospital for women and children south of the Fraser.
  At a press conference in Port Moody Friday morning (Oct. 16), Doerkson expanded on the previous day’s press release wherein the party committed to scrapping the planned eight-lane replacement tunnel in favour of a 10-lane “George Massey Bridge,” completing the Surrey Hos
  
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• Prince George RCMP cleared of criminal wrongdoing in 2025 man’s death

  16-10-2026 23:44 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A report released Friday by B.C.’s police watchdog found no reasonable grounds to believe Prince George RCMP officers committed an offence in connection with a man’s death in August 2025.
  According to the Independent Investigations Office of B.C. (IIO) report, around 4:54 a.m. on Aug. 24, 2025, a civilian witness called 911 to report the sounds of someone “screaming and smashing stuff” in a neighbouring home.
  First on scene were three officers wearing body cameras who wer
  
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• Cathy Whitehead

  16-10-2026 23:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  In Loving Memory ~
  December 1, 1952 – August 31, 2026
  Cathy Whitehead, 73, of Nanoose Bay, passed away peacefully on August 31, 2026.
  Cathy made every day an adventure and had a knack for finding an amusing anecdote in almost all things. Everything could be a story and any story she told was prone to being rendered incoherent by her uncontrolled laughter at what she was about to say.
  Her story began in Burnaby General on December 1, 1952, and continued with a childhood in Burnaby and later
  
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• Crown rests its case in Surrey 2nd-degree murder trial for Adam Mann

  16-10-2026 23:27 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Crown counsel rested its case in the second-degree murder trial of Adam Troy Mann in B.C. Supreme Court in New Westminster Friday after hearing from a final witness.It is not yet known if Mann, who is accused of stabbing and killing Surrey’s Tori Dunn in June of 2024 in the Port Kells home she shared with boyfriend Trafford Wace, will testify.Crown counsel Tim Livingston questioned RCMP Sgt. Evelyn Hui, a forensic identification specialist who works at RCMP E-Division headquarters in Surre
  
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