Nanaimo news

• Malahat Legion celebrates 100 years on July 17

  16-07-2026 19:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Malahat Legion Branch 134 is celebrating its centennial year on July 17, as it first got its start on the same day in 1926.
  Its three core mandates are to support remembrance, support veterans, and to support the community.
  “One hundred years of service under those three main mandates is awesome,” said Legion Honours and Awards officer James Heath. “The Legion does some incredible stuff that sometimes may be overlooked, simply because we are always there.”
  To honour t
  
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• New Nanaimo theatre group planning first show

  16-07-2026 22:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A new Nanaimo theatre group has been formed and is already planning its first show, Frankie and Johnny In the Clair de Lune, for later this year.
  Butterfly Theatre has been formed by owner and operator Rebecca Godin, who decided to start it after taking a hiatus from producing plays.
  “I continue to act, but I also gave birth to my amazing daughter, who I am raising, and then this past year, I decided it is time to produce a play again,” Godin recalled. “I chose the name butterf
  
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• Man charged after serious assault at Vancouver Island park

  16-07-2026 20:50 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A man has been charged following a serious assault in Saanich’s Gorge Park.
  Saanich police responded to reports of an alleged assault near the Craigflower Bridge on July 11.
  Officers found a male victim suffering from significant but non-life-threatening injuries. The victim was taken to hospital for treatment.
  A portion of Gorge Park was temporarily closed while police conducted an examination of the scene.
  On July 14, police arrested Kyle Dustin David Aird. He has since been charged with
  
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• Trees in Nanaimo save the city $13.7 million, according to a report

  16-07-2026 20:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The total annual economic savings to the City of Nanaimo of all the trees in the municipality is approximately $13.7 million.
  Charlotte Davis, Nanaimo’s deputy director of parks and natural areas, explained to the city’s governance and priorities committee at its meeting on Monday, July 13 that this refers to the monetary cost of all the work and the services that the city’s trees are achieving in terms of climate resiliency that the city doesn’t have to do.
  “Our tr
  
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• The unlikely diplomat: How a B.C. dog became the legislature’s darling

  16-07-2026 20:20 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Leo may have lived in Greater Victoria for less than five years, but the 13-year-old dog has quickly built a reputation as one of the capital region’s most well-known pooches.
  Without saying a word, save for a few enthusiastic butt wiggles, Leo has won the hearts of residents, tourists and politicians alike. Even Prime Minister Mark Carney is among the lucky ones to have crossed paths with him.
  While every story has a beginning, Leo’s story on Vancouver Island began back in 2021, whe
  
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• Deaf community gathers intel with Victoria meeting in wake of resource cuts

  16-07-2026 20:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Deaf community on Vancouver Island is rapidly deploying resources in a bid to learn the impacts in the wake of the closure of two Island Deaf and Hard of Hearing Centre (IDHHC) Association sites.
  IDHHC provided hearing health services to thousands of clients on Vancouver Island through offices in Saanich and Nanaimo up until their sudden closures on June 30.
  The association cited rising costs alongside cuts in funding and donations. In 2023, the province cancelled contracts for family and co
  
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• Saanich police investigating 10 incidents of stolen and damaged speed signs

  16-07-2026 19:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Saanich police are investigating a series of vandalism and theft incidents involving speed reduction signs along Torquay Drive.
  Police say 10 incidents have been reported since April 29 in the 4200, 4300 and 4400 blocks of Torquay Drive, where signs have either been damaged or stolen.
  The most recent incident was reported on July 13.
  Investigators are asking anyone who witnessed the incidents, noticed suspicious activity near the signs, or has information that could assist the investigation to c
  
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• RCAF rescue crews respond to Vancouver Island helicopter crash

  16-07-2026 19:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Royal Canadian Air Force’s (RCAF) 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron, based at 19 Wing Comox, evacuated one survivor of the helicopter crash in the Bute Inlet area on Tuesday, July 16.According to a Facebook post by Campbell River-based West Coast Helicopters, a Hughes 500 helicopter was being flown in the area for forestry operations. At 6:15 a.m., the helicopter went down with a pilot and two forestry workers from CFMG.
  The Search and Rescue (SAR) mission was conducted under the comma
  
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• Lantzville’s Oar Road partially and temporarily closed

  16-07-2026 19:05 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Oar Road will be temporarily and partially closed for four weeks.
  The District of Lantzville, in a press release sent out on Tuesday, July 14, announced that beginning that day, the road will be fully closed due to utilities work.
  On July 21, it will re-open as a partial closure until approximately Aug. 18, when it is expected to re-open.
  People are asked to follow traffic control directions, to drive cautiously and to follow all signage and direction.
  Those who want further information are aske
  
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• Lantzville’s Oar Road partially and temporarily

  16-07-2026 19:05 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Oar Road will be temporarily and partially closed for four weeks.
  The District of Lantzville, in a press release sent out on Tuesday, July 14, announced that beginning that day, the road will be fully closed due to utilities work.
  On July 21, it will re-open as a partial closure until approximately Aug. 18, when it is expected to re-open.
  People are asked to follow traffic control directions, to drive cautiously and to follow all signage and direction.
  Those who want further information are aske
  
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• Court acquits Grand Forks man in Beaver Valley Arena assault case

  16-07-2026 17:54 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A Grand Forks man has been found not guilty of aggravated assault in connection with an altercation at the Beaver Valley Arena during a Kootenay International Junior Hockey League playoff game in 2025.
  Provincial court Judge Rob Brown acquitted Glenn Holbrook on Wednesday, July 15, in Rossland Provincial Court following a trial that began in March and continued over several hearing dates.
  Holbrook, who was 57 at the time of the alleged offence, had faced one count of aggravated assault stemming
  
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• WORLD CUP DAILY, July 16: Argentina heads to the finals for 2nd consecutive time

  16-07-2026 16:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Daily FIFA World Cup soccer match updates and news for Black Press Media publications.
  Argentina is heading to the World Cup final after defeating England 2-1 late in the second half on Wednesday (July 15).
  England scored first in the 55th minute and held on to the 1-0 lead until the 85th minute, when Enzo Fernandez scored the equalizer for Argentina. Less than ten minutes later, during stoppage time, Lautaro Martinez gave Argentina a 2-1 lead, which the team held onto until the final whistle bl
  
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• Nanaimo considers adopting tree-risk management and maintenance policy

  16-07-2026 14:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  City of Nanaimo is considering adopting a tree-risk management and maintenance policy.
  The government and priorities committee voted unanimously to recommend that council adopt the tree policy at its meeting on Monday, July 13 after a presentation by Kirsty MacDonald, the city’s manager of parks operations.
  She said the city manages more than 1,055 hectares of parkland and natural areas, incorporating approximately 686 hectares of urban-tree canopy.
  MacDonald said her department also manag
  
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• B.C. looking to seize White Rock man’s 2 homes in organized crime probe

  16-07-2026 02:26 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The B.C. government is attempting to seize two multimillion-dollar homes belonging to a White Rock man recently arrested in a significant U.S. federal investigation into Indian organized crime groups.
  The investigation, called “Operation Hard Ball,” has led to more than two dozen arrests of individuals connected to three Indian-based transnational organized crime groups: Lawrence Bishnoi, Ravinder Dhanda and Jaggu Bhagwanpuria. Law enforcement is looking for 10 fugitives, seven in th
  
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• Gurdeep Pandher returns to Victoria with a message beyond bhangra

  16-07-2026 01:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Award-winning Yukon educator and community builder Gurdeep Pandher is returning to Victoria this week, inviting residents to step away from daily pressures and spend an afternoon focused on movement, reflection and human connection.
  Pandher will lead a community gathering at 1 p.m. on Friday, July 17, at Irving Park in James Bay Village. The pay-what-you-can event will combine gentle, beginner-friendly movements inspired by bhangra with conversations about mental well-being, finding balance and
  
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• Cyclospora cases in B.C. at ‘typical’ level

  16-07-2026 01:01 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  So far this year, there have been 93 cases reported of cyclospora in B.C., a parasite infection that causes explosive diarrhea, the B.C. Centre for Disease Control estimates.
  Those are typical numbers for this time of year, according to Dr. Mayank Singal, Public Health Physician for enteric, zoonotic, and vector-borne diseases at the BCCDC, who told the Langley Advance Times on Wednesday that the agency is monitoring reports of cyclospora infections “closely, given the outbreak in the U.S.
  
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• Nanaimo RCMP seeks help in locating wanted man

  16-07-2026 01:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Nanaimo RCMP is asking for the public’s assistance in locating Bradley Darnel, 43, who is wanted on an endorsed warrant for allegedly uttering threats.
  The charge stems from an incident at a Winners store in north Nanaimo in February, 2026, where Darnel allegedly threatened store security staff after being directed to leave the premises.
  Investigators have made several attempts to locate Darnel since the incident; however, those efforts have been unsuccessful.
  As a result, a warrant was is
  
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• Cyclospora cases in B.C. at ‘typical’ level

  16-07-2026 01:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  So far this year, there have been 93 cases reported of cyclospora in B.C., a parasitic infection that causes explosive diarrhea, the B.C. Centre for Disease Control estimates.
  Those are typical numbers for this time of year, according to Dr. Mayank Singal, Public Health Physician for enteric, zoonotic, and vector-borne diseases at the BCCDC, who told the Langley Advance Times on Wednesday that the agency is monitoring reports of cyclospora infections “closely, given the outbreak in the U.S
  
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• $8M worth of illicit cannabis seized in four separate enforcement actions in B.C.

  16-07-2026 00:25 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  B.C.’s Community Safety Unit has seized $8 million worth of unlicensed cannabis products in enforcement actions at four separate locations since May, the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General announced on Wednesday (July 15).
  The unit confiscated a “significant” amount of cannabis, including cannabis plants, dried cannabis and cannabis edibles, at warehouses in Richmond, Vancouver and Vernon.
  The Vancouver Police Department and RCMP from Richmond and Vernon helped car
  
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• Residents in City of Nanaimo invited to take part in roving garage sale

  15-07-2026 22:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  City of Nanaimo residents can take part in a roving garage sale style event this weekend.
  The Reuse Rendezvous goes Saturday-Sunday, July 18-19, allowing people to leave clean, gently-used unwanted items at the curb in front of their residences, marked with a “Free” sign, allowing others to browse and take them home, said a press release.
  Items can include furniture, tools, clothing, sporting goods, toys and books that are in “good, usable condition.”
  In order to allow fo
  
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• Victoria whale watching company sale ‘opens the door to reach more people’

  15-07-2026 21:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A longtime local wildlife tour company promises little will change in its relationships with local Indigenous communities, environmental organizations, researchers, educators and community groups in the wake of its sale to Pursuit Attractions and Hospitality.The sale closed Tuesday (July 14) as Pursuit purchased Eagle Wing Tours – Victoria’s top-rated whale watching and marine wildlife experience. Both companies say the business will continue to operate from Fisherman’s Wharf w
  
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• Vancouver Island pilot, forestry worker killed in helicopter crash

  15-07-2026 20:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Two people have died after a helicopter crash in Loughborough Inlet, just north of Sayward on Tuesday morning.
  According to a Facebook post by Campbell River-based West Coast Helicopters, a Hughes 500 helicopter was being flown in the area for forestry operations. At 6:15 a.m., the helicopter went down with a pilot and two forestry workers from CFMG. The pilot, Riley Browne who worked for West Coast Helicopters, and a CFMG crew member did not survive. The other CFMG crew member did survive the c
  
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• Teamwork with First Nation, company, B.C. gov’t helps forest business grow

  15-07-2026 20:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Teamwork was key for bolstering an Indigenous forestry operation in central B.C., stakeholders stated at a business conference in Nanaimo.
  Lake Babine Nation was front and centre at the Seeing the Forest and the Trees panel discussion June 4 at the Indigenous Resource Opportunities Conference in Nanaimo, with Duane Crouse, Lake Babine Nation Forestry operations manager; Jeff Mycock, vice-president of Canadian Woodlands for West Fraser Timber Co.; Mike Beck, operations manager of Capacity Forest
  
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• Antique Truck Show returns to Forest Discovery Centre July 18

  15-07-2026 19:48 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Truck lovers rejoice, the BC Forest Discovery Centre’s annual Antique Truck Show is back for another year. The show comes for one day only: Saturday, July 18.
  “Trucks of all sizes will be displayed, with an amazing barbecue to keep the good times rollin’,” said organizers.
  A standard admission ticket gets you into the centre to see the trucks, along with steam train rides, and access to the museum’s exhibits. Visit the permanent Forest Forever exhibit and the visiti
  
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• Comox to host Island’s first EV-powered movie night

  15-07-2026 19:40 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Comox is going to be the first community on Vancouver Island to host a fully electric vehicle-powered movie night.
  On July 24, BC Hydro and the town of Comox will be hosting a screening of Disney’s Hoppers, and the movie will be powered entirely by an electric vehicle.
  “The event will see noisy, gas‑powered generators replaced with a quiet, setup that runs off an EV battery — eliminating noise, fumes, and emissions,” says a release from BC Hydro. “It’s a
  
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• No tsunami warning after small quake 200 km from Port Hardy

  15-07-2026 19:35 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  No tsunami is expected after a 4.2 magnitude earthquake occurred about 200 km west of Port Hardy Tuesday morning.
  The quake took place at 3:58 a.m. at a depth of 10 km., 197 km west of the Vancouver Island town.
  There was no shaking felt and no damage to any structures.
  There have been 11 other quakes in the same general area so far this year. They have ranged in magnitude from 3.93 to 4.8. In 2025, 27 quakes were registered in the area off northern Vancouver Island.
  
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• New bus pilot project connects Gold River and Campbell River

  15-07-2026 19:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  People wanting to travel between Campbell River and Gold River can now take the bus.
  IslandLinkBus recently launched a pilot project, operating a bus for the summer between the two communities. There is also a stop at the Strathcona Park Lodge. The service will run twice daily in each direction, Thursday through Monday, making it easier to explore the region, connect with communities, and enjoy everything the area has to offer.
  While this is an IslandLinkBus initiative, the SRD will be keeping a
  
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• Island artist stirs memories of Japanese Canadian life during B.C. exile

  15-07-2026 19:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Sitting in Colwood’s Goldfinch Arts Centre, Langford artist Marlene Howell can’t quite believe what she sees.
  “Pinch me,” she says.
  Hanging on the walls around her is a body of work two years in the making, made possible by a grant from the Japanese Canadian Legacies Society.
  “Usually I can do two or three paintings a year, but I promised them 12 because I wanted this project so badly,” she says. “The president of the society at that time said to me, tha
  
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• ‘We will do better’: Vancouver Island district to review prison break alerts

  15-07-2026 19:25 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  How Metchosin residents are alerted in the event of a prison break from the William Head Institution is under scrutiny.
  “I think that Facebook and email just doesn’t cut it,” said Coun. Steve Gray at the July 13 council meeting, reflecting on the events following the escape of “dangerous” prisoner Ernest Egon Jensen last month.
  In the hours after Jensen’s escape on June 28, an alert was posted on the Correctional Service of Canada’s (CSC) Facebook page.
  
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• Island MP Johns calls for less red tape on disability programs

  15-07-2026 19:20 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Nearly 400 people attended a series of Disability Tax Credit workshops hosted by Courtenay-Alberni MP Gord Johns across the riding earlier this month, highlighting a growing need for help navigating federal disability programs.
  Workshops were held in North Nanaimo, Parksville, Port Alberni and Courtenay on July 6 to July 8. High demand required additional sessions in some communities.
  The workshops provided information on Canada’s Disability Tax Credit, related federal disability benefits
  
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