Nanaimo news

• More evacuation orders issued for Pear Lake fire near Clinton

  24-07-2026 18:49 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) has expanded an evacuation order west of Clinton due to the Pear Lake wildfire, and BC Hydro is warning of the possibility of power fluctuations due to threats to the Kelly Lake substation in the order area.
  At 11 p.m. on Thursday (July 23), the TNRD expanded an evacuation order for properties west of Clinton, bringing to 58 the number of addressed properties affected.
  On July 20, the TNRD placed Downing Provincial Park and Downing Day Use area on eva
  
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• Toad migration well underway in rural Cowichan

  24-07-2026 22:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Back for another year, the Western Toad community is on the move in rural Cowichan.
  The Great Western Toads are actively migrating from the wetlands to their terrestrial habitats. Sahtlam, Glenora, and Cowichan Station are hotspots for the little green amphibians.
  Wake Lake has been a prime spot for toads over the years, including this year. While structures are in place to divert them safely, many still attempt to cross the street. Riverbottom Road and Barnjum Road in particular often see high
  
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• Senior dies after being hit by SUV in Nanaimo

  24-07-2026 21:54 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A senior is dead after being hit by a sport utility vehicle in Nanaimo last night.
  In a press release, Nanaimo RCMP said first responders were on the scene of a fatal motor vehicle collision at Departure Bay Road, near Argyle Street, around 5 p.m. on Thursday, July 23.
  Based on the preliminary investigation, a man in his late 70s was hit while standing by his vehicle that was parked off the road. He was struck after an SUV left the road, driven by a man also in his late 70s.
  The first man sustai
  
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• Village of Clinton evacuated due to fast-growing Pear Lake fire

  24-07-2026 21:18 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Evacuation orders have been issued for just under 600 residents of the Village of Clinton and for properties north and south of Clinton along Highway 97 due to the Pear Lake wildfire west of the community.
  An evacuation alert has also been issued for properties along Highway 97 from north of Loon Lake Road to Six Mile Lake.
  The Village of Clinton issued the evacuation order on Friday morning (July 24). It covers all properties within the Village of Clinton boundaries. The Village was last evacua
  
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• Rescued osprey chick returned to Sooke nest after eagle attack

  24-07-2026 21:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A young osprey is back in its nest overlooking Sooke’s Fred Milne Park after surviving an eagle attack, thanks to a coordinated rescue involving residents, wildlife volunteers, veterinarians and businesses.
  The rescue began on July 15, at around 6 p.m., when Vanessa Wright and her two sons, Thyssen and Phalen DeWit, were practising baseball at the ball fields. They watched as a bald eagle swooped down to an osprey nest atop one of the field’s light standards, grabbed a chick and then
  
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• Victoria Symphony no longer performing in David Foster harbour concert

  24-07-2026 20:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Victoria Symphony will no longer accompany David Foster and Friends during the David Foster Foundation’s free 40th Anniversary Victoria Harbour Concert, but organizers say the show will go ahead as planned.
  The David Foster Foundation announced the orchestra will no longer be part of the performance. Despite the update, organizers say the concert remains on track and will continue to be a free event celebrating the foundation’s 40th anniversary and thanking the Victoria community
  
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• B.C. parents call out province funding cut for 2SLGBTQ+ anti-bullying program

  24-07-2026 20:05 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Hours after Langford’s first Pride crosswalk was painted in 2024, it was vandalized – twice.
  For Coun. Kimberley Guiry, what she remembers isn’t the act itself, but how the students who advocated for the crosswalk responded.
  “I get really emotional, because they were so amazing,” she said. “They showed up in that moment of being discriminated against by their own community.”
  The students, members of Spencer Middle School’s Sexual Orientation and Ge
  
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• Opera Nanaimo to perform selections from opera at Nanoose Bay café outdoor area

  24-07-2026 20:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Opera Nanaimo will be performing selections from opera and musical theatre at a café in Nanoose Bay.
  Voices in the Vineyard, will be featuring four soloists who will be singing in what Opera Nanaimo say will be a delightful afternoon of music, according to the website.
  In a e-mail provided, the four soloists include soprano Emma Jang, mezzo-soprano Taryn Plater, tenor Adam Dyjach and bass Liam Robertson.
  The concert will be taking place at Nanoose Bay Cafe outdoor area on July 26 at 2:30
  
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• VIDEO: Happy hump day: Vancouver Island angler reels in whale of a surprise

  24-07-2026 19:43 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  When Vic West resident David Jenvey cast a line from the end of the Breakwater, he was hoping to reel in a fish or two.
  Instead, he caught something far more memorable – a front-row seat to the sight of a humpback whale surfacing in Victoria’s Outer Harbour.
  The fleeting encounter unfolded Tuesday morning (July 21), with only Jenvey there to witness the giant marine mammal gliding through the calm waters, seemingly departing the harbour.
  First alerted by the unmistakable whoosh of a
  
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• Shuswap farmers call for better water management as fish protection order looms

  24-07-2026 19:14 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  As an imminent temporary protection order threatens to dry out farms along the Salmon River Valley amid serious drought conditions, farmers in Silver Creek are wondering what can be done in the short-term to keep their farms viable, while questioning the long-term planning that has allowed the river to become depleted.The BC Cattlemen’s Association has taken a leading role in working with the province on finding solutions to this year’s historic drought, chief among them being to add
  
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• Concerns for Shuswap farmers rise as water levels drop

  24-07-2026 19:14 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  As an imminent temporary protection order threatens to dry out farms along the Salmon River Valley amid serious drought conditions, farmers in Silver Creek are wondering what can be done in the short-term to keep their farms viable, while questioning the long-term planning that has allowed the river to become depleted.The BC Cattlemen’s Association has taken a leading role in working with the province on finding solutions to this year’s historic drought, chief among them being to add
  
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• Illegal Shawnigan Lake fireworks display under provincial investigation

  24-07-2026 18:45 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Those responsible for an illegal fireworks display near the Galley Restaurant at Shawnigan Lake on July 19 were not ticketed by police, but the incident remains under investigation by provincial authorities.
  Shawnigan Lake RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Alex Bérubé said the fireworks, which began around 10 p.m. and lasted just under 30 minutes, were part of a wedding celebration.
  “The fire department responded and educated the parties involved,” Bérubé said. &ldqu
  
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• Search and rescue teams come together to lift injured hiker from Juan de Fuca Trail

  24-07-2026 18:15 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Teamwork proved key as a series of search and rescue teams came together to get a hiker off the Juan de Fuca Trail Sunday (July 19).The Juan de Fuca SAR team was called out that afternoon to help someone with an ankle injury. That crew called on its cohorts at Metchosin, BC Emergency Health Services, and North Shore Rescue’s long-line team for extraction due to the extremely difficult terrain.The injured person was lifted from the bush safely.
  “We would like to wish our hiker a smoot
  
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• Former Comox Valley resident accused of crypto fraud

  24-07-2026 18:13 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A former Comox Valley resident and business owner has been accused of almost $5 million in cryptocurrency fraud by the BC Securities Commission (BCSC).
  BCSC alleges that Connor Sinclair Gardiner-Ingram committed $4.6 million in fraud by convincing dozens to invest in cryptocurrency trading bots on the premise that after a specific time period the investor would receive profits.
  A crypto trading bot is an automated software program that buys and sells cryptocurrency on a trader’s behalf at
  
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• Former Comox Valley resident accused of $4.6 million in crypto fraud

  24-07-2026 18:13 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A former Comox Valley resident and business owner has been accused of almost $5 million in cryptocurrency fraud by the BC Securities Commission (BCSC).
  BCSC alleges that Connor Sinclair Gardiner-Ingram committed $4.6 million in fraud by convincing dozens to invest in cryptocurrency trading bots on the premise that after a specific time period the investor would receive profits.
  A crypto trading bot is an automated software program that buys and sells cryptocurrency on a trader’s behalf at
  
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• Victoria police chief says there’s hope despite ongoing social order issues

  24-07-2026 18:11 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Victoria Police Department so far sees an 8.7 per cent increase in calls compared to this time last year –responding to 27,053 so far in 2026 – but it’s not a clear sign of increased crime, the police chief told council in an update Thursday (July 23).
  The increase in calls for service can also be attributed to a rise in responsiveness, more proactive policing and an increase in resident and business owner willingness to call in, Chief Fiona Wilson said during the morning commi
  
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• 11 accounted for after fiery seaplane crash between Vancouver Island, Washington

  24-07-2026 18:06 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  All 10 passengers and a pilot are accounted for after a Kenmore Air seaplane crashed roughly 55 kilometres north-northeast of Victoria.
  The incident occurred Thursday evening (July 23) around 5:15 p.m., in Shallow Bay near Sucia Island, Wash.
  The flight had departed from Seattle and was bound for San Juan Island’s Roche Harbor.
  Emergency responders, including the United States Coast Guard, U.S. Navy, plus Canadian and U.S. emergency personnel, responded immediately to the scene.
  According
  
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• 2 Southern Vancouver Island wildfires listed as being held

  24-07-2026 16:52 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A small wildfire in Goldstream Provincial Park is being held.
  The fire was discovered Thursday (July 23) evening and is reported to be 0.009 hectares in size. Its location is near the Skirt Mountain Trail within the park, northeast of the Goldstream Provincial Park Prospector Campground.
  Initially classified as ‘out of control’, the BC Wildfire Service listed the fire as ‘being held’ Friday morning (July 24) at 7:15 a.m. The fire is expected, based on fuel and weather con
  
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• PHOTOS: BC Summer Games officially underway following opening ceremony in Kelowna

  24-07-2026 16:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Heavy smoke in the Okanagan Valley may have postponed all outdoor sports during Day 1 of the 2026 BC Summer Games in Kelowna, but that didn’t stop the opening ceremony from taking place at Prospera Place Thursday evening (July 23).
  ​Roughly 5,000 people, including more than 3,000 athletes, jammed into the downtown arena to get a glimpse of the cauldron being lit, officially marking the kickoff to the 2026 BC Summer Games, which is set to host 19 different sports between July 23-26.
  &
  
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• Historic plane grounded in Kelowna after test flight, won’t attend Abbotsford Airshow

  24-07-2026 15:53 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The 2026 Abbotsford Airshow will be without the Odyssey DC-3 after a component issue was discovered during a routine post-flight inspection in Kelowna.
  ​The aircraft flew around the world as part of Expo ‘86 and was in the process of being restored to make an appearance in Abbotsford 40 years later.
  ​The 90-year-old plane returned to the Kelowna skies on July 22 for two confidence flights, but afterwards was ultimately grounded following the inspection.
  ​“While we s
  
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• B.C. man joins cast of Crave’s newest reality dating show

  24-07-2026 15:26 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A Kelowna man will be looking for love on Crave’s new reality series Temptations Under the Sun: Cyprus.
  ​Twenty-two-year-old Kaelen Berg will join 16 other Canadians for a 10-episode series filled with temptation, twists and turns, surprises and challenges.
  ​Intimacy Expert Shan Boodram will host the show, which Crave calls a strategic game of desire that crowns one duo as Canada’s Most Seductive Couple.
  ​Berg is entering the show as a bartender and student, hoping
  
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• Nanaimo groups want Townsite Chinese Cemetery restored

  24-07-2026 14:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Jerry Hong wants to see some major restoration work at the city-owned Townsite Chinese Cemetery, located on Townsite Road.
  Hong, president of the Nanaimo Chinese Cultural Society and a former city councillor, said the cemetery, built in 1924, is a rare and visible link with the rich history and heritage of the city’s Chinese population.
  But he said the cemetery, with its brightly painted entry gates, has fallen into disrepair over the years, and much work needs to be completed to make it i
  
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• Evacuation order issued for properties south of Hell’s Gate due to Brunswick Complex fires

  24-07-2026 14:24 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Due to the Brunswick Complex wildfires, the Fraser Valley Regional District upgraded an evacuation alert to an evacuation order on Thursday night (July 23) for properties south of Hells Gate to north of Alexandra Lodge.
  The order only applies to properties within the FVRD electoral area.
  Spuzzum First Nation has also upgraded an evacuation alert to an evacuation order for the Yelakin IR 4 and 4A, Long Tunnel IR 5 and 5A reserve lands.
  FVRD evacuation orders remain in effect for properties in Bos
  
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• Crime rate decreases for 2nd year in a row in Canada

  24-07-2026 02:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Canada’s crime rate was down again in 2025, a trend nationally across almost all provinces and territories.
  Statistics Canada released the 2025 police-reported crime statistics Wednesday (July 22), showing a decline in the crime severity index nationally and in most provinces and territories. The crime rate measures the number of crimes per 100,000 people, while the crime severity index measures the rate based on the severity of the crimes.1 province, 1 territory report and increase in cri
  
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• Athletes ride Ellison Lake on day 1 of the Kelowna 2026 BC Summer Games

  24-07-2026 02:08 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Kelowna is a busy place as youth athletes compete at the 2026 B.C. Summer Games.While many athletes had day one, July 23, to get in one last practice, youth participating in artistic swimming, basketball, canoe/kayak, sailing, ultimate, and towed water sports started the competition.Salmon Arm’s Tenley Davis is a towed water sport athlete and competed in tricks on the first day.Davis explained the athletes get two ride-bys to show off their tricks. Athletes are also allowed two falls and a
  
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• BC Fruit Growers seek support as Vernon water dries up

  24-07-2026 01:54 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  As the drought continues and water sources dry up, local farmers are calling for a more coordinated approach to ensuring their crops, and livelihoods, don’t die.
  The BC Fruit Growers’ Association (BCFGA) is calling on Greater Vernon Water and the Regional District of North Okanagan to halt the current approach to agricultural water shut-offs and immediately establish a coordinated management plan with growers and senior government.
  In the middle of the growing season (as of July 13),
  
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• Hwy. 1 through Fraser Canyon, Hwy. 3 east of Hope remain closed due to fires

  24-07-2026 01:14 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Wildfires in the Southern Interior are severely impacting area highways, with two major routes closed to traffic.
  Drivers travelling east of Hope are advised that Highway 3 (Hope-Princeton Highway) is closed between the Hope Slide/Sunshine Valley area and eight kilometres west of Manning Park Lodge.
  Overhead signs and portable message boards are in place to alert travellers to the closure, which will remain in place until it is safe to reopen the corridor.
  Highway 1 is closed near Boston Bar bec
  
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• TELUS Living Nanaimo opens in downtown Nanaimo

  24-07-2026 01:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Another 195 rental-housing units have been added to Nanaimo’s growing downtown core.
  After approximately three years of construction, TELUS, a major Canadian telecommunications and technology company, held the grand opening of its Telus Living Nanaimo building, located at 235 Wallace St., on Thursday, July 23.
  The structure is a multi-storey, mixed-use building that is adding much-needed housing units in downtown Nanaimo.
  “The Nanaimo development represents exactly what TELUS Living
  
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• PHOTOS: BC Summer Games kicks off in Kelowna

  24-07-2026 00:28 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The 2026 BC Summer Games have begun.
  Over 3,000 athletes, coaches and officials are in town as the Summer Games had its first day of competitions in Kelowna.
  The games take place from July 22 to 26, with youth athletes from across B.C. competing in 19 categories of sport.On Thursday, July 24, the first competitions were held.Kayakers took to Parkinson Recreation Centre in the morning to play a Kayak Polo tournament.
  Later in the day, basketball teams played a tournament at Okanagan Mission Secon
  
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• Eby talks about carrying a ‘big stick’ in tariff negotiations, while Carney keeps cards close

  24-07-2026 00:17 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Despite talk of unity in the face of U.S. tariff threats, when Canada’s premiers and prime minister met in Charlottetown, P.E.I., this week, the divisions in strategy were on full display.
  Prime Minister Mark Carney, meanwhile, kept his cards close to his chest, saying that “everything’s on the table if there’s no agreement,” but deflecting every question asking what that means.
  He even refuted the notion that he is optimistic about getting a deal done before U.S. P
  
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