Nanaimo news

• Nanaimo Child Development Centre begins fundraising campaign for new play space

  24-08-2026 14:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Nanaimo Child Development Centre has begun a fundraising campaign to build its long-anticipated new outdoor-play space at its location on Nelson Street.
  Stephanie Schweigert, the NCDC’s lead facilitator of its Drop-In Community Playgroup program, said the centre hopes to raise $50,000 for its new playground during an ongoing six-week campaign that ends on Oct. 1.
  She said what’s so exciting is that the organizers of the Big Kahuna Golf Classic have generously agreed to provide ma
  
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• Bans lifted on off-road vehicles in select B.C. fire centres

  28-08-2026 06:53 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Off-road vehicle prohibitions will be rescinded on Crown land in select B.C. fire centres Friday at 12 p.m. Pacific time, Aug. 28.
  The BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) says restrictions on all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), motorcycles, and off-road side-by-side vehicles will be lifted throughout the Kamloops Fire Centre, 100 Mile House Forest District, and Southeast Fire Centre.
  Partial prohibitions will also be rescinded in the Coastal Fire Centre.
  “Recent precipitation across much of the southern I
  
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• Summerland Mayor, MLA, Minister encourage tourists visit, support businesses after wildfire

  28-08-2026 03:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Mayor of Summerland, its MLA, and the B.C. Minister of Forests are encouraging people to visit the Okanagan to help give local businesses a boost in the wake of a devastating wildfire, and to avoid spending that money on trips across the border.Minister of Forests Ravi Parmar, Penticton-Summerland MLA Amelia Boultbee, and Mayor Doug Holmes spoke with reporters outside Summerland’s town hall on Aug. 27 following a tour of the community.“My ask of all of you is, this is a beautiful
  
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• ‘Our family will never be the same’: Man sentenced to life for B.C. murder

  28-08-2026 02:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A man convicted of second-degree murder in the hatchet attack that killed a 70-year-old man was sentenced Aug. 27 to life in prison with no possibility of parole for 11 years.
  Justice Veronica Jackson sentenced Michael King, 45, who walked into his roommate’s bedroom in Cook Street Village on March 6, 2023 and struck Michael Jones five or six times in the head, leaving him in a pool of his own blood in critical condition.
  Jackson told the court the attack was particularly disturbing becaus
  
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• Advocates, industry looking for answers on 2029 fish farm ban amid Ottawa’s silence

  28-08-2026 02:02 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The federal government’s extended silence over the incoming open-net pen fish farm ban, set to begin in B.C. in 2029, is triggering widespread questions about whether intentions have suddenly changed under a new prime minister.
  When Federal Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson was in Victoria last week, she said that while the plan to ban open-net pen fish farms in B.C. is “certainly still in place,” the government continues to engage with stakeholders to find a path forward.
  &ld
  
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• Nanaimo RCMP is asking for help locating two stolen kayaks

  28-08-2026 02:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Nanaimo RCMP is asking for the public’s assistance in locating two stolen kayaks.
  The kayaks were stolen from a vehicle parked in the underground parkade at 30 Cavan St. in downtown Nanaimo sometime between 10:30 p.m. on Aug. 19, and the morning of Aug. 20.
  As soon as the kayaks were discovered missing, the theft was reported to the police.
  One of the stolen kayaks is described as being short, and coloured short orange and brown, while the other one is blue and white.
  Both kayaks are value
  
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• B.C.’s state of emergency ends, but wildfire risk remains

  28-08-2026 01:36 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The province has ended its state of provincial emergency.
  The state of emergency was first declared Aug. 8 following a night of fast-moving fires, including the Bald Range wildfire that led to the evacuation of the District of Summerland. At the time, more than 20,000 people were evacuated from their homes.
  It was then extended Aug. 21 through to Aug. 29, but the province says the decision to end it early follows advice from emergency management officials.
  However, the province says the wildfire
  
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• Murder conviction, sentencing stands in Surrey 6 slayings

  28-08-2026 00:57 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  One of the men convicted in the 2007 Surrey Six slayings will remain behind bars and continue his life sentences.On Aug. 27 in Vancouver, Justice Martha Devlin delivered her reasons for judgment against Cody Rae Haevischer’s application to have the judge declare a judicial stay of proceedings on the grounds of abuse of process.Six people were shot dead in Suite 1505 of the Balmoral Tower in Whalley on Oct. 19, 2007. The Crown’s theory was that the killings were payback for an unpaid
  
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• Abbotsford South MLA Bruce Banman quits B.C. Conservatives, the 6th in 2 weeks

  28-08-2026 00:53 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Abbotsford South MLA Bruce Banman is the latest to leave the B.C. Conservative caucus, and he plans to sit as an Independent.
  He said in a statement Thursday (Aug. 27) that “person after person has informed me they have decided that our new leader is unelectable.”
  Kerry-Lynne Findlay was elected leader at the end of May, but does not have a seat in the legislature. Abbotsford-Mission MLA Reann Gasper has announced she would step down from her seat to allow Findlay to run in that ridi
  
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• B.C. piloting landscape-level forestry zone-based management

  28-08-2026 00:34 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  B.C. is planning to pilot a new system of forestry zones that Forests Minister Ravi Parmar says will simplify forest management.
  “This is going to help shape the future of forestry,” he said.
  The plan would create three types of zones: a conservation or protection zone that emphasizes habitat protection, a multiple-use zone focused on long-term ecosystem function but allowing different types of uses, and a working forest zone prioritizing harvesting.
  The province is working with Firs
  
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• UPDATE: 12-week strike ends for 300 Canadian railroaders as union settles with arbitration

  28-08-2026 00:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  After three months, labour disruptions have ended for CPKC’s signal and communications department across Canada as the union reluctantly agrees to mediation and arbitration.
  Twelve weeks have passed since the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Canadian Signals and Communications Systems Council No. 11 began striking between Vancouver and Montreal over concerns about CPKC’s wages, employee expenses, on-call obligations and demanding schedules.
  This action started M
  
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• Gord Johns attends Comox Valley’s International Overdose Awareness Day event

  28-08-2026 00:18 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  On Aug. 27, a large crowd gathered at the Comox Valley Art Gallery Plaza to recognize International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD).
  The event was held to honour the lives of people who have died from overdose and those in our community who are still fighting addiction and stigma. The event also served to raise awareness about the toll the overdose crisis is taking on the Comox Valley, B.C. and Canada, largely due to the stigma surrounding mental health and substance use disorders.
  People with liv
  
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• UPDATE: Summerland wildfire no longer ‘of note,’ 24-hour operations not required

  28-08-2026 00:05 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  UPDATE (3 P.M.)
  The Bald Range blaze west of Summerland has been downgraded and is no longer a “wildfire of note,” according to BC Wildfire Service (BCWS).
  BCWS crews welcomed back 100 Mexican wildland firefighters to the scene on Thursday.
  24-hour operations are no longer required with nighttime fire behaviour decreasing and “operations objectives being met,” BCWS said.
  “Ground crews and heavy equipment working at night will be folded into our daytime operations,&r
  
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• New effort underway to fill gap left by closure of VIU’s music program

  28-08-2026 00:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Vancouver Island University’s music program may be gone, but former department chairperson Sasha Koerbler hasn’t given up on bringing music education to interested Nanaimo residents.“In Tune with …” is a new series organized by Koerbler, featuring Canadian guest musicians, offering music clinics, masterclasses and concerts.
  Starting it off will be trumpeter Guy Few and pianist Donna Falconer, who will be delivering instruction on Saturday, Aug. 29 at St. Andrew&rsq
  
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• B.C. health officials issue reminder about vaccines ahead of new school year

  27-08-2026 23:06 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says there have been 52 people who reported being sick with measles this year.
  Thirty of those – “mostly children who have not been vaccinated” – ended up sick enough that they needed to be hospitalized for a time, Henry said during a press conference in Vancouver Thursday (Aug. 27).
  “The good news is that everybody has recovered now, but we are still at risk, and we are seeing importations of measles and spread in communit
  
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• From 10% heart function to 100K stairs: A Princeton councillor’s health journey

  27-08-2026 23:02 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Before the snow sets in, a Princeton City Councillor plans to climb 100,000 stairs.
  George Elliott, a Princeton councillor since 2018, is embarking on a fitness journey to test his limits and pave a path for a healthier lifestyle.
  The diagnosisFor Elliott, the challenge is a personal one.
  The former writer for the Similkameen News Leader was diagnosed with congestive heart failure in 2020.
  According to John Hopkins Medicine, congestive heart failure (CHF) is a chronic condition where the heart m
  
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• 5 B.C. cities listed as most expensive places for daycare in Canada

  27-08-2026 21:57 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  B.C. parents are forking out big bucks for childcare, specifically for infants aged 18 months to two years.
  A recent report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives claims just 11 of 35 Canadian cities included have achieved $10 per day daycare or cheaper.Despite goals set by the federal government to achieve $10-a-day daycare, B.C. takes all top five spots for most expensive per-day daycare costs on average.Kelowna is far off the mark with an average of $28 for infants and $24 for presc
  
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• Two dead after head-on crash on Island Highway near Lantzville

  27-08-2026 21:16 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Two men are dead after a head-on collision on Island Highway near Lantzville early this morning.
  The incident happened in the southbound lanes of Highway 19 just after 3 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 27, when a blue Kia Sedona minivan and a grey Volkswagen Jetta collided head-on, near Ware Road in Lantzville.
  The two men who were in the Volkswagen died at the scene.
  The occupant of the minivan, a 16-year-old female from Nanaimo, was arrested at the scene and faces charges of impaired operation causing dea
  
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• Two dead after head-on crash on Trans-Canada Highway near Lantzville

  27-08-2026 20:59 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Two men are dead after a head-on collision on the Trans-Canada Highway near Lantzville early this morning.
  The incident happened in the southbound lanes of Highway 19 just after 3 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 27, when a blue Kia Sedona minivan and a grey Volkswagen Jetta collided head-on, near Ware Road in Lantzville.
  The two men who were in the Volkswagen died at the scene.
  The occupant of the minivan, a 16-year-old female from Nanaimo, was arrested at the scene and faces charges of impaired operation c
  
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• As Bradley Creek wildfire near Vernon subsides, hundreds still on evacuation order

  27-08-2026 20:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  More than three weeks on, the Bradley Creek wildfire emergency is fading out.But while significant progress has been made on returning evacuees home, not all are able to do so just yet.A total of 248 homes remain on evacuation order within the Okanagan Indian Band (OKIB), the band told The Morning Star Wednesday, Aug. 26.“While evacuation orders have been lifted for areas of IR 1, the impacts of this wildfire remain significant. The remaining order reflects the areas and properties most se
  
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• B.C.’s maximum allowable rent increase capped at 2.2% for 2027

  27-08-2026 20:23 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The province has announced the maximum allowable rent increase for next year, capping it at inflation.
  The 2027 maximum allowable rent increase is 2.2 per cent, the Housing Ministry announced Thursday (Aug. 27). It takes effect Jan. 1, 2027.
  Manufactured home park tenancies will also be capped at 2.2-per-cent rent increase, plus a proportional amount for the change in local government levies and regulated utility fees, the government said.
  The rent increase cap does now apply to commercial tenan
  
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• Home invasion call draws VicPD, Greater Victoria Emergency Response Team to Vic West

  27-08-2026 19:25 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A home invasion call to Victoria police led to a lockdown of sorts in Vic West on Wednesday (Aug. 26).Residents adjacent to the 700 block of Belton Avenue were asked to shelter in place during the call that began around 7:20 p.m. and drew VicPD and the Greater Victoria Emergency Response Team.
  “A tactical response was initiated due to concerns that armed individuals may be inside the residence,” VicPD said in a news release issued the next morning. “We recognize the significant
  
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• Passenger dies in single-vehicle crash in Nanoose Bay

  27-08-2026 19:17 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  One person has died following a single-vehicle crash in Nanoose Bay on Aug. 26.
  Emergency crews responded to a rollover crash in the northbound lanes of Highway 19 near the Nanoose Bay rest area at 6:45 p.m., according to a news release by Oceanside RCMP.
  A 20-year-old female passenger died at scene. The driver, 21, was transported to hospital with minor injures and a second passenger, 21, was transported to hospital in critical condition, according to police.
  The northbound lanes of Highway 19
  
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• Lake Cowichan Mayor urges nation-wide election respect

  27-08-2026 19:15 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Lake Cowichan Mayor Tim McGonigle wants local politicians near and far to pledge their commitment to a respectful election process.In a July 7 letter, McGonigle wrote to the Association of Vancouver Island Coastal Communities (AVICC) members, the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) members, and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) members, requesting that they join Lake Cowichan council in supporting the “Elect Respect pledge’.
  According to electrespect.ca, the pledge was cr
  
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• Comox Valley RCMP ask for help in armed robbery investigation

  27-08-2026 19:06 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Comox Valley RCMP is seeking the public’s assistance after an armed robbery at a Courtenay business.
  Police say that a report was made at 10 p.m. on Aug. 25 about an armed robbery at Lotusland Wellness Centre, located on the 300-block of 11th Street in Courtenay. The lone male entered the business with a firearm and demanded money from staff. He then fled the business on foot.
  The suspect is described as white, of average height, with a slender build and dark-coloured eyes. At the time
  
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• Circus Osorio coming to Nanaimo this week with K-pop theme

  27-08-2026 17:56 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Circus Osorio is visiting Nanaimo with a K-pop theme.
  The family-based circus will be visiting Nanaimo for the 10th year, filled with performers from Latin American countries such as Chile, Mexico and Argentina and will be at Woodgrove Centre from Thursday, Aug. 27 to Monday, Aug. 31.
  “We bring more of like a thrill circus from Mexico,” said promotor Nicholas DeFrancis. “We bring more of a jumping, dancing, flipping, (and) we get the motorcycles in a cage.”
  Fitting the th
  
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• Immediate threat to structures has passed at Bald Range wildfire by Summerland

  27-08-2026 14:45 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Bald Range wildfire continues to burn west of Summerland, but the threat to structures has passed.
  On Tuesday, Aug. 25, BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) said that while some will remain on scene, structure protection equipment has been demobilized as the threat to structures has been diminished following mop-up operations within 100 feet of homes.
  At this time, a roving initial attack crew will continue to patrol areas near structures, critical infrastructure, and other identified values.
  As of Th
  
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• Mythbusting: What a dog’s body language is really saying

  27-08-2026 14:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  We often think we can tell exactly what a dog is feeling by looking at one part of their body. Hackles up? They must be aggressive. Tail wagging? They must be friendly.
  Not so fast!
  Dogs communicate through their entire body, and understanding their behaviour means looking at the whole picture—not just one signal.
  Myth #1: Raised hackles means a dog is aggressive
  When the hair along a dog’s back and neck stands up, it’s easy to assume the dog is aggressive, or ready to fight. B
  
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• Loaves and Fishes moves into new and larger location

  27-08-2026 14:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Loaves and Fishes Community Food Bank began moving into its large new location at 1861 East Wellington Rd.
  Executive director Peter Sinclair said he’s been waiting for the big move into the new 24,000 sq. ft. facility, called the Tom Harris Regional Food Centre, since planning began for the new facility six years ago.
  “We received the occupancy permit for the building on Aug. 24 and our office staff began moving in right away,” he said, while construction workers were putting t
  
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• Port Alberni woman celebrates Lotto Max win with margaritas

  27-08-2026 13:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A Port Alberni woman plans to kick back with a celebratory margarita after winning a $100,000 in the Lotto Max draw on Aug. 11.
  Nora G. said she was stunned to find out she won a MaxPlus prize on a ticket purchased in Port McNeill.“I was in the kitchen at home when I found out I won,” she recalled. She checked her ticket on the BCLC Lotto app to see if she won anything. “When I saw the prize amount I was shocked.”
  After telling her husband about the win, the couple decide
  
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