Nanaimo news

• Netflix phases out ‘basic’ streaming plan from Canadian subscription options

  24-06-2023 00:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Subscribers will have to decide between commercials or paying for an ad-free experience
  
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• Bad haircuts and dirty dishes: B.C. callers dialling 911 redefining ‘emergency’

  30-12-2025 17:57 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Most people understand that calling 911 is for emergency, life-or-death situations.
  But, unfortunately for some of British Columbia’s E-Comm operators, that wasn’t the case in 2025, with some people calling the emergency number to simply complain.
  E-Comm is reminding residents across the province that if a store refuses to return your air fryer, or if an airline fines your oversized carry-on, or your dishwasher breaks, 911 is not the appropriate number to call.
  The provincial dispatc
  
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• 2025 winding down with heavy rainfall on B.C.’s North Coast, Haida Gwaii

  30-12-2025 16:50 via nanaimobulletin.com
  After a flood watch was issued for the North Coast and Haida Gwaii last week, a rainfall warning has now been issued.
  On Dec. 27, B.C.’s River Forecast Centre issued the flood warning as heavy rain and rising temperatures were expected over the weekend. Additional rainfall warnings were issued Monday morning (Dec. 29) by Environment Canada for the same areas.
  A long episode of heavy rain is expected, with 160 to 200 millimetres of rain for the North Coast – coastal sections and 70 to
  
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• ‘Allegiance’ pledged: Lead actor previews 3rd season of B.C.-based CBC police drama

  30-12-2025 15:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Starting Wednesday, Jan. 7 on CBC platforms, Season 3 of the Surrey-set police drama Allegiance promises more ripped-from-the-headlines stories involving gangs and informants, hostage situations and a domestic assault case that hits close to home.
  Familiar locations continue to show up on the small screen, too, such as when the body of a blueberry farmer is discovered in Surrey’s Serpentine River. That’s where detective Sabrina Sohal (played by Supinder Wraich) and the Canadian Feder
  
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• Trail and Rossland gearing up to co-host the 2026 B.C. Winter Games

  30-12-2025 14:35 via nanaimobulletin.com
  With the 2026 B.C. Winter Games less than two months away, Trail and Rossland are entering the final stretch of preparations, and the call for volunteers is only growing louder.
  The Games will bring over 1,200 athletes and coaches to the region from Feb. 25 to March 1, 2026, competing in 15 different sports across multiple venues.
  Organizers say they’ll need close to 1,700 volunteers to help make it all happen.
  Games board president Brian Stefani stressed the scale of what’s ahead.
  &
  
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• Heavy snowfall blankets Whitehorse as city sets December precipitation record

  30-12-2025 14:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Whitehorse has been hit by a deluge of snow, with 52 centimetres on the ground as of Dec. 28, the fourth‑highest level on record. The highest was 65 centimetres in 1980, Environment Canada meteorologist Bobby Sekhon said.
  The city has also set a new Whitehorse December precipitation record, with 64 millimetres this month, the highest since local records began in 1940 and far above the long‑term average of 16 millimetres, Sekhon told the News.
  He said recent snowfall in the city amoun
  
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• Christmas tree chip-ups planned in the new year in Nanaimo

  30-12-2025 14:05 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Christmas is over, but if we want to keep the tree up for a few more days, there’s still time before tree chipping happens this coming weekend.
  At least four chip-up fundraisers will be happening the weekend of Jan. 3-4 around the city:
  Nanaimo Lions Club will be offering a Christmas tree chip-up on Jan. 3-4 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. in the southwest parking lot at Nanaimo North Town Centre. By donation. All money raised will go to the club’s community programs.
  Nanaimo Search and Rescue h
  
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• ‘The best job no one wants’: early silence greets B.C. Conservative leadership void

  30-12-2025 14:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  It’s more than three weeks since former B.C. Conservative leader John Rustad resigned, and no major political figures have stepped up to run for his old job.
  This is despite the very real possibility that the next leader of the Official Opposition could one day be premier.
  “It’s the best job in B.C. politics that no one wants,” said David Black, a political communications professor at Royal Roads University.
  So far, several prominent conservative politicians have announce
  
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• 2025 IN REVIEW: Looking at some of the stories that dominated the sports scene in B.C.

  30-12-2025 13:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  2025 was a year that a world-class soccer star arrived and pushed the Whitecaps to new heights, even as the Canucks bid goodbye to perhaps the best defenceman the franchise has ever known.
  Here are the top British Columbia sports stories of 2025
  * Prince Harry was among the global star power that gathered in B.C. in February as we hosted an emotional and inspiring Invictus games.
  Retired air force officer bookends career with trip to Whistler for Invictus
  * Season-long controversy tied to allege
  
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• 2025 IN REVIEW: A look back at some of the stories that dominated the sports scene in B.C.

  30-12-2025 13:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  2025 was a year that a world-class soccer star arrived and pushed the Whitecaps to new heights, even as the Canucks bid goodbye to perhaps the best defenceman the franchise has ever known.
  Here are the top British Columbia sports stories of 2025
  * Prince Harry was among the global star power that gathered in B.C. in February as we hosted an emotional and inspiring Invictus games.
  Retired air force officer bookends career with trip to Whistler for Invictus
  * Season-long controversy tied to allege
  
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• Öhgren nets shootout winner as Canucks take down Seattle Kraken 3-2

  30-12-2025 07:05 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Liam Öhgren scored the game-winning goal in a shootout, lifting the visiting Vancouver Canucks to a 3-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken Monday in NHL action at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle.
  Linus Karlsson and centre Elias Pettersson scored for the Canucks (16-19-3) in regulation time. Goalie Kevin Lankinen was outstanding, stopping 37 of 39 shots, plus three more in the shootout, to earn the netminding win. Lankinen has stopped all 17 shootout shots he has faced this year.
  Jared McCann a
  
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• PHOTOS: Nanaimo ice rink transformed into ‘Winter Wonderland’

  30-12-2025 02:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Nanaimo’s Frank Crane Arena has been transformed into a ‘Winter Wonderland.’
  Free public skating events have been happening since Wednesday, Dec. 24, at the arena at Beban Park, with more Winter Wonderland skates Tuesday and Wednesday, Dec. 30-31.
  The skating, including skate and helmet rentals, is free thanks to sponsorships from local businesses.
  This year the event also included free outdoor concerts in the breezeway between the arena and social centre.
  
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• VIDEO: Iconic B.C. farm sold for highest-ever MLS listing

  30-12-2025 01:20 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Langley’s iconic Driediger Farms has a new owner.
  An online statement posted by B.C. Farm & Ranch Realty Corp. on Saturday, Dec. 28 announced the sale of the third and final portion of the 160 acre property, a 78-acre site at 7361 240 St. that includes a frozen fruit processing facility and farm.
  At a $26 million asking price for the 78-acre section, it was the highest sold farm on MLS ever, B.C. Farm & Ranch estimated.
  Rhonda Driediger, president and owner of Driediger Farms Ltd.
  
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• Vernon festival makes debut as provincial member

  30-12-2025 00:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  With just one year under its belt, Vernon’s very first Performing Arts Festival has already reached a major milestone.
  The Vernon Performing Arts Festival (VPAF), which took place last year, has joined Performing Arts BC as an Official Member Festival.
  “This milestone gives local performers the opportunity to qualify for the Provincial Performing Arts Festival, showcasing Vernon’s artistic talent on a provincial stage,” said Becky Martselos, VPAF president.
  Performing Art
  
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• Alberni Valley Rescue Squad helps snowshoers stranded by snowy weather

  29-12-2025 23:58 via nanaimobulletin.com
  The Alberni Valley Rescue Squad was called out on two missions in late December helping stranded folks and BC Emergency Health Services.
  Trio of snowshoers
  On Dec. 23 at 7:30 p.m. they received a call about stranded snowshoers who were unable to get their vehicle free after heavy snowfall overnight. The rescue squad did not elaborate where exactly the snowshoers were stuck.
  The snowshoers were well prepared with chains, extra layers, food and a satellite phone which let them call for help. They
  
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• Missing 21-year-old Vancouver Island man found dead: RCMP

  29-12-2025 23:22 via nanaimobulletin.com
  The 21-year-old man who was reported missing to the Campbell River RCMP on Dec. 20 has been found dead.
  Tanner Closs-Gillis was found deceased on Dec. 28, according to an RCMP media release. Police say they do not suspect criminality, and the investigation has been turned over to the BC Coroners Service.
  The Campbell River RCMP thanked the public for the help and extended condolences to the family during this difficult time.
  No further information will be released.
  
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• 21-year-old Vancouver Island man found dead: RCMP

  29-12-2025 23:22 via nanaimobulletin.com
  The 21-year-old man who was reported missing to the Campbell River RCMP on Dec. 20 has been found dead.
  Tanner Closs-Gillis was found on Dec. 28, according to an RCMP media release. Police say they do not suspect criminality, and the investigation has been turned over to the BC Coroners Service.
  The Campbell River RCMP thanked the public for the help and extended condolences to the family during this difficult time.
  No further information will be released.
  
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• World gold medal won by Vernon Vipers defenceman

  29-12-2025 22:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Vernon Vipers defenceman Dome Szongoth will return to the North Okanagan with some pre-Christmas jewelry.
  Szongoth, who will turn 20 on Jan. 18, helped his native Hungary win the International Ice Hockey Federation’s 2026 World Men’s Division 1 Group B hockey championship gold medal in Milano, Italy, Dec. 8-14.
  As the winner of the six-team tournament, Hungary will jump into the Division 1 Group A tournament next year. Norway won the Group A tournament in Slovenia and will be promote
  
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• Apollo lands a home for the holidays and other BC SPCA top stories from 2025

  29-12-2025 21:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  A tiny survivor named Apollo, a pair of orphaned otters, an emaciated pup and the redemption of humans are among the stories being celebrated province-wide by the BC SPCA for 2025.Apollo was one day old when discovered with two siblings in a Kelowna scrap yard. Gathered up by their finder, one sibling was euthanized shortly after arrival at the animal hospital, with a second following suit shortly.Apollo not only pulled through, but thrived according to the foster that named him.
  “This sto
  
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• ‘It’s time to let the unicorn out of the closet’: Rebrand of LGBT2Q+ Kelowna lounge

  29-12-2025 20:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  An LGBT2Q+ lounge in Kelowna is changing hands and will be getting a re-brand.
  Last Friday, Dec. 26, the current owners of the Friends of Dorothy lounge in downtown Kelowna announced the establishment was being sold after six years of operation.
  On Dec. 29, the new owner was revealed to be Dustyn Baulkham, founder and CEO of events and media company Rebellious Unicorns, as well as a festival manager for Kelowna Pride.
  He also served as co-chair of the Central Okanagan Foundation from 2023 to 202
  
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• West Kelowna man gets 22 months for charges related to intimate partner violence

  29-12-2025 20:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  A West Kelowna man has been ordered to serve another 505 days in prison after being found guilty in a case of intimate partner violence.
  Stephen Daniel Hayes was convicted on Oct. 23, 2025, of breaking and entering, uttering or conveying a threat to cause death or bodily harm, and the carrying, using, handling, shipping and transporting of firearms in a careless manner from two incidents in February 2024.
  As heard in court on Dec. 11 under Justice Hardwick, Hayes and the victim, identified as L.
  
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• Self-compassion urged while navigating mental health over the holidays in B.C.

  29-12-2025 19:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Holiday expectations often centre on reconnecting with family, spending time with friends, and sharing moments of joy. While those ideas sound comforting, they can sometimes feel more like scenes from a holiday movie than real life.
  The reality is that holiday gatherings do not always take place as expected. Family dynamics, social obligations and personal stressors can make the season emotionally challenging.
  To better understand how people can protect their mental health during this time, Vict
  
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• Ferry swap adds 44 cars to southern Salt Spring Island route in January

  29-12-2025 19:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  A ferry swap will see more vehicle capacity between the South Island and the Southern Gulf Islands as the Salish Heron takes on the route to start 2026.
  The Queen of Cumberland that usually services the route undergoes its annual refit Jan. 3 to Feb. 20.Ahead of that, the ferry is undergoing phased safety improvements through the refit period, when its deployable vehicle ramps will be permanently removed.BC Ferries recently reduced the maximum number of vehicles on each ramp from 18 to 10 effect
  
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• Stricken bald eagle recovering in B.C. Lower Mainland after Kootenay rescue

  29-12-2025 15:37 via nanaimobulletin.com
  A bald eagle discovered near Cranbrook in distress is on the mend in the Lower Mainland thanks to the intervention of some concerned observers.
  Tanya and Reg Pocha and their son, Jaxon, discovered the eagle while driving through a field in a rural area outside of the city on Saturday, Dec. 20.
  It was first noticed by Reg, who saw a bird wing flapping awkwardly on the ground amongst the grass.
  However, as they got closer, they were able to tell it was an eagle and that was in trouble.
  At first, t
  
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• Sage, cedar and an Ojibwe song honour bear found dead on Vancouver Island

  29-12-2025 15:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  A black bear stretches, head down and body twisted, across a patch of gravel not far from the main road.The sow is clearly dead, with her massive paws awkwardly where she lay after making her way from the road where a vehicle likely caused the fatal damage.When Lani Ranger stopped at the forestry road entrance near what locals call the blueberry flats – well outside Sooke near Shirley Delicious – “there were no cars, just this stunning bear.”
  She’d been enjoying a c
  
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• Book it: B.C. book shop drops 5 top reads that came out in 2025

  29-12-2025 15:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) estimates that approximately 2.2 million books are published globally every year.
  Luckily, the experts at Munro’s Books in Victoria have stepped up to help narrow down the field, and offer their top five books that were published in 2025.
  And, just in time for New Year’s book goals, too.If Cats Disappeared from the World by Genki Kawamura
  This is a quietly profound book that sneaks into your heart with sur
  
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• How to help your dog through New Year’s celebrations

  29-12-2025 14:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  For many of us, New Year’s Eve is loud, joyful, and full of anticipation. For our dogs, it can feel like the world is suddenly breaking apart.
  One moment, everything is normal, and the next there are explosions in the sky, sharp cracks in the air, flashes of light at the windows. They don’t know it’s a celebration. They only know something feels very wrong.
  If you share your life with a dog who fears loud noises, you’ve likely seen it: the trembling, the wide eyes, the de
  
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• B.C. town marks 8 years of kids counting birds as part of national program

  29-12-2025 14:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  It was the first Christmas Bird Count at Brydon Lagoon for Langley City teacher Adam Knowlson and his family.
  “I actually teach outdoor ed at the school just nearby,” Knowlson told the Langley Advance Times.
  “I like to come look at the birds, but I don’t know a lot of the names, so I’m here to learn.”
  On Sunday, Dec. 28, the annual bird count marked it’s eighth year, guided by Nehal Saleh, founder of Langley City-based Explore Science Club (ESC).
  “
  
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• Shipping shift to LNG means more business for Port of Nanaimo

  29-12-2025 14:10 via nanaimobulletin.com
  As more ships switch to liquefied natural gas as their primary fuel source, the Port of Nanaimo and Seaspan Marine are stepping up to meet the demand.
  Seaspan Marine has spawned a new company, Seaspan Energy Ltd., to meet the growing need for marine fuels that are cleaner and generate lower emissions than bunker oil fuels, and now operates three ships – the Seaspan Lions, Seaspan Garibaldi and Seaspan Baker – that carry out ship-to-ship LNG bunkering to vessels in Nanaimo, Vancouver
  
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• 2025 IN REVIEW: Entertainment stories that made waves across Canada

  29-12-2025 13:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Canada clearly had no shortage of head-turning entertainment news in 2025.
  Black Press Media reporters covered everything from an iconic first dance to Canadian musicians ranking among the century’s best – so far, according to the Rolling Stone – and to local actors and settings showing up on TVs worldwide.
  On the stageNewlywed Chilliwack couple has first dance onstage at Jonas Brothers concert
  A newlywed couple from Chilliwack got a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity when they had
  
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