Nanaimo news

• New BC SPCA behaviour centre opens in Cowichan

  08-09-2026 19:22 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A new facility designed to give some of B.C.’s most vulnerable animals a second chance opened its doors on Vancouver Island this week.
  The BC SPCA officially celebrated the grand opening of its Vancouver Island Animal Behaviour Centre, a specialized facility designed to support animals who need additional time, space and behavioural care before they are ready for adoption.
  BC SPCA CEO Craig Daniell said the centre comes at a time when more animals entering the organization’s care req
  
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• Arrest made in Vernon house fire

  09-09-2026 19:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A 23-year-old man has been arrested in connection to a house fire in the BX Monday.
  Firefighters and RCMP were called to the structure fire off Goose Lake Road, on Raven Road, around noon Sept. 7.
  Although there was significant damage to the home, no injuries were reported.
  But one person was arrested at the scene in connection with the fire.
  The Vernon man appeared in court and has been remanded in custody pending a bail hearing.
  The investigation remains ongoing and no further details will be
  
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• Vancouver Island students embrace new opportunities at John Horgan Campus

  09-09-2026 19:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  As students poured in through the doors of Langford’s John Horgan Campus in Langford, the air buzzed with anticipation and possibility.
  And for those at the start of their post-secondary journey, the advice was clear: have fun.
  “Don’t shy away from experiences,” said Royal Roads student Gigi Garima. “Sometimes we get so stuck just trying to study and keeping our heads down, we sometimes miss out on unnoticed opportunities that exist around us.”
  After a summer
  
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• 1 person taken to hospital after vehicle crashes through wall of Parksville bank

  09-09-2026 18:50 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A vehicle reversed through the wall of a bank in Parksville on Sept. 8.
  Police, BC EHS and Parksville Fire Rescue responded to the collision in the 100 block of Island Highway East, at the intersection with Craig Street at 1:45 p.m.
  “The investigation determined a vehicle was slowly reversing from a parking stall on Craig Street, sped up and continued reversing into the wall of the bank,” said Sgt. Shane Worth. “It is believed the driver of the vehicle depressed the accelerator
  
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• Nanaimo RCMP, regional partners, issue 100 charges under the Motor Vehicle Act in one-day blitz

  09-09-2026 18:48 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Several vehicles were impounded and charges laid after an early September one-day traffic blitz by Nanaimo RCMP and regional partners, which included a motorcyclist tracked down and charged via helicopter.
  In a press release, Nanaimo RCMP stated that on Sept. 4, Nanaimo RCMP, Air 8 and regional policing partners from Oceanside and Comox undertook a traffic enforcement initiative, resulting in over 100 charges under the Motor Vehicle Act, nine warnings and more.
  In one incident, a motorcyclist wa
  
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• A new chapter: University of Victoria’s moving day welcomes 3,000 students

  09-09-2026 18:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  New beginnings often bring their fair share of surprises and discoveries, along with a touch of anxiety about the future.
  As thousands of students across the country prepared to return to school, the University of Victoria welcomed more than 3,000 students, including 2,400 newcomers, moving into its residences from Sept. 6 to 7.
  Among them was Joseph Golbey from Vancouver, who is about to begin his undergraduate studies in psychology.
  Despite the lack of sleep and tiredness from moving, the youn
  
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• ‘Donald J. Trump Memorial’ bathroom plaque removed by City of Victoria

  09-09-2026 18:15 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Those moving along the Galloping Goose Regional Trail may have noticed an inexplicable sign above a washroom near Regatta Point Park over the weekend.
  A wooden ‘Donald J. Trump Memorial’ plaque appeared above the washroom, quickly gaining traction online before disappearing later Sunday evening.Colleen Mycroft, a City spokesperson, said staff were alerted to the sign on Sunday (Sept. 6) and removed it at around 6 p.m.
  Mycroft also said there is no CCTV footage available in the area.
  
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• Rev. Phyllis Gwendolynne (Gwen) Boyd

  09-09-2026 17:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  In Loving Memory ~
  September 15th, 1931 – August 27th, 2026
  It is with deep sadness, yet with profound gratitude for a life well lived, that Heather, David, Susan, Scott and their families announce the death of their beloved mother and grandmother, Gwen. Mom died on Thursday, August 27th, just 2 1⁄2 weeks shy of her 95th birthday.
  Mom was born in Toronto and grew up in the beach district near Lake Ontario. She graduated from Malvern Collegiate in 1949. Mom was a gifted musician and r
  
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• Artist dressed like a clown showcasing art about current state of the world

  09-09-2026 14:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A new art show at the Art 10 Gallery is a reaction to the state of the world, metaphorically depicted with clowns.Circus Circus is the newest exhibit at the gallery which is located at Nanaimo North Town Centre, and will be running throughout September and October. The show is being put on by artist Rod Corraini.
  Corraini stated that in today’s time, the world seems like an exploding clown car, only without a ringmaster, that it is chaotic, senseless and uncertain. Paintings of rampaging c
  
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• Residents at powerless B.C. trailer park form protest against owner

  09-09-2026 02:15 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  After five months of toughing it out, residents at Vernon’s Crown Villa trailer park are demanding that something be done about their park’s lack of power and water.
  Homeowners at Crown Villa have been without power since April 10, when Technical Safety BC (TSBC) shut off electricity there due to a need for critical repairs to the park’s electrical system which was causing a significant safety risk. The park’s water supply relies on a pump that needs electricity to operat
  
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• New students getting the feel for Vancouver Island University’s Nanaimo campus

  09-09-2026 01:48 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A new student to Vancouver Island University is getting re-acclimated to school life.Jack Nelson, from Sherwood Park, Alta., was at the Rock the VIU event Tuesday, Sept. 8 at Nanaimo campus, orienting new students and providing information about university life and services.
  “[VIU is] on the Island, which really attracted me, and it has a lot of field-based and nature-based programs,” said Nelson.
  The Nanaimo campus is “gorgeous” and “very hilly,” and Nelson s
  
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• Woolly dog pelt on loan to B.C. museum from the Smithsonian

  09-09-2026 01:07 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The only known surviving pelt of the woolly dog is returning to B.C. for a period.
  The University of BC says the pelt, which has spent more than a century in storage, is coming the closest it has been to home since it was sent to the Smithsonian Institution in 1859.
  On loan from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, it will be on display at the Museum of Anthropology at UBC from September 2026 to August 2027.
  Woolly dogs were specially bred by Salish and Makah peoples for t
  
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• Mother and son duo to perform in three concerts across Vancouver Island

  09-09-2026 00:54 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A mother and son duo will be performing concerts in three venues on Vancouver Island.Harvest Moon: Harmonies Under Open Skies is the latest tour by Joëlle Rabu and Nico Rhodes, a mother-son duo, who will be performing in Yellow Point, Comox and North Saanich.
  Rabu, a two-time Jessie Award winner, Juno nominee and recipient of the Nanaimo Arts and Culture Ambassador award, has been performing worldwide since 1983.
  Nico Rhodes, who is Rabu’s son, is well-known locally for his annual Hul
  
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• Eby planting new signs at B.C. border to welcome Americans during trade war

  09-09-2026 00:48 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Americans crossing the border into British Columbia have long been welcomed to Canada with signs explaining how to convert miles per hour to kilometres per hour.
  Soon, they will also be informed that Canada will “NEVER be the 51st state,” disarmingly followed by an added “Sorry!”
  Premier David Eby unveiled the new signage at a rally in Victoria’s inner harbour on Tuesday (Sept. 8), which included flags, face paint and a performance by Port Hardy rapper OGR-Scintilla
  
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• Young girl chased in West Kelowna by someone in a Dr. Seuss costume

  09-09-2026 00:39 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Cat in the Hat is a fun and playful children’s book written by Dr. Seuss, but the cat in the hat being sought by police in West Kelowna is a cause for concern.
  ​West Kelowna RCMP is investigating a report involving a teenage girl who was allegedly chased by a person wearing a costume resembling the fictional character.
  ​According to police, the girl was walking outside when the incident occurred, but she managed to return home safely.
  ​RCMP said wearing a costume is n
  
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• 30 more lawsuits filed against OpenAI, Altman in Tumbler Ridge mass shooting

  09-09-2026 00:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  More than two dozen new lawsuits filed in California are calling for a jury trial against OpenAI and its CEO in the aftermath of the fatal mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge in February.
  The 30 lawsuits were filed in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California in the San Francisco division on Sept. 2. The Edelson law firm filed these suits, as well as the ones on behalf of the victims killed back in the spring.
  The plaintiffs in the suits include a 19-year-old student shot in the che
  
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• Fans can win/bid on big prizes tied to Canucks charity golf tourney, Sept. 14 in Surrey

  08-09-2026 23:32 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Canucks fans can enter raffles, bid on auction items and take a shot at the Canucks For Kids Fund 50/50 draw connected to the 42nd annual Jake Milford Canucks Charity Invitational Golf Tournament in Surrey.
  The popular event, which will draw Canucks players, coaches and many other golfers to the two Northview courses on Monday, Sept. 14, is a fundraiser for Canucks For Kids Fund and Vancouver Canucks Alumni Foundation.
  Last year’s tournament raised more than $676,000, “providing vita
  
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• Innocent victim, 85, killed inside his Burnaby home by stray bullet: Police

  08-09-2026 22:23 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Homicide police say they’ve identified a group of youth believed to either be involved or have knowledge of a shooting that led to the death of an 85-year-old man.
  The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team identified Chang Yong Cho as the victim in a news release Tuesday (Sept. 8) in an effort to advance the investigation. He is believed to have been an innocent victim hit by a stray bullet while inside his Burnaby home on Aug. 30.
  This is the first news release police have issued regardi
  
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• 3 Okanagan grad students win big for wildlife contributions

  08-09-2026 21:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Nine graduate students in B.C. have been awarded scholarships through the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation (HCTF), including three students in the Okanagan.Studying at the University of B.C. Okanagan (UBCO), Madeline Frazer, Peter Baker and Kara Atkinson were each awarded $10,000 to support applied research in wildlife and habitat stewardship, management, policy and decision-making.“Their projects reflect the breadth of the challenges and opportunities in wildlife management, from spe
  
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• Former B.C. residential school to be demolished

  08-09-2026 20:53 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  WARNING: This article contains details about experiences at residential schools in B.C. and may be upsetting to readers.
  The former St. Mary’s Residential School on Lougheed Highway in Mission is expected to be demolished next year.
  According to a notice from the Stó:lō Collective shared by Tsawwassen First Nation on Saturday (Sept. 5), full deconstruction of the site is slated for 2027 with a proposed Interpretive Centre projected to open to the public in 2028.
  “Demolish
  
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• Vancouver Island coffee legend serves double-double dose of friendship

  08-09-2026 20:45 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  After serving up hundreds of thousands of cups of coffee – and likely an obscene number of “double doubles” – over nearly three decades, one woman has brewed herself into legendary status in Colwood.
  Patty Hall has spent 25 years working for coffee chain and Canadian staple Tim Hortons, with the majority of that time behind the counter at the 1820 Island Hwy. branch.
  Online reviews routinely praise Hall as “the sweetest” and “the most polite person I&rsq
  
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• Campaigners still hopeful to recall Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream MLA Tara Armstrong

  08-09-2026 19:35 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Campaigners behind the paused Recall Tara Armstrong petition are still hopeful they can put the MLA “under scrutiny.”
  Instead of looking to file a formal recall petition, the group now intends to put a spotlight on Armstrong’s actions as the MLA of the Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream riding.
  “We are here because you have failed to do the job this riding elected you to do. You campaigned as a conservative on housing, affordability, and healthcare, the issues that matter mo
  
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• Campaigners still hopeful to recall Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream MLA

  08-09-2026 19:35 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Campaigners behind the paused Recall Tara Armstrong petition are still hopeful they can put the MLA “under scrutiny.”
  Instead of looking to file a formal recall petition, the group now intends to put a spotlight on Armstrong’s actions as the MLA of the Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream riding.
  “We are here because you have failed to do the job this riding elected you to do. You campaigned as a conservative on housing, affordability, and healthcare, the issues that matter mo
  
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• Vancouver cop who runs Surrey foundation for kids denies all fraud & theft ‘allegations’

  08-09-2026 19:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Vancouver cop, founder, and CEO of Surrey-based KidsPlay Foundation, who is now facing fraud and theft charges, denies all the “allegations” against him.Kal Dosanjh has been with Vancouver Police Department for over 25 years and has served in many roles, including as a senior detective in the financial crimes unit.
  Charges against Dosanjh were laid on Sept. 3 and the Vancouver Police Department’s (VPD) chief constable announced more details the following day.In a statement
  
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• COLUMN: Knowing how to report a wildfire is half the battle

  08-09-2026 18:57 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Journalism is a career that bleeds into every corner of your life — if you let it.With every moment you scroll through social media, there’s another story tip. The same goes for every room you stumble into with a news broadcast playing, every text message you open, every message app alert, and so on. To get away from it all, I tend to either let my phone die or get myself out of cell phone range.To achieve that this summer, we recently ended up in the Similkameen, eager to leave our
  
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• Editorial: Findlay’s B.C. Conservative Party gets thinner and thinner

  08-09-2026 18:01 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The number of B.C. Conservative MLAs is getting smaller, as members continue to step down.
  A party that was elected at 44 seats now has just 28, and theories – and likely bets – on who is next to leave swirl around the media landscape.
  The party began losing members far before the election of Kerry-Lynne Findlay as leader, but it picked up, with seven MLAs leaving just in August alone, all citing leadership concerns.
  Findlay was always a divisive choice during the leadership race, de
  
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• The fire that destroyed Nanaimo’s last Chinatown to be commemorated

  08-09-2026 14:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A commemoration of the fire that destroyed Nanaimo’s last Chinatown on Pine and Hecate Streets will be held on Saturday, Sept. 12.
  Sherron Soo, chair and founder of the newly formed Nanaimo Chinese Heritage Foundation, said the heritage event will mark the 66th anniversary of the fire, which occurred on Sept. 30, 1960.
  The city’s third and fourth Chinatowns, located in the Pine and Hecate street area from 1908 until the fire, had a population of approximately 1,200 people at the heig
  
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• ‘Here to stay’: Saanich answers pickleball demand with Fowler Park soft launch

  08-09-2026 14:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Fowler Park has spent nearly two decades waiting to become what many Saanich residents wanted it to be.
  When the district approved a concept plan for the park in 2008, the vision was relatively simple: one tennis court, plenty of open grass and space for the community to enjoy.
  There was, of course, one glaring omission. Pickleball had not yet become the phenomenon it is today.
  Now, 18 years after that original plan, Fowler Park is preparing for a very different future.
  The district will soft la
  
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• Derek Little the big winner at 2026 Port Alberni Salmon Derby

  08-09-2026 07:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A Port Alberni fisher threw the sportfishing equivalent of a Hail Mary on the last day of the Port Alberni Salmon Derby, and it paid off. Derek Little hooked a 24.2-pound salmon off Bamfield for the biggest fish of the weekend.
  “It feels good,” Little told The Scoop on Port Alberni after he picked up his cheque and trophy. “We didn’t know where to go because it’s been tough fishing out there. We were staying down the canal (Alberni Inlet). We just decided to run ove
  
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• Nanaimo opening up second intake of interest-free loans for green retrofits of homes program

  08-09-2026 03:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The City of Nanaimo is opening up a second intake of the home energy retrofit financing program.
  Beginning Monday, Sept. 14, 2026, homeowners can apply for interest-free financing to retrofit their homes with energy-efficient options.
  Following a successful intake in the spring of 2025 that supported 14 home retrofits to improve home comfort and lower their energy bills, the city is opening the program up again for new applications.
  The program offers up to $15,000 in interest-free loans to help
  
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