Nanaimo news

• Octogenarian Odyssey: Cyclist, 83, starts cross-Canada tour in B.C.

  05-06-2026 19:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  An 83-year-old is kicking off an 8,600-kilometre bicycle journey across Canada June 12 from White Rock’s iconic pier.
  Robert Fletcher, who turns 84 in August — when he’ll be in Quebec, according to his route — has cycled more than 50,000 kilometres since he turned 80, exploring several continents including North America, South America, Europe and Australia.
  Dubbed the Octogenarian Odyssey, Fletcher will also document his journey through photos, video and social media as w
  
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• 17 people died while hiking, climbing in B.C. in 2025

  05-06-2026 22:27 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Seventeen people died while hiking or climbing in B.C. in 2025, the latest B.C. Coroners Service data shows.
  The coroners service released the “Hiking/Climbing Related Deaths in BC, 2016-2025” on Thursday (June 4). In the 10-year period, there were 143 deaths, equating to approximately 24 deaths per year.
  The report shows that 2019 had the most deaths with 21, followed by 20 deaths in 2023 and 19 in 2016. The fewest deaths were in 2020 with eight.
  Most of the deaths happened between
  
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• Philanthropist couple donates $40M to Surrey’s SFU school of medicine

  05-06-2026 22:11 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Simon Fraser University’s school of medicine has received a whopping $40 million gift from the Stephens family, after whom the school in downtown Surrey will be named.
  This, the largest single donation in SFU’s history, was revealed Friday on behalf of the family, led by Ratana and Arran Stephens – co-founders of Nature’s Path and principals of Que Pasa.
  Their gift to the SFU Stephens Family School of Medicine will support research and innovation, training for students as
  
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• Kelowna kitchen nightmare: IH shuts down restaurant over ‘critical’ violations

  05-06-2026 21:52 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A string of violations discovered during a recent inspection has led to an Indian food restaurant in Kelowna being ordered to closed.
  An inspection report released by Interior Health (IH) on Wednesday, June 3 stated that Ustaad G76 Indian Cuisine, located on Rutland Road, has been ordered to close.
  The inspection named a series of concerns including temperature control, pest prevention, hygiene, and contamination issues.
  In total, the report lists three ‘critical’ questions not in co
  
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• Headline history: Flag theft from old Nanaimo hockey barn a suspected prom prank

  05-06-2026 21:01 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Graduation and prom time are approaching for students in Nanaimo-Ladysmith school district, who have historically pulled some fun, and not so fun, pranks to acknowledge the milestone.
  The May 3, 2001 edition of the Nanaimo News Bulletin has a brief about vandalism at the old Nanaimo Civic Arena, and other areas of the city, the weekend previous, with flag poles at front of the rink “bent over and the flags stolen.”
  The incident was suspected to be a prank on prom night, the brief fur
  
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• Fight against highly invasive weed continues for Vancouver Island man

  05-06-2026 20:36 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A year after launching a crusade against an invasive weed capable of causing death, Saanich resident Terry Smollett is still fighting its spread.
  After discovering the plant in his backyard and throughout his neighbourhood was the Italian arum, Smollett told Saanich News the battle is far from over.
  It’s said that the broad-leafed plant, which produces clusters of bright orange-red berries, was introduced to North America from Europe as an ornamental species.The Italian arum produces a tig
  
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• Two Campbell River sailing teams set course for Alaska in gruelling 750-mile race

  05-06-2026 20:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Splashed across the race website banner is the half warning, half challenge: No engines. No support. 750 cold water miles to Ketchikan, Alaska.
  But for three teams based out of the northern half of Vancouver Island, it’s more of an invitation.
  Against Wind and Reason, Forget me Knot, and Agile Racing are all in their last week of preparation for the iconic Race to Alaska (R2AK). Against Wind and Reason and Agile Racing are both based in Campbell River, while Forget me Knot is from the Como
  
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• Dry conditions, increased usage has City of Nanaimo tightening water restrictions

  05-06-2026 20:15 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Dry conditions and higher demand has the City of Nanaimo tightening watering restrictions next week.
  With no meaningful rainfall in the watershed area in the last two months, levels at the Jump Lake Reservoir have been dropping, a Friday, June 5 press release stated. Additionally, water usage has been higher than average for the late spring, “placing increased pressure on available water supplies.”
  As a result, the city will enter Stage 3 restrictions come Monday, June 8, asking resi
  
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• Urgent need for orchard survival plan amid major Vernon water cuts: BC Fruit Growers

  05-06-2026 19:52 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  As the Regional District of North Okanagan (RDNO) ramps up watering restrictions to historic levels in response to severe drought conditions, the BC Fruit Growers’ Association (BCFGA) is calling for an immediate plan to ensure orchard survival.
  Greater Vernon Water announced heightened water restrictions across the board Wednesday, June 3. Agriculture accounts for the biggest amount of water use in the area, and the sector has been hit with a restriction mandating a 70 per cent reduction i
  
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• Man suspected of Langley slaying has violent history

  05-06-2026 19:50 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The man facing a murder charge following a Langley shooting has a lengthy criminal record, including previous convictions for assault, court records in B.C. and Alberta show.
  Justin Rory Hopkins-Jones is facing a charge of second-degree murder after a 47-year-old was found shot to death in a quiet neighbourhood on Brydon Crescent in Langley City on May 26.
  Persons charged with a crime are innocent until proven otherwise in a court of law.
  In 2011, Hopkins-Jones was found guilty of assault causin
  
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• Nanaimo RCMP seeking information after man found with significant injuries

  05-06-2026 19:35 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Nanaimo RCMP is investigating after a man was found with “significant injuries.”
  On Thursday, June 4, at approximately 10:30 p.m., a 31-year man was located with significant injuries in the parking lot of a business located at 190 Nicol St.
  Police and emergency medical services attended, but the injured man was unable to explain what happened.
  Officers searched the surrounding area and there was evidence that the victim had been in the 200 block of Victoria Road. However, the cir
  
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• RCMP confirm massive Okanagan construction site blaze was arson

  05-06-2026 19:10 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The massive construction site fire in Penticton that shut down Highway 97 for days has been deemed an arson by the RCMP.
  In a release issued on Friday, June 5, Penticton RCMP announced they are conducting a criminal investigation into the fire.
  On May 27, just after 10 p.m., the Penticton Fire Department was called to the Green Avenue property for a fire. Within six minutes they were on scene, and just another six minutes later the fire had reached third-alarm status and was visible from as far
  
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• Octogenaria Odyssey: Cyclist, 83, starts cross-Canada tour in B.C.

  05-06-2026 19:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  An 83-year-old is kicking off an 8,600-kilometre bicycle journey across Canada June 12 from White Rock’s iconic pier.
  Robert Fletcher, who turns 84 in August — when he’ll be in Quebec, according to his route — has cycled more than 50,000 kilometres since he turned 80, exploring several continents including North America, South America, Europe and Australia.
  Dubbed the Octogenarian Odyssey, Fletcher will also document his journey through photos, video and social media as w
  
  Read more

• Heavy police presence in Campbell River near an elementary school lifted

  05-06-2026 18:58 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Campbell River RCMP were heavily involved at a scene near École Des Deux Mondes Elementary School (EDM) on June 5.
  “Police are responding to a concern in the community; it does not have anything to do with the school,” said a press release from School District 72 issued at 8:56 a.m. “Student safety is our priority. EDM bus students are being held at École Phoenix Middle School under staff supervision until the police presence is lifted.”
  It also said parents
  
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• Wildfire south of Ladysmith being held

  05-06-2026 18:36 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A wildfire was discovered on Thursday, June 4 at Banon Creek, just south of Ladysmith.
  The fire was rated by the BC Wildfire Service as being held by the following morning.
  It is about 0.5 hectares in size.
  Ground and air crews from the BC Wildfire Service, with support from the Ladysmith Fire Deapartment are battling the blaze.
  The fire is located up the Banon Creek Forest Service road, close to the BC Hydro power line corridor.
  
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• Premier David Eby re-commits promise to end ‘no pet’ rental clauses

  05-06-2026 17:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Premier David Eby said that before the current four-year term ends, his government still intends to introduce legislation to end ‘no pet’ clauses in purpose-built rental housing.
  The premier’s comments were directed at media, following a keynote address at Indigenous Resource Opportunities Conference on Wednesday, June 3.
  “It’s part of our commitment over the four years to deliver this and we will deliver it,” Eby said.
  Previously, in an e-mail on May 13, a Mi
  
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• Kelowna athletes to head to Taiwan for 2026 International Children’s Games

  05-06-2026 15:52 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Several of Kelowna’s best young athletes will take to the world stage later this summer for the 2026 International Children’s Games.
  Seventeen athletes – and their four coaches – are attending the games in the host city of Hualien, Taiwan, from Aug. 1 to Aug. 6.
  On Thursday afternoon, June 4, this year’s squad made a public appearance at Stuart Park as they were presented with their uniforms, an honour that less than 400 people have received.
  “It is a tight-kn
  
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• Write for tabletop role-playing games workshop with Loghan Paylor

  05-06-2026 14:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Denman Island Readers and Writers Festival returns this year with a unique workshop offering: Writing for Tabletop Role-Playing games (TTRPG).
  Winner of the 2026 CBC Canada Reads competition for their acclaimed book The Cure for Drowning, author Loghan Paylor delivers this opportunity for gamers, writers, world builders, game masters, speculative fiction readers… and anyone curious about how to harness their imagination to create worlds, develop characters, craft narrative structure,
  
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• Pride festivities set to begin in Nanaimo

  05-06-2026 14:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Nanaimo Pride will soon be underway, with the traditional flag raising kicking off a week of fun festivities around the community
  On Tuesday, June 9, the trans pride and progress pride flags are set to be raised at the Nanaimo city hall, as part of a short ceremony that will bring together local leaders and community members.
  A few short speeches will be given, including from local queer voices as well as allies, and performances.
  Lauren Semple, president of Nanaimo Pride Society, said that duri
  
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• Nanaimo Chamber Orchestra performing concerts in Nanaimo and Ladysmith

  05-06-2026 14:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Nanaimo Chamber Orchestra will feature some of history’s more obscure composers in one of its last classical concerts of the season.
  On Saturday, June 6 in the St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Nanaimo, and Sunday, June 7 at St. Mary’s Parish in Ladysmith, the orchestra will be performing Rising Strings.
  Karl Rainer, director of the Nanaimo Chamber Orchestra, said audiences can expect pieces by Francesco Manfredini and Giuseppe Valentini.
  “I think all of this music
  
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• ‘It blew me away’: Ex-colleague of slain Lumby mother supporting family in big way

  05-06-2026 14:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  As the trial of Vitali Stefanski rolls on in B.C. Supreme Court in Kamloops, efforts are mounting to provide support for the family of his suspected victim, Tatjana Stefanski.
  And a former co-worker of the slain Lumby mother is stepping up to double fundraising amounts for the family.
  Jen de Bourcier launched an online GoFundMe campaign in support of Tatjana’s partner, Jason Gaudreault, and Tatjana’s two children over whom Gaudreault holds legal guardianship.
  De Bourcier has known th
  
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• Lytton plays host to emerging leaders from across Canada

  05-06-2026 14:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  On May 29, the Village of Lytton played host to 14 participants from across Canada who were taking part in the annual Governor General Canadian Leadership Conference.
  The conference brings together emerging leaders from business, labour, government, NGOs, education, and the cultural sector. The aim of the two-week event is to broaden participants’ perspectives on work, leadership, their communities, and the country.
  The theme of this year’s conference was “Leading Canada’
  
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• B.C. hockey icon’s story garners honours on both sides of border

  05-06-2026 05:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Two writings. Two honours. Two countries. One subject.
  Vernon elementary school teacher Chad Soon’s desire to have Vernon hockey player Larry Kwong’s story reach out to new audiences is working.
  Soon’s article, The Legend of Larry Kwong and his Legions, won the B.C. Historical Federation’s Anne and Philip Yandle Best Article Award. It’s the story about Kwong becoming the first Chinese-Canadian player in the NHL.
  The story profiles Kwong, who grew up in Vernon, where
  
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• Locked out Kelowna daycare files suit against landlord, property manager

  05-06-2026 02:15 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  After more than 80 families were locked out of the childcare facility ProducKIDvity, at The Block on Bernard Avenue, on May 29, the daycare has filed a civil suit against the landlord and property manager.
  Parents arrived at the daycare to find the doors locked and a letter posted in the foyer of the building, stating that “the landlord had made the difficult decision to end the tenancy agreement with ProducKIDvity.”
  According to parents who spoke to Black Press Media, they received
  
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• Dead humpback whale reported floating off Vancouver Island coast

  05-06-2026 02:15 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Jason Clark was out on his boat a few kilometres off the coast near Ucluelet when he says he spotted an unusual sight — a deceased humpback whale.
  The decomposing, bloated whale carcass was floating in the waters close to the Ucluelet Lighthouse on the afternoon of June 3, according to Clark.
  “I’ve been out here for 25 years. We’ve seen dead greys before, but never seen a dead humpback before,” said Clark, who lives in Qualicum Beach.
  Clark reported the dead whale t
  
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• Savour the docuseries brings Victoria live-fire dining to the screen

  05-06-2026 02:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Victoria-based live-fire dining turns cinematic storytelling as Savoured Here launches this month, going public in September.Savour the Wild – the immersive dining experience founded by chef Colton Armstrong-Ashley and creative director Saman Rezapour – stars in a new six-part documentary series exploring the people, landscapes and food culture shaping Vancouver Island.Backed by Telus Storyhive, each 25-minute episode profiles the chefs, Indigenous knowledge keepers, farmers, forager
  
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• Summer kickoff: Dragon Boat Festival races into Victoria earlier than usual

  05-06-2026 01:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  With races that promise to be faster than ever, as top Canadian paddlers training for this year’s World Championships face off against the Island’s best, the Victoria Dragon Boat Festival returns to the Inner Harbour to kick off summer.Watch more than 30 teams sprint across the 250-metre race course in the Inner Harbour in the Canada Dry and Fairway Market-sponsored event on June 20.Traditionally held in August since the 1994 Commonwealth Games, the festival has moved to June this ye
  
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• Vancouver airport expecting 88,000 passengers daily during FIFA World Cup

  05-06-2026 01:11 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Vancouver International Airport is expecting up to a 10-per-cent increase in passengers volumes during FIFA World Cup compared to the same period in 2025.
  Between June 8 and July 12, passenger volumes are expected to hit 2.7 million or nearly 88,000 people per day, YVR said during a news conference Wednesday (June 3). The airport says that it would be a five-to-10-per-cent increase compared to the same period last year.
  The highest passenger volumes are expected in the days before and after a ma
  
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• Premier David Eby presents a path in B.C.’s fate at Indigenous conference

  05-06-2026 01:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Premier David Eby depicted a British Columbia at a crossroads between falling divided or succeeding together, in his keynote address at Indigenous Resource Opportunities Conference.
  On Wednesday, June 3, Eby took the podium for a keynote address during the first day of the three-day event held in Nanaimo.
  “Our fates are tied, whether we are Indigenous or non-Indigenous in British Columbia, if we are successful we will all benefit as a province, there is no question about it,” Eby sai
  
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• Premier David Eby presents a path for B.C.’s fate at Indigenous conference

  05-06-2026 01:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Premier David Eby depicted a British Columbia at a crossroads between falling divided or succeeding together, in his keynote address at Indigenous Resource Opportunities Conference.
  On Wednesday, June 3, Eby took the podium for a keynote address during the first day of the three-day event held in Nanaimo.
  “Our fates are tied, whether we are Indigenous or non-Indigenous in British Columbia, if we are successful we will all benefit as a province, there is no question about it,” Eby sai
  
  Read more

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