Nanaimo news

• OPINION: Community forests offer a practical path forward for B.C.

  21-10-2026 01:46 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  British Columbia’s (B.C.) forest sector is at a turning point. Communities are feeling the effects of sawmill and pulp mill closures, catastrophic wildfires, changing markets, and general uncertainty about the future. British Columbians are also asking how forests can support healthy ecosystems, sustainable local economies, reconciliation, public safety, recreation, and other community priorities.
  We believe community forestry offers a tested and proven way forward and should be on the mi
  
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• Does your dog actually feel guilty?

  29-10-2026 13:30 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  You come home to find a chewed shoe or a knocked-over garbage can. Your dog lowers their head, avoids your eyes, and tucks their tail. It looks like guilt. But does your dog actually feel guilty, or are we interpreting their behaviour through a human lens?
  Dr. Alexandra Horowitz, a cognitive scientist at Barnard College and head of the Horowitz Canine Cognition Lab, explored this question in her landmark study, “Disambiguating the ‘guilty look’: Salient prompts to a familiar dog behaviour.
  
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• Business Notes: Nana Sushi reopens in downtown Nanaimo

  29-10-2026 13:30 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  Agnes Kim never looked happier than she was while making sushi in preparation for Nana Sushi’s reopening on Friday, Oct. 23, after being closed for more than five months.
  Kim, who has opened and operated the popular downtown restaurant for the past 10 years, said she’s grateful for all the help she has received from her family, staff and customers since a vehicle careened through the front window of Nana Sushi on May 18.
  Fortunately, even though the black SUV destroyed much of the dining are
  
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• VIU programs, profs, students on display in community festival

  29-10-2026 02:00 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  Vancouver Island University’s faculty and students showed off their programs and skills at a community festival this past weekend.
  VIU Fest 2026 was a free event for all ages “featuring hands-on learning, interactive activities and family-friendly entertainment. It’s also packed with opportunities to explore VIU programs and connect with professors and students,” a press release noted.
  There pop-up classrooms, giving people a snapshot of student life and a kids’ zone as well.
  karl.yu@n
  
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• World’s best in figure skating to compete in Kelowna

  29-10-2026 00:16 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  Athletes are arriving in Kelowna for 2026 Skate Canada International (SCI).The best in figure skating across the globe will be competing at Prospera Place Oct. 30 to Nov. 1.Kelowna is the second stop on the SCI Grand Prix series and athletes will be competing for points toward qualification for the Grand Prix Final.Stephen Gogolev is representing Canada in the men’s event. The reigning Canadian champion finished in the top five at both the Olympic Winter Games and the World Championships in hi
  
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• Appeals court upholds sentence for Armstrong supervisor who sexually exploited teen

  28-10-2026 23:47 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  For the second time, an Armstrong fast food manager has lost an appeal related to his sexual exploitation of a 16-year-old employee.Surjit Singh was 26 years old at the time of the offences, for which he was sentenced to 13 months jail in 2024. After losing an appeal of the conviction back in April, he requested that the B.C. Court of Appeal replace the jail sentence with a conditional sentence served in the community.An appeal court panel dismissed this second appeal, according to a decision re
  
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• Greater risk during morning driving with B.C. staying on daylight savings time

  28-10-2026 22:52 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  With British Columbia not ‘falling back’ this year on time change, there is a risk for more vehicle incidents in the mornings, according to a provincial road safety resource.
  As the days get shorter and the clocks don’t change, it will be darker later in the morning as sunrise will be later, which in turn, could pose as a risk during the morning commute. Because of this, more work trips, morning commutes, and school drop-offs will take place in darkness, said a Road Safety at Work press re
  
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• Richard’s story: When home suddenly becomes scary

  28-10-2026 22:36 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  Richard, a three-year-old Labradoodle, had lived happily with his guardians in the same home since puppyhood. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, everything changed.
  One day, Richard was let out to go pee and when it was time to come back inside, he simply refused. No amount of encouragement would convince him to move. Instead, he flattened himself on the ground, unwilling to move toward the house. Frustrated, his guardians would carry him inside. Once indoors, Richard ran straight to the basement b
  
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• Darker drives, greater risks: How not ‘falling back’ should change driving habits in B.C.

  28-10-2026 21:45 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  A B.C.-based safety organization says roads in the province are about to get more dangerous for professional drivers, not to mention motorists who don’t drive for a living.With clocks not “falling back” an hour this weekend, B.C. drivers will spend mornings in more darkness and low light.
  Road Safety at Work, which aims to improve the safety of people who drive for work or work at the roadside, urges employers and drivers to prepare for reduced visibility and fatigue, and also consider cha
  
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• Vernon’s SilverStar Mountain voted 5th best ski resort in North America

  28-10-2026 21:30 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  North Okanagan residents know SilverStar Mountain Resort to be a winter paradise rivalling any other.They might be surprised at how many people from far and wide feel the same way about their local ski resort.SilverStar has been ranked fifth among the best ski resorts in North America in Condé Nast Traveller’s 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards, earning a score of 93.26 out of 100.
  The North American ranking lists 15 resorts. Deer Valley in Utah placed first with a score of 97.78, followed by Sun
  
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• RCMP track woman wanted on warrant to Hope

  28-10-2026 21:11 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  Coquitlam RCMP is asking for the public’s help in locating a woman wanted on a Canada-wide warrant who is believed to be in the Hope or Kamloops areas.
  Chelcey Hodder, 43, was last seen at 2:30 p.m. in the area of ƛ̓éxətəm Regional Park in Coquitlam on Oct. 23.
  She is wanted on a warrant of committal after failing to return to her facility as ordered.
  The Coquitlam RCMP Investigational Support Team tracked Hodder to Hope, and it is believed she is either still in the Hope area or is trave
  
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• Parks Canada rolls out Rogers Pass winter permits in final season of current avalanche agreement

  28-10-2026 21:00 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  Winter permits to access the Rogers Pass backcountry are returning this fall, with few changes for what looks to be Parks Canada’s final season managing the area under its current avalanche agreement.
  Glacier National Park’s winter permit system takes effect for the 2026-27 ski touring season starting Nov. 15, after Parks Canada opened the online quiz for obtaining permits and parking passes on Oct. 15.
  Since 1995, this system has allowed winter recreationists to access the park’s backcoun
  
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• Dead humpback whale identified, DFO investigating

  28-10-2026 20:42 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  The Canadian Pacific Humpback Collaboration says they have identified a dead humpback whale that was sighted on Monday near the Grace Islands – close to the location where the Queen of Surrey ferry struck a Humpback on Oct. 18.
  According to the Marine Education and Research Society (MERS), the whale was identified as Notcho, after a researcher noted the markings and shape of the right pectoral fins.
  “Notcho was nicknamed by participants of the MERS 2017 Marine Mammal Naturalist course for a
  
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• Salmon Arm true believer in running to appear in a Stan Lee Universe comic book

  28-10-2026 19:58 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  Already a super kid in his parents eyes, Salmon Arm’s Kennett Woodhurst is making new fans as Super Ear, his superhero identity.
  As of Tuesday, Oct. 27, the five-year-old True Believer was in first place in the quarter finals of Stan Lee’s Super Kid, a contest run by the Stan Lee Foundation, named after the legendary comic book writer and creator/co-creator of many famous Marvel Comics characters including The Fantastic Four, Thor, The Avengers, Black Panther, X-Men, Hulk, Iron Man and Spide
  
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• OpenAI suing to stop B.C. privacy commissioner’s Tumbler Ridge investigation

  28-10-2026 19:52 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  OpenAI filed a lawsuit in B.C. on Monday seeking to stop an investigation by the province’s privacy commissioner into the connection between the Tumbler Ridge shooter’s use of ChatGPT and the February school shooting.
  The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner is seeking production of all of alleged shooter Jesse Van Rootselaar’s ChatGPT logs, as well as all documents related to the company’s decision not to report the activity to police until after the shootings.
  Privacy com
  
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• What’s On, Oct. 28

  28-10-2026 19:30 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  MUSICSabbat, with support from Witches Hammer, Ares Kingdom and Empty Chalice, will be playing Japanese black metal on Oct. 29 at the Globe Live Studio at 6 p.m. Tickets are available at www.eventbrite.com.Cat Clyde & Dean Johnson (19+) will be playing Oct. 29 at The Queen’s, with doors at at 6 p.m. and showtime at 6:45 p.m. Tickets are available at www.thequeens.ca.Love Can Build a Bridge will be occurring on Oct. 30 at the Port Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Jóna Kristinsson will be performing as
  
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• Tom Cochrane, Ron James and more headline Cowichan Performing Arts Centre in November

  28-10-2026 19:30 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  The Cowichan Performing Arts Centre gives art lovers some events worth remembering this November. Legendary Canadian rock icon Tom Cochrane, tributes, and Ron James headline the first half of the month.•••
  What better way to escape the Mad Mad World we are living in than to kick off the month with Tom Cochrane as you have never seen or heard him before. In an intimate duo format as part of a series of theatre shows he will be performing across the province.
  If life really is a highway, thi
  
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• Caroline Elizabeth Grimmer

  28-10-2026 19:23 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  In Loving Memory ~
  May 13, 1942 ~ October 3, 2026
  With sadness, we announce the passing of our dear friend, Caroline Grimmer. Caroline was born and raised in St. Stephen, New Brunswick. She completed her Home Economics degree in Charlottetown, PEI, and taught in Summerside for 5 years. Then her independent spirit led her west to Nanaimo. She taught at Nanaimo District Secondary School from 1969 to 1986, and at Wellington Secondary School until her retirement in 1999. In addition to being a devot
  
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• YouTuber’s arrest in Kelowna caught on livestream, 911 call unfounded

  28-10-2026 19:20 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  A Vancouver-based Youtuber was arrested while live streaming a soccer tournament in Kelowna.Kelowna RCMP said a 911 call came in around 9:50 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24 for an individual in possession of a firearm and making threats at a recreation complex in the 4000-block of Gordon Drive.While on a live stream, Bashar Kudmani was seen being arrested by officers and escorted out of the facility.The allegations made on the 911 call were unfounded, said Cpl. Stephen Lang with the Kelowna RCMP.“No
  
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• THE MOJ: B.C. Lions host Roughriders Saturday in CFL West Division semifinal

  28-10-2026 19:11 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  LIONS LOOKING TO PUNCH TICKET TO EDMONTON: The B.C. Lions (10-8) face the Saskatchewan Roughriders (10-8) at BC Place on Saturday (1:30 p.m., TSN; 730 CKNW; Sher-E-Punjab Radio AM 600), with the winner advancing to next Saturday’s Western Final in Edmonton against the Elks (13-5). The Riders eliminated the Lions from the playoffs in each of the last two seasons, but both games were played in Regina – including last year’s 24-21 loss, in which the Riders scored the winning touchdown with ju
  
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• Deborah Bartley

  28-10-2026 19:05 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  In Loving Memory ~
  May 12, 1965 ~ October 16, 2026
  With deep sadness and heavy hearts, we announce the passing of Deborah Bartley, who left us after a courageous and hard-fought battle with cancer.
  Deb was an avid traveler whose love of adventure began early in life. As a young woman, she lived abroad, spending time in Greece and Mexico as a student. She embraced new cultures and experiences, carrying that curiosity and appreciation for the world throughout her life. She loved to explore both he
  
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• Victoria mystery author pens third book while navigating life in remission

  28-10-2026 18:00 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  A Victoria author is celebrating two major milestones this season: two years of cancer remission and the release of her third novel.
  Jean Paetkau feared chronic brain fog from her ongoing chemotherapy would end her writing career. Instead, she has defied the odds to publish Murder at the Otter Cove Market, the newest addition to her bestselling Breakwater Mystery series.
  Diagnosed with stage three ovarian cancer in April 2024, Paetkau wrote her first two books – Blood on the Breakwater and The
  
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• No danger to public after serious assault in Maple Bay, RCMP say

  28-10-2026 17:41 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP say there is no ongoing risk to public safety following a serious assault that occurred in the early morning hours of Oct. 26 in Maple Bay.
  Police say at about 4:50 a.m., they responded to the area of Donnay Drive and Adams Road after reports of the assault.
  The investigation remains ongoing, and investigators are asking witnesses who may have been in the area at the time of the incident to come forward. Police are also requesting any available CCTV or dash-camera foot
  
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• Darlene Moss

  28-10-2026 17:35 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  In Loving Memory ~
  September 3, 1943 ~ October 22, 2026
  After an amazing life, Darlene passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, following a short struggle with cancer. Darlene was an adventurer at heart but was always focused on helping others and creating a loving family. She was born in California and moved with her family to a farm in Smithers BC when she was a young teenager. Darlene was an active participant in all farm and outdoor activities; raising cattle, operating all of the farm
  
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• Federal diagnostic rules may be masking outbreaks in farmed salmon

  28-10-2026 17:30 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  A new peer-reviewed study of salmon farms in the Broughton Archipelago concluded that a viral heart disease in farmed Atlantic salmon is more common in British Columbia than federal figures suggest, and that the virus is escaping into surrounding waters.
  According to the study, published in the journal Aquaculture, findings suggest heart and skeletal muscle inflammation (HSMI) is more prevalent in B.C. waters than previously thought. Researchers state that even if farms control HSMI, it will not
  
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• Roy Harold Patzer

  28-10-2026 17:22 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  In Loving Memory ~
  June 13,1931 ~ September 25, 2026
  Roy was born in Richdale, Alberta to Otto & Mary Patzer, and spent his younger years on the family farm. In the 1950’s Roy proudly served in the Royal Canadian Air Force as a Driver / Mechanic, with postings in Ontario, Quebec, and Canada’s High North. He remained a long serving member of the Royal Canadian Legion and marched in many Remembrance Day parades.
  Following his military service, Roy worked as a heavy duty mechanic throughout
  
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• Youth riding dirt bike dies after being struck by vehicle in Nanaimo

  28-10-2026 17:19 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  A youth riding a dirt bike on Extension Road in Nanaimo’s south end was fatally struck by a vehicle yesterday evening.
  Reserve Const. Gary O’Brien said at approximately 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 27 the youth was struck, leading to an air ambulance transport to the hospital.
  He offered no further details at this time.
  Article will be updated with more information as it becomes available.
  [email protected]
  
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• John Angus Cronk

  28-10-2026 17:14 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  In Loving Memory ~
  August 19, 1935 ~ October 14, 2026
  John Angus Cronk passed away peacefully on October 14, 2026, after a brief illness. He was 91 and had lived a long, full, wonderfully interesting life. Born and raised in Toronto, John was a semi-professional pitcher for the Toronto Marlies farm team when the London Life Insurance Company hired him as a janitor (aka a ringer for its company baseball team). He soon became one of its star agents, eventually moving west as a regional manager and
  
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• Despite election wins, Nanaimo no longer B.C. NDP stronghold, says pundit

  28-10-2026 17:01 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  While B.C. NDP re-captured Nanaimo-Lantzville and Nanaimo-Gabriola in the B.C. provincial election, a political expert says the party’s foothold in the area may no longer be so firm.
  The snap election called by former B.C. Premier David Eby resulted in the Lorne Doerkson and the B.C. Conservatives securing a majority government with 48 per cent of the vote. Michael MacKenzie, Vancouver Island University political science professor, said while some predicted anger from the unnecessary election
  
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• Rick Hansen guest of honour at exclusive documentary screening in Williams Lake

  28-10-2026 16:09 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  Rick Hansen was recently excited to be back home in Williams Lake for a gala event featuring an exclusive screening of his story that sparked an ongoing mission to create a world without barriers and find a cure for paralysis after spinal cord injury.
  “This is where it all started,” Hansen told the Williams Lake Tribune on Saturday, Oct. 17 from the Gibraltar Room at the Cariboo Memorial Complex.
  Hansen was left paralyzed from the waist down in June 1973 after the vehicle he was riding lost
  
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