Nanaimo news

• ‘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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• Evacuation orders, alerts downgraded in response to Ainslie Creek fire between Highways 1 and 5

  29-08-2026 22:37 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) has downgraded an evacuation order to evacuation alert for 58 properties impacted by the Ainslie Creek wildfire, burning out of control between Highway 1 in the Fraser Canyon, Highway 8, and Highway 5.
  The downgrade came at noon on Saturday (Aug. 29), and applies to properties in the Coldwater Road/Patchett Road area. At the same time, the TNRD downgraded an evacuation alert to all clear for 94 addressed properties in the Brookemere and Kane Valley Ro
  
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• Nanaimo Habitat for Humanity running inaugural local building material drive

  29-08-2026 22:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A summer initiative inviting contractors, developers, suppliers, manufacturers, and trades across the mid-Vancouver Island area to donate reusable building materials instead of sending them to landfill is in its final days.
  The Habitat for Humanity and BMEx Building Material Drive, which began six weeks ago, ends on Sept. 5 and organizers are giving a final push to contact people and collect as much used material as they can to be sold at Habitat ReStores in Nanaimo and Duncan where they can be
  
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• Premier calls byelection for electoral district of Abbotsford-Mission

  29-08-2026 21:09 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A byelection has been called for the electoral district of Abbotsford-Mission.
  Final voting day is set for Saturday, Sept. 26.
  Premier David Eby made the announcement on Saturday (Aug. 29), in a press release.
  The seat became vacant when Reann Gasper resigned as MLA for the electoral district of Abbotsford-Mission a week ago.
  The Conservative Party announced Gasper’s resignation and leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay Findlay’s intention to run for the seat on Aug. 22. Gasper was elected in 2
  
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• Grand Forks Fire Rescue snuffs out suspicious string of fires on Hardy Mountain

  29-08-2026 20:50 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A trio of wildfires sparked on Hardy Mountain late Friday night and early Saturday morning have been deemed suspicious.Grand Forks Fire Rescue responded to the three separate fires within a five-hour span. The first two blazes were reported through 911 around 9 p.m. Aug. 28, and the third around 2 a.m. Aug. 29.The first two fires were relatively small and dealt with quickly. The third fire was reported at five-by-five metres in size, and had grown to 30-by-100 metres by the time the first office
  
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• LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Surprise by the permissive tax exemption

  29-08-2026 20:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Re: Concerns raised over permissive tax exemptions at Nanaimo council table, Aug. 12
  To the editor,
  I was surprised that the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board office on Metral Drive was successful in their application to Nanaimo council for a permissive tax exemption, saving them $27,000 in property taxes per year.
  Checking out the criteria for this significant award I found it difficult to see how VIREB met the qualifications.
  I do not see how it contributes to the “social, cultural, edu
  
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• Sooke man reaches 100 Mt. Quimper summits by 65

  29-08-2026 18:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  For Jon Erzinger, reaching his 65th birthday came with a milestone measured not in candles, but in summits.
  On Saturday, Aug. 22, Erzinger celebrated his birthday by completing his 100th climb of Mt. Quimper, joined by 13 hikers and two dogs.
  The Sooke resident first climbed the mountain in 2022, shortly after moving to the community. What began as a way to stay active in retirement eventually became an ambitious personal goal: the goal of reaching the summit 100 times before turning 65.
  “
  
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• COLUMN: Motorcyclists should wear proper equipment

  29-08-2026 14:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  I’m always amazed when I come across motorcyclists who drive around wearing shorts, T-shirts and sandals during hot summer days.
  I see them all the time on Nanaimo’s roadways these days
  What’s surprising to me is that many of them wear full-face helmets, which is always a good idea, but don’t seem to have enough common sense to wear protective clothing on the rest of their bodies.
  It’s obvious that they have never hit the asphalt before or they’d be covered he
  
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• A walk for J: Bringing Cowichan community together to remember loved ones lost to toxic drug crisis

  29-08-2026 14:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Nine years after losing his younger sister Jeni to the toxic drug crisis, Chadd Cawson is still finding ways to keep her memory alive.
  On Aug. 31, Cawson will once again gather with members of the community for his annual memorial walk in Crofton, held on International Overdose Awareness Day.
  The event began in Winnipeg in 2018, a year after Jeni died while living in Florida.
  “She was great. Mother of two kids. She was a great mom. Great sister. Best friend, really,” Cawson said.
  Jen
  
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• UPDATE: Some evacuation orders rescinded near Bald Range wildfire

  29-08-2026 03:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  UPDATE 6:35 p.m.
  Some evacuation orders have been lifted for the Bald Range wildfire burning west of Summerland.The Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen rescinded the evacuation order for the area south of Princeton-Summerland Road near Agur Lake.Bathville Road properties are also no longer on evacuation order, with the exception of 21430 and 21442 Bathville Road.Penticton Indian Band has also rescinded all of its remaining evacuation orders and alerts previously issued for the Bald Range w
  
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• Bald Range wildfire prompts area restriction west of Summerland

  29-08-2026 03:12 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Despite slowed activity and no anticipated growth of the Bald Range wildfire, an area restriction order has been announced.BC Wildfire Service has issued a notice that an area restriction order will come into effect at 12 p.m. on Aug. 29 for the wildfire west of Summerland, and will remain in place until Sept. 12 or the order is rescinded.The restriction is to limit public interference with operations and maintain public and firefighter safety.As written in the Wildfire Act, a person may only ga
  
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• Defender of Indigenous rights MLA Joan Phillip dies

  29-08-2026 02:31 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Condolences are pouring in following the death of Amshen Joan Phillip, a champion of Indigenous rights and serving MLA whose advocacy left a lasting mark on B.C. politics.
  The Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs (UBCIC), of which her husband, Stewart Phillip, leads as Grand Chief, announced her death on Aug. 28.
  “Joan was a fearless warrior and inspirational leader, and we will miss her dearly,” the UBCIC’s statement reads. “The family asks for privacy at this time, a
  
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• BREAKING: Defender of Indigenous rights MLA Joan Phillip dies

  29-08-2026 02:31 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Condolences are pouring in following the death of Amshen Joan Phillip, a champion of Indigenous rights and serving MLA whose advocacy left a lasting mark on B.C. politics.
  The Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs (UBCIC), of which her husband, Stewart Phillip, leads as Grand Chief, announced her death on Aug. 28.
  “Joan was a fearless warrior and inspirational leader, and we will miss her dearly,” the UBCIC’s statement reads. “The family asks for privacy at this time, a
  
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• 99-year-old B.C. woman gets brand-new hip

  29-08-2026 01:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  For those fortunate to reach the ripe old age of 99, there may be some things that are no longer possible – driving, rollerskating, climbing trees, tackling the grime on exterior windows, for example.
  But under the right conditions, a hip replacement is among things that remain in reach – and can restore a quality of life that may have felt as if it was gone forever.
  That’s been the case for South Surrey’s Da Xu, who elected to have a total hip replacement earlier this ye
  
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• Ottawa to match money raised by Red Cross for Summerland wildfire relief

  29-08-2026 00:36 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The federal government will contribute funds for the recovery efforts following the Bald Range wildfire.
  On Aug. 28, Eleanor Olszewski, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience, announced that the federal government will match, dollar for dollar, money raised through the Red Cross’s fire appeal.
  That appeal began Aug. 4 and through to Sept. 5. The money will benefit those affected by wildfires, with the Red Cross determining how the funds will be spent.
  Olszewski said the
  
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• New order slashes water use to protect North Okanagan salmon amid drought

  29-08-2026 00:13 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A new fish protection order for the Bessette Creek watershed in the Thompson Okanagan is temporarily restricting water use to help safeguard Chinook salmon, which are under significant threat due to severe drought in the region.Effective Friday, Aug. 28, 131 surface-water and groundwater licence holders and transitioning groundwater users in the watershed have to stop watering for a number of specific uses, according to a release from the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship.Bessette
  
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• Prediction market trading is gambling according to B.C. regulator

  29-08-2026 00:09 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  B.C.’s Independent Gambling Control Office released a statement on Friday to clarify that many activities offered by prediction markets are considered unregulated gambling and are therefore illegal in the province.
  This follows a federal regulator’s notice that prediction markets dealing in “event contracts, prediction contracts or prediction market contracts” should not be regulated as securities and derivatives.
  The most well-known prediction markets are Polymarket and
  
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• Canada Post records $277M loss before tax in 2nd quarter

  28-08-2026 23:45 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Canada Post says it has recorded a loss of $277 million before tax in the second quarter of 2026.
  However, Canada Post says it’s an improvement of $130 million compared to the same time last year when the Crown corporation reported a loss of $407 million before tax, the company announced Friday (Aug. 28).
  At that time, Canada Post says it was facing a “prolonged period of labour uncertainty” after union negotiations and bargaining. The Crown corporation and then Canadian Union
  
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• Recreational sockeye opening on Fraser River not happening ‘at this time’: DFO

  28-08-2026 23:09 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The chances of a recreational sockeye salmon opening on the Fraser River happening this year are highly unlikely, due to significantly lower than expected numbers, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has announced.
  Earlier this year, a big sockeye salmon run was predicted for 2026, marking the largest forecast return since 2018.
  But that number has since dropped greatly due to wildfires, drought, lower-than-average snowpack, and strengthening El Nino conditions in the Pacific Ocean.
  “The 202
  
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• Nelson cub put down two weeks after mother and sibling

  28-08-2026 22:52 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A Nelson grizzly cub has been euthanized by B.C. Conservation Officer Service (BCCOS) on Aug. 27, just two weeks after being relocated to Christina Lake.The cub’s sibling and mother, the grizzly sow, were put down earlier this month in Nelson.The yearling was relocated along with its sister to an undisclosed location, but was soon spotted by locals in Christina Lake.“Officers received complaints that a yearling grizzly bear entered in and around the community of Christina Lake. Unfor
  
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• Quinsam Hatchery restricting after-hours access to help reduce human/bear conflicts

  28-08-2026 22:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Wild Wise Campbell River is reminding everyone that the Quinsam River Hatchery has now restricted all after-hour access to the dam area, located behind the hatchery facility.
  The conservation group – that’s committed to reducing human-wildlife conflict – said on social media this week that, the restriction is for everyone’s safety and will allow the bears time and space to eat.
  It notes that over the past couple of years, the number of daytime visitors has increased to mo
  
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• Joint marine enforcement operation conducted during salmon days

  28-08-2026 22:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Marine enforcement was in full force at Sointula Island Salmon Days.
  During last weekend’s annual fishing derby, officers from the Port McNeill RCMP, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), and the B.C. Conservation Officer Service (BCCOS) joined forces for a coordinated marine enforcement operation in the waters surrounding Port McNeill and Malcolm Island.“The joint operation utilized both DFO and RCMP vessels, allowing officers to conduct patrols throughout the area and engage directly
  
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• 32 Canadians, permanent residents unaccounted for in Nepal floods

  28-08-2026 21:34 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand says 32 Canadians and permanent residents are among those still unaccounted for following the devastating flash floods and mudslides in Nepal.
  In total there are 1,924 people missing and 517 of those are foreign nationals, Anand said during a media briefing on Friday (Aug. 28). She said 579 bodies have been recovered.
  She said numbers will “likely change” given that more rain is expected and water levels and volumes are expected to rise.
  “Ca
  
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• Grand Forks manslaughter case declared a mistrial

  28-08-2026 20:52 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The jury in the Grand Forks area manslaughter trial for Sean Tiessen was unable to reach a verdict.
  The B.C. Prosecution Service told Black Press Media that Justice Lindsay Lyster declared a mistrial Thursday (Aug. 27) after the jury was deadlocked.
  Tiessen’s next court date is scheduled for Sept. 8 at 2 p.m. at the Rossland Law Courts for a scheduling appearance.
  The jury went into deliberations Tuesday afternoon following Lyster’s charge in the morning and nearly a full day of clos
  
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• PHOTOS: Lunar eclipse captured on camera across Greater Victoria

  28-08-2026 20:46 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A partial eclipse rising over Greater Victoria inspired residents to get out in the dark and capture the scene Thursday (Aug. 28) evening.
  Also called a blood moon, a lunar eclipse happens when Earth moves directly between the sun and the moon, blocking sunlight and casting a shadow on the lunar surface.For folks feeling fatigued in the wake of the lunar eclipse, astrological impact may hold the answer. Known as an energetic cleanser in astrology, the blood moon is said to bring hidden truths to
  
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• Overrun with rats, B.C. woman issued court order for pest control

  28-08-2026 20:42 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Rats have overrun a condo building and a Kelowna woman has been ordered to do something about it.Donna Thomson, the owner of a first floor unit in an apartment complex on Durnin Road, received the order after the strata owners filed a civil claim to force action on a rat infestation in the unit.According to court documents, the state of the unit had gotten so bad that a photo taken in August 2025 showed debris inside the unit piled to the height of a six-foot ladder. Reports from Abell Pest Cont
  
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• Pear Lake wildfire near Clinton showing minimal growth

  28-08-2026 20:33 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Pear Lake wildfire near Clinton is still classed as out of control, but has shown minimal growth over the past few days.
  As of Friday morning (Aug. 28) the fire was estimated at 165,847 hectares, an increase of 1,107 hectares since Sunday, Aug. 23.
  There have been no changes to the evacuation orders and alerts issued in response to the Pear Lake fire since Sunday. As of Friday, 61 properties in Thompson-Nicola Regional District Area “E” remain on evacuation order, while a further
  
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• The Price is Right doubles down on Victoria, Duncan live shows

  28-08-2026 20:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The interactive, non-televised live version of an iconic American game show brings its high-energy tour to Victoria, Duncan, Surrey, Kelowna and Abbotsford this fall.
  The Price is Right LIVE is a brand-new, live stage show hosted by a charismatic celebrity with a big personality and plenty of laughs. Audience members can be randomly selected to play games such as Plinko, Cliff Hangers, spinning the Big Wheel and more.
  The games, energy, and prizes are similar to what you see on TV, notes a post
  
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• Town of Ladysmith calls for provincial action after 2 human-caused fires

  28-08-2026 20:29 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A recent human-caused wildfire near the Banon Creek Forest Service Road (FSR) has prompted the Town of Ladysmith to once again call on the province to take immediate action to address the ongoing safety and watershed protection concerns in the area.
  On Aug. 18, a human-caused wildfire was reported in the area following another human-caused brush fire just weeks earlier.
  The fires come less than two months after the town wrote to the province requesting immediate action, including stronger access
  
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• Headline history: Harmac’s workers saved the mill from closure in 2008

  28-08-2026 19:44 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  It’s been 18 years since Nanaimo’s Harmac Pacific pulp mill shut down operations in May, 2008, after its parent company, Oregon-based Pope & Talbot, went bankrupt.
  In recognition that Harmac had proven to be a profitable enterprise, its workers began a successful search to find private investors to align with them and take over the mill.
  More than 200 Harmac employees contributed $25,000 each to help form a 25 per cent ownership stake through a new employee-ownership model along
  
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