Nanaimo news

• Pair of paragliders rescued from tree near Chilliwack

  05-08-2026 22:50 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A pair of tandem paragliders were successfully rescued after being stranded just below a Bridal Falls launch site during the long B.C. Day weekend.Kent-Harrison Search and Rescue president Dave Morris told The Observer that KHSAR worked with Chilliwack Search and Rescue, the Popkum Fire Department and the local RCMP to bring the gliders to safety.“Due to the steep and challenging terrain, a highly technical rope rescue was required to safely lower them to the ground,” Morris said. &l
  
  Read more

• Bald Range wildfire sits at 24,622 hectares west of Summerland

  22-08-2026 17:14 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Bald Range wildfire west of Summerland continues to burn out of control more than two weeks after its discovery.
  ​According to the latest update from the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS), the blaze has grown to 24,622 hectares, with 13 evacuation alerts and eight evacuation orders still in place.
  ​Despite the large number of evacuation orders, many residents have been able to return home, with just 32 properties still under evacuation.
  ​BCWS says its priorities are to maintain th
  
  Read more

• ONC joins the hunt for cosmic particles in the ocean

  22-08-2026 15:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  University of Victoria’s Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) is part of a major project that will give scientists a glimpse into the universe from under the sea.In this multi-partner Pacific Ocean Neutrino Experiment (P-ONE), ONC is co-engineering key infrastructure to create a deep-sea neutrino telescope that will transform vast stretches of the deep Pacific Ocean into a massive neutrino detector.
  Research has shown that the pitch-black depths of the deep ocean are an ideal environment for studyi
  
  Read more

• COLUMN: I wish I had said hello toTerry Fox

  22-08-2026 14:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  It’s hard to believe that the 46th annual Terry Fox Run will take place next month.
  Up to four million people across Canada and the world participate in the run each year, and they have raised more than $1 billion over the decades for cancer research.
  I was actually there on that cold and wet April morning in 1980 in St. John’s, Newfoundland, when it all began.
  I was just a youngster at the time walking with some friends in the city’s downtown when we came across a small group
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• UPDATE: Bald Range wildfire grows to 24,536 hectares, as Summerland residents continue to return home

  22-08-2026 04:31 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  UPDATE (7:25 P.M.)
  The Bald Range wildfire continues to grow in size, according to the latest report from BCWS.
  The provincial agency said in an update at 7:04 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 21, that the fire is currently 24,536 hectares in size and continues to be classified as out of control.
  Earlier this Friday, BCWS reported that both fire behaviour and activity have been dampened over the last several days as smoke from the Bald Range wildfire and fires to the west and south have been impacting the r
  
  Read more

• Small wildfire spotted in Beaufort Range near Port Alberni

  22-08-2026 03:52 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A small wildfire is burning out of control in the Beaufort Range northwest of Port Alberni. The B.C. Wildfire Service is calling the area Hal Creek.
  The fire, listed as 0.2 hectares, was spotted during the afternoon of Friday, Aug. 21 shortly after a brief thunder and lightning event. The B.C. Wildfire service is calling the fire “under investigation” while they respond.
  Firefighting ground personnel have been deployed to the scene, and at least two helicopters have been spotted by p
  
  Read more

• Nanaimo preparing guide to help seniors during community emergencies

  22-08-2026 03:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  City of Nanaimo is working to help seniors prepare for community-wide emergencies.
  The municipality is inviting seniors, caregivers, family members and organizations that support older adults to participate in a survey that will help shape a new Seniors Emergency Preparedness Information Guide.
  The guide is being developed to help older adults prepare for emergencies and disasters, such as extreme heat, power outages, wildfire smoke, earthquakes and severe weather.
  Community feedback will help e
  
  Read more

• Montréal minor arrested, allegedly used AI to plan school attack

  22-08-2026 02:35 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A Montréal youth was arrested Friday (Aug. 21) on terrorism allegations.
  RCMP’s Federal Policing Eastern Region arrested the “young man” from Montréal as part of an investigation by the Integrated National Security Enforcement Team. Police did not specify the suspect’s age, but also referred to him as a minor.Police say the investigators had “reasonable grounds” to fear he might commit crimes related to violent extremism.The investigation began a
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Less than half expected sockeye returning to B.C.’s Fraser River this year

  22-08-2026 01:58 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Pacific Salmon Commission has slashed estimates for this year’s Fraser River Sockeye run by more than 50 per cent.
  The initial prediction of 7,743,390 sockeye salmon returning to the Fraser River has now been downgraded to 3,496,000 fish.Experts warn this appears to be part of a 16-year downward spiral for the Fraser River’s dominant sockeye salmon run.
  “The trend for this four-year cycle in the Fraser is very concerning,” said Jason Hwang, vice-president of the Pacif
  
  Read more

• B.C. man sentenced to 22 years in jail for sex offences

  22-08-2026 01:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A Port Alberni man in his late 40s has been sentenced to 22 years in jail after being convicted of several sexual offences.
  On Aug. 11, 2026, Shaun Pater was convicted of sexual offences, including one count of sexual interference involving a person under the age of 14, two counts of sexual interference involving persons under the age of 16, and one count of sexual assault.
  “The care, sensitivity, and professionalism demonstrated by Port Alberni RCMP investigators throughout these complex
  
  Read more

• Tumbler Ridge shooting documents detail confusion around number of shooters

  22-08-2026 01:15 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Recently released court documents are providing more insight into the events and subsequent investigation into the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge in February.
  Hundreds of pages of information to obtain documents were released after a media consortium sought to have them released. Black Press Media obtained the documents through the Dawson Creek court registry as a result.
  While heavily redacted, the pages of documents detail the confusion regarding how many shooters there could have been, search
  
  Read more

• Headline history: A boom in the number of Nanaimo bus riders in 2011

  22-08-2026 01:08 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Nanaimo was seeing growth in bus ridership in the early part of the 21st century and there are still people at stops waiting to take transit.
  A July 23, 2011 issue of the Nanaimo News Bulletin reported that, based on a report of the day from Regional District of Nanaimo Transit’s funding partner B.C. Transit, there were 2.6 million riders that year, an increase of 6.4 per cent from the year previous.In that fiscal year, Routes 8 and 9, shuttling passengers north and south, connecting a bus
  
  Read more

• UPDATE: More Summerland residents head home as staged re-entry moves ahead

  22-08-2026 00:13 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  UPDATE (3:20 P.M.)
  More Summerland residents are heading home.
  The entire community, except for 32 properties, is no longer under evacuation order.
  Properties located in Electoral Area F (Greater West Bench and Faulder) within the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen remain evacuated, with the exception of 23000 Gallaugher Street.
  See here for properties still evacuated.
  Properties with downgraded orders are now on evacuation alert.
  People on alert are urged to prepare to evacuate their pre
  
  Read more

• State of emergency extended in B.C. due to wildfire risk

  22-08-2026 00:04 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The provincial government is extending it’s state of emergency for one more week due to the ongoing wildfire risk.The state of emergency, which was first declared two weeks, is now extended until Saturday, Aug. 29, the government announced Friday (Aug. 21).The province says the extension follows advice from emergency-management officials. It allows the province to have access to emergency powers under the Emergency and Disaster Management Act if they are required.
  So far, the provincial go
  
  Read more

• IIO investigating Williams Lake incident that left woman seriously injured

  21-08-2026 23:56 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Independent Investigations Office of BC (IIO) is investigating an incident in Williams Lake after a woman sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
  In a press release, the IIO said the incident occurred May 8, 2026, in a municipal park.
  The IIO reported that initial information states the woman had an interaction with bylaw officers and city staff. RCMP officers were called to the area and advised her that she needed to leave the park.
  At one point during an interaction between th
  
  Read more

• Kelowna Events Centre, community volunteers make a big difference for wildfire evacuees

  21-08-2026 23:15 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A steady stream of wildfire evacuees lined up outside the Kelowna Events Centre (KEC) on Friday, Aug. 21, with some arriving well before the doors opened, seeking clothes, diapers, toiletries and other essentials after spending weeks away from home.
  ​The recovery event at 2041 Harvey Ave., organized by Susanne Soranno with support from the KEC, local partners and community members, marked the second push to distribute a large volume of donated goods. It aimed to support those displaced by
  
  Read more

• Quesnel Regional Airport runway temporarily closed after aircraft incident

  21-08-2026 22:49 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A small aircraft was involved in a landing incident at the Quesnel Regional Airport on Friday, Aug. 21, with no injuries reported.
  According to a social media post by the City of Quesnel, emergency responders attended the scene and the aircraft remains in the runway area while recovery and assessment activities are underway.
  The runway has been temporarily closed and Transport Canada has been notified.
  The city added it will continue working with regulatory authorities and the aircraft operator
  
  Read more

• BC Hydro spending $90 million to upgrade Vancouver substation

  21-08-2026 22:26 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  BC Hydro continues to pour money into grid upgrades and energy supply expansion to meet surging demand, announcing on Friday a $90-million spend on a new transformer in Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant neighbourhood.
  “We’re making sure that as the city grows, as British Columbia grows, our electricity network grows with it,” Energy and Climate Solutions Minister Adrian Dix said.
  Dix says this new upgrade will provide enough power for 50,000 homes.
  The Mount Pleasant substation
  
  Read more

• Nanaimo looks to broaden criteria for sports tournament grants

  21-08-2026 22:01 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Changes are coming to Nanaimo’s sports tournament grant program to allow for more flexibility as to who can apply for grants, and for what purposes.
  The city’s finance and audit committee made that decision at a recent meeting after staff pointed out that the program, which has an annual budget of $20,000, has seen few applications in recent years.
  “There was only one application received in 2023, none in 2024, one in 2025 and one so far in 2026,” said Charlotte Davis, Na
  
  Read more

• Testimony concludes in Grand Forks manslaughter trial

  21-08-2026 20:35 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The accused in a Grand Forks area manslaughter trial had only been living with his roommates for a couple of weeks before the fatal shooting.
  Cross-examination of the accused, 47-year-old Sean Tiessen, continued in Rossland Supreme Court Thursday (Aug. 19).
  Tiessen is facing one count of manslaughter in the death of Joshua Lockwood, 33, following an incident that took place at a home shared by the two and Lockwood’s girlfriend, Keera Roberts, after midnight on April 16, 2023.
  Tiessen is cl
  
  Read more

• PNE Fair starts Saturday with Wizard of Oz on Ice, big-stage concerts at new Arch, more

  21-08-2026 20:27 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Fifteen days of late-summer fun are promised during the 2026 edition of the PNE Fair in Vancouver.
  B.C.’s largest annual fair starts Saturday, Aug. 22 with a wide range of entertainment including Summer Night Concerts at the new Freedom Mobile Arch.
  The fair runs through Labour Day (Sept. 7) at Hastings Park, site of some familiar attractions and also new ones.“Whether you’re visiting for the rides, the food, the concerts, or simply to make memories with family and friends, the
  
  Read more

• Extreme fire risk prompts Butchart Gardens to cancel its 2nd consecutive fireworks show

  21-08-2026 20:16 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Due to the provincial state of emergency, the Butchart Gardens is cancelling its weekend fireworks show for a second consecutive week.
  The show slated for Aug. 22 is cancelled; a performance by Freeze Frame continues, starting at 7:30 p.m. While yearlong passes are normally not valid on fireworks days, they will be honoured Saturday.
  Traditionally, the Central Saanich tourist destination runs its displays with strict on-site support and coverage by local firefighters. Amid the ongoing extreme fi
  
  Read more

• Clean-up complete, payment forgot: Edmonton demo company takes Lake Okanagan Resort to court

  21-08-2026 20:05 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  While the job to clean-up the remains of a wildfire destroyed resort has been completed, the payment has not, an Edmonton-based demolition company claims.
  On Friday, Aug. 14, McColman and Sons Demolition Ltd. filed a lawsuit against the owners of Lake Okanagan Resort, claiming they are owed $248.976.64 in outstanding payment for their work.According to the notice of civil claim, the Edmonton-based company was hired to complete the demolition, clean up, and removal of fire-damaged buildings from
  
  Read more

• Lantzville’s Raymond Salgado releases new song about long-distance relationships

  21-08-2026 20:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Lantzville’s Raymond Salgado has come out with a new song about long-distance relationships.
  From Afar is the newest single from Salgado. He has more than five million followers across TikTok, Facebook and Instagram, and finished top eight on Canada’s Got Talent, according to a press release by Art Haus Music.
  The song, Art Haus Music says, is about loving someone from a distance, and that it captures the ache of longing, devotion and accepting that love sometimes means letting someo
  
  Read more

• Coast Guard directs owner of sunken vessel near Qualicum Beach to remove debris

  21-08-2026 20:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Canadian Coast Guard has directed the owner of a sunken boat near Qualicum Beach to take measures to address the vessel.
  The 30-foot pleasure craft was reported overturned and mostly submerged on June 30, when a small sheen was seen around the vessel, according to Craig Macartney, communications advisor for the Department of National Defence.
  The owner was unable to stabilize and re-float the boat and the Coast Guard responded to the scene on June 30 to implement pollution containment measur
  
  Read more

• Anti-gang police seize drugs, guns while helping RCMP in Penticton, Oliver

  21-08-2026 19:57 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  While helping out local RCMP detachments in Penticton following the Bald Range wildfire, B.C.’s anti-gang police ended up seizing firearms, weapons and drugs.Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit officers were in Penticton and Oliver Aug. 5 to 9 doing proactive enforcement alongside the Penticton RCMP for Peach Festival.
  Then on Aug. 7, as the Bald Range wildfire was threatening Summerland and surrounding communities, the officers shifted their focus to helping the emergency response.Th
  
  Read more

• Weekend weather could bring ‘dramatic increase’ in Interior fire activity

  21-08-2026 19:39 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  While wildfire growth in most of the Southern and Central Interior has been relatively stable over the past few days, the Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) is warning that there is the potential for a “dramatic increase” in wildfire activity going into this weekend.
  A news release from the TNRD’s Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) on Thursday (Aug. 20) stated that the weather forecast for Friday and Saturday indicates that hot and dry conditions will give way to unstable
  
  Read more

• Vancouver Island vet clinics warn about bat encounters due to rabies

  21-08-2026 19:34 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Local veterinary hospitals are warning the public that a bat found in Campbell River’s Willow Point area on July 24 tested positive for rabies.
  This is according to a social media post made Wednesday by Coastline Veterinary Hospital. The post says the hospital was notified about by public health officials.
  Raintree Veterinary Hospital in the Comox Valley also posted on social media on Wednesday that “a case of rabies has been confirmed in a bat in our area.”
  The Mirror has not
  
  Read more

• Fire at Duncan apartment complex leaves 2 dead, others hospitalized and dozens displaced

  21-08-2026 19:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  An overnight fire at the Gala Vista apartments in Duncan has resulted in one death, several injuries, and displaced roughly 50 people.
  “I can confirm that the BC Coroners Service is investigating two deaths related to this incident,” said BC Coroners Service spokesperson Holly Tally.
  She said that as the coroner’s investigation is ongoing, any additional details could not be shared.
  Duncan Fire Chief Geoff Spriggs said his department got the call at approximately 2:30 a.m. on F
  
  Read more

• Fire at Duncan apartment complex leaves 1 dead, 4 hospitalized and dozens displaced

  21-08-2026 19:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  An overnight fire at the Gala Vista apartments in Duncan has resulted in one death, several injuries, and displaced roughly 50 people.
  “I can confirm that the BC Coroners Service is investigating a death related to this incident,” said BC Coroners Service spokesperson Holly Tally.
  She said that as the coroner’s investigation is ongoing, any additional details could not be shared.
  Duncan Fire Chief Geoff Spriggs said his department got the call at approximately 2:30 a.m. on Frid
  
  Read more

Follow @news_nanaimo on Twitter!