Nanaimo news

• Pollinator reigns supreme in Island aquarium’s Salish Sea Idol campaign

  05-12-2025 15:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  The aquarium in Sidney is abuzz with news of the bumble bee crowned Salish Sea Idol for 2025.Perhaps an unexpected representative, the pollinator far and away took the lead in the annual fundraiser at the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea.The campaign invited people to back the contender – bull kelp, bumble bee, camas and Pacific herring – they found most compelling, ecologically important or representative of the Salish Sea watershed.
  Between voter donations and the matching funds from
  
  Read more

• Fort St. James man sentenced to life for 2022 murder

  09-12-2025 21:20 via nanaimobulletin.com
  A Fort St. James man has been sentenced to life in prison for the 2022 shooting death of John Lazarre.
  On Feb. 25, 2022, Fort St. James RCMP officers were called to reports of shots fired on Spruce Road. According to police, when officers arrived, they found 36-year-old John Lazarre deceased.
  Thomas Duncan, now 33, was later arrested and charged in connection with the killing. Ducan pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for Lazarre’s death.
  On Wednesday, Dec. 3, in provincial court, Dunca
  
  Read more

• B.C. Lions set Langford clash with Edmonton this spring at Starlight Stadium

  09-12-2025 21:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Just two months ago, the B.C. Lions announced they would be making another pre-season stop in Langford, and on Dec. 9, the team unveiled their 2026 schedule, confirming Langford’s date for May 23.
  It will be the third different opponent that Greater Victoria will see, with the Edmonton Elks the newest team to enter the provincial capital. Last season, the Lions won all three outings against the Elks.
  View this post on InstagramA post shared by BC Lions (@bclions_official)The club has made
  
  Read more

• Patient airlifted after being burned in motorhome fire south of Nanaimo

  09-12-2025 20:35 via nanaimobulletin.com
  A patient was airlifted to hospital with burns after his motorhome caught fire south of Nanaimo.
  Firefighters from Nanaimo Fire Rescue and Extension Volunteer Fire Department responded to the alarm shortly after 9 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 9, when a woman on her way to work came across the blaze at the summit of South Forks Road south of Nanaimo.
  Alicia Appleton said she saw the male occupant of the motorhome come out of the vehicle and he was on fire. Her first instinct was to tell the man to get into
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Shirley Dorothy Winbourne

  09-12-2025 20:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  December 10, 1935 – November 23, 2025
  Sadly, we said goodbye to our beloved Shirley Dorothy Winbourne (nee Johnston) on the evening of Nov. 23/25, just shy of her 90th birthday. Shirley will be greatly missed and lovingly remembered by her daughters Lisa and Janet, by her cousin Jennifer (Steve) Smith and family, and niece Victoria (Mike) Pollard and family. Shirley was predeceased by her beloved husband Jim in 2011.
  Born and raised in Birkenhead, England, Shirley travelled to Canada at th
  
  Read more

• Richard Ian Connett

  09-12-2025 20:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  July 19, 1946 – November 20, 2025
  It is with deep sadness that we announce the peaceful passing of Richard Ian Connett, on November 20, 2025 at age 79, in the NRGH Palliative Care Unit. Ian succumbed to his courageous year-long battle with metastatic cancer surrounded by his loving wife of 56 years, Carol, daughter Christine (Dave), and son Jason (Tracy). Ian will be missed by grandsons Blake (Kyra) and Dylan (Kayla) and great-grandson Quinn; and sisters Helen (Gerry) and Jean, brother Col
  
  Read more

• Margaret “Marge” Elaine Brown

  09-12-2025 20:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  March 27,1931 -November 5,2025
  Margaret “Marge” Brown passed away peacefully on November 5 – After many years of struggling with dementia. Her family is deeply grateful to the administration and staff at Keeping House Care Facility for the care, compassion,and comfort they provided.
  Whether it was a cow cookie jar that mooed or “talking” to the people on the other side of the lake with a flashlight late into the night, Marge lived a life made rich by simple joys. Sh
  
  Read more

• Chicago punk rockers Rise Against coming to Okanagan Valley

  09-12-2025 20:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Rise Against is Okanagan-bound.
  The Chicago-based alternative punk rock quartet will take the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre (PTCC) stage on March 27, 2026, as part of the North America-wide tour alongside fellow punk band Destroy Boys.
  Rise Against formed in 1999 and has since released 10 studio albums, including Ricochet (2025).
  Among the band’s gold or platinum-certified records feature rock radio staples like Prayer of the Refugee (2006) and Savior (2008).
  Penticton is one of tw
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• VIDEO: Navy sailor plucked from the dark, stormy waters off Metchosin

  09-12-2025 19:50 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Professionalism and training aside, the relief is palpable as rescuers talk through the search for a sailor overboard in a video shared by the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) Victoria.
  The voices chatter outlining the location, resources on route, the flare and a dark spot nearby quickly identified as the man they were seeking.“Outstanding,” says one searcher.
  “He just waved his hand up he’s alive,” says another.JRCC Victoria was alerted to a person overboar
  
  Read more

• RCMP arrest four more at logging blockade near Lake Cowichan

  09-12-2025 19:31 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Four more people were arrested on Dec. 8 for allegedly breaching the court-ordered injunction at a blockade near a forestry operation in the Carmanah Valley, near Lake Cowichan.
  The RCMP said one of the four will be held in custody for breaching his release conditions stemming from his previous arrest on Nov. 25 for breaching the injunction and attempting to disrupt forestry operations in the area.
  Another of the four was also arrested for criminal obstruction of police for allegedly resisting a
  
  Read more

• THE MOJ: Future of Quinn Hughes with the Canucks is an issue with many layers

  09-12-2025 19:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  “It’s definitely becoming interesting.”
  That’s the text reply we received from an NHL executive when we asked about Vancouver defenseman Quinn Hughes and teams inquiring about him with the Canucks.
  As first reported by HNIC’s Elliotte Friedman this past Saturday, the Canucks took a call from the New Jersey Devils, who were asking about Hughes’ status.
  Friedman followed that up on his ‘32 Thoughts” podcast by saying that the Detroit Red Wings have a
  
  Read more

• BC Lions’ 2026 season kicks off in Kelowna, no games at BC Place til July 25

  09-12-2025 19:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  With the FIFA World Cup of soccer coming to Vancouver, BC Lions won’t play at BC Place Stadium until Week 8 of the 2026 CFL season.
  The Lions start with two home games in the Okanagan during “Touchdown Kelowna” battles with Calgary Stampeders (June 27) and Edmonton Elks (July 4), both 4 p.m. kickoffs at Apple Bowl.
  BC’s first game at Save-On-Foods Field at BC Place is Saturday, July 25 vs. Toronto Argonauts, following the seven World Cup games scheduled at the stadium in
  
  Read more

• Island council pushing back against Island MLA’s bill aimed at speeding development

  09-12-2025 18:35 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Parksville council plans to let the provincial government know its opposition to a private member’s bill that would require municipalities to approve any development project that has been certified by a registered professional, such as an engineer.
  Council members expressed concerns with Bill M 216, known as the Professional Reliance Act, including a lack of consultation by the province.
  “This bill is supposed to ask local governments to accept any development projects that meet the
  
  Read more

• Deer negative for chronic wasting disease in North Okanagan

  09-12-2025 18:19 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Further testing has confirmed that a sample submitted from a male white-tailed deer harvested east of Enderby is negative for chronic wasting disease (CWD).
  CWD is an infectious and fatal disease affecting cervids, including deer, elk, moose and caribou.
  The initial screening test by the B.C. Animal Health Centre showed a “non-negative” finding for the sample, meaning the disease could not be definitively ruled out and required more testing. Following standard protocol, the sample wa
  
  Read more

• Nanaimo woman who was reported missing was found dead

  09-12-2025 17:45 via nanaimobulletin.com
  A missing person case turned into a homicide case and Nanaimo RCMP are now asking for any tips from the public that could help with the investigation.
  According to a press release Tuesday, Dec. 9, Sherry Shelley, who was 65, was found dead Nov. 14 following a vehicle fire in a wooded area along College Drive near the Nanaimo Parkway. She had previously been reported missing.
  “The Nanaimo serious crime unit [is] investigating Ms. Shelley’s death as a homicide and have been working dil
  
  Read more

• Juan de Fuca rescue team carries injured surfer from Sombrio Beach

  09-12-2025 17:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  A South Island rescue team is reminding surfers of the dangers at local beaches after one person was severely injured last weekend.“While the surf can be compelling, Sombrio Beach has large, submerged rocks and boulders that pose significant hazards, especially during heavier conditions,” Juan de Fuca Search and Rescue said on social media.The local team was tasked with getting a surfer with a severe lower-body injury from the rocky shores Friday (Dec. 5).“We’d like to th
  
  Read more

• Inquest to be held in shooting death of neurodivergent B.C. teen

  09-12-2025 17:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  The B.C. Coroners Service (BCCS) has announced they will hold an inquest in the shooting death of Clayton Heights teen Chase de Balinhard.
  In a Dec. 8 press release, BCCS announced the inquest into the circumstances surrounding the death of Chase de Balinhard will be held in the new year.
  “A presiding coroner and a jury will hear evidence from witnesses under oath to determine the facts surrounding this death,” Holly Tally, BCCS communications manager wrote in the release. “The
  
  Read more

• Grads reflect on B.C. opportunities as ground shifts for international students

  09-12-2025 16:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  One ruined piece of meat showed Steven Mathews that studying and working in Nelson was the right career move.
  Mathews was a student in the kitchen at Selkirk College’s culinary management program when he accidentally wrecked specialty meat he was using in a recipe.
  At a school or kitchen in India, where he was grew up and received a bachelor’s degree in hotel management before enrolling in Selkirk in 2022, Mathews says he would have been scolded or failed for the mistake.
  But Mathews
  
  Read more

• Rainfall warning, high streamflow advisory in effect for Fraser Valley

  09-12-2025 16:22 via nanaimobulletin.com
  A rainfall warning is in effect for the Fraser Valley with between 60 and 80 mm of rain forecast for the region starting tonight.
  According to Environment Canada, periods of heavy rain are expected from Tuesday evening (Dec. 9) through Wednesday evening (Dec. 10).
  The warning includes the Fraser Valley, including Mission, Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Agassiz and Hope.
  “An atmospheric river will arrive on the south coast of B.C. bringing heavy rain tonight through Wednesday. Warm air with the sy
  
  Read more

• B.C. actor jumps from vacation to debut role as ‘chief elf’ in Netflix holiday film

  09-12-2025 16:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Langford’s Dominic Fox was on vacation when he received the call to audition for the My Secret Santa film for Netflix, which is currently ranking in the Top 10 movies on Netflix Canada.
  Fox, who started his acting career at the age of 11, graduated from the Victoria Academy of Dramatic Arts in 2024.
  This rising local talent is spreading festive cheer this season, making waves both locally and on the big screen as he builds an impressive early career portfolio with his first ever feature fi
  
  Read more

• Seed planted in Abbotsford for creation of B.C.’s first memorial forest

  09-12-2025 15:38 via nanaimobulletin.com
  The City of Abbotsford is planning to create the first “memorial forest” in B.C. to commemorate loved ones who have passed.
  A proposal comes before city council on Tuesday afternoon (Dec. 9) to designate Hughes Park at 1395 Clearbrook Rd. for the program.
  The park is currently the site of a baseball diamond, but a staff report to council states the last booking for the park was in April 2017.
  The report indicates there are currently 11 trees on site – mainly spruce and Douglas
  
  Read more

• Vancouver Island’s Monique Coffey features for Canada in rugby SVNS stops

  09-12-2025 15:20 via nanaimobulletin.com
  A top Vancouver Island rugby sevens player got to showcase her skills on a big world stage this month.
  Monique Coffey, a member of the Comox Valley Kickers and a coach at the Comox Valley Rapids, featured in the Cape Town Sevens, turning out for Canada.
  Coffey was selected by Canada for its 2025-2026 SVNS (formerly known as the World Rugby Sevens Series) in late November to compete in the first two stops, Dubai, UAE (Nov. 29 to 30) and Cape Town, South Africa (Dec. 6 to 7).
  In Dubai, Coffey came
  
  Read more

• ‘Last Logging Show’ earns B.C. author national non-fiction writing award

  09-12-2025 15:01 via nanaimobulletin.com
  A book that aims to show both sides of the logging industry and the conflict that ensues from it has now won an award.
  Aaron Williams is an author and also a third-generation British Columbia logger who returned to the forests of Haida Gwaii to witness what he calls a way of life in the “grip of change.”
  Wilfrid Laurier University has named Williams the winner of its 2025 Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non-Fiction for his book The Last Logging Show: A Forestry Family at the End of
  
  Read more

• RDN to look at building code changes to make it easier to physically move homes

  09-12-2025 14:05 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Regional District of Nanaimo staff will examine rule changes for people who physically move their homes to another lot.
  At the RDN’s electoral area services committee meeting Thursday, Dec. 4, Vanessa Craig, Gabriola Island area director, gave notice of motion to amend building bylaws for “moved-on homes,” asking staff to review fees and policies.
  Craig said under current requirements, moved homes must appraise at minimum 100 per cent of the average assessed value of improvemen
  
  Read more

• Kelowna’s Big White named best international ski resort for families

  09-12-2025 13:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Big White Ski Resort is a popular choice for families.
  The resort was recently voted the winner of Best International Ski Resort for Families in the 2025 Out and About with Kids Readers’ Choice Awards.
  This is Big White’s first win in the category since 2024, with more than 40,000 Australian families taking part in the voting.
  In an effort to make Big White even more family friendly, it is preparing to open phase two of its Kids’ Centre expansion in the Village Centre Mall for
  
  Read more

• Gibson earns 25th career shutout as Red Wings blank Canucks 4-0

  09-12-2025 06:40 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Goalie John Gibson made 39 saves for his 25th career shutout, leading the visiting Detroit Red Wings to a 4-0 win over the Vancouver Canucks in NHL action Monday at Rogers Arena.
  James van Riemsdyk, Andrew Copp, Nate Danielson and Dylan Larkin scored for the Wings (16-11-3). Kevin Lankinen took the goaltending loss for the Canucks (11-16-3), stopping 10 of 13 shots before being relieved by Nikita Tolopilo, who stopped all six shots he saw in the final period.
  The Canucks carried the play for muc
  
  Read more

• Choir planning ‘really big’ sing-along Messiah in Nanaimo

  09-12-2025 04:45 via nanaimobulletin.com
  A Christmas concert this coming weekend will be a really big one.
  The Malaspina Choir’s Really Big Sing-Along Messiah is back, and will be at the Port Theatre this Sunday, Dec. 14.
  The choir has presented more than a dozen sing-alongs to Handel’s Messiah in the past, and a couple of years ago it moved from a church to the Port Theatre to accommodate more than 500 singers joining the Nanaimo Chamber Orchestra and featured soloists.
  “Of course, we cannot rival the recent tally of
  
  Read more

• Nanaimo youths hoping to collect Coats for Christmas

  09-12-2025 02:55 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Nanaimo youths will be again collecting warm clothes to try to help people in need of warmth in Nanaimo.
  Volunteer Nanaimo’s YouthNetwork is holding its annual charity drive, Coats for Christmas, this Saturday, Dec. 13, at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church. The initiative is held in partnership with the Salvation Army Nanaimo, which handles distribution of the items.
  The Coats for Christmas event’s youth lead, Chimera Carew, said thousands of items were collected last year and t
  
  Read more

• Sturko hasn’t ruled out B.C. Conservative return, bid for party leadership

  09-12-2025 02:32 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Elenore Sturko, MLA for Surrey-Cloverdale, has not ruled out a run for the leadership of the B.C. Conservative Party—and she’d consider rejoining the party, if invited back.
  Sturko, former Conservative and now independent MLA, left the party after butting heads with former Conservative Party leader John Rustad. With the party caucus recently removing Rustad as leader, that leaves the path open for Sturko to find her way back to the party – or even to run for leader.
  “I th
  
  Read more

• Island group raises $53K to support Syrian-Palestinian family to Canada

  09-12-2025 02:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Farouk Mitha has been part of a multifaith listening circle for the past year. The group, made up of Jews, Muslims, Christians and secular members, meets regularly to discuss and share perspectives on a range of topics.
  After the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks, where a series of coordinated strikes carried out by Hamas during a Jewish holiday killed 1,210 people, the group’s conversations reached a crossroads.
  In the wake of these events, shocked by the brutality of the attacks, the members began di
  
  Read more

Follow @news_nanaimo on Twitter!