Nanaimo news

• QUIZ: A salute to fathers and fatherhood

  21-06-2026 14:20 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Father’s Day, on the third Sunday of June, is a time set aside to honour fathers.
  How much do you know about famous fathers, in history, culture and fiction? Put your knowledge to the test with these 10 questions.
  Good luck.READ MORE: QUIZ: AI technology creates new worlds
  READ MORE: QUIZ: In celebration of hockey
  READ MORE: QUIZ: In praise of communication
  
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• Despite recent modest increase in visits, cross-border traffic still down from 2024

  24-06-2026 05:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Southbound trips across the border are still far below 2024 levels in B.C., despite a recent modest increase reported by Statistics Canada.
  When the federal agency reported a 9.5 per cent increase in Canadian-resident return trips in May of this year, it was seen in some news reports as an easing of the travel reluctance that was trigggered when U.S. president Donald Trump launched a trade war and suggested Canada should become the 51st state.
  However, a review of cross-border travel statistics
  
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• Advocates press B.C. to curb NDAs in harassment, abuse cases

  24-06-2026 02:05 via nanaimobulletin.com
  For several years now, advocates in the legal profession have been calling for the B.C. government to create new rules restricting the use of non-disclosure agreements in cases of sexual assaults, harassment or abuse.
  In 2024, the Canadian Bar Association’s B.C. Division sent Attorney General Niki Sharma a letter urging changes.
  Sharma responded at the time, saying that B.C. is monitoring other jurisdictions while participating in a working group on the subject, “all in the aid of de
  
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• Nanaimo United FC teams want to finish season off strong

  24-06-2026 02:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Nanaimo United FC teams want to finish on a high as their seasons conclude.
  The Harbour City’s B.C. Premier League men’s and women’s soccer teams play their final home games of the season Saturday, June 27 at Q’unq’inuqwstuxw Stadium with tilts against Langley United.
  The men’s side sports a 4-5-2 record going into this weekend’s action and Daragh Fitzgerald, Nanaimo United FC technical lead, is pleased with how the men have performed, saying they have b
  
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• Trial begins for Kelowna equestrian coach accused of sex crimes, child luring

  24-06-2026 01:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A high-performance equestrian coach based in Kelowna appeared in B.C. Supreme Court on June 23 for day one of his criminal trial.
  Sebastien Devrainne, originally from France, has pleaded not guilty to charges of sexual touching, sexual exploitation and making sexually explicit material available to minors for incidents that are alleged to have occurred as early as 2011.
  Crown counsel called its first witness to the stand, a former student of Devrainne. The witness was a minor at the time of the
  
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• 3 B.C. clean-energy projects among $16M announced from feds

  24-06-2026 00:59 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Three clean-energy projects in B.C. are among the $16 million announced by the federal government Tuesday (June 23).
  The federal government announced five projects would be getting the funding: three in B.C., one in the Yukon and one in the Northwest Territories.
  In B.C., the three projects are located in Penticton, Prince Rupert and Vanderhoof.
  The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen is the recipient of the Penticton project funding, which is for renewable and electrification feasibility
  
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• Campaign kicks off to help Loaves and Fishes finish food centre in Nanaimo

  24-06-2026 00:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The charitable organization of a late Nanaimo philanthropist has kick-started an initiative that will help Loaves and Fishes Community Food Bank complete its new facility.
  On Friday, June 19, Tony Harris announced a $750,000 commitment from the non-profit bearing his father’s name, the Tom Harris Community Foundation, for completion of the food bank’s regional food centre building on East Wellington Road – it will be named the Tom Harris Regional Food Centre.
  “Friday&rsqu
  
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• Vernon resident swings her way to a world record

  24-06-2026 00:08 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  On June 19 Tammy Kovaluk broke the world record for most weight lifted by kettle bell swing in 12 hours.
  After 10,105 reps of kettle bell swings for a total of 416,326 pounds swung, the record was hers.
  “The women’s record I did it kind of halfway through. The men’s record was like 11 and a half hours,” said Kovaluk.
  The previous mens record was 410,896 pounds.
  In 2021, Kovaluk broke two Guinness world records for most chest to ground burpees by a female for both 12 hours
  
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• Gas station car blaze quickly put out by Parksville Fire Rescue

  23-06-2026 22:35 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Three people escaped injury after a vehicle caught fire at a Parksville gas station on June 22.
  Parksville Fire Rescue responded to the Gas N Go on the Island Highway shortly after 7:45 p.m., to find a car ablaze about 15 feet from the building, according to Cam Cruickshank, assistant fire chief.
  “It didn’t spread to the building. There was a small grass fire kind of behind the building but it was very slow moving, probably just from the exposure to the heat,” Cruickshank said.
  
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• IIO looking for witnesses to June 12 arrest in Port Alberni

  23-06-2026 22:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Independent Investigations Office of B.C. (IIO) is seeking witnesses to an arrest that happened in Port Alberni on Friday, June 12 after a man suffered injuries during an interaction with police.
  Shortly before 3 p.m., Port Alberni RCMP responded to a call about a possible domestic disturbance at a residence in the 4600-block of Burke Road. When officers arrived they observed a man running from the residence in question. They arrested him a short distance away, near the intersection of Arrow
  
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• Missing man’s body found in woods near Duncan

  23-06-2026 22:25 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The body of Parminder Singh Grewal, 33, has been found in a wooded area near Duncan, his brother has confirmed.
  Grewal had last been seen on May 23 walking near Allenby Road and Government Street in Duncan. A large search from police, family, friends, Cowichan Search and Rescue and other volunteers yielded no further sightings.
  North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP Cpl. Kim Granneman said that Grewal’s body was located on June 13.
  “Victoria Police were the lead investigating agency as he was re
  
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• Remains found at lake near Whistler, RCMP investigating

  23-06-2026 22:21 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  RCMP is investigating after remains were found at a lake near Whistler.
  The Sea to Sky RCMP’s Whistler detachment was notified of human remains located in Alta Lake near Rainbow Park, east of Whistler, on Sunday (June 21) just before 3:30 p.m., according to a news release Tuesday.
  Whistler Fire Services, B.C. Conservation Officer Service and the Whistler Sailing Association helped to recover the remains, police said.
  Sea to Sky RCMP media relations officer Cpl. Katrina Boehmer said the det
  
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• Canucks bringing development camp to Abbotsford

  23-06-2026 22:14 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Vancouver Canucks are bringing the team’s 2026 Development Camp to Abbotsford.
  The club announced that Rogers Forum will host all of the on-ice activities for the event, which runs from June 30 to July 2.
  Development camp annually welcomes the Canucks’ top prospects and focuses on skill-building, fitness testing and off-ice training. Last year’s camp occurred at the University of British Columbia.The #Canucks announced today details for the team’s 2026 Development Cam
  
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• Man, woman found dead on remote road near Nakusp: criminality not suspected

  23-06-2026 21:40 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Police say the deaths of two people whose bodies were discovered in a remote area near Nakusp are not currently being treated as criminal in nature.
  The Nakusp RCMP is working with the BC Coroners Service following the discovery of two bodies along the Tate Creek Forest Service Road.
  Police said they received a report at about 9:17 a.m. on June 16 of a burned vehicle and a body in the vicinity.
  Investigators determined the vehicle had become stuck in difficult terrain and appeared to have subseq
  
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• Man believed to have been swept away in Columbia River: Castlegar RCMP

  23-06-2026 21:27 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Castlegar RCMP say a missing man, who is believed to have been swept away in the Columbia River, may have drowned.
  Officers were called after multiple reports of a lone man in distress in the Columbia River on June 21 around 9:30 p.m., according to a news release from Castlegar RCMP Tuesday (June 23).
  Police said witness reported seeing a man being carried downstream by current.
  A backpack, believed to belong to the man, was later found along the shoreline.
  Castlegar Search and Rescue, Columbia
  
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• Collaboration important for economic success, Nanaimo conference hears

  23-06-2026 21:01 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Working together collaboratively and with respect for each other will help lead to economic prosperity in Nanaimo, and across B.C., was the message participants of the Indigenous Resource Opportunities Conference heard.
  On June 5, stakeholders gathered from across B.C. in Nanaimo to discuss resource opportunities with one of the panels, Rising Tides Lifts all Boats: Collaborative Economic Development in Canada, focusing on the need for joint collaboration on economic development opportunities.
  O
  
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• Progress slow but visible, five years after Lytton fire

  23-06-2026 21:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Five years after the Lytton Creek fire tore through the Village of Lytton, longtime resident and first-term mayor Denise O’Connor expresses frustration about the slow pace of recovery but sees multiple signs of progress.
  On June 29, 2021, much of British Columbia was in the grip of a heat dome that saw temperature records shattered. On that day, Lytton recorded the highest temperature ever seen in Canada: 49.6 C.
  The next day, with temperatures falling to a comparatively mild 39 C, a fire
  
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• Junior Shamrocks win hosting rights for 2027 Minto Cup at Colwood’s Q Centre

  23-06-2026 21:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The biggest prize in Canadian junior box lacrosse is officially bound for the West Shore.
  The British Columbia Junior A Lacrosse League (BCJALL) board of governors voted to award the 2027 Minto Cup to the Victoria Junior Shamrocks. The national Junior A championship will take over Colwood’s Q Centre in August of next year.
  View this post on InstagramA post shared by BC Jr A Lacrosse League (@bcjralacrosse)The event annually crowns the national champion following a tournament that includes
  
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• Suspect in Montreal shooting that left 3 dead is identified as Alberta man

  23-06-2026 20:52 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The suspect in a Montreal shooting on Monday that left three people dead, including a civilian and a police officer, has been identified as a 25-year-old from Alberta.
  Seth Scott Hatfield, the alleged shooter, is from Lethbridge, the Quebec coroner confirmed to Black Press Media Tuesday (June 23). A civilian, 68-year-old Montreal man Michel Mizrahi, and Service de Police de la Ville de Montréal officer, 34-year-old Mohamed Lamine Benredouane from Laval, were also killed.
  Coroner Martine L
  
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• Gravel nationals end abruptly amid soaring temps in Cowichan

  23-06-2026 20:45 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Known as “The Legend”, the Burnt Bridge Gravel Fondo slated for June 14 in the Cowichan Valley was to also serve as the 2026 Canadian Gravel Championships.
  Though the race began — and some elite riders had even crossed the finished line — the event was terminated abruptly mid-race due to soaring temperatures and the strain it put on the event’s medical staff.
  An official statement from race director Jon Watkin of Panache Cycling Sports Ltd., explained that riders we
  
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• Live in the Moment as Portugal. The Man headlines Kelowna music festival

  23-06-2026 20:19 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Denim on the Diamond is back for 2026 with one of the most popular bands in alternative music today.
  Portugal. The Man will headline the City Park festival on Sunday, Sept. 13, it was announced on Tuesday.
  “The Grammy-winning, multi-platinum alternative powerhouses are bringing their legendary live performance straight to City Park,” said Denim on the Diamond on social media.
  The Alaska-found, but now based in Oregon band that’s been around for 22 years now, won the Best Pop Du
  
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• ‘What the hell happened?’: Saanich falls back to non-binding amalgamation question

  23-06-2026 19:50 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Saanich residents won’t see an anticipated referendum question on amalgamation when they head to the polls this fall. Likely, instead, they’ll find another public opinion question after the province told the district it wouldn’t authorize a binding referendum question.Disappointment and dissatisfaction were on display across the board – from the council table, to the public in chambers and those participating in the June 22 committee meeting online – as council cons
  
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• BC Transit opens $7 million training centre in Victoria

  23-06-2026 19:43 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A new BC Transit training centre is up and running in Victoria.
  BC Transit announced on June 22 that the new facility at the Victoria Transit Centre is designed to support maintenance teams with hands-on learning environments and modern training tools.
  “As the BC Transit fleet evolves with the introduction of battery electric buses, specialized training that goes beyond traditional practices is required, and this facility will ensure BC Transit’s existing fleet and future electrified
  
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• $2M cost estimate dampens plan for Parksville highway name changes

  23-06-2026 19:25 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The plan to rename Highway 19A and Highway 4A within Parksville city limits has stalled, after a staff report estimated the costs involved at more than $2 million.
  The change to Ocean Boulevard and Mountainview Boulevard would affect 674 addresses, including Oceanside Health Centre, Parksville Community Park, the Parksville Museum and Wembley Mall, according to a report by Ayla Defoor, manager of engineering.
  The report also found more than 1,000 bylaws, policies, business licences and other doc
  
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• RCMP calls up 19% in North Cowichan/Duncan detachment

  23-06-2026 19:23 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Both crimes against persons and property are up in North Cowichan in the first three months of 2026 compared to the same time frame the year before.
  Staff Sgt. Ken Beard, officer in charge of the North Cowichan/Duncan detachment, gave his quarterly report to North Cowichan council on June 17, reporting an increase in overall files in the detachment’s jurisdiction to 5,740 from 4,828 in the same period the previous year.
  “The files jumped 19 per cent from 2025 to 2026,” Beard to
  
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• Ladysmith seniors skunk national competition, win Canadian cribbage title

  23-06-2026 19:15 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  What began as a casual entry into a local Legion cribbage tournament ended with four Ladysmith seniors taking home the top prize in the Canadian cribbage world.
  Heather Taylor, Miriam Reid, Eric Nernberg and Rob Johnson represented British Columbia at the Dominion Cribbage Championship held in Nova Scotia in late April, defeating teams from across the country and overcoming a scoring error that initially left them believing they had finished tied for second place.
  After officials reviewed the re
  
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• Lytton fire activity expected to increase as temperatures reach 36C

  23-06-2026 19:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Saw Creek wildfire in Lytton remains at 704 hectares on Tuesday morning (June 23) after sparking on June 19.
  According to BC Wildfire Service (BCWS), activity on the blaze decreased overnight due to cooler temperatures and light winds.
  Crews and structure protection personnel prioritized the protection and defence of structures in the fire area.
  However, the blaze remains burning at Rank 1 – 2. The different Ranks can be found on the provincial website.
  There are 197 BCWS firefighters
  
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• 2nd day of summer sees Vancouver Island daily temperature records fall

  23-06-2026 18:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  For the second consecutive Monday, the Gonzales weather station in Victoria recorded a record-breaking warm day.The second official day of summer, June 22, saw several sites in the Greater Victoria area break daily temperature records.Victoria hit a high of 30.9 C, beating the June 22, 1936 record of 28.9. Gonzales Point and Esquimalt both hit a record of 27 C, two degrees over the old record set in 1961.
  On June 15, the Gonzales station hit 28.1 C, over the 27. 8 C record set for the same day i
  
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• 2nd day of summer sees Vancouver Island daily tempearature records fall

  23-06-2026 18:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  For the second consecutive Monday, the Gonzales weather station in Victoria recorded a record-breaking warm day.The second official day of summer, June 22, saw several sites in the Greater Victoria area break daily temperature records.Victoria hit a high of 30.9 C, beating the June 22, 1936 record of 28.9. Gonzales Point and Esquimalt both hit a record of 27 C, two degrees over the old record set in 1961.
  On June 15, the Gonzales station hit 28.1 C, over the 27. 8 C record set for the same day i
  
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• Princeton mayor asks for action from province on homelessness

  23-06-2026 17:55 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Town of Princeton is asking the B.C. government to take action to address the issues of homelessness, mental health, substance use and environmental challenges affecting the community.
  A three-page letter from the town, dated June 15, was sent to Premier David Eby and numerous provincial ministers and officials.
  Mayor Spencer Coyne said Princeton has faced a worsening homelessness crisis for several years and local service providers, organizations and volunteers have worked to respond.
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