Nanaimo news

• Rescued otter returns to its family on Cormorant Island

  12-08-2026 18:37 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  On July 28, the Alert Bay RCMP was notified of an injured otter at the ’Namgis Dock in Alert Bay.
  Earlier that day, local residents heard sounds of animals in distress and went to investigate. Upon arrival, they discovered three juvenile otters entangled in sections of a fishing net that had been left on the dock, an area frequently travelled by local wildlife.
  The residents acted quickly and carefully, successfully freeing two of the otter pups. The young otters immediately returned to th
  
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• NBA star Stephen Curry vacationing on island off Vancouver Island

  27-08-2026 01:19 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  NBA star Stephen Curry might not be shooting threes during the summer, but he is on Cortes Island.
  Curry, who is in the final year of his contract with the Golden State Warriors, posted a series of photos and videos with his wife, Ayesha, on Instagram detailing their trip. It includes kayaking near the coast, whales, landscapes, and selfies.
  The basketball star has played 17 seasons in the NBA, all with the Warriors. He has won four championships with the Warriors (2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022).
  Ay
  
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• B.C. actor swaps fantasy for romance in hit show Heated Rivalry

  27-08-2026 01:10 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Sporting just one eye in his role as a cyclops in the Disney TV show Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Brentwood Bay actor Daniel Diemer is not instantly recognizable.
  His next role will change all that.
  Diemer has been cast for the second season of Crave’s runaway hit Heated Rivalry in the role of Ryan Price, alongside Welsh actor Shaheen Jafargholi, who will play his love interest, Fabian Salah.
  Born and raised in Brentwood Bay, Diemer graduated from the Victoria Academy for Dramatic Arts
  
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• Salmon Arm couple urges businesses to put dignity before differences

  27-08-2026 01:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Lead with basic respect.
  Salmon Arm couple Sheena and wife Paige Milos offer this advice to businesses – employees and employers – following an alleged brush with discrimination at a local insurance company.
  “When my wife and I walk into any place of business, we aren’t there to make a statement or flaunt who we are,” said Sheena. “We walk through those doors for the exact same reason anyone else does: because that business offers a product or service we need.
  
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• 776 people died from toxic drugs in B.C. in the first half of 2026

  27-08-2026 00:47 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The B.C. Coroners Service says 138 people died from toxic drugs in June, the third-most deaths reported in a single month so far this year.That equates to approximately 4.6 deaths per day, the latest data released Tuesday shows.In total, there have been 776 deaths in the first half of 2026, the latest data shows. That’s compared to the 926 deaths during the same period in 2025.Deaths among people aged 30 and 59 accounted for 68 per cent of overdose deaths in B.C. between Jan. 1 and June 30
  
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• Courtenay-Comox MLA Brennan Day quits B.C. Conservative caucus

  26-08-2026 23:16 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Courtenay-Comox MLA Brennan Day is quitting the B.C. Conservative caucus, becoming the fifth to go in less than two weeks as the party continues to melt down under new Leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay.
  Day says he has lost confidence in Findlay’s “judgment, conduct, and ethical standards,” and criticized the actions of people she has “chosen to surround herself” with.
  “We can’t condone this behaviour,” he told Black Press Media. “We’re not Te
  
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• MP Kibble calls for federal funding for Vancouver Island treatment-and-recovery facility

  26-08-2026 23:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Cowichan-Malahat-Langford MP Jeff Kibble is calling on the federal government to fund a treatment-and-recovery facility on Vancouver Island, saying the region faces an urgent need for expanded access to addiction and mental-health care.
  Kibble, the Conservative Party’s Shadow Minister for Defence Procurement, wrote to federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel, copying B.C. Health Minister Ravi Kahlon, urging Ottawa to establish dedicated funding for a Vancouver Island facility.
  Island Health
  
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• Update: Two lightning-caused wildfires put out around Nanaimo

  26-08-2026 21:42 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  UPDATE: Two small lightning-caused wildfires were extinguished around Nanaimo.
  The first, discovered on Tuesday, Aug. 25 near Haslam Creek, grew to about 0.009 hectares before it was extinguished the following day.
  The other fire, discovered on the morning of Wednesday, Aug. 26 west of Nanaimo on Mt. Decosmos, was briefly listed out-of-control before it was extinguished later in the day by Coastal Fire Services.
  PREVIOUSLY REPORTED: A new wildfire has started west of Nanaimo on Mt. Decosmos.
  Dis
  
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• New out-of-control wildfire west of Nanaimo

  26-08-2026 21:42 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A new wildfire has started west of Nanaimo on Mt. Decosmos.
  Discovered on the morning of Wednesday, Aug. 26, from last update by the B.C. Wildfire Service, at 10:42 a.m., it is 0.009 hectares.
  The cause is suspected to be lightning.It is currently listed as out-of-control.
  More information can be found online at https://wildfiresituation.nrs.gov.bc.ca/incidents?fireYear=2026&incidentNumber=V61978&source=map.A 0.009 hectare fire near Haslam Creek, that was discovered the day before, has b
  
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• B.C. Conservative leader Findlay fires caucus operations director Apollo Chung

  26-08-2026 21:41 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  B.C. Conservative Leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay announced Wednesday that she has fired caucus operations director Apollo Chung.
  Chung formerly worked for the Republican Party of Alberta, which advocates for the province to separate from Canada.
  Findlay did not reveal any details of the firing, posting only a brief written statement online.
  “As of this morning, I have directed my chief of staff to terminate the director of operations for the B.C. Conservative caucus, effective immediately,&rdq
  
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• Climber rescued after being stung 100 times by wasps near the Sea to Sky Highway

  26-08-2026 20:49 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A climber had to be rescued using a helicopter after being stung more than 100 times by wasps, Lions Bay Search and Rescue says.Lions Bay Search and Rescue responded Tuesday evening (Aug. 25) for a report of the climber on the Redoubt Wall near Loggers Creek who was suffering from multiple wasp stings, a Facebook post says.Search and rescue said that given the number of stings, there was potential for a serious systemic reaction and a ground team was deployed immediately with medical equipment,
  
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• ICBC: Kids’ commute to school and back riskiest part of their day

  26-08-2026 20:43 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  According to a recent ICBC news release, the riskiest part of a child’s day is on the journey to school and back.
  In the month of September, crashes involving minors are 37% higher than the monthly average, and ICBC says that minors are more than twice as likely to be in a crash on the commute to and from school when compared to other parts of their day.
  Every year on Vancouver Island, 41 children walking or cycling are injured in crashes. Across BC, three children die and 365 are injured
  
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• Fired for vaccine refusal, Kelowna woman’s civil claims against union dismissed

  26-08-2026 20:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A Kelowna woman who claimed the Hospital Employees’ Union did not provide fair representation after she was fired for not receiving COVID-19 vaccinations has had her application denied by the BC Labour Relations Board (BCLRB).Claudette Jackson was employed with DCMS Realty during the COVID-19 pandemic, working at Hawthorne Park/Orchard Manor, a retirement community in Kelowna that offers long-term care, independent living and assisted living for seniors.Jackson had previously made it known
  
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• Privacy commissioner to examine sudden removal of B.C. gov’t staff directory from web

  26-08-2026 20:22 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  B.C. Information and Privacy Commissioner Michael Harvey has launched an inquiry into the provincial government’s decision to remove its staff directory from the web, and whether cybersecurity concerns used to justify the move are worth the loss of transparency.
  The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner had a team begin examining the decision to disable the public directory soon after it went dark on Aug. 18 and staff details abruptly disappeared from the provincial website.
  
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• 37 crashes in four years prompt safety review of Chemainus intersection

  26-08-2026 20:20 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A Chemainus resident is calling for changes at the Trans-Canada Highway and River Road intersection, saying a history of collisions and near misses shows the crossing needs to be made safer.
  Rob Bauer, who has lived on River Road for about seven years and has advocated in the past regarding other traffic issues on the same road, said his concerns stem from seeing serious collisions at the intersection and hearing similar concerns from his neighbours in the Cedar Ridge Village.
  “There&rsquo
  
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• Vancouver Islanders named to Rugby Canada Men’s team for Pacific Nations Cup

  26-08-2026 20:19 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Rugby Canada Men’s team has been announced for the Asahi Super Dry Pacific Nations Cup 2026, and it includes a player from Courtenay.
  Foster DeWitt was named as one of the 32-man strong team to kick off against Fiji in the shortened 2026 Pacific Nations Cup this year.
  The forward, who can play hooker and prop, has been capped by Canada seven times. He played four seasons with Major League Rugby’s New England Free Jacks from 2022 to 2025, winning three consecutive titles (2023, 2024,
  
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• Cowichan Tribes issues shelter in place notice over report of person with weapon

  26-08-2026 20:16 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Cowichan Tribes put out a shelter in place notice on Tuesday morning, Aug. 25, saying a person with a weapon had been reported to the RCMP.
  The notice was cancelled just before noon, with Cowichan Tribes saying RCMP and CT Enforcement had cleared the area.
  North Cowichan/ Duncan RCMP said they responded to a report of someone discharging a firearm on Boys Road. They deployed multiple units including the Emergency Response Team, Police Dog Services, and Air 8.
  The shelter in place notice was for
  
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• Williams Lake man charged in fatal Highway 1 crash near Lytton

  26-08-2026 20:06 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A Williams Lake man has been charged following a fatal crash south of Lytton last year that killed two people.
  According to an RCMP press release, on Aug. 15, 2025, just before 5 p.m., a black Ford SUV collided with a grey GMC pickup on Highway 1, just south of Lytton.
  Two people were killed and four others were injured in the crash. Both vehicles were destroyed by fire.
  Police said during the weeks following the collision, the conduct of the investigation was transferred to BC Highway Patrol. T
  
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• Nanaimo NightOwls’ Reynolds named West Coast League MVP

  26-08-2026 19:38 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Nanaimo NightOwls have another feather to add to the cap that was their banner 2026 baseball season – their outfielder was named most valuable player.
  In a Monday, Aug. 24 press release, the West Coast League announced Ethan Reynolds, ‘Owls right fielder, was its MVP for 2026. Not only did Reynolds lead the WCL with 53 runs batted in (RBI) in 2026, but he set a league record with 29 doubles and 36 extra-base hits, crucial as Nanaimo made its first playoff appearance ever.In a pre
  
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• What’s On, Aug. 26

  26-08-2026 19:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  MUSIC
  Nanaimo Chamber Orchestra: Pops in the Park will be performed at Maffeo Sutton Park on Aug. 27 at 6:30 p.m. It is a free concert, and promises to play everything from Mozart to Joplin and everyone else in-between.
  The Endless Punk Summer with The Grinning Barretts, Die Job, End of Thread and Scraped Blind will be playing at the Globe Live Studio on Aug. 28 at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are available at www.theglobelivestudio.com.
  Dan Biehler will be playing at The Queen’s on Aug. 28, with doo
  
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• RCMP seek help finding missing man known to frequent Nanaimo waterfront

  26-08-2026 19:04 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Police are asking the public’s help to find a man who could be at Nanaimo’s waterfront.
  In a press release, Nanaimo RCMP said that Brian Mowbray, 35, has not been heard from since the end of July and both his family and police are worried about his well-being.
  He is thought to be “living somewhere near the waterfront area of Nanaimo, but his exact whereabouts are unknown,” the press release stated. Mowbray stands 5-foot-9, weighs 165 pounds, has blue eyes and brown hair,
  
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• Wags and Whiskers: What kind of dog guardian are you?

  26-08-2026 18:31 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Living with a dog is about more than food, walks and the occasional game of fetch. Dogs also need chances to sniff, play, learn and unwind — and every guardian approaches those needs a little differently.
  So, which type of dog guardian are you? Be honest. Your dog isn’t judging you … probably. Keep track of each A, B, C or D answer as you go, then tally them up at the end to see where you land.
  1. Your dog brings you a toy. You…
  A. Say, “Not right now.”
  B. T
  
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• Former chief sentenced to 4 years for historic sex crimes in Williams Lake court

  26-08-2026 18:21 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  WARNING: This article contains details about a criminal sexual assault trial and may be disturbing to some readers. If you or someone you know has been impacted by sexual violence, contact the 24-hour Sexual Assault Support Crisis line at 1-877-954-6242 or the RCMP.
  A former longtime chief of the Tŝideldel First Nation west of Williams Lake will be spending his 81st birthday behind bars after being convicted of historic sex crimes involving a minor.
  Ervin Charleyboy, whose legal first name
  
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• Nanaimo RCMP looking for witnesses to crash on Departure Bay Road

  26-08-2026 18:14 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Nanaimo RCMP have initiated an investigation following a two-vehicle collision that occurred just after 3 p.m. on Saturday August 22, 2026, in the 2700 block of Departure Bay Road.
  Police and emergency medical services responded to the crash involving a Volkswagen GTI and a GMC Sierra.
  Officers determined that the Volkswagen was travelling southbound on Departure Bay Road when the vehicle crossed the centre line and collided with the northbound GMC Sierra. Both drivers were assessed by emergency
  
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• Haven Society hosting Hike 4 Haven fundraiser on Sunday

  26-08-2026 18:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Haven Society will be hosting a Hike 4 Haven event to raise funds and awareness about gender-based violence in the community.
  Uzor Uzoma, Haven’s fund development manager, said this is the non-profit organization’s first-ever Hike 4 Haven, which takes place on Sunday, Aug. 30 at 11:30 in Bowen Park.
  “Each step we take supports safety, hope, and healing for women, children, and families in our community,” she said.
  “Together, we can make a meaningful difference one s
  
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• 2026 GENERAL LOCAL ELECTIONS

  26-08-2026 17:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  REGIONAL DISTRICT OF NANAIMO – ELECTORAL AREAS
  NOTICE OF NOMINATIONGABRIOLA ISLAND LOCAL TRUST AREA
  NOTICE OF NOMINATIONNominations for the offices of the Electoral Area Directors and the offices of the two Local Trustees will be received by the Chief Election Officer or a designated person, during the Nomination Period, from 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, to 4:00 p.m. on Friday, September 11, 2026 (excluding statutory holidays and weekends), as follows:
  By hand, mail, or deliver
  
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• Richmond’s Teresa Wat is the 3rd MLA to leave B.C. Conservatives in 3 days

  26-08-2026 17:15 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Richmond-Bridgeport MLA Teresa Wat is leaving the Conservative Party of B.C. and says she will sit as an Independent.In a statement posted to social media Wednesday (Aug. 26), Wat said she can no longer serve as a member of the B.C. Conservative caucus under Leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay.
  Wat is the third MLA to leave the B.C. Conservatives since Monday. Delta South MLA announced he was leaving the Conservatives Monday and Prince George-Valemount MLA Rosalyn Bird announced Tuesday she was leaving t
  
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• Wildfire-related evacuation alert cancelled for areas including Boston Bar

  26-08-2026 16:57 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  An evacuation alert has been cancelled by the Fraser Valley Regional District (FVRD) for North Bend, Fishblue Lake, Canyon Alpine, Nahatlatch, Boston Bar, Scuzzy Creek FSR, and south of Boston Bar.
  According to a news release from the FVRD, the cancellation comes at the recommendation of BC Wildfire Service (BCWS). The evacuation alerts were originally issued on Aug. 5, when they were downgraded from evacuation orders.
  The Brunswick Complex, which includes the 67,722-hectare Ainslie Creek wildfi
  
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• ‘Not enough beds’ Nanaimo hospital expansion highlighted in provincial budget consultation report

  26-08-2026 14:40 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  An expansion to Nanaimo Regional General Hospital was among the list of priorities expressed throughout B.C. for the upcoming 2027 provincial budget.
  Released on Aug. 11, the Budget 2027 Consultation report by the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services serves to identify key priorities for the next fiscal year, using input received through its consultations.
  Communities consulted included Smithers, Dawson Creek, Prince George, Cranbrook, Kelowna, Castlegar, Burnaby, Mission
  
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• Crews conducting mop-up duties inside fire’s edge at Bald Range blaze by Summerland

  26-08-2026 14:33 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Progress is being made at the Bald Range wildfire, but more smoke and flame could be visible on Wednesday, Aug. 26, due to the forecasted high of 31 C.
  As of Wednesday morning, six evacuation orders and three evacuation alerts remain in place.
  On Tuesday, BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) crews worked inside the fire’s perimeter around much of the blaze.
  On the west flank, north of Isintok Lake, crews have been mopping up and extinguishing heat 25 feet in from the fire’s edge where it&rsquo
  
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