Nanaimo news

• Robert Atkinson “Bob” McDonald

  17-03-2026 19:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  December 4, 1933 – March 1, 2026
  Robert Atkinson “Bob” McDonald passed away peacefully on March 1, 2026, at the age of 92 at Nanaimo Seniors Village, where he spent his final year.
  Bob was born December 4, 1933, in Melfort, Saskatchewan. He dedicated 33½ years of service to the Royal Canadian Air Force, retiring with the rank of Master Warrant Officer. His career took him across Canada and overseas, beginning in Vancouver with postings to England and France before return
  
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• Pain turns into anger: Family still mourns 16 years after Langford teen’s murder

  20-03-2026 06:32 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Warning: This story contains details of violence and sexual assault.
  It was 16 years ago that a Langford murder changed a community forever.
  On March 18, 2010, 18-year-old Kimberly Proctor was lured into a home by 17-year-old Cameron Moffat and 16-year-old Kruse Wellwood, where the two men sexually assaulted and brutalized her over a period of several hours. Proctor was strangled and suffocated there until she died. The following day, Moffat and Wellwood carried her remains in a duffel bag on a
  
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• Princeton mill celebrates approval of tenure transfer to Gorman Group’s Similkameen Forest Products

  20-03-2026 01:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Princeton’s mill celebrated not just new owners but a new name as well with the handover of forestry tenures from Weyerhaeuser to West Kelowna-based Gorman Bros on March 19.
  The provincial government’s approval of tenure transfer was the last step in a process that began with Gorman’s purchase of the mill and tenures in 2025, which will now operate as Similkameen Forest Products.
  The transfer of the timber tenures has happened quickly since being announced in September 2025, as
  
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• Kelowna MP Fuhr details $339M plan to modernize Armed Forces

  20-03-2026 01:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Canada is launching two multimillion-dollar procurement projects to strengthen the Canadian Armed Forces.
  Secretary of State and Kelowna MP Stephen Fuhr made the announcements at separate events on Wednesday and Thursday, March 18 and 19, outlining plans to support the country’s space surveillance and bring modern equipment to the military.
  The investments, which combined total $339 million, are part of a larger plan to revitalize the CAF.
  Fuhr’s Defence Investment Agency (DIA) facil
  
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• Nanaimo RCMP searching for woman for allegedly beating robbery victim with metal pipe

  20-03-2026 00:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Police in Nanaimo hope the public can help them find Fallan Fowler, a 43-year-old woman wanted for robbery and assault with a weapon.
  According to police, on the evening of Nov. 14 Fowler was involved in an altercation with another woman. During the altercation, Fowler allegedly struck the woman with a metal pipe and then stole her purse. The victim required medical attention for injuries sustained during the incident.
  Officers located Fowler a short distance away and arrested her. The 43-year-o
  
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• Time travel: B.C. councillor says time switch puts students at risk

  20-03-2026 00:13 via nanaimobulletin.com
  While folks across B.C. look forward to longer summer days ahead, Langford Coun. Kimberley Guiry already has winter on her mind.
  With the jump now made to permanent daylight saving time, Guiry has flagged concerns about longer dark fall and winter mornings and the impact on children’s safety.
  From early November until the end of February, she warns that kids who begin their commute around 8 a.m. will be walking to school in the dark.
  Of particular concern for Guiry are the older Langford n
  
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• B.C.’s credit rating downgrade blamed on ‘deterioration’ of fiscal management

  19-03-2026 23:44 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Moody’s credit rating agency has downgraded B.C. a notch, blaming “entrenched deficits” and a “deterioration in long-term fiscal management.”
  The Thursday (March 19) decision is the agency’s second downgrade for the province in two years, lowering B.C. to Aa2, or two notches below the top Aaa status. These credit rating decisions signal to investors that the province is a riskier place to lend money to, which, in turn, may cause B.C.’s borrowing costs to
  
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• B.C.’s credit rating downgrade blamed on ’deterioration’ of fiscal management

  19-03-2026 23:44 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Moody’s credit rating agency has downgraded B.C. a notch, blaming “entrenched deficits” and a “deterioration in long-term fiscal management.”
  The Thursday (March 19) decision is the agency’s second downgrade for the province in two years, lowering B.C. to Aa2, or two notches below the top Aaa status. These credit rating decisions signal to investors that the province is a riskier place to lend money to, which, in turn, may cause B.C.’s borrowing costs to
  
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• Spill containment and cleanup underway after train derailment near Prince Rupert

  19-03-2026 23:33 via nanaimobulletin.com
  A mudslide triggered by heavy rain derailed a freight train near Prince Rupert earlier this week, disrupting service along the key northern corridor to the city’s port—and later revealing a significant diesel spill.
  On March 16, 27 CN Rail cars derailed approximately 20 kilometres south of Prince Rupert, near Mile 80 on Highway 16.
  Initial reports indicated that no spills had occurred, but subsequent assessments confirmed that at least one car was leaking, according to the Ministry o
  
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• Finance minister visits Nanaimo, looks to B.C.’s economic future

  19-03-2026 23:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Economic opportunities for British Columbia that can lead to economic growth is a focus of the message delivered by Brenda Bailey, Minister of Finance and MLA for Vancouver-South Granville.
  Bailey, who grew up on Protection Island and in Wellington, spoke at an International Women’s Day-inspired Greater Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce luncheon Wednesday, March 18.
  At the luncheon Bailey spoke about her background and her “leadership journey,” before turning to the B.C. economy and
  
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• Cowichan Bay triathlete Ridenour defends Oceania Cup title

  19-03-2026 21:54 via nanaimobulletin.com
  There was only one Canadian racer on the start list of the Oceania Triathlon Cup and Sprint Championships in Napier, New Zealand, on March 1, and there could only be one winner.
  Competing in her first triathlon of the 2026 season, Cowichan Bay’s Desirae Ridenour filled both roles.
  For the second year in a row, Ridenour won the event.
  Upon crossing the finish line, Ridenour fell to the ground, to catch her breath and consider her accomplishment.
  “[It was] mostly relief,” she adm
  
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• Sexism or playful parody? B.C. car commercial sparks debate

  19-03-2026 21:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Some people aren’t happy with a Vernon Kia parody car commercial that pokes fun at female stereotypes.
  And while the car dealership’s commercial has sparked a degree of online backlash, one of the saleswomen that stars in the video suggests some people are missing the point.
  “You can absolutely trust us to sell you a car, maybe just don’t let us drive it,” says saleswoman Nicole Zbitnoff in the video titled Vernon Kia Girls Parody Commercial next to her female sales
  
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• B.C. partnering with Whitecaps, viaSport to build mini soccer pitches

  19-03-2026 20:21 via nanaimobulletin.com
  To celebrate the 2026 FIFA World Cup and ensure the tournament leaves a lasting provincial impact, the B.C. government is partnering with the Vancouver Whitecaps FC and sports improvement organization viaSport to fund 20 mini soccer pitches to be built in all regions of the province.
  “We want to make sure that British Columbians from all over British Columbia are able to benefit from this legacy project,” said Anne Kang, tourism, art, culture and sport minister, in a Thursday announc
  
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• South Cariboo woman helps document the 2025 Canadian 1,052 UFO sightings

  19-03-2026 20:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  For decades, a team of Canadians has documented reports of unidentified flying objects, commonly known as UFOs.
  Every year since 1989, Ufology Research has released the Canadian UFO Survey, a summary of all major sightings of UFOs reported in Canada. For the last two years, South Cariboo’s Leanne Sallenback has been helping write the report as Ufology Research’s communications specialist.
  “It’s a fascinating time, because there is a renewed interest in this topic, especia
  
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• South Cariboo woman helps document 2025’s 1,052 Canadian UFO sightings

  19-03-2026 20:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  For decades, a team of Canadians has documented reports of unidentified flying objects, commonly known as UFOs.
  Every year since 1989, Ufology Research has released the Canadian UFO Survey, a summary of all major sightings of UFOs reported in Canada. For the last two years, South Cariboo’s Leanne Sallenback has been helping write the report as Ufology Research’s communications specialist.
  “It’s a fascinating time, because there is a renewed interest in this topic, especia
  
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• Kelowna pastor, businesses face $70K civil suit due to unpaid rent

  19-03-2026 20:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Kelowna pastor and entrepreneur John Perks, along with his businesses, is being sued for more than $70,000.
  A civil suit was filed by Impact Upstream Ventures Inc. in Kelowna on Mar. 13 against Perks, 1486327 B.C. LTD, Western Canada Food Tours Inc., and JQA Enterprises Inc. after Impact owner Al Hildebrandt claims rent had gone unpaid for two months at its property 2041 Harvey Avenue.
  Perks was renting the building from Hildedbrandt’s company and operated several businesses through the ve
  
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• Report released on Chilliwack drunk-driving arrest that led to woman’s broken jaw

  19-03-2026 19:51 via nanaimobulletin.com
  A public report has now been released that details an incident between Chilliwack RCMP officers and a woman they arrested for attempted to drive drunk.
  The incident took place outside a bar in the early morning hours on Nov. 23, 2024. It began with an intoxicated women “apparently intending to drive home” and ended with her having a broken jaw and being arrested.
  The Independent Investigations Office (IIO) of B.C. took over the incident, and the report was concluded on Oct. 14, 2025
  
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• RCMP arrest pair suspected of Vancouver Island fake gold jewelry scam

  19-03-2026 19:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  West Shore RCMP has arrested two people suspected of being involved in gold jewelry scams.
  A 45-year-old woman and a 45-year-old man, both residents of Ontario, were arrested March 7 after an extensive investigation conducted by West Shore RCMP Crime Reduction Unit.
  The pair is currently being held in custody for an unrelated investigation, while the RCMP’s fraud investigation remains ongoing.
  Police first warned the public in February about scammers approaching shoppers with fake gold and
  
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• B.C. man dies in Belize due to ‘fall from height’

  19-03-2026 18:56 via nanaimobulletin.com
  A Kelowna man who was found dead in Belize on March 11 likely died from a lengthy fall, said Central American authorities.
  On Wednesday, March 11, a Canadian senior, later identified as 72-year-old Thomas David Harman was found dead on his drifting catamaran around 96 kilometres off the Belize shore, said Greater Belize Media.
  A cruise ship close by reported a distress call by a woman, who said her husband suffered cardiac arrest. The woman was rescued by the cruise ship but when Belize’s
  
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• ‘He stepped up’: View Royal man honoured for life-saving actions

  19-03-2026 18:36 via nanaimobulletin.com
  View Royal has honoured one resident for an act of heroism.
  On March 3, Russ Ridout received a Mayor’s Award for helping save the life of longtime View Royal garbage truck driver Mike Mason.
  “So many of us have busy lives and feel that it is not our place to intervene,” said Mayor Sid Tobias. “Russ was not willing to accept a diffusion of responsibility. He stepped up.”
  While travelling home along Burnett Road after dropping his grandkids off at school on Nov. 27, R
  
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• Big concerts, some free tickets at FIFA Fan Festival for World Cup in Vancouver

  19-03-2026 18:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Mötley Crüe, Kx5 (the Kaskade and Deadmau5 collaboration), Metric, Flo Rida, Snotty Nose Rez Kids, Bob Moses and many others will headline FIFA Fan Festival concerts in Vancouver during the 2026 World Cup soccer tournament.
  Concerts will be held at the PNE’s new amphitheatre during the 28-day festival, June 11 to July 19, featuring rock, pop, hip-hop, indie, electronic, roots and other sounds.
  The series, announced Thursday (March 19), will feature “global chart-toppers to
  
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• Vancouver Goldeneyes defeat Sirens 5-2 as Annas shine in victory

  19-03-2026 17:46 via nanaimobulletin.com
  It was a night of victory for the Annas.
  Anna Shokhina and Anna Segedi scored their first goals as Vancouver Goldeneyes on Wednesday (March 18), helping the team defeat New York 5-2.
  The Vancouver Goldeneyes hosted the New York Sirens at the Pacific Coliseum in front of 9,226 people.
  Shokhina and Segedi both scored for Vancouver during the first seven minutes of the game, giving Vancouver a two-goal lead. New York’s Sarah Fillier responded quickly and brought her team within one at 7:15 in
  
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• Bringing the heat: 7 temperature records broken in B.C.

  19-03-2026 16:15 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The wave of warm weather broke records in multiple cities across the Okanagan and Cariboo regions.
  In total, seven B.C. cities, all in the Okanagan and Cariboo, broke temperature records on Wednesday, Mar. 18, according to Environment Canada.
  Topping every city was Osoyoos as 22.7 C was recorded, breaking a two-year record for Mar. 18, after reaching 22 C in 2024.
  Next was Kamloops, which broke a 116 year record. On Wednesday, the city known as the tournament capital of Canada reached 21.8 C, be
  
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• Pattern games: A fun way to help anxious or reactive dogs

  19-03-2026 13:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  If you share your life with a dog who gets anxious or reactive, you know how tough those moments can be for both of you. The good news is there’s a simple, surprisingly fun tool that can really help.
  They’re called pattern games. These aren’t just tricks to keep your dog busy—these games provide a predictable, structured routine that makes them feel safe and confident.Pattern games offer dogs something many of them naturally seek out – predictability. When a dog kno
  
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• Beals steers VIU Mariners men’s basketball team past Lethbridge in nationals opener

  19-03-2026 05:09 via nanaimobulletin.com
  The Vancouver Island University Mariners men’s basketball team was able to weather a storm in its national championship opener and pull off a 75-63 win against the Lethbridge Kodiaks.
  Hosting the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association national championships, the VIU men went into the half down 38-34, but outscored the opposition 41-25 in the second in their Wednesday, March 18 game at the VIU gym. Guard Keyonte Beals was consistent throughout, the only Mariner with double-digit points in
  
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• Okanagan-based petition supports interprovincial wine trade bill

  19-03-2026 01:11 via nanaimobulletin.com
  A national petition supporting legislation to remove interprovincial barriers to wine sales is now open for signatures.
  The petition is in support of Bill C-262, introduced by Dan Albas, Member of Parliament for Okanagan Lake West–South Kelowna. The bill would amend the Canada Post Corporation Act to allow Canadians to receive Canadian wine, craft beer and spirits directly from produces across provincial boundaries.
  The petition, e-7258, was initiated by Ron Kubek, owner of Lightning Rock
  
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• Police nab suspect in Vancouver Island bank robbery

  19-03-2026 00:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  Saanich Police has arrested a suspect following a bank robbery in the area of Tillicum Centre.
  The robbery took place Wednesday afternoon (March 18) at a bank in the 300 block of Burnside Road West, said a police news release.
  The suspect entered the bank, approached a teller and produced a note demanding money, fleeing afterwards with an undisclosed amount of cash.
  Officers responded to the area after receiving the report at 1:45 p.m. The suspect was tracked to a building in the 3600 block of T
  
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• About time: B.C. could have one time zone after 100-plus years of patchwork system

  18-03-2026 23:56 via nanaimobulletin.com
  There is a good chance that soon, after more than a century of zig-zags, opt-outs, local referendums and general confusion about what time it is, all of B.C.’s clocks might finally line up.
  Premier David Eby ended twice-yearly clock changes as of March 8 for the parts of B.C. that use Pacific time, which make up the bulk of the province. But he is leaving it up to local governments currently on Mountain time to decide whether to end clock changes as well.
  Signs are that those areas will mo
  
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• CBSA removes 2 people as it expands efforts to disrupt extortion networks

  18-03-2026 22:55 via nanaimobulletin.com
  The Canada Border Services Agency says two recent cases illustrate its ongoing efforts to identify and remove individuals linked to extortion and organized criminal schemes in Canada.
  With ongoing extortion-related crimes still happening in Surrey as well as other B.C. communities, the federal agency noted it has recently removed two individuals — Arshdeep Singh and Sukhnaaz Singh Sandu — under escort.
  Singh, who entered Canada on a study permit in 2022, was arrested and detained by
  
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• B.C. audit finds provincial funding oversight gaps in Lytton recovery

  18-03-2026 22:31 via nanaimobulletin.com
  B.C.’s auditor general says necessary oversight was missing on how the Village of Lytton was using provincial funding, according to a new report that examines the government’s role in Lytton’s recovery after the fatal 2021 wildfire.
  The Office of the Auditor General released the report on Tuesday (March 17), which was an independent look at the provincial government’s role in Lytton’s recovery from the wildfire that swept through the village and surrounding areas on
  
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