Nanaimo news

• Thomas J. McGladrey

  03-11-2026 05:43 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  In Loving Memory ~
  July 30, 1944 ~ October 24, 2026
  It is with great sadness I announce that my dear husband and best friend of 56 years passed away from bladder cancer on October 24, 2026 at the age of 82 years.
  Tom was born in Fernie, BC and came to Nanaimo at age 6. He worked as a Boilermaker #359, Field Member, and Welder for many years. Tom was predeceased by our precious son David in 1997, his parents Cy and Gladys, and brother Jack. Survived by wife Brenda and his westie Bailey.
  Will love
  
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• James Stewart Ainsley (Jim)

  07-11-2026 06:02 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  In Loving Memory ~
  Aug 31, 1946 ~ Oct 23, 2026
  It is with breaking hearts we announce the passing of Jim Ainsley. He leaves behind his wife, and Life Partner Marilyn Strongitharm, Ainsley, daughter Sarah, brother Brien (Jane), sister Wendy Cooper, (Craig) and sister Terry McDougall, along with many nieces and nephews.
  He began his life in Calgary first born to Marjorie and Ralph, a bit of a wild youth, He broke his arm riding a bull, but also played guitar. Early on he moved to BC and attended S
  
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• UPDATE: Comox Valley RCMP has one individual in custody after Merville incident

  07-11-2026 03:15 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  Comox Valley RCMP confirmed that they have one individual in custody following the Nov. 6 incident that led to the closure of the area around Coleman and Hardy roads in Merville.
  “There was no threat directed toward the general public at any time and we thank everyone for their patience and cooperation,” Comox Valley RCMP said in a 6:45 p.m. post made to their Facebook page.
  At around 2:30 p.m. in the afternoon on Nov. 6, members of local social media groups reported the closure of Coleman R
  
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• Funds being raised for Okanagan flagger hit by car in work zone

  07-11-2026 01:17 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  Donors are chipping in financial support for a Spallumcheen flagger who was struck by an SUV in a work zone last month, leaving her with severe injuries.Michelle Tapp has been a flagger for 10 years, making sure people navigate work zones safely. She clocked in at 6 a.m. on the morning of Oct. 7, a day that started out normally until a life-altering incident took place.The details of what happened aren’t fully clear. The Vernon North Okanagan RCMP says it’s investigating the incident but did
  
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• Beaded poppies worn by Indigenous peoples to commemorate veterans during Remembrance Day

  07-11-2026 01:00 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  A special type of poppy is worn by Indigenous people to commemorate those who had died serving Canada.In Canada, more than 12,000 First Nations, Inuit and Métis people have served, according to Veterans Affairs Canada.
  Joy Bremner, Métis knowledge keeper and elder, said that in wearing the beaded poppy, they are honouring the fallen members of their families.
  “So the Métis themselves have started doing beaded poppies, and because the beadwork is a fairly large component of our cultural hist
  
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• OPINION: Ottawa has a salmon farm deadline. Now it needs a funded plan.

  06-11-2026 23:46 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  With less than three years until Ottawa’s June 30, 2029, deadline to end open-net-pen salmon farming in British Columbia, the federal government still has not explained how it will deliver on its promise.
  When Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson visited Victoria on August 20, she said the ban was “certainly still in place,” then indicated that responsibility had moved to another department and declined to elaborate. Reaffirming a deadline is not the same as explaining how to meet it.
  Indust
  
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• Comox Valley RCMP respond to incident in Merville

  06-11-2026 23:32 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  Comox Valley RCMP are responding to an incident in the Coleman Road and Hardy Road area of Merville. Avoid unnecessary travel in the area and follow police directions.
  “Thank you for your cooperation as officers work to safely manage the situation,” the post said.
  Conversation on local social media groups suggest the presence of a gunman, but this has not been verified by the authorities. Various social posts say that the Emergency Response Team has been deployed to the area.
  Local groups al
  
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• Comox Valley RCMP respond to incident, Coleman and Hardy roads

  06-11-2026 23:32 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  Comox Valley RCMP are responding to an incident in the Coleman Road and Hardy Road area of Merville. Avoid unnecessary travel in the area and follow police directions.
  “Thank you for your cooperation as officers work to safely manage the situation,” the post said.
  Conversation on local social media groups suggest the presence of a gunman, but this has not been verified by the authorities. Various social posts say that the Emergency Response Team has been deployed to the area.
  Local groups al
  
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• Nanaimo avoids brunt of storm as B.C. Hydro works to restore power

  06-11-2026 22:56 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  Thousands of B.C. Hydro customers who lost their power in the Nanaimo area earlier today, had it restored by early afternoon.
  The Friday, Nov. 6 power outages, which were mainly concentrated in areas south of Nanaimo, including Cedar, Yellow Point and sections of Gabriola and Mudge islands, were caused mostly by storm and wind conditions overnight.
  But B.C. Hydro spokesman Ted Olynyk said there were thousands more customers north of Nanaimo who suffered through more windy conditions than the cit
  
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• Nanaimo avoids brunt of storm as B.C. Hydro finishes power restoration

  06-11-2026 22:56 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  Thousands of B.C. Hydro customers who lost their power in the Nanaimo area earlier today, had it restored by early afternoon.
  The Friday, Nov. 6 power outages, which were mainly concentrated in areas south of Nanaimo, including Cedar, Yellow Point and sections of Gabriola and Mudge islands, were caused mostly by storm and wind conditions overnight.
  But B.C. Hydro spokesman Ted Olynyk said there were thousands more customers north of Nanaimo who suffered through more windy conditions than the cit
  
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• Time between wildfire, storm season getting shorter: BC Hydro report

  06-11-2026 22:24 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  A new report from BC Hydro says that the impact from the province’s storm season may be determined months earlier as the wildfire and storm seasons move closer and closer together.
  BC Hydro released the report, “The new reality: Emergency season is year-round,” this month, which finds that the effects of drought, persistent heat and wildfire can linger longer after temperatures cool.
  The report argues that storm season “in many ways” now begins in the summer. Due to the wildfire season
  
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• Incoming B.C. Conservative premier Doerkson pleased with Carney budget

  06-11-2026 22:19 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  Premier-designate Lorne Doerkson says he is “pretty darn excited” about the latest federal budget’s blueprint for boosting growth and enhancing economic sovereignty.
  “Today’s federal budget is an encouraging and ambitious statement about Canada’s economic future,” he said on Thursday afternoon (Nov. 5). “It recognizes the tremendous opportunities that we have here in British Columbia.”
  B.C. Green Party Leader Emily Lowan is less enthusiastic. She called it a “central banker�
  
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• Vernon junior football team named Interior Conference Champions

  06-11-2026 21:09 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  The cats have clawed their way to the top of the pack.
  The Vernon Panthers are Interior Conference Champions in AA junior varsity football, having ended the regular season undefeated.
  Vernon won 48-8 against Kalamalka/Seaton Wednesday, Nov. 4 at Greater Vernon Athletic Park (GVAP).
  “Next stop, playoffs,” said manager Rhonda Hove.
  Karson Mackus led the game, scoring the first touchdown followed by two more. Ben Astin also got three while Kyle Fitzpatrick and Davis Gordon added to the score.
  C
  
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• ID of masked suspect sought after B&E at Off The Hook restaurant in Nanaimo

  06-11-2026 21:00 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  Nanaimo RCMP is asking for the public’s assistance to help identify a suspect in a break-and-enter at a restaurant earlier this week.
  The individual allegedly broke into Off The Hook restaurant, located at 1588 Boundary Cres., at approximately 5:30 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1, and attempted to pry open the cash drawer.
  A maintenance worker heard a disturbance and confronted the suspect, who fled on foot in an unknown direction.
  Nothing was taken, however, investigators did manage to locate forensic
  
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• UPDATE: Tolko sues FortisBC over expropriation of old mill site in Kelowna’s North End

  06-11-2026 20:51 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  UPDATE 2:30 p.m.
  Negotiations took place between FortisBC and Tolko Industries before the two-acre parcel of the former mill site was expropriated, says FortisBC.
  “[We were] not able to reach an agreement that reflected fair value for our customers,” Gary Toft, FortisBC senior advisor of corporate communications told Black Press Media. “FortisBC has taken steps to acquire the land under the British Columbia Expropriation Act, which provides a clear framework for all parties.”
  FortisBC sa
  
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• Tolko sues FortisBC over expropriation of old mill site in Kelowna’s North End

  06-11-2026 20:51 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  Tolko Industries isn’t pleased with FortisBC over its former North End mill site, claiming the compensation received after expropriation wasn’t enough.
  In a civil claim filed on Tuesday, Nov. 3, Tolko Industries alleged the $7.41 million that FortisBC gave for the parcel of land doesn’t match the property value.
  Back in early 2020, Tolko Industries shut down its mill in Kelowna’s North End. Since then, the 40-acre site that consists of several separate parcels, located at Manhattan Drive
  
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• Movember campaign hits home for Campbell River fire dispatcher

  06-11-2026 20:28 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  Mark Myles’ Movember moustache has deep meaning.
  A number of years ago, the 46-year-old 911 Fire Dispatcher with the Campbell River Fire Department was in a dark place.
  So dark, in fact, that the depression he was suffering from had Myles contemplating ending it all.
  But Myles found strength from those who cared about him.
  “I couldn’t stop thinking about the important people in my life and decided it was time to admit that I needed help,” Myles shared.“So I went to the doctor and calle
  
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• Evacuation Order issued in parts Zeballos after landslide

  06-11-2026 19:33 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  The Village of Zeballos has issued an Evacuation Order for 101-118 Maquinna Ave and 216 Pandora Cres due to a landslide.
  “The landslide is a risk to life and safety. Anyone in the affected area must evacuate NOW,” says the order.
  The order notes that people in the area must:
  – Leave the area immediately.
  – Register with the local Emergency Support Services emergency reception centre at the Zeballos Fire Hall (155 Maquinna Ave.) so they can be connected with family and loved ones.
  – If
  
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• Ladysmith author creates children’s book featuring hero with Down Syndrome

  06-11-2026 19:32 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  What began as a mother’s desire to tell her daughter’s story has grown into a message about inclusion and the power of seeing yourself represented in a story.
  Through her daughter’s experience, Sandra Marquis saw a need for young readers to encounter characters who experience the world in different ways. Those feelings created a story about a girl with developmental disabilities, as she hoped to give children like her daughter, Camille, a chance to see themselves reflected in the pages of
  
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• Parole denied – again – for man convicted of 2 historic B.C. killings

  06-11-2026 19:19 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  A man serving life sentences for the shooting death of a 21-year-old White Rock film student and “execution-style” killing of a Delta cabbie 26 years ago has once again been denied a request for freedom.
  The Parole Board of Canada decision – shared Nov. 5 – notes Jagrup Singh Baidwan would “present an undue risk to society” if granted day parole.
  Baidwan, now 55, was convicted of second-degree murder for the shooting death of taxi driver Allan Martin-MacDonald on March 4, 2000 and th
  
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• Kelowna’s reign for highest unemployment rate in Canada continues, now 9.6 per cent

  06-11-2026 19:13 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  Kelowna continues to hold Canada’s highest unemployment rate.
  ​Statistics Canada pegs Kelowna’s unemployment rate at 9.6 per cent, jumping three points from last month’s rate of 9.3, meaning nearly one in 10 residents are without a job.
  ​According to the stats, nearly 14,000 people are without work, going from approximately 13,300 in September to 13,800 in October.
  ​Just two hours away, Kamloops’ unemployment rate is less than half of Kelowna’s, sitting at 4.4 per cent for the se
  
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• Patricia Gail McDonell

  06-11-2026 18:26 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  In Loving Memory ~
  August 21, 1949 ~ October 30, 2026
  Patricia Gail McDonell, fondly known as Trisha, was born in Vancouver on August 21, 1949 to Lilian and Robert McDonell, both deceased, and passed on October 30, 2026.
  Trisha began her education at Crofton House before graduating from Sentinel Secondary High School in West Vancouver where she was elected Secretary of the Student Council. She began her working career at United Way, then a Products Buyer at Unisource before landing her dream job
  
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• Beverly Vaal-Henke

  06-11-2026 18:20 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  1935 ~ 2026
  Beverly is survived by her 4 children and her 5 grandchildren.
  Beverly helped raise a thriving family and supported her grandchildren. She was an accomplished seamstress, tailoring costumes for the Courtenay Little Theatre as well as quilts and clothing for herself and family.
  She was a practical and resourceful woman, having grown up on a Prairie farm in Saskatchewan during the Great Depression. She lived a full life, having travelled the world with friends and family and lived all
  
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• UPDATE: Wind cancels Friday ferries between Vancouver Island, Lower Mainland

  06-11-2026 18:06 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  With wind and rain warnings wrapping Vancouver Island and the coast in a fall storm, several BC Ferries sailings are preemptively cancelled for safety reasons.Ahead of a low pressure system, strong southeasterly winds will develop over the southern Strait of Georgia and Haro Strait Friday (Nov. 6) morning, according to Environment Canada.Strong southeasterly winds are expected to bring sustained winds near 70 km/h to Greater Victoria and the Southern Gulf Islands, and Nanoose Bay to Campbell Riv
  
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• Carlyle Alexandra Wilby

  06-11-2026 17:54 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  In Loving Memory ~
  Sept 20, 1978 ~ Oct.31, 2026
  Alex died in Nanaimo, BC, on Oct. 31, 2026 from remarkably rapid cancer. She is survived by her partner Ian Scyrup, her parents Bruce and Lynn Wilby and by her furry friends Petra, Winter, Abby and Marty. She is also survived by her cousins Bob, Tom, Jim and Ken Downie and Derek Emery of Victoria and their families.
  Alex was a hardworking, efficient, dependable, integral member of the Green For Life (GFL) office in Nanaimo. A Girl Guide in her yout
  
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• Fire destroys single-storey building near Diver Lake in Nanaimo

  06-11-2026 17:35 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  A fire fully engaged and destroyed a small outbuilding on a property on Barclay Road, in the Diver Lake area, last night.
  Firefighters were called out to the blaze just on Thursday, Nov. 5, just before midnight, and John MacKenzie, Nanaimo Fire Rescue’s assistant chief of operations, said the fire destroyed the single-storey structure, which was approximately 20 feet by 16 feet in size, and located about 50 feet from the primary residence on the property.
  “The abandoned outbuilding had no po
  
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• Fernie cave continues to break records as the largest in Canada

  06-11-2026 16:10 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  Fernie’s Bisaro Anima cave goes deeper than expected according to an exploration team and the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.The cave, which was determined as Canada’s deepest cave back in 2018, is now discovered to be 10.5 kilometers long and 690 meters deep. The cave sits beneath a mountain plateau 12 kilometers north of Fernie.Over a two-week expedition in late September and early October, the 24-member exploration team, led by Golden resident Katie Graham, also connected a new entra
  
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• Island softball standout named Canada’s top female player of the year

  06-11-2026 14:55 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  A Saanich-raised softball player has added another national honour to an already impressive career.
  Emma Entzminger was named Softball Canada’s Female Athlete of the Year, recognizing a standout summer with Canada’s senior women’s national team.In June, at the WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup Group Stage in Czechia, Entzminger hit .533 across six games, collecting two RBIs in 15 at-bats while playing third base. Canada went 5-1 at the tournament, earning its place in the 2027 WBSC World C
  
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• Wind warning: Morning ferries cancelled between Vancouver Island, Lower Mainland

  06-11-2026 14:46 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  With wind and rain warnings wrapping Vancouver Island and the coast in a fall storm, several BC Ferries sailings are preemptively cancelled for safety reasons.Ahead of a low pressure system, strong southeasterly winds will develop over the southern Strait of Georgia and Haro Strait Friday (Nov. 6) morning, according to Environment Canada.Strong southeasterly winds are expected to bring sustained winds near 70 km/h to Greater Victoria and the Southern Gulf Islands, and Nanoose Bay to Campbell Riv
  
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• Barsby School of Rock in Nanaimo booming after $20K donation of instruments

  06-11-2026 13:30 via Nanaimo News Bulletin
  
  A sizable gift to a Nanaimo high school is music to a teacher and students’ ears.An estimated $20,000 in music equipment has been donated to the John Barsby Community School music program, with Russ Der, music director of Barsby School of Rock, saying it is primarily drums and bass guitars, as well as an electronic kit and “tons and tons and tons” of accessories.
  “Extra symbols, extra drums … we have two rooms upstairs where we created some extra drum kits and we’ve also helped some
  
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