Nanaimo news

• THORPE REPORT: Records broken at elementary track meet

  23-08-2026 20:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Back on track this week, continuing our review of this year’s Nanaimo District Elementary Track and Field Championships with a look at top three results from boys’ competition in the three main age groupings.
  We’ll start with the tyke (born 2017-18) division, where Everett Small from Randerson Ridge was a double winner. Small raced to first place in both the 100m and 200m finals. Runner-up in both races was Jake Parks from North Oyster. Third in 100m was Heson Vuorela of &Eacut
  
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• Suspected lightning-caused wildfire under control in Sooke Hills

  24-08-2026 19:05 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A small wildfire suspected to have been caused by a lightning strike is burning in Sooke Hills.
  Discovered Sunday, Aug. 23, the fire is located at Empress Mountain, within the Sea to Sea Regional Park.
  An update from the BC Wildfire Service Monday morning (Aug. 24), listed the fire as under control. The fire is not projected to spread beyond its current perimeter.
  BC Wildfire crews are responding to the wildfire listed as 0.009 hectares in size, with support from aviation crews.
  Smoke may be vis
  
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• Okanagan man’s death near Kamloops still a mystery one year later

  24-08-2026 19:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The murder of a Vernon Secondary School graduate on the outskirts of Kamloops remains a mystery one year later.
  At approximately 4 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025, Kamloops RCMP responded to a vehicle fire on Tranquille-Criss Creek Road, where the body of 25-year-old Kamloops resident Dillen Bain was located deceased inside the vehicle.Bain was a 2018 VSS grad.
  The vehicle, a black 2019 Volkswagen Golf, is believed to have been intentionally set on fire along the service road.
  Prior to the fire, t
  
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• DEVELOPMENT OF A PEST MANAGEMENT PLAN: Reference No. TMW-0004-27-32

  24-08-2026 18:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  As per the Integrated Pest Management Act of British Columbia, Section 61(1) this is a public notification that:
  TELUS Communications Inc./Terrion is renewing an Integrated Pest Management Plan (IPMP) under the BC Integrated Pest Management Act and Regulation. TELUS manages property in the Province of BC which includes communications towers, network buildings and rights-of-way for above and below ground operations. The plan is described to ensure effective and safe control for invasive weeds and
  
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• Nanaimo South Wellington Community Centre opens to public

  24-08-2026 18:14 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The South Wellington Community Centre officially opened its doors, marking an end to a decade-long process which involved saving the building from demolition.On Wednesday, Aug. 19, the ribbon was cut, opening the centre, which also features a community park including a playground, sport court with basketball hoops and a play field.
  Originally, the site had been home to the South Wellington School, which had operated from 1969 until its closure in 2013.
  During the opening, Nanaimo-Lantzville MLA
  
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• Ian Paton leaves B.C. Conservatives, plans to form new party with Peter Milobar

  24-08-2026 18:05 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Delta South MLA Ian Paton is leaving the Conservative Party of B.C. to sit as an Independent and intends to form a new party with Kamloops Centre MLA Peter Milobar in the coming weeks.
  Milobar will be the new party’s interim leader.
  The pair appeared together on the front steps of the B.C. legislature Monday morning (Aug. 24) to announce their intentions, shortly after Paton informed B.C. Conservative Leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay he would leave her party.
  Paton says he is dissatisfied with h
  
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• Ian Paton leaves B.C. Conservatives, plans to form new party

  24-08-2026 18:05 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Delta South MLA Ian Paton is leaving the Conservative Party of B.C. to sit as an Independent.Paton made the announcement on the front steps of the B.C. Legislature Monday morning (Aug. 24).
  He said he was authorized advisory role in agriculture to give up his seat for new B.C. Conservative Leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay.
  Paton was at least one of three MLAs who said no when asked to step down from their seat to allow Findlay to run.
  The morning after that news broke, Paton, in a statement released b
  
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• 1 evacuation alert rescinded after change in Brunswick Complex fire activity

  24-08-2026 17:04 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  An evacuation alert for Area B in the Fraser Valley Regional District (FVRD) has been rescinded.
  The regional district announced that the alert for Sawmill Creek to Dogwood Valley first issued on Aug. 1 was cancelled after a change in wildfire activity in the area.
  Other evacuation orders and alerts from the FVRD related to the Brunswick Complex remain in effect. The regional district’s Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) continues to operate.The Brunswick Complex, which includes the 67,722-h
  
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• UPDATE: 5 wildfires remain out-of-control between Coquihalla, Highway 5A, Highway 3

  24-08-2026 15:50 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  UPDATE 9:40 a.m.
  A new fire has sparked west of Highway 5A.
  The latest blaze, located by Bates Creek, is 0.009 hectares in size and out-of-control. It is suspected to be lightning-caused.
  The other fires in the area have not been updated by BC Wildfire Service yet on Monday.
  Original
  A thunderstorm over the weekend caused multiple wildfires to spark close to Tulameen and the surrounding area.
  As of Monday morning (Aug. 24), there are four out-of-control wildfires between the Coquihalla Highway,
  
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• 4 wildfires remain out-of-control between Coquihalla, Highway 5A, Highway 3

  24-08-2026 15:50 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A thunderstorm over the weekend caused multiple wildfires to spark close to Tulameen and the surrounding area.
  As of Monday morning (Aug. 24), there are four out-of-control wildfires between the Coquihalla Highway, Highway 3, and Highway 5A, with three of them west of Tulameen.
  Of those, the largest one is along Lawless Creek Forest Service Road, close to Lower Mount Rabbit. In its last update, which came at 5:16 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 23, the fire was listed at 12.17 hectares in size.
  A little no
  
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• Victoria police seek missing ‘vulnerable’ teen who may be Vancouver-bound

  24-08-2026 15:22 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Victoria Police are asking for the public’s assistance in locating 16-year-old Alanna, who was reported missing by her family Sunday (Aug. 23).Alanna is considered vulnerable, and police are concerned for her wellbeing.The teen is described as 5’4″ with a medium build and long, thick black hair. She last seen wearing a black hoodie with white lettering on the sleeve, grey pants and carrying a black bag.
  Police have information that Alanna may have travelled to Vancouver and are
  
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• Fire activity could increase at 164,745 hectare Pear Lake blaze in the Cariboo

  24-08-2026 14:57 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Fire activity could increase at the 164,745-hectare Pear Lake blaze in the Cariboo.
  As BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) continues to battle the blaze, it said in its Sunday night update that the fire experienced rain over the weekend, but a warming and drying trend is expected to begin on Monday, Aug. 24.
  As of Monday morning, six evacuation orders and six evacuation alerts remain in place at the Big Bar complex.
  At the southern flank of the blaze, south of Pavilion Mountain, crews and heavy equipment
  
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• Rain kept fire behaviour low at Bald Range blaze west of Summerland: BCWS

  24-08-2026 14:45 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Rain over the weekend helped keep the Bald Range wildfire at bay over the weekend, but as temperatures rise, fire activity could as well.
  In its latest update from Sunday night, BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) said that despite gusty winds, rain from the weekend’s thunderstorm kept fire activity low on Aug. 23, along with lower temperatures and higher relative humidity. The northern part of the blaze received 6-7 mm of rain over the weekend, while the southern part experienced minimal rain.
  The
  
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• Nanaimo Child Development Centre begins fundraising campaign for new play space

  24-08-2026 14:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Nanaimo Child Development Centre has begun a fundraising campaign to build its long-anticipated new outdoor-play space at its location on Nelson Street.
  Stephanie Schweigert, the NCDC’s lead facilitator of its Drop-In Community Playgroup program, said the centre hopes to raise $50,000 for its new playground during an ongoing six-week campaign that ends on Oct. 1.
  She said what’s so exciting is that the organizers of the Big Kahuna Golf Classic have generously agreed to provide ma
  
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• Wildfire crews get a handle on 2 of 3 blazes near the Okanagan Connector

  24-08-2026 05:15 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  UPDATE: 8 p.m.
  The Lacoma Creek wildfire that sparked off Highway 97C on Sunday is now considered held.
  The blaze grew to .009 hectares and is lightning-caused.
  Another lightning-caused fire in the North Missezula Lake region, south of the Okanagan Connector and east of Highway 5A, is under control at .009 hecatres.
  The Davies Lake blaze, which is the largest of the lightning-caused fires in the area, remains out of control at 1.1 hectares.
  The fire was discovered on Aug. 22, south of Aspen Grov
  
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• Riley Creek fire south of Lillooet still out of control at 3,799 hectares

  24-08-2026 05:10 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Riley Creek wildfire south of Lillooet is still burning out of control, and was estimated at 3,799 hectares as of Sunday evening (Aug. 23).
  The area received some rainfall overnight on Aug. 22, which helped subdue fire activity but created additional safety hazards with unstable ground, which is likely to contribute to rolling debris. On Sunday, firefighting personnel responded in areas that were safe, given the erosion and terrain challenges.
  BC Wildfire Service says that there has been min
  
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• 1 of 4 fires held east of Coquihalla Highway, slight growth on another

  24-08-2026 04:43 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  UPDATE: 7:20 p.m.
  Of the four fires that sparked west of Tulameen and east of the Coquihalla Highway, one blaze is now considered held.
  The Mount Britton blaze grew to 0.4 hectares as BC Wildfire crews and local fire departments got on top of the fire and kept it within the existing perimeter.
  However, the Holm Creek blaze has grown to an estimated 3.89 hectares.
  The largest of the four fires, in the Lower Mount Rabbit area, along the Lawless Creek Forest Service Road, remains at 12.17 hectares
  
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• No growth on Summerland’s Bald Range wildfire, evaction orders remain

  24-08-2026 04:02 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  UPDATE: 6:45 p.m.
  The Bald Range wildfire 15 kilometres west of Summerland remains at 25,021 hectares, despite gusty winds on Sunday.
  According to the BC Wildfire Service, the fire behaviour remained lower than in previous days, thanks to rain from Saturday’s thunderstorm, which added moisture to forest fuels.
  “The northern parts of the Bald Range fire received 6 to 7 mm of rain yesterday, however, the south of the fire received minimal rain,” stated BCWS.
  However, starting Mon
  
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• Red-hot B.C. Lions pick up 4th straight CFL win, thump Saskatchewan 30-16

  24-08-2026 03:49 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The B.C. Lions are on a roll.
  The streaking Lions earned their fourth win in a row, thumping the visiting Saskatchewan Roughriders 30-16 in CFL action Sunday at BC Place.
  Quarterback Nathan Rourke passed for 355 yards and two touchdowns for the winners (5-5) who moved into a third-place tie with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the league’s West Division.
  Jevon Cottoy had six catches for 110 yards and a TD for B.C., with Keon Hatcher and Zander Horvath also adding touchdowns. Kicked Sean Whyte
  
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• WOLF: Fall is the runt of the litter when it comes to seasons

  24-08-2026 02:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  To paraphrase the great Phil Collins, I could feel in coming in the air the other night.
  It, in this case, is the impending arrival of my least favourite of all four seasons – fall.
  Or, as my Nana would always correct me: “it’s autumn, dear.”
  “Oops, sorry Nan. I hope I don’t autumn on those slippery back stairs.”
  What a comedy duo.
  But tried and true chuckles aside, I felt it.
  I walked into the backyard (clad in shorts and a T-shirt on a clear late-Augus
  
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• More orders, alerts downgraded for Pear Lake wildfire near Clinton

  24-08-2026 02:27 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  UPDATE 5 P.M. SUNDAY, AUG. 23
  The Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) has downgraded an evacuation order for 20 addressed properties to evacuation alert, while residents of South Green Lake, 70 Mile House, and Loon Lake have seen their evacuation alert downgraded to all clear.
  The changes went into effect at 3 p.m. on Sunday (Aug. 23), in response to the Pear Lake wildfire near Clinton.
  The evacuation order downgrade applies to the following properties:
  – 1132 to 1260 Hooke Road
  &ndas
  
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• Severe lightning storm sparks wildfires in Cowichan

  24-08-2026 02:09 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A severe lightning storm Saturday night sparked a number of small wildfires in the Cowichan Valley, several of which are currently listed as out of control by the BC Wildfire Service.
  Wildfires near Cowichan River Provincial Park at Summit Mainline, Chemainus Reserve 13, McKay Peak (northwest of Ladysmith) and Elkhorn Creek (northwest of Ladysmith) are listed as out of control.
  Fires at Stocking Lake (4 km from Ladysmith), and Fairservice Creek near Lake Cowichan are listed as of Sunday afternoo
  
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• Victoria climate activist joins 1,375 km swim to save Fraser River

  24-08-2026 02:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A Victoria-based climate activist is swimming against the icy cold and powerful waters of the Fraser River in a 1,375-kilometre relay swim.
  Naomi Devine is an advocate and campaign manager for the Fraser River Challenge, swimming with marine ecologist Dr. Isabelle Côté and forest disturbance ecologist Michelle Connolly.
  The expedition started Aug. 6 and will end by Sep. 4 across the Rivershed, with businesses, non-profits, and unions journeying down the river by canoe and raft, alon
  
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• Highway 1 from Yale to Boston Bar still closed due to Ainslie Creek fire

  24-08-2026 01:03 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Highway 1 remains closed from Toll Road (Yale) to just south of Boston Bar due to the Ainslie Creek wildfire, which is still listed as out of control and was estimated at 67,707 hectares as of Sunday morning (Aug. 23).
  The fire continues to burn above the highway in the Fraser Canyon near Spuzzum and Alexandra Bridge, to the east of the highway and river. Debris fall, including trees and rocks, continues to be a hazard, and periodically impacts Highway 1. All drivers heading north are still able
  
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• Big Bar complex fires near Clinton still out of control

  24-08-2026 00:07 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Bonaparte First Nation (BFN) has downgraded an evacuation order for two of its reserves to an evacuation alert as of 3 p.m. on Sunday (Aug. 23).
  IR 1 and IR 2, on Highway 99 near Hat Creek Road, were placed on evacuation order on Aug. 11 in response to the Pear Lake wildfire, burning out of control near Clinton. The order has now been downgraded to an evacuation alert, meaning that the fire is still considered a potential risk. Residents should stay prepared in case conditions change, and monito
  
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• Cutting edge smoke -detection cameras installed at top of Mount Benson

  23-08-2026 23:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Cutting edge modern technology has stepped in to catch any wildfires spotted in the Nanaimo area before they can grow out of control.
  The forest company Mosaic Forest Management has installed new smoke-detection cameras on top of Mount Benson with 360-degree coverage and up to 50 kilometres of range to continuously scan the landscape, automatically zooming in when a potential smoke plume is detected.
  The cameras are the first of their kind on Vancouver Island, and will help identify the start of
  
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• Vancouver Island couple’s backyard railway tracks decades of history

  23-08-2026 17:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  While it has been 15 years since the last Vancouver Island train rolled along the E&N corridor, in a small pocket of Langford, the rail network is thriving.
  In the backyard of Lanny and Dianna Seaton’s Glen Lake home, a miniature train meanders through decades of West Shore and Sooke history, passing landmarks such as Langford City Hall, Goldstream Provincial Park and Goodridge Sawmill – a nod to the area’s logging past and Lanny’s father George, who worked as a logge
  
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• Little library turns Island street into a creative community exchange

  23-08-2026 16:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A little library on the 400 block of Nelson Street in Esquimalt is inviting the community to become more creative.
  The community-led art and zine library was created by Sonya Gracey one year ago and has since then acted as a creative hub for art lovers.Gracey was a registered nurse for 23 years, a two-term Victoria city councillor, and a current art therapist and registered clinical counsellor.
  Speaking to Victoria News, Gracey said the idea to create the art and zine library stemmed from her li
  
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• Business Notes: Gina’s Mexican Cafe has a new menu

  23-08-2026 14:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Gina’s Mexican Cafe, which has been in operation in downtown Nanaimo for 40 years, has a new menu and logo.
  Owners Claudia and Gustavo are from Mexico City, and they want to introduce Nanaimo to some traditional Mexican dishes and margaritas from their homeland.
  They ensured their long-time customers that the restaurant, which is known as the iconic pink house on the hill at 47 Skinner Street, is still offering Gina’s long-time staples, like fajitas, burritos, tacos, chimichangas, an
  
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• Wildfire sparks in Kelowna’s Black Mountain

  23-08-2026 04:39 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  UPDATE 7:45 p.m.
  A wildfire the sparked in Kelowna’s Black Mountain area is now being held.The blaze is estimated at under one hectare in size and is not expected to grow.A lightening strike caused the wildfire.ORIGINAL
  A wildfire has started in the Black Mountain neighbourhood, on the east side of Kelowna, just south of Tower Ranch Drive.The fire started from a lightening strike and is estimated at less than one hectare in size.BC Wildfire Service reports the blaze to be rank one, meaning
  
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