Nanaimo news

• Valerie Lynn Mason

  22-07-2026 22:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  In Loving Memory ~
  June 29, 1944 – June 27, 2026
  It is with great sorrow and sadness the family of Valerie Mason announces her passing after a brief illness.
  Born in Lethbridge, AB to parents Melvin and Elnora Sabey, Valerie was raised in Nanaimo, with her older siblings, on the much-loved family farm in Yellow Point.
  In 1962, prior to graduating from NDSS, Val was a candidate in the Miss Nanaimo Pageant and was recognized as a 2nd Princess Finalist. Val then went on to attend business sch
  
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• Victoria Police withdraw from Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit

  23-07-2026 21:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Victoria police will once again handle homicide investigations within Victoria and Esquimalt after deciding to withdraw from the Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit.
  The change, announced the morning of July 23, means the Victoria Police Department will resume responsibility for investigating homicides in its jurisdiction.
  VicPD said the decision follows an ongoing review that considered crime rates, resource efficiencies and opportunities for internal development.
  The department thanke
  
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• Port Alberni man charged with impaired driving causing death near Fanny Bay

  23-07-2026 20:50 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The BC Prosecution Service has approved three charges a year after a fatal collision on Highway 19A near Fanny Bay.
  On June 24, Barry Munroe, 61, of Port Alberni, was charged with impaired driving causing death, driving with a blood alcohol content over 0.8 mg per cent causing death, and obstruction of a peace officer.
  On July 31, 2025, a pickup that was towing a recreational vehicle trailer collided with multiple vehicles and resulted in the death of a man who was standing on the side of the ro
  
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• Vancouver-based indie rock performer Destroyer coming to Nanaimo

  23-07-2026 20:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Vancouver-based indie rock performer Destroyer is coming to The Vault Cafe in Nanaimo for two days.The artist, which is the project of Dan Bejar, will be playing on Thursday, July 23, with doors opening at 7 p.m. and the show at 8 p.m.Bejar is known for his sharp, evocative lyrics and shape-shifting approach to the genre, according to a release from The Vault Cafe release.According to the release, these rare and intimate performances will spotlight the lyrical craft and magnetic presence that ha
  
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• Man dies in Lumby tractor fire

  23-07-2026 20:21 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  An out-of-control grass fire took the life of a man on a farm near Lumby Wednesday.
  Vernon North Okanagan RCMP were called to a rural property in the 1300 block of Trinity Valley Road July 22 around 2:25 p.m. for a report of an out-of-control fire.BC Wildfire Services (BCWS) quickly deployed helicopters to the property and neighbours were able to keep the fire from reaching the residence until the Lumby Fire Department arrived.
  The fire grew to 6.75 hectares before crews got a handle on it overn
  
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• ‘None Came Back’ exhibit preserves lost chapter of Chemainus history

  23-07-2026 20:09 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Richard Yano stood alongside his granddaughters Saturday as they helped cut the ribbon on None Came Back, a new exhibition at the Chemainus Valley Museum preserving the stories of the town’s Japanese Canadian community.For Yano, whose family’s history is featured prominently in the exhibition, the moment was both deeply personal and long overdue.The Chemainus Valley Museum officially opened None Came Back on Saturday, documenting the lives of more than 300 Japanese Canadian residents
  
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• Ladysmith’s Pontiac Bandits win dream slot at Sunfest main stage

  23-07-2026 20:05 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  For years, the idea of playing Sunfest was little more than a running joke among the members of the Pontiac Bandits.Now, the Ladysmith country band is getting ready to step onto one of the biggest stages in the region.The six-piece group won a local artist contest hosted by Sun FM, earning them a coveted opening slot on the main stage at Sunfest on Friday, July 31 at 5:20 p.m.For band founder and vocalist-guitarist Griffin Russell, the opportunity feels almost too big to have imagined.“It&
  
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• Vancouver Island SPCA centre urgently needs foster volunteers

  23-07-2026 20:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The BC SPCA Parksville-Qualicum Beach Community Animal Centre is looking for more foster volunteers as it faces a shortage of temporary homes for animals awaiting adoption.
  Centre manager Janelle Hill said foster families play a vital role in helping the shelter care for more animals.
  “Shelters have limited capacity,” Hill said. “We rely on fosters to help us care for more animals in our community, which creates space in the centre for the most vulnerable animals.”
  The SP
  
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• More than 300 vehicles and vessels checked for fishery violations

  23-07-2026 19:53 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Eight teams of federal fishery officers fanned out across Vancouver Island on a single day this month in the largest coordinated crackdown of its kind, checking hundreds of vehicles, boats and coolers for violations of Canada’s fishing regulations.
  The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) says the July 19 operation was the first time it had run simultaneous roadside inspections at this scale on the Island, pairing its officers with the RCMP, the B.C. Conservation Officer Service, infor
  
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• More than 300 Island vehicles, vessels checked in DFO inspection blitz

  23-07-2026 19:53 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Eight teams of federal fishery officers fanned out across Vancouver Island on a single day this month in the largest co-ordinated crackdown of its kind, checking hundreds of vehicles, boats and coolers for violations of Canada’s fishing regulations.
  The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) says the July 19 operation was the first time it had run simultaneous roadside inspections at this scale on the Island, pairing its officers with the RCMP, the B.C. Conservation Officer Service, info
  
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• Province provides $60,000 to Nanaimo’s emergency operations centres

  23-07-2026 19:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Nanaimo area will receive $60,000 from the province to bolster emergency operations centres.
  Announced by the province on July 21, the City of Nanaimo will get $30,000 to assist with contracted training delivery to build staff capacity at its emergency operations centre, while the Regional District of Nanaimo has been earmarked for $30,000 for communications upgrades and office equipment to modernize the infrastructure of its emergency operations centre.
  Emergency operations centres serve to
  
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• Lawyer/former MLA takes up job in B.C. premier’s office

  23-07-2026 19:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Langley’s Andrew Mercier will be chief of staff to Premier David Eby.
  Eby’s chief of staff Cheryl Oates is concluding her interim appointment as Jim Rutkowski extends his medical leave for cancer treatment.
  Oates was appointed interim chief of staff in January 2026, with the expectation that Jim Rutkowski would return to the job in August. As Rutkowski continues his treatment, Mercier has been appointed to fill the role of chief of staff.
  Mercier is a lawyer who has deep roots in the
  
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• Transport truck hits bison on highway, potentially spills diesel into northern B.C. waterway

  23-07-2026 18:53 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  There is potential for up to 50,000 litres of diesel to spill into a northern B.C. waterway after a transport truck hit a bison on Highway 97.
  The Environment and Parks Ministry received a report of a spill involving the truck on Wednesday (July 22) on Highway 97 northwest of Coal River and just south of the B.C.-Yukon border.Initial reports from the ministry’s spills and environmental emergencies says the transport truck was hauling diesel and collided with a bison, sending the truck off
  
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• Osisko Gold signs three-year community agreement with Wells

  23-07-2026 15:42 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Osisko Gold and the District of Wells have signed a three-year agreement supporting community initiatives tied to the Cariboo Gold Project.
  According to a press release by the mining company, the agreement, effective July 21, was signed through Osisko Gold’s wholly owned subsidiary Barkerville Gold Mine Ltd. The agreement covers the 2026 to 2028 period.
  It is intended to support social and economic initiatives in the District of Wells as the company’s 100 per cent owned, fully permit
  
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• Brunswick Complex wildfires grow to over 27,000 hectares combined

  23-07-2026 15:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A dozen evacuation orders and four evacuation alerts are in place as the Brunswick Complex fires continue to burn in the Fraser Canyon.
  The three wildfires have grown to over 27,000 hectares combined – the Anderson Creek blaze is listed at 4,332.9 hectares, Brunswick Creek at 6,139 hectares, and Ainslie Creek at 17,298.5 hectares.
  “Until the fire no longer poses a threat to the community, values protection is the top priority,” BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) said in the latest upda
  
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• Joy of fostering: Opening your home to an animal in need

  23-07-2026 14:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Across British Columbia, more animals than ever are being abandoned or surrendered as families struggle with rising living costs. Veterinary care, food, housing, and other expenses have become increasingly difficult for many guardians to manage.
  At the same time, shelters and rescue organizations are operating at or beyond capacity, leaving them with impossible decisions about which animals they can help. Every kennel is full, foster homes are in short supply, and every day there are animals wit
  
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• City targets invasive plant species again

  23-07-2026 13:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Nanaimo is taking its next steps in efforts to deal with the proliferation of invasive species in the municipality.
  Council passed a motion at its meeting on July 20, directing staff to bring to council proposed bylaw amendments to the city’s business licences to include provisions restricting the sale and distribution of invasive plants by retail stores in Nanaimo.
  This followed an instruction to staff in June, 2025, to begin a phased process to draft a bylaw that prohibits the sale and d
  
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• Fundraiser launched after motorcycle incident leaves Island man paralyzed

  23-07-2026 08:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A Qualicum Beach family is asking for community support after a motorcycle crash left a local man with a life-altering spinal cord injury.
  According to a GoFundMe campaign launched by his mother, Bianca Gross, Elias was seriously injured in a motorcycle incident on July 6. He was initially taken to Kelowna General Hospital before being transferred to Vancouver General Hospital, where he underwent six hours of spinal surgery.
  The fundraiser states that Elias suffered multiple spinal cord injuries
  
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• ‘It’s about the basic services we rely on’ Leonard Krog seeking re-election in Nanaimo

  23-07-2026 04:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Leonard Krog announced he will be seeking re-election for a third term as mayor of Nanaimo.
  Krog first entered politics representing Parksville-Qualicum with the B.C. NDP from 1991- 1996. In 2005, he was elected to represent Nanaimo in 2005, then again in 2009, 2013 and 2017.
  In 2018 he was elected Nanaimo’s mayor, leading to him resigning his seat as MLA. In 2022 he was re-elected as mayor.
  “I had made up my mind last year that I would run again,” Krog told the Bulletin, addin
  
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• RCMP Black Hawk helicopters were bid to placate Trump: report

  23-07-2026 02:45 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A Langley B.C. visit by an RCMP Blackhawk helicopter was part of an attempt to appease U.S. President Donald Trump, according to an investigative report published by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) newspaper in the U.S.
  During the February 2025 photo opportunity at Langley Regional Airport, the Langley Advance Times and other media were granted an opportunity to take photos and video of the helicopter making multiple fly-pasts.
  At the time, reporters who attended the event in the RCMP hangar at th
  
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• Electricity demand breaks record amid heat wave, BC Hydro says

  23-07-2026 02:22 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  BC Hydro says customers set a new all-time summer peak electricity demand on Tuesday.Between 5 and 6 p.m. – the hour customers use the most electricity – usage reached 8,715 megawatts, surpassing the previous summer record of 8,652 megawatts set in August 2025.
  BC Hydro says another record could be broken Wednesday amid the ongoing heat wave.The new record, BC Hydro said, reflects a broader shift in how British Columbians are using electricity in the summer.
  Now, nearly 70 per cent o
  
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• Summer Sizzle Festival’s Calls of the Wild will entertain and enlighten listeners

  23-07-2026 02:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Summer Sizzle Festival, is moving on along with an upcoming concert series known as Calls of the Wild, to be played in various locations across the mid-Island.The festival, which is run by the Vancouver Island Symphony, consists of 30 concerts in 10 beautiful settings. Calls of the Wild draws attention to the symphony’s horn section’s concerts, and consist of Andrew Clark, Heather Walker, Karen Hough and Joanna Schulz.
  Clark is the principal horn player of the symphony, having be
  
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• Lantzville Dickinson Road improvements could cost upwards of $6 million

  23-07-2026 01:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Three draft options for improving Dickinson Road were presented to residents during an open house, with the most expensive costing $6 million.
  Taking place on July 14, the event had District of Lantzville staff on hand to discuss the project to redesign of Dickinson Road, with interested residents.
  George Robinson, Lantzville’s director of planning and community services, told the News Bulletin that residents all have concerns about surface drainage and pedestrian safety issues.
  “The
  
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• ‘This is just silly’: B.C.’s Eby threatens U.S. access to Canadian minerals over tariffs

  23-07-2026 00:51 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  B.C. Premier David Eby says the United States shouldn’t have access to Canadian mineral products if President Donald Trump plans to impose more punishing tariffs on other industries.
  “We need to be frank with the Americans that they will not get the kind of access that they seek to what’s in Canada if this is how the conduct is going to go,” he said on Wednesday at a meeting of Canada’s premiers in Charlottetown, P.E.I.
  Ontario Premier Doug Ford joined Eby in his st
  
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• Washington wildfire crosses border into B.C.

  23-07-2026 00:26 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A wildfire in Washington State has crossed the border into B.C., the North Cascades National Park Service Complex says.
  Border 2 Fire, 2.4 kilometres east of Hozomeen just south of the Canada-U.S. border, crossed into B.C. and into the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest lands in the east, according to an update from the park service Wednesday (July 22).
  Border 1 and Border 2 wildfires combined and are now a total of 121 hectares. The fire is believed to be caused by lightning.The park service sa
  
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• Horse bestiality case heading to Vernon trial in spring 2027

  23-07-2026 00:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A man accused of bestiality in Vernon will have his case go to trial next spring.Seth Justin Christian, born in 1991, is charged with one count of bestiality related to an alleged incident at a Vernon equestrian training facility in January.He is set to stand trial May 31, 2027, according to the BC Prosecution Service.
  Christian was charged in March and elected to be tried by judge alone June 25.The incident allegedly involves the assault of horses in Vernon’s BX area on Jan. 24.The profes
  
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• Removal begins for Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, site of mass shooting

  22-07-2026 23:54 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Peace River South school district says removal of Tumbler Ridge Secondary School has started and will continue throughout the summer.
  The removal of the school is expected to be completed in the fall, with the school district promising to continue to share updates if timelines change, a post to Facebook Monday (July 21) says.
  “Every effort is being made to carry out this work in a way that respects the significance of the site and minimizes disruption to students, families, and the bro
  
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• Snuneymuxw members on reserve will be able to vote in next municipal election

  22-07-2026 23:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Members of Snuneymuxw First Nation living on reserve lands will be able to vote for Nanaimo’s council and mayor for the first time in this fall’s municipal election.
  A joint request from Snuneymuxw First Nation and the city to expand Nanaimo’s municipal boundary to include Snuneymuxw reserve lands has received final approval from the province.
  An Order in Council approving the boundary change was signed by B.C.’s Lieutenant Governor Wendy Cocchia on Friday, July 17.
  In a
  
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• Teresa Mary Patricia “Pat” Cowie

  22-07-2026 22:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  1939-2025Please join us for a Celebration of Life to honour Pat’s legacy together, as we share stories, music, photos and memories. Refreshments will be served. Sunday August 9th, 2026, from 2-4pm. Nanaimo Golf Club, 2800 Highland Blvd
  
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• Pearl Yuill (nee Kostur)

  22-07-2026 22:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Our mom, Pearl Yuill (nee Kostur), passed away just over 2 years ago – on June 23rd, 2024 – at the age of 87. We miss her deeply, every day. Pearl was predeceased by her parents Sam and Lena, brothers John and Matt; and in December 2023 by her husband Harvey, to whom she was married for over 60 years. She is survived by her son Craig (Linda), grandchildren Jessica and Desiree, and daughter Karla and her partner Bob. Pearl is also survived by her sister Mary (Ron) and brother Harry.
  P
  
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