Nanaimo news

• What’s On, Oct. 21

  21-10-2026 20:02 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  MUSICAntonio Lorosa – Tried & Trued Tour will be performing country rock at The Queen’s on Oct. 22, with doors at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at www.thequeens.ca.
  Tim McNary will be performing folk at Ladybug’s Mew in Yellow Point Farm and Garden Store Concert Stage on Oct. 22 at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at https://ladybugsmewinyellowpoint.ca.Jody Glenham, Samantha Savage Smith with Nancy Pitte will be performing folk, indie rock and pop at the Vault Cafe on Oct. 22 at
  
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• VIDEO: ‘Cheech’ tribute at Canucks game celebrates beloved broadcaster, Surrey resident

  21-10-2026 21:17 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Beloved hockey analyst John “Cheech” Garrett was remembered and celebrated during the Vancouver Canucks game Tuesday night, Oct. 20, vs. Carolina Hurricanes.
  Garrett, who lived in the Boundary Park area of Surrey, played goaltender for the Canucks and other teams during his NHL days, 1979 to 1985, before moving to the broadcast booth at Rogers Arena.
  Last April Garrett died suddenly, saddening fans who fondly remember his hockey knowledge, sense of humour, warm personality and love o
  
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• ‘Let us speak for ourselves’: South Island wildlife rehab squashes online misinformation

  21-10-2026 20:45 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Wildlife Animal Rehabilitation Centre in Metchosin helps sick, injured, and orphaned animals, with staff and volunteers there lamenting misinformation online.The BC SPCA Wild ARC operates 365 days a year to help sick, injured, and orphaned wild animals, treating 2,182 animals in 2025 from all over the region.
  “Lately, we’ve noticed quite a bit of misinformation being shared in Facebook groups about which species Wild ARC will and will not accept, and how we will handle specific c
  
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• Be kind, rewind: B.C. couple’s nostalgic nook presses pause on 90s-era

  21-10-2026 20:45 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Before Netflix, there was Blockbuster.
  Saturday evenings spent wandering the aisles of a video rental store, searching for the perfect movie to accompany a cosy night in was a familiar ritual for generations of families from the mid-70s through to the early 2010s.
  These days, the ritual looks a little different, replaced by endless scrolling through streaming services, only to find something most in the room will watch with one eye, the other fixed on their phone.
  But in one Langford home, time
  
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• Hold the phone: dedication to historic site in Lake Cowichan Oct. 23

  21-10-2026 20:18 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Town of Lake Cowichan will be dialed in for a dedication of The Mildred Child Annex on Oct. 23 at 11 a.m., at 39 South Shore Rd. next to where the building once stood.
  It’s been converted into a municipal parking area, but there will be a small ceremony and community members are encouraged to attend.“We have three or four former telephone operators that will be in attendance,” said organizer Coun. Carolyne Austin.
  The structure formerly located at 49 South Shore Rd., was fi
  
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• VIDEO: YouTuber draws the viewer under the Salish Sea in Sidney

  21-10-2026 20:11 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Langford diver Ryan Swan started his Be Sea Adventures channel on YouTube for myriad reasons. At the top of the list are education and conservation. The latest video focuses on a cleanup of the Salish Sea near Sidney.The waters between two piers at the base of Beacon Avenue became the focus this year. On Oct. 4, a team of volunteer divers and community partners did a permitted ghost gear cleanup, removing roughly 250 kilograms of abandoned crab traps, nets, rope, cable and line from the water.
  &
  
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• Joseph George Banak

  21-10-2026 20:08 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  In Loving Memory ~
  March 20, 1936 ~ October 16, 2026
  It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Joe. Predeceased by his wife, Jane and sisters, Cookie and Thelma. He leaves to mourn his 3 children, Lisa (Frank), Neville (Roxanne) and Sheenagh, 7 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. A heartfelt thank you to the nurses and HCAs at Chartwell Care Residence for the amazing care they provided in his final months. ‘Aloha’ until we meet again. No service by request
  
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• Danielle Smith says there won’t be another separation referendum while she’s premier

  21-10-2026 19:58 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  There won’t be another referendum regarding separation as long as Danielle Smith is Alberta’s premier, she stated during an address to the province on Tuesday, Oct. 20.
  The premier issued the address following Oct. 19’s provincial referendum, where more than 75 per cent of Albertans voted to keep the province in Canada.
  “The people of Alberta cast their votes in an open and democratic referendum, and the resulting vote from Albertans has given our government a clear manda
  
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• Okanagan developer expands into United States

  21-10-2026 19:06 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A Kelowna construction developer is expanding internationally, establishing a branch in the United States.
  Troika, led by CEO Renee Merrifield, has launched a new branch in Boise, Idaho, dubbed Troika USA. Like its Canadian counterpart, the American venture will also be working in the construction field, offering “general contracting and construction management for commercial, multifamily and institutional projects” in the Treasure Valley region.
  Troika USA is being headed by its pre
  
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• Fraudulent hockey tournament invites circulate across Greater Victoria

  21-10-2026 19:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Minor hockey associations across Greater Victoria are warning teams about fraudulent tournament invitations circulating across B.C.
  BC Hockey issued a warning on Oct. 13 after seeing a high volume of suspicious emails appearing to come from minor hockey associations and possibly the provincial governing body.
  “We’re seeing a high volume of suspicious tournament invitations that appear to come from minor hockey associations and possibly BC Hockey,” the Saanichton-based organizat
  
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• Kindness is a superpower for B.C. boy chasing comic book dream

  21-10-2026 18:45 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A soon-to-be 6-year-old Colwood boy wants to become a superhero, but his greatest power might be something much simpler: kindness.
  Elliott Lemire is competing in Stan Lee’s Super Kid, a North American contest offering a chance to appear in a comic book, meet his favourite superheroes at Los Angeles Comic-Con and take home a US$25,000grand prize.
  The Grade 1 student at École John Stubbs Memorial School is hoping to advance to the quarter-finals, with his family encouraging the commun
  
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• Shuji Tabata

  21-10-2026 18:14 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  In Loving Memory ~
  Shuji Tabata passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by his family, after a recent diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Born in Wakayama, Japan, he moved to Kamloops at age eleven, where he discovered Judo—a passion that shaped his entire life. He competed nationally and later became a dedicated sensei and referee, deeply involved with the Nanaimo Judo Club. He worked throughout BC as a welder and pipe fitter before teaching for 30 years at Malaspina College/VIU, helping t
  
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• Two hip-hop artists from Quebec will perform at Nanaimo’s OV Arts Centre

  21-10-2026 14:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Two artists from the Quebec hip-hop scene will be performing in Nanaimo.
  Mōnad at the OV Arts Centre on Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 7:30 p.m, kicking off the Crimson Coast Dance Society’s 29th season. Online, the society describes it as “what happens when hip hop history meets raw theatrical power.”
  Mōnad consists of Alexandra ‘Spicey’ Lande, and Jai Nitai Lotus.Landé is a Montreal-based choreographer, dancer as well as teacher, and had previously toured
  
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• Tennis bubble near Westwood Lake in Nanaimo remains, non-profit operator sought

  21-10-2026 14:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  With completion of a land purchase on the horizon, City of Nanaimo now seeks a non-profit to run a tennis facility near Westwood Lake Park.In September the city announced, that effective Dec. 18, it would take control of the site of Westwood Lake Tennis Club at 2367 Arbot Rd., with the club closing on Nov. 1.
  At the time, it said a tennis bubble would be removed, with the courts subsequently available for public use, but according to a Tuesday, Oct. 20 city press release, council now favours kee
  
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• BC Conservatives address healthcare, taxes during Kelowna rally

  21-10-2026 08:48 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  BC Conservative candidates from across the Okanagan joined interim party leader Lorne Doerkson on Oct. 19 to rally with about 100 supporters at Sunset Ranch Golf and Country Club in Kelowna.
  Kelowna-Mission MLA candidate Gavin Dew welcomed the packed room, before addressing outgoing Kelowna city councillor Maxine DeHart and her recent health scare, in which she collapsed on Oct. 16, the day before the municipal election.
  “She had fallen, she was bleeding and she was hurt,” Dew said.
  
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• Three players net 2 apiece as Hurricanes dump Vancouver Canucks 6-3

  21-10-2026 06:50 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Nicolas Deslauriers, Logan Stankoven and Nikolaj Ehlers each scored twice, leading the visiting Carolina Hurricanes to a 6-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in NHL action Tuesday at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.
  Jackson Blake added three assists for the defending Stanley Cup champs (8-2-1), while Pyotr Kochetkov made 14 saves to earn the win in goal. Linus Karlsson, Jonathan Lekkerimaki and Max Sasson replied for the Canucks (2-8-1) who are winless in eight games. Jake DeBrusk chipped in with two as
  
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• VIDEO: Vancouver Giants TV series gets positive reviews

  21-10-2026 05:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Initial reviews were positive for “Hometown Giants,” a six-episode television series about the Langley-based WHL team, with commenters praising the behind-the-scenes look at the WHL franchise, while at least one warned it might not be suitable for young viewers.It follows the 2025-26 season of the Giants, centered on the involvement of singer Michael Buble and “Property Brothers” TV show star Drew Scott as part-owners in the campaign “to restore a team that hasn&rsq
  
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• ‘Just the happiest kid’: Clinical trial brightens future for B.C. boy

  21-10-2026 02:30 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Seven-year-old Beckett Tessarolo is “just the happiest kid” – quick with one-liners and always sporting a huge smile, including for his first day of Grade 2 at Crescent Park Elementary when classes resumed in September.
  Busy with extra-curriculars – as many kids his age are – such as hockey and baseball, it’s hard to believe he started an unimaginable battle for his life just three months shy of his first birthday.
  “Enough time has passed that you’
  
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• Vancouver Mayor-elect Pete Fry out door-knocking to support B.C. Greens Leader Lowan

  21-10-2026 02:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Incoming Vancouver Mayor Pete Fry endorsed B.C. Greens Leader Emily Lowan on Tuesday, joining her to knock on doors in Sidney as she seeks to hold the Saanich North and the Islands riding for the party.
  “We share so many of the same values,” Fry said. “Some of the things that Emily’s fighting for are things that resonate with folks in Vancouver and really mean a lot to my community.”
  The Green Party has held the riding since 2017, but the seat was vacated when incum
  
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• OPINION: Community forests offer a practical path forward for B.C.

  21-10-2026 01:46 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  British Columbia’s (B.C.) forest sector is at a turning point. Communities are feeling the effects of sawmill and pulp mill closures, catastrophic wildfires, changing markets, and general uncertainty about the future. British Columbians are also asking how forests can support healthy ecosystems, sustainable local economies, reconciliation, public safety, recreation, and other community priorities.
  We believe community forestry offers a tested and proven way forward and should be on the mi
  
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• Nanaimo RCMP seek help locating 57-year-old

  21-10-2026 01:27 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Nanaimo RCMP is requesting public assistance to find a man who was reported missing earlier this month.
  Fifty-seven-year-old Randy Peters was first reported missing on Oct. 14. The RCMP stated he is unhoused and generally contacts his family at least once a week, but his family has not heard from him in eight weeks.
  He is described as six-feet tall and 180 lbs, with brown eyes and a brown and grey beard. He has a slim build.Anyone with information on the whereabouts ofPeters, is asked to call th
  
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• Kelowna-area Conservative condemns OneBC post about 2006 stayed charges

  21-10-2026 01:21 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The BC Conservative candidate for Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream said he’s disappointed in the “sleazy attacks” made by OneBC towards him.OneBC posted court documents to Facebook on Oct. 16, regarding the indictment against Pavneet Singh in 2006.The charges were that of sexual assault, sexual touching of a person under 14 and unlawful confinement. The charges were stayed in 2008.Singh addressed the 20-year-old allegations on Facebook, stating his innocence and that he has no c
  
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• Where the parties stand on the major issues heading into the B.C. election

  21-10-2026 01:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Amid the avalanche of policy announcements, platform promises and attack ads, it can be hard to know where party leaders really stand on the issues.
  Mario Canseco of Research Co. regularly polls British Columbian voters to ask which issues they care most about. For the past three years, housing has led. This year, it is cost-of-living.
  “It’s something that everybody can relate to,” he said.
  In a poll conducted on Oct. 13, the economy/jobs was the top issue for 25 per cent of r
  
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• VIU Mariners’ volleyball teams seek return to provincials and national titles

  21-10-2026 01:00 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  The Vancouver Island Mariners volleyball teams are looking for more of the same and a little bit more in 2026/27.
  The women M’s captured the Pacific Western Athletic Association title in 2025/26, en route to a bronze medal at the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association in Niverville, Man. The men were runners up in the PacWest championship and took fourth place at the CCAA nationals in Edmonton.
  Grace Brisebois, Regan Ingram and Edan Wade have moved on and Shane Hyde, women’s coach,
  
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• Sam Roberts Band, Owen Riegling to headline when the CPKC Holiday Train crosses B.C.

  21-10-2026 00:15 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Sam Roberts Band and Owen Riegling are this year’s performers on the CPKC Holiday Train as it makes its way across Alberta and British Columbia this December.
  This is the 28th year for the holiday event which sees two trains – one which travels a predominantly Canadian route and the other mostly in the U.S. – making stops in different communities to offer free concerts, and raise money and collect non-perishable food items for food banks across North America.Cars on each of the
  
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• Masked suspect sought after 12-year-old’s scooter stolen from Nanaimo store

  21-10-2026 00:06 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A masked individual is sought after a 12-year-old girl’s scooter was stolen from a Nanaimo grocery store this weekend.
  In a press release, Nanaimo RCMP said it seeks the public’s help in identifying the person, who is alleged to have stolen the vehicle from the Country Grocer store at 1800 Dufferin Cres. on Saturday, Oct. 17, around 10 p.m.
  The person was wearing a black hoodie with the hood pulled up, the press release noted, with a light-coloured face covering; loose, light-coloure
  
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• NDP, Conservatives pitch dozens of Urgent Primary Care Centres as healthcare solution

  20-10-2026 22:52 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  David Eby’s latest campaign stop in the South Okanagan on Oct. 19 saw him promise a new Urgent and Primary Care Centre (UPCC) for the community, one of the 20 that the BC NDP have announced across the province since Oct. 12.
  The same day, the BC Conservatives announced their own promise of 11 UPCCs. Although none were in the Interior, where, alongside Oliver, the BC NDP had also promised an additional UPCC in Penticton.
  The Penticton UPCC was one of the first to open in B.C., and was pitch
  
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• Drug poisoning alert for Nanaimo issued

  20-10-2026 22:34 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  A new drug poisoning alert has been sent out in Nanaimo.
  Issued by Island Health on Oct. 20, an alert follows a higher rateof drug poisonings in a community.
  More information can be found online at https://towardstheheart.com/alerts.The alert comes out one day after a similar alert was issued by Interior Health in Kootenays, citing the the drug mixture “down” containing “high amounts of fluorofentanyl and medetomidine” resulting in multiple overdoses.
  “The combinati
  
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• The Great Canadian Road Trip tour brings country stars to Duncan

  20-10-2026 22:26 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  For the love of country.
  Country music fans will be saying giddy up as they hit the road for ‘The Great Canadian Road Trip Tour’ with Doc Walker, Jason McCoy, and Michelle Wright on Oct. 22
  “Cowichan loves country,” said theatre marketing specialist Janelle Escott. “We want to bring people more of what they want to see in the valley, and these three Canadian country acts are sure to provide a fun night of stellar country tunes, and stories.”
  It’s a &lsqu
  
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• B.C. father advocates for increased protections for unhoused after daughter’s death

  20-10-2026 22:10 via nanaimobulletin.com
  
  Just days after her 21st birthday, Stacey Reid was run over and killed by a boom lift at a commercial property in Mission.
  Marc White, Reid’s father, is now pushing for accountability. He launched a petition on Oct. 14 to bolster protections against heavy machinery for unhoused individuals.
  “Safety was completely thrown out of the window … There’s no way this isn’t negligence by absolutely any means. That’s why I started the petition … homeless people
  
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