NANAIMO - A judge disagreed with the defence arguments from two environmental activists, who said they had no choice but to break the law to draw attention to the dangers of climate change. Judge Ronald Lamperson rejected the arguments in cases involving Howard Gerald Breen, 70, and Melanie Joy Murray, 48, who were ind...

NANAIMO - A longstanding key pillar of Nanaimo Marine Festival will proceed this summer after all, following an operator's decision to relocate to Victoria.Non-profit organization VI Paddling confirmed it's hosting a one-day event on Saturday, July 13 in partnership with the Nanaimo Downtown Business Association and Na...

QUALICUM BEACH - A potentially intoxicated motorist allegedly plowed into an oncoming SUV on Hwy. 19A in Qualicum Bay, entrapping both drivers. The crash on the undivided two-lane highway near Sunny Beach Rd. occurred on Thursday, May 2 just before 3 p.m., according to Oceanside RCMP Sgt. Shane Worth. "There was a...

NANAIMO - A long vacant heritage building in Nanaimo's downtown transitioned to what looks nothing like a traditional law office. It was done by design. Occupying the Great National Land Building at 17 Church St. is one of five new regional Indigenous Justice Centres (IJC) operated by the BC First Nations Justice Counc...

NANOOSE BAY - A new washroom, storage building and gathering space now complements a paved sports court at Jack Bagley Community Park (JBCP). The new building opened earlier this year for community use, featuring two unisex fully accessible washrooms, storage room and covered gathering area. A paved plaza includes seve...

NANAIMO - The month of May is high-risk driving month according to the RCMP, and Vancouver Island drivers are being reminded to be safe when they're behind the wheel. BC Highway Patrol will be looking to crack down on excessive speeding, as well as distracted and impaired driving. Sgt. Adam Tallboy is warning drivers a...

NANAIMO - Police are investigating three incidents in an 18 hour span where weapons including bear spray, a metal baton, and a knife were allegedly used by youths in random attacks.The first incident occurred on Monday, April 29 just after midnight near Dufferin Cres. and Grant Ave., where an unhoused man and an adult ...

NANAIMO - A highly intoxicated man with mental health issues received a suspended sentence and two years probation for a bizarre high-profile assault nearly two years ago. The perplexing actions of Tristan Jed Maunder, 39, were revealed at a Wednesday, May 1 sentencing hearing in Nanaimo after he pleaded guilty to an a...

NANAIMO - Despite more rainfall over the south coast and central B.C, the threat of wildfires this summer remains prominent province-wide. Nanaimo saw 85 per cent of normal amounts of precipitation in April, where 56.8 millimetres fell in total, just short of the average amount of 67.4 millimetres.Environment Canada me...

NANAIMO - Warm spring weather means motorcycle enthusiasts are hitting the road with more regularity, leading to a warning from ICBC.The Crown corporation's Tom Webster said crashes involving motorcycles significantly increase between May and September every year, with 212 people injured in motorcycle-involved collisio...

UPDATE - Nanaimo RCMP advise Delorme was located and arrested in Port Alberni. EARLIER - NANAIMO - A northern B.C. man wanted on multiple domestic violence-related charges is believed to be on the mid-Island. Jayson Lee Delorme, 41, is thought to be travelling in the Nanaimo, Port Alberni or Duncan area of Vancouver Is...

NANAIMO - Despite complaints rising on backyard chickens in Nanaimo, it appears the City is comfortable with existing guidelines.Nanaimo City councillors opted to maintain current bylaws and limits surrounding the number of chickens permitted on residential lots, during their governance and priorities committee meeting...

NANAIMO - There's a few extra smiles throughout town this week.Tim Horton's locations in Nanaimo are again participating in the annual Smile Cookie campaign, selling the specially decorated treats through Sunday, May 5 with proceeds going to the Nanaimo and District Hospital Foundation (NDHF).Trina Knight, manager of c...

NANAIMO - The skies of the Comox Valley are alive with the sounds of jets this week, as the Canadian Forces Snowbirds are back in town.Their annual spring training at CFB Comox builds to their first public appearance of the season at the Comox Air Show on May 18, at 19 Wing Comox.Public affairs officer Cpt. Philip Roch...

UPDATE - Tickets for the raffle sold out around 8:45 a.m. on Wednesday, May 1 with over 350 selling since publishing of this story on Tuesday, April 30.EARLIER - NANOOSE BAY - An exceptionally generous donation is helping a local elementary school raise thousands of dollars for an outdoor play and learning space.A raff...

NANAIMO - A veteran BC Supreme Court justice wasn't buying what a longtime criminal was selling at trial. Kerry Wallace Chang, 55, was found guilty of possession for the purpose of trafficking fentanyl during a Monday, April 29 judgment in connection to a notable 2020 raid at a south Nanaimo home. While he admitted to ...

NANAIMO - The City is eyeing the expansion of its ambitious safety plans for the downtown, however the cost of potential upgrades remains to be seen.Councillors were presented results from an independent consultant's report during a governance and priorities meeting on Monday, April 29, which examined the Downtown Nana...

NANAIMO - One of the biggest shows on television is set to convert small areas of the city's downtown into a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Crews for the hit HBO show 'The Last of Us' began hauling in equipment and cordoning off areas in Diana Krall Plaza on Monday, April 29, ahead of a roughly five-week residency in down...

NANAIMO - Finding gnome doors in tree trunks has been a magical part of some local parks for over a decade, and the man behind them couldn't be more thrilled. Charlie Pickard has been hand-crafting gnome doors and birdhouses since moving to Vancouver Island almost 15 years ago, a hobby turned passion for the retired pl...

NANAIMO - New provincial funding is behind a series of capital and planning projects for Island-based manufacturing companies.Support through the ministry of jobs, economic development and innovation will see six capital and four planning projects financed with up to $5 million, a move which is hoped to create new jobs...

QUALICUM BEACH - A new service station provides a lot more than gas, coffee and snacks. Qualicum First Nation owned and operated Kwalikum Krossing, a Petro-Canada service station recently opened at 700 Horne Lake Rd. near the intersection of Hwy. 19. Located on-site is a 55,000 gallon reservoir pool fed by a slanted ro...

PARKSVILLE - A significant amount of money is being raised to protect a large piece of land home to a large ecosystem.The Nature Trust of BC is looking to raise $350,000 to protect 13 acres of land home to wildlife along the Englishman River at 130 Shelly Road in Parksville.CEO of the Nature Trust Dr. Jasper Lament sai...

NANAIMO - Capable of going upwards of 25 kilometres per hour, a new network of shareable e-bikes is debuting in the city. Evolve, a program run through BCAA and already in place in several major centres, will start offering publicly rentable e-bikes through a soft launch on Wednesday, May 1, with a more widespread roll...

VANCOUVER - Escalating public safety concerns combined with increasing deaths link to drug toxicity is pushing changes to allowed drug consumption in public areas.Premier David Eby announced on Friday, April 26, collaboration with the federal government on changing the legality of drug possession and consumption in B.C...

NANAIMO - A long-promised and badly needed supportive housing complex is set to officially open in the city's downtown.Cornerstone, located at 285 Prideaux St., is a 51-unit permanent modular supportive housing project, part of a promise through a 2020 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between BC Housing and the City t...

NANAIMO - Less than a year after being formed a local non-profit group which brings men together in a positive and uplifting way finally has a permanent home. Organized by a local father and son last year, the Nanaimo and District Men's Shed Society (NDMSS) is celebrating its grand opening on Saturday, April 27, from n...

NANAIMO - Authoring children's books was not the kind of healing journey a busy Nanaimo nurse expected. An injury sidelined May Sosa for a few weeks last year, spawning an unscripted journey of creating more awareness of the struggles of neurodiverse children in the form of several fairy tales. Motivating Sosa to put p...

GABRIOLA ISLAND - A new staffing model for first responder paramedics on Island is proving a more resilient level of care. BC Emergency Health Services, through funding from the provincial government, transitioned Gabriola Island and 21 other rural and remote communities to a 24/7 Alpha shift model. It means a total of...