The City of Parksville is reporting an uptick in residents receiving calls, apparently coming from the municipality’s Emergency Management number (250-954-4672), but it is in fact scammers soliciting sensitive information.

Known as spoofing, it’s a technique to make fraudulent calls appear to come from legitimate sources.

“The City wants to remind residents that we will never ask for sensitive personal information, banking information, passwords, or payment over the phone in an unsolicited call,” a notice from the City read. “This is especially important for seniors and vulnerable members of our community who are often targeted by scammers.”

The emergency management number being targeted is connected to the City’s Voyent Alert! application, used to send out information in an emergency situation.

Residents can sign up for Voyent Alert! through the City’s website, with the system also in use across the Regional District of Nanaimo, including Qualicum Beach and Nanaimo.

The City said in their notice they’re working with telecommunications professionals to try and stop the calls, but admit “there isn’t a lot that can be done when scam callers are masking their identity by using a random number.”

“If you receive a suspicious call that appears to come from one of the City’s phone numbers, please use caution. If you are unsure whether a call is legitimate, hang up and directly contact the phone number listed on our official website.”

Scam calls, regardless of whether they use spoofing or not, will often look to create a sense of urgency and make unsolicited requests for sensitive information including passwords, credit card numbers or Social Insurance Numbers.

They will often demand payment through non-traditional sources, including cryptocurrency or gift cards.

Subscribe to our daily news wrap. Local news delivered to your email inbox every evening. Stay up-to-date on everything Nanaimo and Oceanside.

info@nanaimonewsnow.com

Follow us on: Twitter (X) | Bluesky | Facebook

A program approved by the Regional District of Nanaimo Board in April will see free annual Umo passes made available for youth aged 13 to 18, for an initial period of two years, beginning Sunday, Sept. 6.

It’s expected the move will help around 8,000 youth in Nanaimo and Oceanside more easily access transit options to get where they need to go.

The program also runs in conjunction with a B.C. wide initiative which provides free transit for anyone aged 12 and under.

More information on the transit passes can be obtained through the RDN website, or at a number of in-person information sessions at Oceanside Place, the Nanaimo Ice Centre or Woodgrove Centre throughout early September.

Sunday’s launch of the pass program coincides with fall schedules on local buses coming back into effect.

Beginning Sunday, eight routes will have adjusted schedules to include either a full resumption of service, or an increased number of trips to accommodate school traffic.

Trips with an ‘S’ designation in the Regional District of Nanaimo Transit system will return along Route 5 Fairview, Route 6 Harewood, Route 15 VIU/Woodgrove, Route 20 Hammond Bay, Route 20A Dover, Route 30 NRGH, and Route 40 VIU Express.

Service is also due to return along Route 92 Hammond Bay.

Updated schedules and trip planning are available through the BC Transit website.

Local news. Delivered. Free. Subscribe to our daily news wrap and get our top local stories delivered to your email inbox every evening.

info@nanaimonewsnow.com

Follow us on: Twitter (X) | Bluesky | Facebook

The 12th annual Fresh Start event was held Saturday, Sept. 5, in downtown Nanaimo at Diana Krall Plaza and inside the Vancouver Island Regional Library Nanaimo Harbourfront branch, with barbers offering free haircuts and volunteers handing out backpacks full of school supplies.

Founder of the event Dave Lawrence, owner of That 50s Barbershop, told NanaimoNewsNOW mid-haircut he expected to see between 300 and 400 kids attend through the day, with staff on site until around 5 p.m.

“The past two or three years, it’s really grown. I think it’s just teaming up with bigger charity groups who help us out and the sheer amount of money we can get now. When we started, we probably raised $300, and that was a lot back then, and we got it done. It’s been about $8,000 raised this year, and with that we’re able to go buy $3,000 worth of winter coats and clothes, tonnes of supplies, and working out deals with bigger companies.”

A long line stretched through Diana Krall Plaza Saturday morning. (Image Credit: Kyle Ireland/NanaimoNewsNOW)

A long line spanned the plaza Saturday morning as families worked their way from tent to tent, collecting supplies.

Many were donated directly, including backpacks, new clothing, and stationery, with Lawrence and his volunteers using cash donations collected in recent weeks to buy additional items to give away.

“It’s crazy, every year it grows and grows and grows, we get more and more. Bigger companies come on and make donations, and people overflow my barber shop with supplies,” Lawrence added. “It’s just grown so much, it’s amazing.”

He added people reach out almost year-round to share their stories and challenges, thanking Lawrence and his team for putting the event on every year.

Extra barbers were working the event too, helping more people get their back to school style and supplies. (Image Credit: Kyle Ireland/NanaimoNewsNOW)

“The need is there, it’s always going to be there, and I just feel very passionate about it. It’s something that’s very much needed in community…and it’s something that I will do for the rest of my life.”

Whatever items are left over from each event are kept in a storage locker and offered the following year.

— with files from Kyle Ireland

Follow us on Facebook. Join Everything Nanaimo on Facebook and stay connected with everything happening on central Vancouver Island.

info@nanaimonewsnow.com

Follow us on: Twitter (X) | Bluesky | Facebook

Now it’s Sun and her three pugs, Mario, Luigi and Yoshi, who are entertaining crowds at the fair, 50 years after it hosted the first SuperDogs show.

Their role? “Definitely comedy,” Sun said.

“When they come out onstage, people know they’re not going to be the fastest…. But you know what? They have personality, they have character.”

Sun’s pugs wear sparkly pink bandanas as they perform their tricks. They twirl left and right in unison, and stand on their hind legs to give each other what she calls a “pug hug.”

The pugs are among hundreds of canines from across Canada, many of them rescues from humane societies and animal shelters, that have been part of the SuperDogs shows, which are also held at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto.

While some trainers and their dogs travel for shows, most are local and return to their family homes each night after delighting crowds that can number in the thousands.

David Acer, a writer and host for the show in Vancouver, describes SuperDogs as “pure joy from beginning to end,” helping fans let their troubles go for a moment.

“It’s really among the only entertainment I’ve been a part of where I can look in the stands and see a five-year-old, a 20-year-old and a 70-year-old all laughing at the same thing,” he said following a SuperDogs performance on Thursday.

“I think every generation is feeling the pressure and the stress of the current climate, and this is an opportunity for them to come and not feel that together.”

SuperDogs lore tells of the show’s beginnings at the PNE in August 1976, when Herb Williams, a former teacher and advertising executive-turned entertainer, recruited a handful of dogs to perform tricks for fairgoers in a parking lot.

Fifty years later, SuperDogs holds three shows a day for audiences at the PNE and the CNE. The two fairs close on Monday.

The shows feature dogs small and large racing, catching Frisbees, leaping over hurdles, and weaving in and out of obstacles. Afterwards, the audience is invited to “pat and chat,” an opportunity to meet the dogs and their trainers.

Acer said the canine performers are all “super” in different ways.

“Some of them are super athletic, some of them are super smart, some of them are super cute, some of them are super fast,” he said.

“We actually think every dog is a super dog, so if you have a dog at time, (there’s) something that makes them super too.”

Still, certain dogs have exuded stand-out star power, landing them in the inaugural “Paws of Fame” class to mark the 50th anniversary of SuperDogs.

They include the “slowest SuperDog ever,” an English bulldog named Pot Roast who performed between 1992 and 1998, and Demolition Derby, an old English sheepdog described as “a big, lovable buffoon who introduced true comedy” to the show.

Sun’s first-generation trio of pugs, Snap, Crackle and Pop, were also among the 20 honourees, along with Flint, a collie who also served as a search-and-rescue dog with the Calgary Fire Department.

It’s gratifying “knowing how many hearts melt when they see these pug faces and how much joy they bring,” said Sun, who has worked with SuperDogs for 15 years.

Sun said the show offers a lighthearted distraction and a break from everyday worries, inspiring cheers and laughs from generations of fans.

“For that half hour you’re sitting in the audience, you’re not thinking about anything else but watching the dogs do their comedy, do their athleticism, do their Frisbee playing, do their dancing onstage, their racing relays,” she said.

“It’s such a blessing to be on the other side now,” Sun added. “Running with the dogs, on the stage, doing the thing that I used to love to watch as a kid.”

Sun said dog owners shouldn’t underestimate their own canine companions.

“Always look at the dog in front of you,” she said. “They’re each individuals that can learn so many things.”

The website for the group Suite Melody Care, which brings young musicians into hospitals and care homes, lists Williams, who is in his 90s and lives in Ontario, as one of its directors. He made his final SuperDogs appearance in 2012.

The site says Williams and his SuperDogs entertained audiences that have included British royals and celebrities such as Joan Rivers and Luciano Pavarotti.

After the PNE and CNE close, the SuperDogs will be at fall fairs in Burns Lake, B.C.; Rock Creek, B.C.; Uxbridge, Ont.; and at a dog-focused event in Newmarket, Ont.

Ultimately, Acer said SuperDogs encourages people to love their dogs.

“If people go home after seeing a SuperDogs show and give their dog one more hug, one more treat, throw a Frisbee for them, it’s a win for everybody.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 5, 2026.

Brenna Owen, The Canadian Press

There are sessions for as young as pre-kindergarten which includes parent participation and other opportunities for U7 and U8 kids are play based in an effort to get kids out and running and touching a rugby ball.

Hornets Minis program lead Jeff Britten said a new offering is starting up for slightly older players.

“What we’re offering this year is for U10, U12 and U14. We’re calling it our mini rugby house league. It’s about a half hour of skills and drills based development where it gets into the nuts of bolts of playing the game. Then every session is going to end with a 30 minute game.”

All age groups will run for ten sessions, ending on Nov. 4.

Britten said every night is followed by a meal in the clubhouse.

“It’s a way to socialize and all the age groups and parents can hang out together. It shows people what the club rugby culture and environment is like.”

In the previous spring minis season they had about 60 kids involved.

The Hornets are close to that number now with room for more players to join.

There are usually 5-6 players on the field at a time for the younger age groups with boys and girls playing together until U12.

Britten said the Hornets will once again have strong representation for their men’s and women’s team and they are pleased with the number of younger kids taking up the sport.

A gap has materialized for older youth with a hope a junior program can start to take shape.

“We’re really trying to get those kids who have played minis and aged out and not had a home to play rugby, a way to stay involved through elementary and high school. We don’t want anyone to age out and not have a place to play rugby in Nanaimo. There have been preseason sessions with the junior girls and if we can run a junior program this fall we would love to do so. We’re looking at the possibility of combining with a junior team in Port Alberni to play some exhibition games if we have the numbers.”

The flagship Hornets men’s and women’s Division 1 teams are currently in their preseason training and those teams will be playing league games in mid September for the men and late September for the women.

Follow us on Facebook. Join Everything Nanaimo on Facebook and stay connected with everything happening on central Vancouver Island.

info@nanaimonewsnow.com

Follow us on: Twitter (X) | Bluesky | Facebook

A Friday, Sept. 4 City of Nanaimo news release stated mail-in ballots can be picked up in-person at city hall from the legislative services department at 455 Wallace St., by downloading an online form, or via email: elections@nanaimo.ca.

“A mail ballot must be received by the Chief Election Officer before the close of voting (8 p.m.) on General Voting Day (Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026) in order to be counted for the election. It is the responsibility of the elector to post the mail ballot in sufficient time for delivery to the Legislative Services Department at City Hall by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026,” stated the release.

Mail ballot application forms are available at local government offices, and in some cases online; which can be obtained at the following links for the City of Parksville, Town of Qualicum Beach and Regional District of Nanaimo.  

General election day is on Saturday, Oct. 17 where British Columbians elect municipal, regional and school board representatives.

Voting in-person in advance is scheduled regionally on Oct. 7 and 14.

The cut-off for the nomination period for candidates vying for a position in local government is on Friday, Sept. 11.

Additional information which could be useful for local election candidates, and the public at large, is available courtesy of the B.C. government here.

Local news. Delivered. Free. Subscribe to our daily news wrap and get our top local stories delivered to your email inbox every evening.

info@nanaimonewsnow.com

Follow us on: Twitter (X) | Bluesky | Facebook

Back for its 12th year, Fresh Start offers free back-to-school haircuts and a collection of classroom must-haves, with the latest iteration of the event happening Saturday, Sept. 5, at Diana Krall Plaza.

Organizer and owner of That 50’s Barbershop Dave Lawrence, told NanaimoNewsNOW he feels it might be a record-setting year in terms of the amount of donations he’s received, both financially and in items dropped off at his shop on Victoria Cres.

“The barbershop is empty now, but it has been completely filled. Our storage unit, I was there last night, literally had a hard time pulling the door shut because there’s so much stuff. We bought thousands of dollars worth of new winter coats and clothes for kids. We’re partnering up with bigger organizations that are helping us out too.”

Donations of school supplies have been pouring into That 50’s Barbershop all August long, with volunteers helping to organize the supplies from a storage locker on Thursday, Sept. 3. (Image Credit: Fresh Start: Back to School on Facebook)

He said it feels amazing to have this type of recognition at this point, recalling the difficulty he had with organizing the first few events.

Lawrence will spend the next few days organizing the donations before loading things up to ship them to the Plaza for Saturday morning.

Starting at 10 a.m., families can get their kids some school supplies and a fresh haircut for the cost of reading a short story or drawing a picture, with the event ending around 5 p.m.

Lawrence said more volunteers for the event are always needed to help organize, direct people, and provide entertainment for the kids while they wait, with face painters and cosplayers already lined up.

“We roughly get 300 kids, that’s 300 families. That’s a lot of people in Diana Krall Plaza. Even just kind of like traffic control and getting people where they need to be. So that’s a lot of bodies. We do have a lot of volunteers, but always more would be great.”

While he’s not sure if he’s the first one to come up with this idea, Lawrence said “it’s wild” to see other, similar events pop up across Canada.

“That’s one of the things we’ve talked about as we grow and change. At some point, this could get so big that we could set that up in other communities and do it. It’s needed all over. People struggle all over the place. So to see all these other barbers and people do it, it’s amazing. It’s great because, realistically, I’m exhausted, but it’s not that hard to do.”

Over $13,000 was raised during last year’s Fresh Start event.

More information can be found on the Fresh Start: Back to School Facebook page, or by emailing Lawrence at thatbarber@gmail.com.

Local news. Delivered. Free. Subscribe to our daily news wrap and get our top local stories delivered to your email inbox every evening.

info@nanaimonewsnow.com

Follow us on: Twitter (X) | Bluesky | Facebook

Rosalyn Bird, Bruce Banman and A’a:liya Warbus said Friday in a joint statement that they’re joining the yet-to-be-named party being formed by Peter Milobar and Ian Paton.

They are all among nine legislators to have quit the Conservative caucus over the past three weeks, citing ideological and strategic differences with Leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay.

“The support we’ve seen from across the province has been overwhelming, and people are stepping up to help us bring this party to life in a very short time,” interim leader Milobar said in the statement.

“The appetite for it is undeniable.”

The B.C. Conservatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The statement said the new party is to hold a leadership vote before the legislature resumes Oct. 5.

It said the party plans to sit with official third-party status.

In the statement, Warbus said people who oppose the governing New Democrats must focus on defeating Premier David Eby’s government in the next election.

“We have, at most, two years to be election-ready to defeat the NDP, and joining Peter and Ian is a commitment to making sure voters have a strong alternative when that election comes,” she said.

“There’s no time to waste — Peter and Ian have been moving forward at full-steam ahead and I’m ready to get to work alongside them.”

Banman, meanwhile, said he hopes the new party will provide right-of-centre voters with a choice other than the B.C. Conservatives.

“British Columbians want options, and we intend to give them a strong one,” he said.

There has been a recent exodus of legislators from the Conservative caucus under Findlay, who won the leadership in a narrow vote in May.

Scott McInnis and Donegal Wilson were the latest to depart on Wednesday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 4, 2026.

Chuck Chiang, The Canadian Press

Angelo Anthony Banez, 34, was handed a nine-year, four-month federal penitentiary sentence on Thursday, Sept. 3, in Nanaimo provincial court following a jointly submitted sentencing recommendation.

Banez pleaded guilty to five drug trafficking charges, a firearms offence, and possessing child sex abuse/exploitation material after his south end townhouse unit was raided by police nearly three years ago.

The drug bust amounts to one of the largest in Nanaimo in recent memory.

An agreed statement of facts heard police were awarded a separate search warrant following approval to enter Banez’ townhouse unit on Jingle Pot Rd. at Wakesiah Ave. on Oct. 18, 2023.

Over one kilogram of fentanyl (1,059 grams) was located, which contained about 360 grams of the extremely potent synthetic opioid carfentanil.

“Carfentanil is 100 times more potent than fentanyl and is not approved for use by humans in any amount,” federal Crown prosecutor Chris Gibson told the hearing. “It’s a substance that has uses in the veterinary field with much larger animals such as elephants.”

Nearly 900 grams of cocaine was found in the home, as well as about 250 grams of methamphetamine.

An RCMP drug expert estimated the street value of the seized illicit drugs was worth upwards of $340,000.

Police also located three unloaded, over-capacity handguns, knives, score sheets, a money-counter and over $3,000 from Banez’ vehicle.

The score sheets documented that multiple lower-level dealers had received over $20,000 worth of hard drugs from Banez for re-sale.

One of several phones seized from Banez contained text messages which reinforced his drug dealing scheme.

“An expert opinion on the matter concluded that the evidence was consistent with Mr. Banez being a mid-level dealer distributing substances to other individuals who were also drug traffickers,” Gibson said.

Banez has one prior conviction, a three-and-a-half-year jail sentence issued in December 2014 for drug trafficking.

The original search warrant for the illegal child sex abuse/exploitation material resulted from a single upload from Banez’ home on Dec. 31, 2022, the provincial Crown’s Leanne Mascolo informed court.

Following a tip to Nanaimo RCMP from the BC Integrated Child Exploitation Unit, Mascolo said several months later police uncovered over 1,300 illegal videos and pictures from a laptop and phone belonging to Banez at his home.

The disturbing collection included highly graphic instances of young girls sexually abused by adult men.

Banez lived at the home alone.

A pre-sentence report stated Banez had a turbulent childhood where he suffered severe verbal abuse and neglect.

Banez’ defence attorney said his client has struggled with his mental health, including having suicidal ideation in his 20s.

“It’s clear that there’s quite a bit of unresolved trauma that Mr. Banez has struggled with and appears to continue to struggle with,” Cheyne Hodson told court.

He said his client complied with strict bail conditions, including electronic monitoring, while on house arrest at his father’s home for the past 16 months.

Provincial court judge Chris Churchill said evidence presented before the court indicates that Banez spent most of his adult life as a drug trafficker.

The judge implored Banez to take advantage of in-custody rehabilitative programming.

“You need to do that hard work so that you don’t spend too much of your young life in custody. If you work hard while you’re in custody, options for parole will open up for you, those will open up earlier if you do the hard work.”

One hundred and forty-three days of pretrial in-custody credit will slightly reduce Banez’ lengthy prison sentence.

Eight other drug trafficking charges were tossed in exchange for his guilty pleas.

He declined to address the court.

Banez’ case was scheduled to go to trial, however, he opted to plead guilty in March.

Post-release, he’ll appear on the National Sex Offender Registry for 20 years.

A lifetime firearms prohibition was also applied against Banez, who must also comply with a DNA order.

The offender’s father was in tears while hugging his son as he was led away in handcuffs.

Banez will serve his prison tenure at an institution to be selected by Correctional Service Canada.

Subscribe to our daily news wrap. Local news delivered to your email inbox every evening. Stay up to date on everything Nanaimo and Oceanside.

info@nanaimonewsnow.com

Follow us on: Twitter (X) | Bluesky | Facebook

The provincial government confirmed on Thursday, Sept. 3, updated housing approval for construction beginning in early 2027 at 250 Terminal Ave. would be run as a dry, recovery-oriented site, rather than the initially decided low-barrier housing and shelter option.

Nanaimo-Gabriola MLA and Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction, Sheila Malcolmson, said the 50-units to replace existing housing on the property help to close a gap in Nanaimo’s housing options.

“This housing will support people in recovery from substance use, people who’ve been at risk of homelessness or experienced homelessness and need additional support to stay housed, and to people who want to reduce their exposure to drugs and alcohol.”

Recovery-oriented housing focuses on ensuring a substance-free environment for all residents, in a bid to aid their recovery and return to the wider community.

Previously run models at 250 Terminal, largely featuring low-barrier housing, have led to considerable social disorder issues in and around the site, frustrating local government and neighbours for years.

After repeated requests were denied regarding the site, a final letter sent by the City in June included a plea from Council, backed up by neighbourhood groups and local advocates.

Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog said the province finally reconsidered their stance to address what he dubbed a “societal issue” in the city.

Looking at the property from Bryden St., towards Terminal Ave. to the left, the five-storey structures would provide a range of supports and services for residents only under amended zoning. (Image Credit: Ron Hart Architecture)

“It’s a positive step and gives the community an opportunity to see how it will work, and hopefully gives an opportunity to see how it can play, in time as funding becomes available, a larger role in recovery for people around the province.”

He added those living on site will be afforded “a much better opportunity to engage in a fruitful, productive, and happy life.”

Karen Kuwica, president of the Newcastle Community Association, which is the neighbourhood group where 250 Terminal Ave. is located, said advocacy work has been “gruelling”, but worth it in the end.

She declared Thursday’s announcement meant “drug traffickers just got an eviction notice.”

“There’s a lot of procurement of substances in the surrounding community, in Newcastle, and that’s going to change significantly. The customers are leaving.”

Kuwica added the Association continues to be consulted on future operations at the site.

“We’ve always said that supports are necessary for people that are coming out of substance use or want supports without being in an environment where substances are used. We know now…that there’s all sorts of points of contact in the social system in Nanaimo in particular, where people really need housing where substance use is not part of the housing.”

As part of the new construction, which includes 50-units of supportive housing on the north end of the property followed by another 36-units of affordable housing on the south, the property will receive a minor address adjustment, becoming 250 Bryden St.

Both supportive and affordable housing are planned as part of a new complex at 250 Terminal Ave., replacing existing temporary housing. (Image Credit: Ron Hart Architecture)

Local news. Delivered. Free. Subscribe to our daily news wrap and get our top local stories delivered to your email inbox every evening.

info@nanaimonewsnow.com

Follow us on: Twitter (X) | Bluesky | Facebook