Lisa Marie Young was 21-years-old when she vanished during the early morning hours of June 30, 2002 after a night out with friends.

She accepted a ride with a man to get food in Nanaimo, however was never seen again.

Young is presumed dead.

Friends and family of Lisa Marie Young, pictured here, will be at a community vigil on Sunday, June 28 at Maffeo Sutton Park. (Image Credit: Submitted photo)

An annual gathering in Nanaimo takes place on Sunday, June 28 from noon to 2 p.m. at Maffeo Sutton Park’s Nanaimo Lions Pavilion.

While frustration continues mounting, organizer Cyndy Hall said she’s also continually encouraged.

“We’re also hopeful because the police are very dedicated to finding Lisa, the community is so dedicated, we’re always having people offer to help us raise awareness; they do so much for us.”

Young, a well-liked Indigenous woman, accepted a ride with a man driving a red jaguar.

She later phoned a friend to say she was on a Bowen Rd. driveway and being held against her will.

There are no further documented sightings or correspondence from Young since the phone call with a since-deceased friend of the presumed homicide victim.

No arrests or charges have been made in connection to the high-profile case.

Community leaders and family members of Young will be among those speaking publicly at Sunday’s public event.

A pair of Nanaimo RCMP investigators assigned to Young’s case will also be in attendance.

Local musical artists will perform, which Hall said is a nod to the strong support Young displayed for the local entertainment scene.

Hall said increased awareness from a podcast series, additional media coverage and local events, and a pending book release are all keeping Young’s case in the forefront of people’s minds.

In the months following the in-depth and widely subscribed podcast series by investigative crime journalist Laura Palmer, numerous people came forward to Nanaimo RCMP, breathing new life into the investigation.

Despite being a 24-year-old case, Hall noted police continue receiving tips.

“It would feel hopeless if no one was coming forward with information after all of these years.”

An unidentified donor has $50,000 USD pledged to whoever confirms where Young’s remains are, however the tipster cannot remain anonymous.

Anybody with information regarding Lisa Marie Young’s case is asked to contact Nanaimo RCMP’s non-emergency line at 1-250-754-2345.

Cyndy Hall has been a tireless advocate for her long lost friend, Lisa Young. (Image Credit: Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

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The Senior A, Senior B and Junior A Timbermen are all looking to take steps forward in the second half of their seasons.

It was been a massive leap forward for the WLA team in 2026.

After a 3-15 campaign in 2025, Nanaimo had six of the top seven players in the WLA draft and at the half way point sit at 5-4 and in a playoff spot.

Nanaimo takes a two game winning streak into their Saturday, June 27 game versus Burnaby.

Team president Chris Bowman said the attitude in the locker is night and day from this time last year.

“We added some very talented players in this draft. It took awhile for them because it’s a big jump from Junior A to Senior A. It took time to mesh but I think every game these youngsters are getting better and better. It’s a different player every night who’s stepping up and taking advantage of a chance to play at a higher level.”

Four of Nanaimo’s top six scorers are rookies, leading scorer Noah Manning is in his second year, while captain Colton Lidstone is the only veteran on that list.

The Junior A Timbermen host New Westminster on Saturday, looking for just their second win of the season.

It’s a transitional year for the Junior A’s after graduating more than half of their veteran roster in 2025.

Coach Ty Yanko said the Tmen are looking for better results but their goals are process driven for a young team.

“We have a growth mindset perspective and are committed to building thr program back up to where it should be. There are lots of things we need to learn and this is a project. Individual guys have really gained from the experience of getting ‘A’ minutes, maybe before they normally would. Their development curves are going to be expedited.”

Returner Tysen Fontenla has led the squad with 33 points in 12 games.

Other top players Jack Wade, Ethan Gordon and Keenan Dewit are all new to the squad this season.

In the WCSLA the Senior B Timbermen once again have a lot of familiar names to Nanaimo lacrosse fans.

Jake Mickelson and Andrew Miller lead the team in scoring while goalie Pete Dubenski has been a workhorse in net.

The 2-4-0-1 Timbermen host New Westminster on the 27th and will have a busy end to their season with every other team in the league playing at least two more games.

Nanaimo is still mired in a long term championship drought for box lacrosse.

The last title of any kind was the 1969 Nanaimo Luckies President’s Cup win.

2026 marks the 70th anniversary of Nanaimo’s only Mann Cup victory in 1956.

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Emergency crews were called to Port Place Shopping Centre, where they found one person suffering from a stab wound near the downtown bus exchange along Front St. on Thursday, June 25, at about 8:30 p.m.

Police believe the altercation occurred between unhoused individuals on the covered benches on the south side of the shopping centre.

Nanaimo RCMP Res. Cst. Gary O’Brien told NanaimoNewsNOW a 37-year-old man was stabbed in the arm, with bystanders quickly responding with emergency first aid.

“When our members responded, we also provided first aid. He was then taken for medical treatment with serious injuries. At this point we haven’t made an arrest, but we’re quite confident we’re moving forward with this.”

O’Brien said “several people” witnessed the stabbing.

Police are looking to speak with additional witnesses or secure video footage which could advance their investigation.

Pools and droplets of blood were seen in multiple locations, including on the sidewalk around the bus stop near the Port Place covered parking lot, and on the ground closer to the Centre’s south entrance near London Drugs. (Image Credit: Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Nanaimo Fire Rescue crews were tasked with cleaning up a considerable amount of blood from the covered seating area.

Multiple people were at the mall at the time of the stabbing, including an anonymous man who didn’t witness the stabbing itself, but responded seconds later.

The man told NanaimoNewsNOW he knew the stabbing victim, but not well.

“Buddy was bothering some girl, and some girl stabbed him. That’s what the story was he said…he was stabbed pretty good in the arm.”

The man said he tied off the victim’s arm to try to stop the bleeding while “his arm was going purple”.

“He just came out of there and he’s screaming, hysterical, like ‘I’m going to die, I’m going to die.’ And I was like, ‘no buddy you’re ok, I’ve had worse,’ laughs.”

The witnesses said the man was passing out and regained his senses.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Nanaimo RCMP non-emergency number at 1-250-754-2345.

NFR members used their hoses to wash away the blood at the downtown bus exchange on Thursday night. (Image Credit: Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

In response to numerous stabbings and assaults in the vicinity of Port Place Shopping Centre in recent months and years, Cst. O’Brien said sadly violence is associated with some people dealing with addiction and housing insecurity issues.

“That’s the reality of what we’re dealing with. Our priority, regardless of who we’re working with, is the safety of everybody and the security of everybody in the community.”

The severity of violence in the area has been a concern for the last several years.

A 50-year-old man was stabbed twice in Feb. 2021 after a brief altercation involving COVID-19 distance requirements.

A Nanaimo woman was sentenced to two years behind bars for violently stabbing a man several times in the head as he slept in August 2022 across from the Port Place mall.

A 38-year-old Nanaimo man was given a seven-year jail sentence for fatally stabbing another man outside of Port Place in January 2023.

A February 2023 axe attack near the mall involving two marginalized people resulted in serious injuries to a man who suffered extensive head wounds.

A man received serious injuries after being stabbed in the parking lot of TD Bank behind Port Place in April 2025.

Social disorder and violence involving youth has also been an issue in the area of the downtown shopping centre, including an incident this past February involving armed boys assaulting a vulnerable man.

In March, an altercation between several armed people and two unhoused individuals resulted in the vulnerable men bear sprayed, resulting in minor injuries and three men arrested.

NanaimoNewsNOW has also reported numerous violent shoplifting incidents from inside Port Place Shopping Centre, which have been referenced in various Nanaimo RCMP media releases and court judgments over the last several years.

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Kevan Shaw happened to be driving in the Commercial St. and Victoria Cres. area on Wednesday, June 24, around 11:45 p.m.

“I was shocked to see the bottom of a tree was getting lit on fire, so I immediately stopped my car, rolled down the window, yelled at the woman, ‘What in the hell are you doing?”

Thankfully, Shaw said the isolated fire did not spread.

After confronting the woman, Shaw followed her down Gordon St. to the back side of the Vancouver Island Conference Centre while he was on the line with a 911 operator.

He said it appeared she was trying to light another fire in the bushes adjacent to the conference centre.

“I was still on the phone with police, then directed them when they came to where she was, and they arrested her,” Shaw said.

Shaw stated he was previously confronted by the same woman, who he’s seen throwing garbage on the street and pulling out flowers.

He said having people clearly unwell roaming the streets is a concern for everybody’s safety.

“It could be even deadly circumstances if people light a building on fire,” he added.

Nanaimo RCMP Res. Cst. Gary O’Brien confirmed Shaw’s account, saying officers quickly apprehended the woman on Museum Way.

“She was arrested for arson and was actively resisting (arrest) and appeared to be intoxicated,” O’Brien said.

She was slated to be released later Thursday and has not yet been formally charged.

While the background and circumstances of the accused are unknown, the apparent erratic, senseless conduct during tinder-dry conditions took place the same week the B.C. government announced an expanded Chronic Property Offending Intervention Initiative (C-POII).

The program, launched in Nanaimo late last year, monitors known repeat offenders for shoplifting, vandalism and mischief, intended to disrupt the cycle of offending.

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The City of Nanaimo is hosting a free family fun night on Friday, June 26, beginning at 4:30 p.m. at Maffeo Sutton Park, with live music and activities featured.

Among the offerings will be games, bouncy castles, face painting and a large selection of food trucks throughout the park.

Beginning at 8 p.m., a live broadcast will be shown on a big screen of the New Zealand vs Belgium game from BC Place in Vancouver.

Both teams are in contention of advancing to the knock-out stage of the tournament.

Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets for increased comfort.

Funding for the watch party comes from a provincial community events support fund grant.

The night will wrap after 10 p.m. with a lighted drone show over the park and the Harbour, with audio accompaniment broadcast in the park on 98.7 FM.

Limited parking is available at Maffeo Sutton Park, so event-goers are encouraged to choose public or active transportation options for the evening.

A free bike valet service will also be available on site.

The event is part of a larger Concerts in the Park series hosted by the City, which began in late April and will continue through Aug. 27.

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On the morning of Wednesday, June 24, a fire wiped out a dome-like structure on Springhill Dr. in rural Parksville belonging to Waste Collections of Canada, which handles curbside organic and recyclable materials.

As a result, all detached properties spanning Cedar to Deep Bay, with the exception of the City of Nanaimo, are impacted, noted RDN solid waste services manager, Ben Routledge.

“We realize that this is quite a large service disruption, so every option is on the table, and we’re working with our partners to try and find a quick and easy solution so residents can get their service back and restored,” Routledge told NanaimoNewsNOW.

Aftermath of a severely damaged Waste Connections of Canada curbside recycling transfer hub on on Springhill Rd. in rural Parksville. (Image Credit: Submitted image)

As a result of the fire, recycling and organic-specific curbside pick-ups are impacted in the central and northern areas of the RDN’s waste collection system from Lantzville northward, Routledge said.

For the time being, Routledge said customers can expect unpredictable service delays.

“Residents that do end up getting missed collections, we’ll waive those fees at either our Church Rd. Transfer Station or the Regional Landfill; all they’ll need to do is identify their address, they’ll automatically load into the system and their fees will be waived.”

The RDN works with private firm Waste Connections of Canada, where the rural Parksville fire took place.

The company also has a facility handling RDN organic waste and recycling products on Nanaimo’s Tenth St.

Routledge said the indefinite elimination of its northern facility puts the RDN in a difficult position.

“Because our collection drivers are all commercially licensed operators they have a maximum allowable drive time each day, so we’re anticipating some areas of collection routes are not going to be collected daily.”

Identifying an alternative transfer site or finding a solution on the existing Springhill Rd. property is actively being explored, Routledge said.

The RDN collects curbside garbage, recycling, and organic materials from about 30,000 households weekly with the use of 10 collection trucks.

Routledge estimates in the range of 20,000 households are impacted by the service disruption, with over 700 households experiencing some form of impact daily.

He said the RDN is communicating curbside service alerts on its website (where the RDN Curbside app can be accessed), as well as its social media channels.

Smoke billows from the Waste Connections of Canada facility, located near the RDN’s Church Rd. Transfer Station. (Image Credit: Submitted image)

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Police in Nanaimo have noticed an increasing trend since early last year and escalating in recent months involving a small group of youth, believed to be between the ages of 13 and 15, kicking, pounding, or striking front doors during the late night or very early morning hours.

Nanaimo RCMP Res. Cst. Gary O’Brien told NanaimoNewsNOW the trend has caused thousands of dollars in property damage and frightened many homeowners who’ve awoken or been startled by the sudden racket.

“They’ve scared a lot of senior people and a lot of our vulnerable population. They think their houses are being broken into, some doors have had their frames fractured, and some people have actually chased these individuals who are very concerned that there’s going to be an altercation at some point.”

A heat map of reported incidents in recent months. (Image Credit: Nanaimo RCMP)

O’Brien notes no one has been formally identified through incidents yet, however investigations continue.

Notable damage has resulted in around half of the cases Mounties are aware of, O’Brien noted, with residents spending considerable amounts of money on security cameras and home repairs as a result.

It’s been an issue in different parts of the city since early last year.

“It’s a trend that’s following on TikTok, we follow social media trends as well, and as a block watch coordinator, I’ve spoken to other people in the north, especially off McGirr, and they’re having this situation in early 2025. Those were probably Dover Bay students, and as it has transferred down into the central area, most likely involving Wellington and other high school students.”

O’Brien added the damage is enough to constitute Criminal Code of Canada charges under the Youth Justice Act, which he said “will have a lasting impact on their lives.”

Anyone who sees youth kicking, striking, or otherwise damaging doors for the challenge is asked to call 911.

Damage to a front door earlier this year in central Nanaimo, involving a bike tire. (Image Credit: Submitted Photo)

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Nothing changed.

Cheyenne Patricia Davidson, 33, was recently handed an eight-month jail sentence after pleading guilty to four charges connected to unresolved substance misuse issues.

With credit for time already served, Davidson is slated to be released next month from Alouette Correctional Centre for Women in Maple Ridge with plans to move back to Nanaimo.

Davidson has continually stolen from Nanaimo-area liquor stores, with Best Buy Liquor Store on Jingle Pot Rd. her apparent favourite target.

Crown counsel’s Kyle Grant said the vast majority of Davidson’s crimes have been since 2023.

“Twelve of those 17 total criminal code convictions are for theft unders (theft under $5,000), noteworthy that I believe all of the theft under convictions were for shoplifting, primarily from liquor stores.”

Davidson stole hundreds of dollars’ worth of booze during three of her most recent shoplifting sprees, two of them from the Jingle Pot Rd. store.

Court heard how staff, surveillance footage and Nanaimo RCMP were able to swiftly identify Davidson’s unsophisticated thefts.

Davidson was granted bail under the condition she start treatment on March 12 in the Fraser Valley.

Four days later, an agreed statement of facts outlined by the Crown’s Grant confirmed Davidson breached her release order by leaving the facility.

She was re-arrested in mid-April.

Cheyenne Patricia Davidson is a chronic Nanaimo-area retail thief (Image Credit: Nanaimo RCMP)

Davidson has been in and out of jail since last July.

She was sentenced for theft and breaching probation conditions this past September.

The mother of two has substance abuse issues, which are the driving force behind her criminal behaviour, court was told.

Davidson had worked for several years in the healthcare industry and began suffering from seizures around five years ago.

Defence counsel Robert Fredrickson reported Davidson does not have any significant mental health issues, but noted substance abuse is a significant problem.

“At this stage she has detoxed, she’s been in custody a significant period of time and is now in a situation where she wants to carry forward with her life,” Fredrickson told the provincial court sentencing hearing.

Davidson intends to live in a shelter environment in Nanaimo until she can obtain more formal housing.

The offender had been on income assistance before her latest run-ins with the law.

She told court from a remote video feed that she had done lots of self-healing work, which includes programming while in custody.

“I’m ready to move on with my life and put all of this behind me, and I’ve definitely learned from my mistakes, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to move forward from all of this,” Davidson proclaimed.

Davidson’s sentence also includes a year-long probationary term.

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Unanimous support was given to the first two readings of a zoning bylaw on Monday, June 22, which would add a new Social Housing Zone designation to roughly 2,100 selected properties throughout the city.

The optional designation would allow future development to exceed zoning limits on height and density, provided certain subsidized housing targets are met, according to community planner Kasia Biegun.

“We’re recommending about seven per cent of all parcels in the city be re-zoned, or be called eligible parcels for this optional zone. Heritage properties listed in City Plan…have been excluded to address concerns raised by Council and the community, and a height limit of six stories is also being placed for the majority of the…downtown.”

Eligible developments under the option zoning would need to ensure 20 per cent of their total units were subsidized and offered for 20 per cent below market rents for comparable units.

Market rates would be taken from data provided by the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).

Biegun told councillors the engagement they’ve undertaken with non-profit and for-profit housing groups, faith-based organizations, and developers showed there were differing views on the level of subsidy required.

She added the bylaw can be refined over time as real-world data is collected.

“It’s a starting point, and it gives us an opportunity to amend it if we’re seeing that it’s not affordable, but we also have to make sure that it is financially viable for development to come forward. It’s a recommendation right now that we start at 20 per cent below market and then see how the program progresses over time.”

Despite supporting the bylaw amendment in principle, coun. Ben Geselbracht expressed some concerns about its tangible benefits.

He noted a unit offered for an average of $1,800 on the market would be subsidized down to just over $1,400 under this bylaw, keeping it still out of reach for many.

“I am concerned that we’ll prezone a bunch of properties and get something that really isn’t that affordable for the actual demographics we’re trying to hit.”

The proposed bylaw amendment is still subject to public hearing, to be scheduled at a later date by the City, as well as third reading and final adoption at a future Council meeting.

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The incident happened on Tuesday, June 23, at around 2 p.m. and saw the 15-year-old travelling southbound down Metral Dr. when a turning Ford van at Bergen Op Zoom Dr. crossed into the dedicated bike lane.

Nanaimo RCMP Reserve Cst. Gary O’Brien told NanaimoNewsNOW the helmetless youth collided with the driver’s side door of the car and was thrown to the ground, suffering some non-life-threatening injuries.

“The driver of the car had to yield to the scooter, and the youth was not meeting the minimum age for the kick scooter pilot project, as he was only 15 years of age, and he was also operating without a helmet.”

The scooter involved in the incident, riden by a 15-year-old boy who was without a helmet. (Image Credit: Nanaimo RCMP)

The 36-year-old driver of the van, along with the 15-year-old, were ticketed under the Motor Vehicle Act for their respective offences.

O’Brien noted they believe speed, from the youth, was a factor in the collision.

“There wasn’t a ticket issued for that, but it was deemed to be at least 30 kilometres per hour, if not higher, and that’s an extremely dangerous situation when you’re operating a scooter at that speed and with no helmet.”

The maximum allowable speed for e-scooters is 25 kilometres per hour.

The crash comes amid a ride in popularity for e-scooters and e-bikes, along with increased infrastructure being installed across Nanaimo.

O’Brien said the rules of the road are paramount, and everyone shares responsibility for others’ safety.

“It’s a good reminder to recognize there’s a shared responsibility that exists between drivers and those using other means of transportation. When the drivers are turning and crossing roadways, they have to check right and left. These devices are very quiet, and collisions are inevitable if they don’t share the roadway.”

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