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Nanaimo, Parksville and Area

Emergency drill
Mock exercise features crash landing at Nanaimo Airport
NANAIMO - Volunteers posing as dozens of injured passengers replicated a crash-landed plane on Nanaimo Airport's runway. The federally mandated drill happened on Wednesday, April 15, between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m., involving several agencies which would respond to the real thing. Nanaimo Airport president and chief execu...
21h ago
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major event
City of Nanaimo backs $100K Beyond Van Gogh grant request
NANAIMO - An upcoming multi-week exhibit at downtown Nanaimo's Vancouver Island Conference Centre (VICC) is about to get a big financial boost from the City. During the Wednesday, April 15, finance and audit meeting, a recommendation for Council to provide a financial grant of $100,000 for the Beyond Van Gogh experienc...
Apr 15, 2026
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call before you dig
Natural gas line strikes drop in Nanaimo, but still leads Vancouver Island
NANAIMO - Messaging to 'call before you dig' appears to be getting through to local contractors and homeowners.Data from Fortis BC shows the Harbour City joined Saanich in leading Vancouver Island for the highest number of incidents involving damage to natural gas lines, with 14 in 2025, part of 109 across Vancouver Is...
Apr 15, 2026
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sentenced
Nanaimo man tries to rebuild after destructive behaviour triggers ERT response
NANAIMO - Rehabilitating while in custody for well over a year, a Nanaimo man says he's committed to chartering a more positive path. Corey David Matsen, 40, had 25 additional days behind bars left to serve following a sentencing hearing at Nanaimo Law Courts in relation to his volatile behaviour in early February 2025...
Apr 14, 2026
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development vs neighbourhood character
Proposed Departure Bay rezoning sent back for density guarantees
NANAIMO - A proposal to rezone a Departure Bay Rd. property requires refinements before proceeding any further, Nanaimo City Council decided. A 7-1 vote referred the application for 2565 Departure Bay Rd., at Strongitharm Ave., back to City staff to work with developers to ensure no more than 20 housing units are const...
Apr 14, 2026
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byelection sweep
Carney pledges collaboration, substantive debate in majority Parliament
OTTAWA - The morning after the Liberals secured a majority government, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canadians can expect Parliament to be more substantive and less performative. "There's a difference between real testimony, real substance, getting t...
Apr 14, 2026
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British Columbia

B.C. guide fined $12,000 for falsifying documents, exceeding fishing limits
MASSET - A British Columbia fishing guide has been fined $12,000 for exceeding his catch limits, then falsifying documents in an attempt to evade detection during an inspection. The Fisheries Department says the guide, based in Haida Gwaii, was convict...
50m ago
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First Capital's $9B portfolio to be divided between Choice Properties and KingSett
TORONTO - Choice Properties REIT and KingSett Capital have signed a deal worth more than $9 billion to buy First Capital REIT and split up the trust's shopping centre-focused real estate portfolio. The cash-and-unit deal, valued at about $9.4 billion i...
1h ago
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In a B.C. industrial zone, a new link forged in Canada's crucial lithium supply chain
DELTA - Nestled in a series of unassuming industrial buildings in Delta, B.C., among companies specializing in plumbing supplies, ladders and fitness equipment, sits North America's first electrochemical lithium refining facility. It's an unlikely lo...
2h ago
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In the news today: Artemis II update, Social media ban, Amazon surcharge
Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed... Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen and NASA crewmates to hold news conference Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen and his NASA crewmates are set to take part in a news...
11h ago
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Lytton was razed by fire. Some fear financial ruin is next for the tiny B.C. village
Ross and Judith Urquhart have called Lytton, B.C., home for half a century, leaving only for as long it took to rebuild after a raging wildfire forced them to flee in 2021. "All the homes around us were burning and we had to just jump in the vehicle ...
11h ago
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First Nations overdose deaths in B.C. drop in 2025, but still disproportionally high
VANCOUVER - The number of overdose deaths of First Nations in British Columbia dropped by about a third in 2025 but the population continues to be disproportionately impacted by the province's toxic drug crisis that has killed more than 18,000 people i...
20h ago
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Canada

Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette to meet with Prime Minister Mark Carney on Friday
QUÉBEC - Quebec's new premier will meet with Prime Minister Mark Carney on Friday in Ottawa, less than 48 hours after she was sworn in. Fréchette's office confirmed to The Canadian Press that she had requested a meeting to discuss priorities with Carne...
23m ago
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Privacy Commissioner says stronger data laws needed as Canada readies for Chinese EVs
OTTAWA - Canada's privacy commissioner says he hopes laws around private sector data sharing are strengthened as the federal government prepares to open the domestic market to Chinese electric vehicles. Speaking to the standing committee on science and...
24m ago
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Conservatives say Champagne avoiding committee study into Alto rail connection
OTTAWA - The Conservatives are accusing the Liberals of trying to block a committee from questioning Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne about his connection to the high-speed rail project. Champagne's partner Anne-Marie Gaudet is a vice-presi...
32m ago
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Poilievre blasts Carney, Liberal economic record in Canadian Club speech
OTTAWA - Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says Prime Minister Mark Carney has not delivered on his economic promises after more than a year in office. Poilievre spoke to a business crowd at the Canadian Club Toronto today to lay out his vision for ...
1h ago
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delivery changes
Canada Post beginning work to end most door-to-door mail delivery
OTTAWA - Canada Post is starting preliminary work to convert addresses that receive door-to-door mail to community mailboxes and phase out some post offices. The Crown corporation says the process is beginning after meetings with union officials. In a ...
2h ago
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Sandbags come out as communities from Quebec to Manitoba prepare for spring flooding
Communities from Quebec to Manitoba are preparing for potential spring flooding, with officials distributing sandbags to protect homes from rising water and warning about possible evacuations. Northwest of Montreal in St-Jérôme, Que., officials closed...
3h ago
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