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Nanaimo, Parksville and Area

Friday night fire
Nanaimo firefighters save home from fast-growing blaze
NANAIMO - Cobin Pisiak was playing video games in his north Nanaimo basement suite when he was suddenly sprung back into reality. His smoke alarm started beeping. Confused, he walked to the other side of his home from his bedroom while noticing the faint smell of smoke as he approached the front door of his Mahoun Pl. ...
Oct 31, 2026
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complex needs
SD68 expanding program for high-needs secondary students
NANAIMO - Designed to provide students with diversabilities a more suitable environment to thrive, local school district trustees support expanding its District Skills Program to Wellington Secondary School.Aimed to be in place for the start of next school year, the program helps students with unique needs gain functio...
Oct 30, 2026
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holiday power
Halloween decorating rivalling Christmas for power consumption: BC Hydro
NANAIMO - British Columbians are apparently spending more money and consuming more power during the spooky season than ever before, competing with the winter holidays in terms of effort put into decorating.A recent survey from BC Hydro showed four out of every ten households in the province said they now decorate for H...
Oct 30, 2026
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project complete
'Critical infrastructure:' Town completes erosion work along Little Qualicum River
QUALICUM BEACH - A major project to protect the community from erosion and ensure its primary drinking water remains intact is now complete.The Little Qualicum River Erosion Protection project began work in July and recently wrapped up, adding several large rock piles to strategic locations on the riverbank near the To...
Oct 30, 2026
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Concerning incident
Man accused of indecent act south of Nanaimo
LADYSMITH - Police are trying to identify a man who allegedly committed an indecent act in front of a woman last month.On Sept. 7, around 3 p.m., Ladysmith RCMP reported the woman was in the Nanaimo River area north of Spruston Rd. when she saw a man committing an indecent act. He's described as a white male, approxima...
Oct 30, 2026
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be safe, have fun
'We hope people will be sensible:' extra officers out across Nanaimo for Halloween weekend
NANAIMO - Be visible, be sensible: it's a simple message from local police ahead of Halloween weekend. With Halloween itself falling on a Saturday, local Mounties are anticipating a spike in calls for service related to people's behaviour, conduct in bars and clubs, and the lighting of fireworks. Nanaimo RCMP Reserve C...
Oct 30, 2026
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British Columbia

Veteran who lost daughter in military training exercise named Silver Cross Mother
A veteran whose daughter died during a military training exercise in 2002 has been named the 2026 National Silver Cross Mother. The Royal Canadian Legion says Virginia Hicks will place a wreath at the National War Memorial in Ottawa on Nov. 11, an annu...
13h ago
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Three witnesses save B.C. driver from sinking pickup truck
NELSON - Police in Nelson, B.C., are crediting three witnesses who jumped into Kootenay Lake to rescue a driver from her submerged and sinking pickup truck. The department said in a social media post it received reports of a car that had driven over an...
14h ago
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B.C.'s new time zone could cause confusion, from calendars to medical appointments
Missed surgeries, late deliveries and muddled meeting times are among the issues that could arise as a result of British Columbia's decision to stay permanently on daylight saving time, information technology experts have cautioned. When much of North ...
Oct 31, 2026
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The times aren't a-changin' in Western Canada but there's still adjustments ahead
WINNIPEG - The clocks aren't changing Sunday in the western half of the country, but that doesn't mean changes aren't coming as British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, northwestern Ontario and the Northwest Territories all chose this year to stick with da...
Oct 31, 2026
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Clocks from coast to coast to coast: A breakdown of time change rules across Canada
Much of the eastern half of Canada switch their clocks back on Sunday, while the western half will not this year. Here's a look at the breakdown of what it means to residents: British Columbia Announced in March that it was moving to permanent Pacifi...
Oct 31, 2026
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Ottawa lists Roberts Bank port expansion in B.C. as project of national interest
DELTA - The planned Roberts Bank Terminal 2 expansion, which is expected to add 2.4 million containers of capacity at the Port of Vancouver, the largest in the country, has officially been named a project of national interest. Transport Minister Steven...
Oct 30, 2026
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Canada

In the news today: clocks stay put, trade deal nears, Michigan race to watch
Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed ... Parents cheer, businesses brace as Western Canada ditches the time change Canadians woke up on Sunday to a brand new time zone map. British Columbia, Alberta, Mani...
31m ago
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Parents cheer, businesses brace as Western Canada ditches the time change
Jenn Irwin-Greer never looked forward to the routine gong show at her Edmonton dayhome business that came with the twice-annual time change as children struggled to adjust to a new pattern. "(Children) show up a little bit irritable, as we all do when ...
52m ago
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Political betrayal, Canada trade war: Why Michigan is a Senate race to watch
DETROIT - Michelle Taylor gasped and shook her head in disbelief. Outside a church where she was waiting to hear Democrat Abdul El-Sayed speak on Sunday, the longtime Detroit resident watched an unimaginable party fracture in a race that could ultimat...
52m ago
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Commonwealth meeting offers Carney a chance to boost diplomatic ties, experts say
OTTAWA - Prime Minister Mark Carney is heading to Antigua and Barbuda on Monday, where he will have a chance to engage with heads of government from other Commonwealth countries - and with King Charles. Much of the meetings taking place this week will ...
53m ago
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Veteran who lost daughter in military training exercise named Silver Cross Mother
A veteran whose daughter died during a military training exercise in 2002 has been named the 2026 National Silver Cross Mother. The Royal Canadian Legion says Virginia Hicks will place a wreath at the National War Memorial in Ottawa on Nov. 11, an annu...
13h ago
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Liberals out-fundraise Conservatives by almost $1M in third quarter of 2026
OTTAWA - The Liberal Party surpassed the Conservatives in fundraising by almost $1 million in the third quarter of 2026, says Elections Canada. Records published by Elections Canada show the Conservatives raised $3.9 million, while the Liberals raised...
14h ago
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