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Nanaimo, Parksville and Area

toxic drug crisis
B.C. drug decriminalization and safer supply associated with more overdoses: study
VANCOUVER - A study into safer supply and drug decriminalization policies in British Columbia has found that both were associated with increased opioid overdose hospitalizations. The report says that there was no change in deaths associated with safer supply, while neither policy appeared to mitigate the opioid crisis ...
Mar 25, 2025
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quick action
Parksville arena workers praised after reviving hockey player using AED
PARKSVILLE - Arena staff are being hailed for their life-saving actions earlier this month. On March 11, an individual playing in a drop-in hockey game at Oceanside Place collapsed from an apparent cardiac event. Tom Osborne, RDN general manager of recreation and parks, said staff at the site were alerted to the situat...
Mar 25, 2025
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iio report
No charges pending for Nanaimo Mounties after woman breaks arm in custody
NANAIMO - The Independent Investigations Office of B.C. (IIO) will not recommend charges against local RCMP officers after a woman fractured her arm while in police cells.A report from the IIO published Tuesday, March 25 outlined the Sept. 26, 2024 incident, just before 9 p.m. where a person called 911 for an ambulance...
Mar 25, 2025
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complete communities
More homes, amenities and green spaces: Nanaimo plans out next 25 years of Woodgrove area
NANAIMO - Plans are in the works to transform a bustling north Nanaimo area into a more family-friendly and possibly greener space in the next 25 years, another step in the City's complete communities plan. The Woodgrove Area Plan was discussed during the Monday, March 24 Governance and Priorities Committee meeting, wh...
Mar 25, 2025
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election polls
Liberals hold six-point lead over Conservatives: Leger poll
OTTAWA - The federal Liberals are pushing further ahead of the Conservatives in voter support and almost half of Canadians surveyed think the Liberals will win the election, a new poll suggests. The poll comes as the two leading parties challenge each ...
Mar 25, 2025
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waterfront expansion
'Gets better and better:' Qualicum Beach waterfront expansion project starts next phase
QUALICUM BEACH - The next phase of the Waterfront Enhancement Project started Monday, with work being done to make the waterfront safer and more easily accessible. Construction crews arrived Monday, March 24 along Hwy. 19A, and will be creating additional parking spots and a multi-purpose lane for a safer transportatio...
Mar 24, 2025
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British Columbia

'It's the Wild West': How AI is creating new frontiers for crime in Canada
VANCOUVER - Canadian police patrolling corners of the dark web are well aware of the commonly nefarious ways criminals exploit artificial intelligence. There's deepfake pornography. Voice impersonation. Romance scams that turn into financial fraud. But recently there's been a new twist - criminals offering to "jai...
4h ago
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Avalanche closes stretch of Highway 99 north of Pemberton, B.C., risk remains high
A stretch of highway north of Pemberton, B.C., is closed as crews work to clear avalanche debris from the route, while Avalanche Canada says the risk remains high in many popular backcountry areas throughout British Columbia. A statement from the Transportation Ministry says a "partial avalanche" occurred alo...
11h ago
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Police dog used to arrest robbery suspect who allegedly caused highway crashes
BURNABY, B.C. - Mounties say they called in police dog services to help arrest a robbery suspect who is alleged to have caused multiple crashes on Highway 1 during the Tuesday afternoon commute in Metro Vancouver. RCMP say officers had responded to reports of a robbery at a bank on Hastings Street in Burnaby, B.C., jus...
14h ago
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Organizers of B.C. trans history conference blame Trump, with attendance set to slump
The chair of transgender studies at the University of Victoria is worried about attendance at this year's Moving Trans History Forward conference, with expectations of a 40 per cent drop in numbers. Aaron Devor says American potential attendees are reluctant to cross the border - not because of what might happen when t...
14h ago
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Study on B.C. decriminalization's impact on drug crisis not complete: former coroner
VICTORIA - British Columbia's former chief coroner says a new study linking safer supply and decriminalization to a rise in opioid overdose hospitalizations doesn't provide the full picture on the effectiveness of the province's drug policies. Lisa Lapointe, who retired from the post last year, says the study published...
14h ago
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Many seniors in B.C. feel 'dismissed and invisible,' seniors' advocate says
VICTORIA - A study and poll from the office of British Columbia's seniors' advocate says ageism is a problem in the province and more than half of those surveyed say they have been victims of age discrimination. Advocate Dan Levitt did two surveys last year in conjunction with the report, asking B.C. residents of all a...
15h ago
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Canada

Montreal archdiocese launches real estate arm aimed at maximizing social impact
MONTREAL - As Montreal grapples with growing homelessness, the Catholic archdiocese in the city is forming a new real estate arm that it says will help ensure any redevelopment of church properties addresses "pressing community needs." The creation of ...
2h ago
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In the news today: Carney's campaign presses pause as new U.S. auto tariffs announced
Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed... Trump's tariffs derail Carney's campaign plans Liberal Leader Mark Carney is back in Ottawa today to deal with the fallout of new auto tariffs announced by U.S. P...
4h ago
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Trump's auto tariffs derail Carney's federal election campaign plans
OTTAWA - Liberal Leader Mark Carney is back in Ottawa today to deal with the fallout of new auto tariffs announced by U.S. President Donald Trump. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Carney said he was suspending his campaign plans for the day and wou...
4h ago
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New poll suggests Canadians' fear of losing their jobs to a trade war is fading
OTTAWA - A new poll suggests that Canadians are feeling less anxious about losing their jobs as U.S. President Donald Trump continues to pursue his trade war with Canada and much of the world. The Leger poll for The Canadian Press, which sampled 1,599 ...
4h ago
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'It's the Wild West': How AI is creating new frontiers for crime in Canada
VANCOUVER - Canadian police patrolling corners of the dark web are well aware of the commonly nefarious ways criminals exploit artificial intelligence. There's deepfake pornography. Voice impersonation. Romance scams that turn into financial fraud. Bu...
4h ago
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Three B.C. avalanche victims identified as snow sport industry veterans
The partner of a victim in Monday's avalanche that killed three snow sport veterans in British Columbia's Purcell Mountains says she tried to dig him out and revive him after arriving on the scene. Whistler-based professional snowboarder and filmmaker ...
12h ago
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