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Nanaimo, Parksville and Area

Memorable First
VIDEO: Clippers rookie Mitchell Patrick finding his stride
NANAIMO - Navigating the BCHL as a first-year player can be challenging but forward Mitchell Patrick is making the most of it.He's appeared in ten games since joining the club in December and scored his first BCHL goal on Saturday, Mar. 15."It was the first of many hopefully," Patrick said. "I hope it op...
19h ago
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tariff bonus
Nanaimo food bank sees silver lining through ongoing Canada-U.S. trade war
NANAIMO - The 'buy Canadian' message seems to be resonating with local shoppers, creating a silver lining for a local food bank.Peter Sinclair, executive director of Loaves & Fishes Community Food Bank said they've been inundated with hundreds of kilograms of American produce over recent weeks, which went unsold at...
22h ago
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important health equipment
Oceanside Health Centre fundraising to replace essential 'Vital Signs' monitors
PARKSVILLE - Fundraising is underway to replace the aging vital signs monitors at the Oceanside Health Centre, with Nanaimo's hospital charity lending a hand.The Nanaimo District & Hospital Foundation (NDHF) is helping to raise money to replace all 34 vital sign monitors at the Oceanside Health Centre (OHC) in Park...
Mar 21, 2025
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naniamo performance
'These children deserve every opportunity:' African Children's Choir funding education through song
NANAIMO - A unique cultural performance from halfway around the world is preparing to hit the stage locally, raising money for educational opportunities. The African Children's Choir, celebrating its 40th anniversary, will hold a free show titled "Just As I Am" at the Departure Bay Baptist Church on Friday, M...
Mar 21, 2025
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serious allegations
Civil suit alleges 'culture of intimidation and hostility' at Gabriola fire department
GABRIOLA ISLAND - Allegations of bullying, a hostile work environment and improper payments have been levelled against three ranking members of a local fire department and its governing body. Filed Tuesday, March 18, in BC Supreme Court in Nanaimo, the department's former corporate officer Matthew Dow, is suing the Gab...
Mar 20, 2025
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local drug trade
Three arrested in Nanaimo, part of gang enforcement blitz on Vancouver Island
NANAIMO - Three people were arrested locally, with more elsewhere on Vancouver Island, through a multi-day blitz from a specialized policing unit.Members with the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of British Columbia's Uniform Gang Enforcement Team (UGET) conducted a traffic stop on March 7 around the Strickland...
Mar 20, 2025
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British Columbia

B.C. court voids 'cult' marriage, finding woman didn't 'truly consent'
A British Columbia judge has annulled the marriage of a woman to a fellow member of an India-based "cult group," saying she didn't "truly consent" to the 2023 wedding. The B.C. Supreme Court ruling issued this week says Arshnoor Kaur Jaura claimed she was manipulated and overwhelmed by a "barra...
16h ago
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Boy, 5, playing game of hide-and-seek is found by RCMP helicopter in B.C.
MISSION, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA - Mounties in Mission, B.C., say a police helicopter crew spotted a five-year-old boy after he went missing during a game of hide-and-seek. Police say the boy was at a children's camp near Mission on Tuesday when he walked away from the rest of the group playing in a forested area. Sta...
17h ago
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Ottawa announces $200M contribution toward Cedar LNG project in B.C.
OTTAWA - Ottawa says it is contributing up to $200 million toward the Cedar LNG project on the northern B.C. coast. The money is coming through the Strategic Innovation Fund, which falls under the Innovation, Science and Economic Development ministry. The floating liquefied natural gas processing facility and marine ex...
18h ago
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Police in Vancouver arrest man suspected of vandalizing Tesla dealership
VANCOUVER - Police in Vancouver say they have arrested a 27-year-old man for allegedly vandalizing a Tesla dealership. A statement from police says officers went to the dealership in the city's Kitsilano neighbourhood at about 1:30 a.m. on Friday following reports that a man had spray-painted obscenities on the front w...
20h ago
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Ottawa to provide $1.5 billion for Metro Vancouver's transit service over a decade
VANCOUVER - The federal government has committed more than $1.5 billion over 10 years for Metro Vancouver's beleaguered transit network. A statement from the Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities says the funding deal for TransLink is the first metro-region agreement under the new Canada Public Transit ...
21h ago
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Special avalanche warning for central Rockies with 'highly volatile' conditions
Avalanche Canada has issued a public warning for the central Rockies saying there have been several large avalanches over the last two weeks. It says two slides have been fatal and the snowpack "remains primed for human-triggering." The warning covers Banff and Jasper national parks and the Kananaskis area in...
23h ago
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Canada

Liberals to expand eligibility for dental care program
OTTAWA - The federal health minister says that as of May, all eligible Canadians will be able to apply for the federal dental care program. The program was launched initially for seniors in December 2023 and has been expanded in phases to cover childre...
1h ago
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Canada updates travel advisory for U.S., noting need to register on long stays
The Canadian government has updated its travel advisory for those heading south of the border, noting the U.S. requires that visitors register if staying more than 30 days. The updated advisory says the registration requirement applies to Canadians an...
1h ago
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'No Canadian dream': Meet some who want to join a 51st U.S. state
EDMONTON - Jordon Kosikowie has been thinking a lot about what would happen if Alberta joined the United States. The 35-year-old works in the oil and gas industry in the Edmonton area and says life has been hard in recent years. So he's open to the ide...
3h ago
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The five senses of spring: How climate change is shaping our experience of the season
Singing frogs are looking for love. Sweet sap is flowing from the maple trees. Striking migratory birds are returning to their northerly nests. Spring is about transformation, a season often marked by its dynamic sights, smells, sounds and tastes. As ...
4h ago
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Just hours left before PM Carney is expected to trigger a federal election
OTTAWA - With just hours left to go before a widely expected election call, the main political parties are gearing up as their leaders pitch themselves as the best people to lead Canada through a trade war with the U.S. Prime Minister Mark Carney is ex...
5h ago
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RCMP unit that helps flag threats to PM faces 'numerous challenges': internal report
OTTAWA - Members of an RCMP unit that helps to protect the prime minister and other public figures face a risk of burnout due to a heavy workload and limited resources, says a newly released internal evaluation report. The Protective Behavioural Analys...
5h ago
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