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Nanaimo, Parksville and Area

bungy in the buff
'It can strip you right bare:' Naked Bungy in Nanaimo backs mental health
NANAIMO - All in the name of mental health, roughly 160 people are preparing to bungy in the buff this weekend.The 19th annual Naked Bungy event in support of Mental Health Recovery Partners (MHRP) takes flight on Saturday, March 1 and Sunday, March 2 at WildPlay Nanaimo.Central Island branch executive director Stephen...
20h ago
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steer clear
New patrol vessel operating inside central Island military testing range
NANAIMO - A new vessel for military personnel operating in local waters is being dubbed a game-changer for public and participant safety. Personnel at the Canadian Forces Maritime Experimental and Test Range in Nanoose Bay took possession of a new Range Security Vessel (RSV) on Wednesday, Feb. 19, replacing one of thei...
Feb 27, 2025
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after shocks
SD68 responds to sporadic alert concerns following recent earthquake
NANAIMO - A recent earthquake hitting coastal B.C. on Friday has some people why their phones received an alert while others didn't, and why certain schools were evacuated and others continued without disruption.A magnitude 4.8 earthquake was recorded on Feb. 21 at 1:26 p.m. roughly 27 kilometres north of Sechelt on th...
Feb 26, 2025
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Outstanding Athletic Achievement
Best in Nanaimo sports honoured at 20th Nanaimo Sport Achievement Awards
NANAIMO - It was a milestone year for the Nanaimo Sport Achievement Awards.The 20th annual event featured strong performances and commitment to Nanaimo area sports in 2024 with 20 awards handed out at the Coast Bastion Hotel on Friday, Feb. 21.Headlining the 2025 award winners was Ethan Katzberg's gold medal at the 202...
Feb 26, 2025
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Pink Shirt Day
'We genuinely do care about this issue:' anti-bullying movement gains momentum
NANAIMO - Schools across the country, province and mid-Island region will be noticeably pinker on Wednesday to draw awareness and action against bullying. Pink Shirt Day, launched in 2007 by a pair of Nova Scotia high school students taking a stand against a fellow student bullied for wearing a pink shirt to school, is...
Feb 26, 2025
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year-long investigation
Victoria woman charged in fatal Whiskey Creek crash
PARKSVILLE - A 39-year-old Victoria woman is facing a pair of dangerous driving charges after allegedly being involved in a fatal crash last February. Jasmine Kaur Bal was formally charged with one count of dangerous driving causing death, and one count of dangerous driving causing bodily harm, for her alleged role in ...
Feb 26, 2025
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British Columbia

Intense pollen season to begin in southwest B.C. this weekend, expert warns
VANCOUVER - Get your tissues and allergy medicines ready if you live in southwestern British Columbia, where an expert predicts an intense pollen season is on the way. Cold weather had held the pollen count at bay until recently, but an Ontario-based lab that monitors airborne pollen levels with a network of 30 station...
1h ago
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Group files complaint to B.C. Human Rights Tribunal to remove drug clinic access fees
VANCOUVER - A complaint has been filed with British Columbia's Human Right Tribunal over clinic fees paid by some of those who get opioid treatments. Vancouver lawyer Jason Gratl says his clients, Garth Mullins and the B.C. Association for People on Opioid Maintenance, have filed the complaint on behalf of those "...
9h ago
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New Westminster Police urge caution when using apps to meet strangers for sex
NEW WESTMINSTER, B.C. - Police in New Westminster, B.C., are warning residents about the dangers of meeting up with strangers from dating apps for "casual sexual encounters." Spokesman Sgt. Andrew Leaver says police have responded "on numerous occasions" to calls where a suspect has lured a victim a...
10h ago
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B.C. solicitor general says police warned Opposition operative away from care home
VICTORIA - The B.C. government and the Opposition have released duelling narratives about a mental-health facility that is at the heart of alleged voter irregularities in the October election. Solicitor General Garry Begg's response to a court petition says a Conservative operative was warned by police to stay away fro...
11h ago
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Special avalanche warning issued in B.C., Alberta as 'dangerous' conditions develop
REVELSTOKE, B.C. - Avalanche Canada has issued a special warning covering large sections of B.C. and western Alberta's backcountry, saying triggered slides could be "dangerous and destructive." The forecaster says drought in January and February created "prominent weak layers" in the snowpack that a...
11h ago
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Telus offers hundreds of buyouts to workers across the country
VANCOUVER - For the second time this month, Telus is offering buyouts to hundreds of employees across the country. The telecom company said it's offering "generous" buyout packages as part of the company's push for more self-serve solutions. The United Steelworkers union says Telus has offered buyout packages...
12h ago
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Canada

In the news today: Ontario PCs win third majority government
Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed... Ontario PCs win third majority government Doug Ford's Progressive Conservatives chugged to a third majority government Thursday, propelled by his visible crusade against economic uncertainty emanating from the U.S., though falling...
1h ago
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Large number of public servants in biggest departments breaking remote work rules
OTTAWA - Large numbers of public servants working in the federal government's three biggest departments aren't following Ottawa's three-days-per-week office work rule, federal data shows. The federal government's latest remote work mandate, which took effect in early September, requires all staff employed under the Tre...
1h ago
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Intense pollen season to begin in southwest B.C. this weekend, expert warns
VANCOUVER - Get your tissues and allergy medicines ready if you live in southwestern British Columbia, where an expert predicts an intense pollen season is on the way. Cold weather had held the pollen count at bay until recently, but an Ontario-based lab that monitors airborne pollen levels with a network of 30 station...
1h ago
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Doug Ford's Ontario PCs win re-election, with tariff threats around the corner
TORONTO - Doug Ford's Progressive Conservatives won't have long to sit back and bask in the glow of winning a third majority government, with an imminent tariff threat around the corner. The Tories won Ontario's snap provincial election Thursday with Ford speaking about the need to fight U.S. President Donald Trump's p...
1h ago
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Key quotes on election night after the Ontario PCs' majority victory
Doug Ford's Progressive Conservatives are poised to form a third majority government after a $189-million snap winter election that centred on economic security. Here are some quotes: "This election, we asked the people for a mandate to make Ontario the most competitive place in the G7 to invest, create jobs and d...
6h ago
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Here's the latest on the Ontario provincial election
Voters in Ontario have cast their ballots after a 28-day snap winter election campaign. Here are the latest developments. All times eastern. 9 p.m. Polls are closing in most locations after a rare winter election - the first in Ontario since 1981. Elections Ontario has extended voting hours at nine polls for various re...
8h ago
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