Nanaimo, Parksville and Area

guilty on all counts
Nanaimo couple guilty of repeated illegal sea cucumber harvest and sale
NANAIMO - A recent extended trial of a local fisherman and his wife charged with numerous fishing violations has reached a verdict: guilty on all counts.Scott Stanley Matthew Steer, 47, and his wife Melissa Dawn Larocque (Steer) were in B.C. Supreme Court in Nanaimo on Wednesday, Jan 8., where they were convicted on ei...
Jan 08, 2025
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fatal crash
B.C. Highway Patrol seeks additional witnesses & video of fatal Nanoose Bay crash
NANOOSE BAY - An investigation continues into an early morning collision which claimed the life of a 61-year-old Nanoose Bay man. B.C. Highway Patrol say the man was hit by a vehicle and died of his injuries around 7 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 3 at the intersection of the Island Hwy. and NW Bay Rd., near the Petro-Canada ser...
Jan 08, 2025
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taking a stand
Mariners basketball team boycotting weekend games, citing 'hateful treatment' by opposition
NANAIMO - The PACWEST-leading VIU Mariner women's basketball team has opted not to suit up this weekend, in support of their teammate.A letter signed by all 13 players on the team said the squad does not feel safe playing against Columbia Bible College (CBC) in Abbotsford, for a pair of games beginning Friday, Jan. 10....
Jan 08, 2025
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community celebration
Nanaimo hosting month-long art festival to celebrate 150th birthday
NANAIMO - Dubbed a celebration of light, art and community, the City of Nanaimo is staging a month-long winter arts festival at Maffeo Sutton Park. Luminous Paths: Nanaimo's 150 & Beyond includes temporary light-based art installations in the downtown Nanaimo park beginning with a community celebration on Wednesday...
Jan 08, 2025
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charge laid
Woman charged following death of infant in Ladysmith
Editor's note: updated court records on Wednesday, Jan 8 stated Gloria Lemay was in custody. Her next court appearance is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 9.LADYSMITH - A woman accused of mishandling the birth of a baby in Ladysmith has been charged with manslaughter. A Ladysmith RCMP news release states Gloria Lemay, 77, ...
Jan 07, 2025
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power out
Impaired driver cuts power to huge area of south Nanaimo after late night crash
NANAIMO - An alleged impaired driver is responsible for a late night crash which severed power for hundreds in rural areas south of Nanaimo. Cranberry Fire Department, paramedics from BC Emergency Health Services and Nanaimo RCMP members were called out to the Morden Rd. and Akenhead Rd. intersection on Monday, Jan. 6 ...
Jan 07, 2025
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British Columbia

Flu driving spike in respiratory illness in B.C., but COVID-19 numbers low
VANCOUVER - New data shared by British Columbia's Centre for Disease Control shows the province has one of the worst flu rates in Canada, as a holiday-season spike in respiratory illnesses continues. But the data also shows the province has one of the lowest COVID-19 test positivity rates in the country, at about half ...
1h ago
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'Incalculably small' amount of diesel visible at site of 8,000-litre B.C. spill
Aerial surveillance over an area where thousands of litres of diesel was spilled last month off Vancouver Island shows most of the fuel is no longer visible on the water. An update from officials managing the spill says a flight over Lutes Creek near Zeballos, B.C., spotted "an incalculably small" volume of s...
3h ago
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U.S. Capitol rioter arrested in B.C. ski resort after claiming political asylum
WHISTLER, B.C. - An American man convicted for his part in the riot on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 has been arrested in the ski resort of Whistler, B.C. The Canada Border Services Agency says in a statement that Antony Vo, described as "a fugitive from U.S. justice," was arrested on Monday without incident. Vo...
5h ago
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Canadian water bombers, helicopters on the way to help fight Los Angeles wildfire
The Canadian agency that co-ordinates cross-border wildfire response with the United States says it's working to send a pair of airtankers to Southern California. The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, headquartered in Winnipeg, said Thursday that it got a request overnight for a pair of CL-415 Skimmer Airtankers...
8h ago
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CP NewsAlert: Elections BC looks into vote complaint in riding that gave NDP majority
VICTORIA - Elections BC says it is looking into a complaint of voting irregularities from a B.C. Conservative candidate in a riding narrowly won by the NDP, giving the government a one-seat majority in October's provincial election. It says the complaint was lodged by B.C. Conservative Honveer Singh Randhawa last Frida...
10h ago
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Booze-free 'liquor' stores offer options, as some B.C. craft brewers decline and fall
VANCOUVER - Whatever your tipple, Angela Hansen's liquor store on Vancouver's Commercial Drive has stock to satisfy, from Prosecco to tequila - so long as you don't want any actual liquor. Hansen's "alcohol free liquor store" Mocktails opened last March, and just a few days into the new year, she was anticipa...
18h ago
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Canada

Liberals will remove 'fraudulent' memberships, as some register their pets to vote
OTTAWA - A federal Liberal spokesman says the party can and will remove "fraudulent profiles" from its list of electors eligible to vote for its next leader. Parker Lund's comment comes after multiple people posted online about creating fake profiles using fake names or their pet names and listing their addre...
3h ago
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CRTC to hold hearing on impact of global streamers on Canadian broadcasting
OTTAWA - The CRTC is looking at how the Canadian broadcasting system can survive the shift away from traditional TV to international streamers. The regulator is opening a public consultation on market dynamics and plans to hold a hearing in Gatineau, Que. in May. Its consultation document says the Canadian broadcast in...
4h ago
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Poilievre says the next Canadian election will be about the carbon price
OTTAWA - Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says his focus in the next federal election will be on ending the carbon price, even with the threat of tariffs from the incoming Trump administration. Poilievre says the carbon price is essentially a tariff on Canadians imposed by their own government. Speaking to reporter...
4h ago
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U.S. Capitol rioter arrested in B.C. ski resort after claiming political asylum
WHISTLER, B.C. - An American man convicted for his part in the riot on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 has been arrested in the ski resort of Whistler, B.C. The Canada Border Services Agency says in a statement that Antony Vo, described as "a fugitive from U.S. justice," was arrested on Monday without incident. Vo...
5h ago
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Ukrainian-Canadians urge ongoing support for country amid political shifts
OTTAWA - The Liberal party's political upheaval and Donald Trump's return to the White House have Ukrainian-Canadians hoping Ottawa's support for Ukraine remains firm. "We think that Canada is at its best when we have a cross-party, all-party consensus on Ukraine," said Ihor Michalchyshyn, executive director ...
5h ago
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Section of Rideau Canal Skateway to open Saturday
OTTAWA - The National Capital Commission says Ottawa's Rideau Canal will open to skaters Saturday morning. It is the earliest the canal has opened since the 2018-19 season after two years of warmer than usual winters. The canal didn't open at all two years ago for the first time in its history and last year was only op...
6h ago
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