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Nanaimo, Parksville and Area

hazardous property
'A blight on the neighbourhood:' Nanaimo River Rd. property owner given month to remove dilapidated buildings
NANAIMO - The Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) is giving a property owner 30 days to start cleaning up his property and removing three unsafe buildings, or they'll do it for him. Located at 790/796 Nanaimo River Rd., the well known problematic property has affected the local community for over 20 years, according to ...
21h ago
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supportive housing
Expansion proposed for south Nanaimo temporary housing project
NANAIMO - An already approved supportive housing project in the city's south end could grow, subject to Council and provincial approval.BC Housing submitted a re-zoning application to the City of Nanaimo on March 17 for their 1030 Old Victoria Rd. project, which is currently on track to see 50 temporary supportive hous...
Mar 27, 2025
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National Event
VIU to host 2026 CCAA men's basketball championship
NANAIMO - For the second time in four years the VIU Mariners will host a CCAA basketball national tournament.In 2022 it was the women's nationals that ended with a silver medal finish for the university, now the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association has awarded the Mariners the 2026 men's nationals.The tournament wi...
Mar 26, 2025
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travel option
BC Ferries adding daily Tsawwassen-Departure Bay sailing, starting mid-June
NANAIMO - Travellers between Nanaimo and the Lower Mainland will have some additional options this summer.Beginning June 19, BC Ferries will add a single daily sailing from Tsawwassen to Nanaimo's Departure Bay terminal, leaving at 4:30 p.m. on board the Queen of Alberni.BC Ferries spokesperson Shiryn Sayani told Nanai...
Mar 26, 2025
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bear aware
RDN seeing increase in wildlife encounters linked to curbside collection bins
NANAIMO - Island residents are no strangers to safely sharing a habitat with wild animals, but some still aren't getting the message. A recent report presented to the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) during their Tuesday, March 25 board meeting said there's been an increase in residents putting their organic garbage ...
Mar 26, 2025
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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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British Columbia

simple tech
UBC scientists invent stir stick that detects drugged drinks
VANCOUVER - Researchers at the University of British Columbia say they're gearing up to start "real-world testing" of a stir stick that can detect if a drink has been spiked with drugs. The university says in a news release that the device called "Spikeless" was developed in its faculty of applied s...
10h ago
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B.C. allows Mount Polley tailings dam to go higher, a decade after massive spill
VICTORIA - The British Columbia government is allowing the height of the Mount Polley tailings dam to be raised an extra four metres, a decade after a similar storage site burst in one of the province's biggest environmental disasters. A statement from the Mining and Environment ministers says the extra height is to en...
13h ago
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B.C.'s ombudsperson wants code-of-conduct laws, integrity tools for local politicians
VICTORIA - B.C.'s ombudsperson says the lack of provincial standards guiding ethics of local politicians opens the door to interference and erodes public trust. Jay Chalke has issued a letter to the province urging it to bring in legislation after two recent reports out of Vancouver, saying current codes of conduct for...
13h ago
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'Wrong direction': B.C. Chamber of Commerce latest group to decry tariff bill
Proposed legislation in British Columbia to give the cabinet sweeping powers to respond to threats from foreign governments amid Canada's tariff fight is getting more pushback from businesses as the Greens meet with the government about their concerns. BC Chamber of Commerce President Fiona Famulak says in a letter to ...
14h ago
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Carney detours federal election campaign to deal with Trump's auto tariffs
OTTAWA - Liberal Leader Mark Carney is back in Ottawa today to deal with the fallout from new auto tariffs announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, as the Conservatives continue campaigning in British Columbia. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Carney said he was suspending his campaign plans for the day and would r...
16h ago
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Semi truck flips and catches fire on Highway 1 in Abbotsford, B.C.
ABBOTSFORD, B.C. - Police in Abbotsford, B.C., say a semi truck flipped over and caught fire along Highway 1 near the city, temporarily closing a section of the road. Police say one passenger vehicle was also involved in the incident in the eastbound lanes, but no injuries have been reported. Photos supplied by the Abb...
17h ago
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Canada

In the news today: Day 2 of tariff talks for PM, premiers, and RCMP, crime and AI
Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed... Carney to host meeting with premiers today For the second day in a row, Liberal Leader Mark Carney has been pulled away from campaigning to discuss U.S. President...
1h ago
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Wintery conditions hitting much of Canada, commuter chaos and power outages possible
A long line of weather warnings stretches from the Edmonton area eastward to the shores of Lake Ontario. Environment Canada says the bulk of the notices are made up of snowfall warnings, until you reach Southern Ontario, where they turn into freezing r...
1h ago
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Prime Minister Mark Carney hosting a meeting with Canada's premiers today
OTTAWA - For the second day in a row, Liberal Leader Mark Carney has been pulled away from campaigning to discuss U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs. Carney, in his role as prime minister, will meet virtually with Canada's premiers today to discuss...
1h ago
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Canadian police partner with AI in arms race against criminals. But at what cost?
VANCOUVER - In one corner of the battle are criminals using artificial intelligence to generate child sexual abuse material - and in the other, AI is being used to help hunt down the offenders. The rise of artificial intelligence has kicked off an arms...
1h ago
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UBC scientists invent stir stick that detects drugs in drinks
VANCOUVER - A team of researchers at the University of British Columbia want to make a stir stick drug testing tool for spiked drinks the norm in the hospitality industry, and they're gearing up to start "real-world testing" in hopes of commercializing...
13h ago
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'Wrong direction': B.C. Chamber of Commerce latest group to decry tariff bill
Proposed legislation in British Columbia to give the cabinet sweeping powers to respond to threats from foreign governments amid Canada's tariff fight is "a step in the wrong direction for democratic institutions," the president of the provincial chamb...
14h ago
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