NANAIMO - Regular users of Nanaimo's E&N Trail may have noticed more signage pop up during their regular commute. The City recently installed information and stop signs at vehicle intersections along the popular multi-use trail, reminding users of speed limits for electric-powered devices and safe operation around ...

NANAIMO - Ahead of advance voting beginning Oct. 7, NanaimoNewsNOW is offering more detail on the candidates running in this month's municipal election.As part of surveying candidates for our Know Your Vote tool, which helps voters find candidates who match their views on key issues, we asked each to submit a short bio...

This article is part of a multi-week feature from NanaimoNewsNOW, profiling Mayoral candidates across the mid-Island ahead of the 2026 Municipal Election. For complete election coverage, click here. NANAIMO - Eight years into the position, Nanaimo's incumbent Mayoral candidate feels his job isn't finished yet. Leonard ...

NANAIMO - Significantly expanding the 30-kilometre-an-hour speed zones in neighbourhoods surrounding seven Nanaimo elementary schools will be considered, likely by the next edition of city council. The city's governance and priorities committee agreed to advance a staff-recommended plan to broaden school zone speed lim...

This article is part of a multi-week feature from NanaimoNewsNOW, profiling Mayoral candidates across the mid-Island ahead of the 2026 Municipal Election. For complete election coverage, click here.PARKSVILLE - With four years of experience under his belt, Joel Grenz believes he's built up the skills and experience req...

NANAIMO - Closed for roughly two and a half months, the city's largest aquatic facility is ready to welcome swimmers again. The Nanaimo Aquatic Centre (NAC) will reopen to the public on Monday, Oct. 5, after extensive renovations to essential infrastructure, as well as the installation of a new water feature, which rep...

NANAIMO - Facing potential deportation, a favourable deal allows a young Indian national in Canada on a work permit to remain in the country following a Hammond Bay rd. crash earlier this year. Anmoldeep Singh, 22, was fined and issued a six month driving ban after pleading guilty to the downgraded Motor Vehicle Act ch...

NANAIMO - Arranging a meeting with who he thought was a 14-year-old boy was a costly decision for a former Nanaimo teacher.Carlo Deni Pavan was handed a seven-year teaching ban after he admitted to attempting to meet the boy, who turned out to be a local online vigilante hunter posing as a decoy.Pavan and vigilante hu...

NANAIMO - Work is continuing on how the City can prepare and respond to rising sea levels. During the Monday, Sept. 28 governance and priorities meeting, the Sea Level Rise Management Plan, known as "Our Coastal City," was presented, which looked at the possible future implications of rising sea levels in the...

NANAIMO - Opposition parties are continuing to confirm their candidates ahead of the 2026 provincial election.The opposition BC Conservatives have announced three candidates for ridings in Nanaimo, Parksville and Qualicum Beach, with each looking to unseat sitting NDP MLAs who swept to victory two years ago.In Nanaimo-...

NANAIMO - NanaimoNewsNOW is looking to provide voters a little more clarity amid a crowded field of local candidates this month. Beginning Thursday, Oct. 1, voters in the City of Nanaimo can use our new, interactive Know Your Vote tool to see how their thoughts and opinions on various topics match with those of the can...

NANAIMO - All remaining fire bans on Vancouver Island will be lifted as of noon on Wednesday, Sept. 30.The campfire ban was removed earlier this month, and the Coastal Fire Centre said category two and three open fires will now be permitted.Category two fires include burn piles not exceeding two metres in height and th...

NANAIMO - A capacity crowd filled the Vancouver Island Conference Centre to hear from nearly every candidate running for Nanaimo Mayor and Council next month. Hosted by the Nanaimo and District Chamber of Commerce, an all-candidates forum on Tuesday, Sept. 29, gave voters the opportunity to mingle with candidates in an...

NANAIMO - Wednesday, Sep. 30 is the sixth annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, with events taking place across the mid-Island to commemorate the occasion. In Nanaimo, Deverill Square Park at 200 Irwin St. will host a free community event from 9:30 a.m. until 2 p.m., starting with a traditional blessing by ...

This article is part of a multi-week feature from NanaimoNewsNOW, profiling Mayoral candidates across the mid-Island ahead of the 2026 Municipal Election. For complete election coverage, click here.PARKSVILLE - Much like the trajectory of Parksville's outgoing mayor, a city councillor is looking to leap into the city's...

NANAIMO - A new welcome pole at a local high school is being viewed as a concrete message for staff and students: everyone is welcome here. Carved by Snuneymuxw First Nation artist Noel Brown, the yellow and red cedar artwork was officially unveiled on Tuesday, Sept. 29, during a whole-school ceremony outside the main ...

NANAIMO - A swerving car missing a wheel with sparks flying along Hwy. 19A drew the attention of several motorists and area residents. The southbound driver north of Qualicum Beach, described in court as highly intoxicated on the evening of May 24, 2026, was Mackenzie Nicholas Blanchard. He was a few hours away from ha...

NANAIMO - Riders from the annual Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock made their way through Oceanside and Nanaimo, being celebrated and raising money to help find a cure for children's cancer. The group started their Monday, Sep. 28 ride at Aspengrove School in Lantzville, then headed south before arriving at the Nanaimo RCMP...

NANAIMO - Just in time for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a free virtual tour of local First Nation art and history across the Harbour City and Snuneymuxw First Nation territory is now available. 'imush tu hulitum (Walk of Life) is a self-guided tour of local SFN art, complete with information on each piece...

This article is part of a multi-week feature from NanaimoNewsNOW, profiling Mayoral candidates across the mid-Island ahead of the 2026 Municipal Election. For complete election coverage, click here. NANAIMO - Initially contemplating retirement, a candidate to be the next Mayor of Nanaimo said she "felt really comp...

NANAIMO - Real Estate is becoming scarse, both on street corners for candidate signage, and in the minds of voters bracing for back-to-back elections next month. Voters will go to the polls on consecutive Saturday's in October, voting for new municipal and regional representation on Oct. 17, then being asked to elect a...

PARKSVILLE - A pleasant early fall afternoon didn't discourage a large crowd from filling Parksville's Jensen Centre for a well attended forum.Hosted by Parksville and District Chamber of Commerce, a standing room only crowd of about 300 people showed up for the Saturday, Sept. 26, event where candidates attempted to i...

NANAIMO - Drivers can expect some minor delays during their weekend travels, and potentially into the Monday morning commute. Riders from the annual Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock will travel from Parksville, down Hwy. 19, and into the city on Sunday, Sept. 27, making stops at two central Nanaimo businesses before a gala...

NANAIMO - All three incumbent MLA's across the mid-Island have announced their intention to run for re-election next month.Nanaimo-Gabriola MLA Sheila Malcolmson, Nanaimo-Lantzville's George Anderson, and Ladysmith-Oceanside's Stephanie Higginson, all representing the BC NDP, will be on the ballot next month for the sn...

NANAIMO - A 69-unit apartment complex is planned for the site of a former gas station near the city's downtown. Dubbed 'Saltwind,' developers envision a five-storey residential apartment complex at 76 Terminal Ave., site of the former Husky gas station, which was eventually demolished in early 2022, after a fire in Oct...

NANAIMO - From delivering punishing hits on the ice and gridiron to delivering blows inside a cage, an emerging local mixed martial artist is determined to see where his newfound passion takes him. Nick Robinson, a 25-year-old Nanaimo-based crane operator, is embarking on new heights in the cutthroat MMA scene, followi...

This article is part of a multi-week feature from NanaimoNewsNOW, profiling Mayoral candidates across the mid-Island ahead of the 2026 Municipal Election. For complete election coverage, click here.QUALICUM BEACH - A law student with a focus on data-driven decision-making and collaboration hopes her ideas get her elect...

NANAIMO - A man and a woman remain in police custody awaiting a court date next week after a string of robberies at a downtown liquor store. A 33-year-old man and 40-year-old woman were arrested Wednesday, Sept. 23, and are facing nine theft-related charges stemming from repeated incidents at the BC Liquor Store at Por...