Category Archives: Nanaimo
Major capital plans behind $49.5 million Nanaimo Hospital District budget
NANAIMO - Some considerable capital expenditures in the short and long-term plans are behind a nearly $50 million budget passed this week. Directors on the Nanaimo Regional Hospital District board ado...
Mar 28, 2026 Taxes requisitioned by the Nanaimo Regional Hospital District will help fund major contributions for capital projects on the horizon, including a new cath lab for cardiac care and a patient tower at NRGH. (Image Credit: File photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)
'Shoot you in the face:' Nanaimo man back in jail after threating probation officer
NANAIMO - A familiar local offender will spend more time behind bars after threatening to shoot his probation officer. Kym Robert Arkell, 41, was given 61 additional days behind bars and 12 months pro...
Mar 27, 2026 Kym Robert Arkell, 41, will serve another two months behind bars after threatening to shoot his probation officer in February. (Image Credit: File photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)
Man avoids more jail time for attempted break and enter in Nanaimo
NANAIMO - After serving 291 actual days behind bars, a young man will continue attending treatment instead of more jail time, after he was caught and beaten for attempting to break into a south Nanaim...
Mar 27, 2026 Calvin Anthony Michael, 23, was given credit for time served and avoided additional jail time in relation to an attempted break-in at a Nanaimo home in late 2023, along with a shoplifting offence and numerous breaches of court orders. (Image Credit: File photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)
Minor boundary change supported by Regional District of Nanaimo board
NANAIMO - Neighbourhood geography has triumphed over lines on a map for 16 properties south of the city.The Regional District of Nanaimo Board gave its unanimous approval on Tuesday, March 24, to a bo...
Mar 26, 2026 Regional District of Nanaimo directors have unanimously supported a minor boundary adjustment, affecting properties geographically connected to South Wellington, but electorally connected elsewhere. (Image Credit: File photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)
'Just be yourself:' aspiring Nanaimo engineer earns prestigious scholarship
NANAIMO - When Kayla Okada heard the news she'd been selected for the prestigious Loran Scholar Award, she'd already mentally prepared herself for disappointment. "I was so shocked, I started crying o...
Mar 26, 2026 Kayla Okada, 18, will study at UBC this fall in its engineering program, with future goals of joining the space exploration industry. She was one of 34 recipients this year of the prestigious Loran Scholar Award. (Image Credit: Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)
Several close calls for Parksville homeowners prompts warning from firefighters
PARKSVILLE - Inattentive chefs and overzealous landscapers have kept local firefighters busy in the first three months of the year. Emergency crews were called out to a home on Maple Cres. around 11 a...
Mar 25, 2026 A series of kitchen-related fires from inattentive cooks is prompting a warning from Parksville firefighters, who have attended to an increasing number of similar situations already this year. (Image Credit: Dreamstime)
'A little surprising:' wind damage in Nanaimo not expected by meteorologists
NANAIMO - An overnight windstorm was forecast to hit Vancouver Island, but the damage left behind in some areas surprised meteorologists. Environment Canada data shows wind gusts peaked at just 57 kil...
Mar 25, 2026 Strong winds and stronger gusts came somewhat as a surprise for the Nanaimo region Tuesday evening, resulting in damage to multiple areas of the city. (Image Credit: Port of Nanaimo)
Power back on following intense windstorm through Nanaimo & Oceanside
NANAIMO - Power is restored to a vast majority of BC Hydro customers after an impactful wind storm knocked tens of thousands off the grid.Emergency crews and Hydro crews responded through the night to...
Mar 25, 2026 Downed trees and power lines were a common sight through much of the area, including here on Townsite Rd. Tuesday afternoon and evening, due to a strong windstorm. This tree branch fell on a parked vehicle, no-one was injured. (Image Credit: Tanya Blake)
'DIY tinkerers:' Repair Cafe returns to Nanaimo
NANAIMO - A popular volunteer-based fix-it event is returning to the Harbour City, helping to divert more items from the landfill. Repair Cafe Nanaimo returns on April 11, from 1 to 4 p.m. at St. Andr...
Mar 25, 2026 After an 11-year hiatus, Repair Cafe Nanaimo is returning on April 11, where broken household items can be worked on by volunteer experts, free of charge. (Image Credit: Repair Cafe Nanaimo on Facebook)
Wind storm knocks power out for thousands in Nanaimo & Oceanside
NANAIMO - A strong windstorm has cut thousands of residents across the mid-Island off the grid. BC Hydro reports around 40,000 customers on central and northern Vancouver Island were without electrici...
Mar 24, 2026 Over 25,000 BC Hydro customers are without power Tuesday afternoon, the result of a strong wind storm moving through the region. Trees across wires, such as this one on Departure Bay Rd. in Nanaimo, were a cause of many outages. (Image Credit: Jade Coral)