Category Archives: Nanaimo
'A lasting legacy:' $5.2 million bridge replacement project slated for Nanaimo-area trail
NANAIMO - Accessibility, usability, and replacement of aging structures are behind a pair of new bridge builds in Cedar. The Regional District of Nanaimo Board gave approval to an estimated $5.2 milli...
Jan 16, 2026 Both the Thatcher Creek (pictured) and Nanaimo River bridges of the Morden Colliery Regional Trail require replacement and will be rebuilt in 2028 after approval by the RDN board this week. (Image Credit: ISL Engineering)
Nanaimo senior jailed for collecting thousands of child abuse images
Editor's note: This article contains details of child sex abuse material. Reader discretion is strongly advised. NANAIMO - A retiree tried to rationalize his substantial child exploitation material ha...
Jan 16, 2026 Lars Friis, 77, during a break in his provincial court sentencing hearing in Nanaimo on Thursday, Jan. 15. (Image Credit: Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)
'The right thing to do:' red tape around proposed Lantzville long-term care centre clears
LANTZVILLE - Support was unanimous, albeit somewhat muted, for zoning amendments which will allow construction of a much-needed long-term care facility to proceed.District of Lantzville councillors he...
Jan 15, 2026 A proposed long-term care facility in Lantzville has passed third reading for OCP and zoning bylaw amendments, with Island Health needing an exemption for building height and other factors. (Image Credit: Island Health)
Vehicle tracking technology thwarts truck thieves captured north of Nanaimo
PARKSVILLE - Three people accused of stealing a truck from an Oceanside hotel were quickly tracked down thanks to the vehicle's onboard technology.Two men, aged 19 and 31, and a 32-year-old woman are ...
Jan 15, 2026 Oceanside RCMP officers were able to track down a stolen vehicle thanks in large part to the vehicle's manufacturer providing real-time location data after it was reported stolen by its owner. (Image Credit: File photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)
'A teacher and a friend:' Nanaimo professor named as victim in Saanich murder
NANAIMO - A Vancouver Island University (VIU) professor is being remembered for her dedication and passion after she tragically lost her life from alleged intimate partner violence. Dr. Laura Gover-Ba...
Jan 15, 2026 41-year-old Dr. Laura Gover-Basar, a VIU professor for over a decade, was found dead in a Saanich home on Jan. 5, and her ex-husband, Muhammed Basar, is facing a murder charge and remains in custody. (Image Credit: GoFundMe)
Push for cath lab & patient tower at Nanaimo hospital including lobby groups, federal government meetings
NANAIMO - Patience continues to wear thin as patients continue to wait in hallways at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital. Calls are increasing for immediate action on a new catheterization lab for card...
Jan 15, 2026 Advocates for much needed improvements at NRGH will be making this case in Ottawa next week. (Image Credit: File photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)
Province cancels controversial drug criminalization pilot project
VICTORIA - A three-year pilot project on drug decriminalization, which was designed to streamline access to needed supports, will not continue. Provincial health minister, and Mid-Island Pacific Rim M...
Jan 14, 2026 Provincial health minister Josie Osborne (right) announces the end of a three-year pilot project linked to decriminalization of small amounts of drug possession. (Image Credit: Government of B.C.)
Prolific Nanaimo offender allegedly assaults coffee shop owner, smears feces on window
NANAIMO - Described by a downtown cafe owner as a ticking time bomb, a notorious prolific offender allegedly exploded on downtown Nanaimo's waterfront. Ani Rathore, owner of Javawocky Coffee House on ...
Jan 14, 2026 Feces smeared on the front glass door of Javawocky Coffee House was the alleged work of prolific offender Aiden David Tye, following a confrontation at the cafe on Nanaimo's seawall on Tuesday, Jan. 13. (Image Credit: Submitted photo)
Nananimo man thrilled with $500,000 Lotto Max win
NANAIMO - A local man couldn't believe his luck when he discovered the lottery ticket his son had gifted him turned out to be a winner.Clifford S. had just returned home from walking his dog when he w...
Jan 14, 2026 Nanaimo resident Clifford S. is the latest local winner of a big prize following a Lotto Max draw. (Image Credit: BCLC)
'Near zero visibility:' fog advisory issued for Nanaimo & Oceanside
NANAIMO - A thick blanket of fog has enveloped the mid-Island, and it's a pattern which could continue through much of the week.After days of torrential rain, a high pressure system is moving across t...
Jan 14, 2026 Dense fog has blanketed the region repeatedly over recent days, but is set to remain for at least a few more as damp air near the surface is trapped by a high pressure ridge overhead. (Image Credit: Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)