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 adopted their 2026 budget on Tuesday, March 24, with an expected tax requisition of $49.5 million due from taxpayers this s...

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 probation in relation to a February incident where he threatened to return to the building and shoot the officer in the fac...

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 Nanaimo home. Calvin Anthony Michael, 23, was given enhanced time served credit of 437 days after pleading guilty to multiple ...

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 boundary realignment between Areas A and C, mainly affecting a row of properties on Plecas Rd., just west of the Duke Poin...

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 on the floor, and my parents were outside of the room seeing me crying and they weren't sure whether (it was good ne...

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.m. on Monday, March 23, after a homeowner attempted to rid their property of some weeds by using a propane torch. Actin...

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 kilometres per hour in Nanaimo and 52 kilometres per hour at Qualicum Beach Airport, speeds very typical for the region thr...

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 reports of downed trees and lines across the region on Tuesday, March 24, into Wednesday morning, cleaning up from stro...

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. Andrews United Church on Fitzwilliam St., where experts in a variety of fields will repair your broken household items, free...

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 electricity as of 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 24, largely due to wind storms impacting wires and trees nearby.The largest outage in ...

NANAIMO - Local organizations working with those living rough in the community believe they've found a long-term home for a community hub, but several challenges remain. Representatives from Nanaimo Family Life Association (NFLA) and the Island Crisis Care Society (ICCS), who operate The Hub at 55 Victoria Rd., asked f...

NANAIMO - A local woman recently had the thrill of a lifetime after being invited on-stage to perform with one of her favourite bands. Sam Hackett, 36, was plucked out of the audience and performed The Goo Goo Dolls' hit song 'Name' live with the band, during their Thursday, March 19, concert in Victoria in front of 7,...

NANAIMO - Originally charged with dangerous driving causing death, a local woman will instead pay a fine stemming from a fatal motor vehicle incident in 2024. Jazmin Faye Patenaude, 24, pleaded guilty in provincial court in Nanaimo on Wednesday, March 18, to a charge under the Motor Vehicle Act and was fined $1,000 for...

NANAIMO - A major economic boost is being felt locally, thanks to the Harbour City playing host to a major sporting event last fall. The 55+ BC Games took place in Nanaimo in September, where over 2,700 athletes competed in 21 sports over four days, using 20 different venues across the region. Organizers recently annou...

NANAIMO - While the Harbour City is removed from the FIFA World Cup spotlight, Nanaimo's proximity positions the region to benefit, declared Tourism Nanaimo's chief executive officer.Vancouver's seven games between June 13 and July 7 means more than 350,000 spectators are expected to be in attendance at BC Place.Touris...

QUALICUM BEACH - Aside from a pair of COVID pandemic shutdowns, Family Day has been an annual Qualicum Beach tradition for 50 years. The annual Town of Qualicum Beach-sponsored and volunteer-driven event was in jeopardy of being cancelled without the necessary organizing committee to stage the day-long gathering. Mayor...

NANAIMO - Built in 1896, a highly recognizable downtown Nanaimo landmark is being modernized. The City of Nanaimo recently approved a building permit featuring several new additions to the courthouse at 35 Front St., with the project focusing on the building's historic half facing the waterfront. "The upgrades to ...

NANAIMO - A significant motor vehicle incident briefly closed traffic north of the city.RCMP report a pedestrian was struck along Hwy. 19, near the Shell service station at Lantzville Rd., shortly after 6 p.m. on Friday, March 20.Few details about the nature of the incident are available, however RCMP tell NanaimoNewsN...

NANAIMO - It's being described as the bare minimum representation, but a recent count of those unhoused in the city is shedding new light on the scope of the challenges they face. A joint effort by Snuneymuxw First Nation, Nanaimo Family Life Association, Island Crisis Care Society and the City of Nanaimo saw enumerati...

UPDATE - Nanaimo RCMP report two suspects have been arrested, without incident, in connection to a stabbing on Victoria Rd. on Friday, March 20, thanks in part to assistance from Community Safety Officers. EARLIER, NANAIMO - One person was taken to hospital with serious injuries following a stabbing in the city's south...

NANAIMO - The Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) is working on a plan to make BC Transit bus rides free of charge for anyone 18 years old and younger. During the Tuesday, March 17, RDN Committee of the Whole meeting, board members received a report on the logistics of no bus fares for approximately 8,000 local youth, b...

PORT ALBERNI - No firm plans or budget are in place, but discussions are ongoing to improve public safety at popular Cathedral Grove. Located within 740-acre MacMillan Park, Cathedral Grove is an international tourist draw west of Cameron Lake dissected by Hwy. 4, which has been the source of longstanding dialogue and ...

NANAIMO - Following extensive advocacy and discussions, the first tangible steps toward modern cardiac care on the mid-Island are being taken. The provincial government has officially accepted an offer from the Nanaimo Regional Hospital District to front costs of concept and business planning for a catheterization lab ...

NANAIMO - A prolific offender is scheduled to be sentenced later this year after entering guilty pleas to nine criminal code charges, including serious drug trafficking offences. Roger Ian Der, 46, pleaded guilty to several drug trafficking charges, a firearm offence, and multiple court-ordered breaches during an appea...

GABRIOLA ISLAND - Work to extend the life of BC Ferries' terminal at Descanso Bay is underway.Crews were on site at the start of March and are scheduled to work at the terminal until the end of May 2026 on berth life extension projects, as well as other terminal upgrades including replacement of the apron structure.&qu...

NANAIMO - An altercation between two unhoused people in the city's downtown and a group of men led to three arrests and minor injuries.Members from the Nanaimo RCMP, along with Nanaimo Fire Rescue and paramedics from BC Emergency Health Services were called to Port Place Shopping Centre on Tuesday, March 17 just after ...

NANAIMO - While local detachments are still waiting, body cameras continue to be rolled out across RCMP detachments in B.C. As of last month, 90 of the province's 185 detachments are wearing and actively using the chest-mounted devices, which capture rolling video and audio from the officer's perspective. Staff Sgt. Kr...

PARKSVILLE - An envisioned apartment complex didn't leave the starting blocks Monday, however development is still likely on the unique south-end property. City councillors failed to find much support for a proposed four-storey apartment building on a trio of lots between Island Hwy. and Pioneer Cres., at Mills St., vi...