NANAIMO - Found stabbed to death south of Nanaimo approaching 70 years ago, a podcast series is attempting to unravel who and why a popular couple was murdered.Well known and respected, Andrew, 62, and Elizabeth, 55, (Lizzie) Kostyniuk were murdered in their south Wellington home in late June 1959.No arrests or charges...

NANAIMO - A newly installed temporary art piece pays tribute to local native plant species using oversized and vibrant replicas. Inspired by the rare Crown Brodiaea flower, the Forest Flowers art project was recently installed adjacent to the walking path at Kinette Evergreen Park on Timberwood Dr. off Ninth St. in Nan...

NANAIMO - Paramedics across the province, including Nanaimo, have had their hands full recently responding to overdose/drug poisoning events. A new daily record of 326 such calls to assist patients province-wide were made to BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) on Wednesday, May 27. The situation was dire in Nanaimo, w...

NANAIMO - Non-emergency phone lines are currently not working at Vancouver Island and South Coast area RCMP detachments.The Nanaimo RCMP detachment has been impacted for much of Friday, May 29, with the public asked to dial 911 in case of emergencies, or to report non-urgent incidents online or in person.Other detachme...

NANAIMO - It's a chance to get up close and personal at a historic Nanaimo-based fisheries research facility. Opened in 1908, representing Canada's oldest west coast marine research centre, a day-long public open house takes place at the Pacific Biological Centre (PBS) on Saturday, May 30, between 9 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.A...

NANAIMO - A major new housing and commercial development is eyed for a high-traffic area of central Nanaimo. Developers are planning a five-storey, 95-unit condo development at 2124 Northfield Rd., just east of the Bowen Rd. intersection and immediately behind Beban Plaza featuring a grocery store, coffee shop, and oth...

NANAIMO - Capacity is expanding for a groundbreaking mental health program through the local RCMP detachment. Cst. Ben Caram will officially start his new job as a Mental Health Liaison Officer on Tuesday, June 2, adding a second officer to the program, unofficially called 'Car 54', and expanding service from four days...

NANAIMO - A pair of concrete pads installed at a popular north Nanaimo park are hoped to draw more people to astronomy. A pilot project between the City of Nanaimo and Nanaimo Astronomy Society led to a favoured new place to take in the planets and stars.Located between the parking lot and beach facing the Pacific Ocea...

NANAIMO - A plan to transform north Nanaimo's Woodgrove area into a complete community is coming into focus. City council recently endorsed a proposed final Woodgrove Area Plan to guide Nanaimo's northern gateway and major commercial hub into a more livable and accessible community over the next 25 years.The third and ...

NANAIMO - Expect the warmest months of the year to be a little bit hotter this year. Forecasters with The Weather Network say their long-range projections are calling for a warmer and drier summer than normal for Vancouver Island and much of B.C. Meteorologist Rachel Modestino said there's a strong warm signal through ...

PARKSVILLE - Advocates for Oceanside's unhoused keep pushing for more local shelter space, with a pair of municipalities lending their voices in support. Shayla Day, chair of the Oceanside Homelessness Task Force (OHTF), recently made presentations to both the City of Parksville and the Regional District of Nanaimo (RD...

NANAIMO - New federal funding is focusing on housing and life stability for Canadian Armed Forces and RCMP veterans. Administered through United Way BC, via partnerships with a number of local organizations in Nanaimo and Oceanside, over $1.3 million is earmarked for veterans across the next two years to provide suppor...

NANAIMO - The community has responded in a big way to support a new initiative to help those unhoused this summer. Local RCMP officers, along with City of Nanaimo Community Safety Officers and staff from Nanaimo's Real Canadian Superstore location on Metral Dr., collected nearly 4,000 donated bottles of water during a ...

NANAIMO - Melanie Buggey fully admits the idea is borderline insane, but still she's preparing to attempt a rare crossing of the Strait of Georgia. Sometime in late July or early August, depending on a number of weather conditions, Buggey plans to swim the 29 kilometres of open water between Davis Bay, near Sechelt, an...

NANAIMO - A much-anticipated traffic management strategy for a substantial and lengthy underground infrastructure project has been revealed by the Regional District of Nanaimo. Southbound traffic on Hammond Bay Rd. between McGuffie and Departure Bay roads will persist through the applicable construction zone, while nor...

NANAIMO - City councillors approved a major step forward in establishing an enhanced public works yard.The first of what's expected to be several annual borrowing bylaws was approved on Monday, May 25, greenlighting City staff to borrow $10,570,000 from the Municipal Finance Authority (MFA) to use for early-stage devel...

Editor's note: this article outlines allegations of sexual offending, which may not be suitable for some readers. Discretion is advised.NANAIMO - Accused of orchestrating repeated incidents of sexual misconduct against two complainants in his Christian youth ministry, an anticipated lengthy BC Supreme Court trial is un...

NANAIMO - One person is dead following a two-vehicle crash along Hwy. 1.Ladysmith RCMP, along with Cranberry Volunteer Fire Department and paramedics from BC Emergency Health Services, were called to Hwy. 1, south of Timberlands Rd., just before 4:30 a.m. on Monday, May 25, after a collision between a motorbike and a s...

NANAIMO - Consistently saying 'no' had Nanaimo voters constantly saying 'yes' to a city councillor who served for over three consecutive decades.Loyd Sherry, Nanaimo's longest serving city councillor, passed away recently at the age of 88.He was in office between 1981 and 2011.Staunchly fiscally conservative and the co...

NANAIMO - A record amount of cash awarded is designed to improve conditions for the province's iconic Pacific salmon, including $20,000 worth of Nanaimo-based initiatives. According to a Pacific Salmon Foundation (PSF) news release, the non-profit agency awarded $1.93 million to 144 salmon conservation projects across ...

PARKSVILLE - An ongoing project to enhance Parksville's active transportation network has taken another step forward, with council confirming the route and early design for phase two. Construction on the first phase of the Parksville Pathway Project began earlier this year, adding 1.1 kilometres of nature path connect...

NANAIMO - Local firefighters responded to an unconventional rescue call this week.A passerby was alerted by the worried mother of nine tiny ducklings near Oliver Woods Community Centre on Wednesday, May 20 after the small birds fell into a storm drain, according to a Nanaimo Fire Rescue (NFR) social media post."Th...

NANAIMO - Local Mounties, in partnership with employees of Real Canadian Superstore, are looking to make the summer a little cooler for those unhoused.RCMP officers, along with City of Nanaimo Community Safety Officers, volunteers, and staff at Nanaimo's Real Canadian Superstore location on Metral Dr., will be hosting ...

PARKSVILLE - A proposed 100+ residential development with ground-floor commercial space is on hold for now, after an application to amend the official community plan (OCP) was denied. The lot at 1000 Island Hwy. E., across the road from the entrance to Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park in Parksville, and is currently a ...

NANAIMO - One of the year's largest track meets takes place this weekend. The Nanaimo Track and Field Club will host the annual Elwood Wylie Memorial Meet on Saturday, May 23, and Sunday, May 24, at the Rotary Bowl, with close to 500 athletes from across Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland expected over the two day...

QUALICUM BEACH - The future of the Qualicum Commons building appears to be safe for at least another year, with the Town opting to renew the lease on the building. The Oceanside family programming facility at 744 Primrose St. was in jeopardy of closing its doors for good earlier this year, when the one-year lease agree...

GABRIOLA ISLAND - Mounties say the death of a 66-year-old scuba diver is not considered suspicious but rather a tragic incident. Police report on Wednesday, May 20 at around 5 p.m., reports came in regarding an unresponsive scuba diver near Degnen Bay dock on the south end of Gabriola Island. Members from the Gabriola ...

NANAIMO - A new vehicle is transforming the way the Harbour City's Salvation Army branch is working in the community. After using a makeshift and renovated refrigeration truck for several years, the Nanaimo Salvation Army is moving forward with its daily hot breakfast program inside a specialized emergency response sty...