NANAIMO - Peace officers of all stripes will be out on B.C. highways this weekend in full force to crack down on impaired drivers. National Impaired Driving Enforcement Day is Saturday, Dec. 6, with the BC Highway Patrol and RCMP launching the Light Up the Province enforcement campaign, looking for impaired and dangero...

NANAIMO - A Chase River affordable housing project is advancing after City Council approved a development permit for a 42-unit complex. The unanimous endorsement from Council was made during the Monday, Dec. 1, meeting, for a project in the conceptual stage for several years. To be located at 1435 Cranberry Ave., the s...

NANAIMO - Mounties across Vancouver Island are on the lookout for a local man, wanted for a series of crimes over the last year. Jamie Charles Routley, 36, is wanted on nearly a dozen Criminal Code charges, including assault, extortion, and uttering threats stemming from incidents in Nanaimo and Campbell River between ...

NANAIMO - A private member's bill authored by a former Nanaimo City councillor is at odds with the local municipal government. Nanaimo City Council unanimously endorsed forwarding a report by City staff to the B.C. government outlining several concerns regarding Nanaimo-Lantzville NDP MLA George Anderson's proposed Pro...

QUALICUM BEACH - One of the mid-Island's most iconic holiday events is ready for its return.Milner Christmas Magic takes guests through a beautifully lit and decorated walk through the Milner Gardens property on Hwy. 19A in Qualicum Beach, with gates open Thursday to Sunday between Dec. 4 and Dec. 21.Executive director...

NANAIMO - A downtown Port Moody roadblock netted police much more than an unlicensed driver. Port Moody Police Department Cst. Sam Zacharias said a Friday, Nov. 28 roadblock just after 11 p.m. resulted in a vehicle driven by 40-year-old Nanaimo man who was wanted on a province-wide arrest warrant. A search of the vehic...

The B.C. Conservative Party says John Rustad has been "removed" as leader of the Opposition and a caucus vote has installed MLA Trevor Halford as interim leader. The announcement comes after 20 MLAs representing a majority of Rustad's caucus said they had lost confidence in him and wanted him out, but he refu...

NANAIMO - British Columbians continue to die due to toxic street drugs, but the numbers continue to decrease, while the trade industry has some of the highest rates of death per industry. According to the latest report from the BC Coroners Service, four people from Nanaimo died due to unregulated street drugs in Octobe...

NANAIMO - Delivering salty treats to healthcare professionals would have been a monumental task for a Ladysmith woman prior to receiving a double lung transplant. Andrea Gollmer, 41, joined two other BC Transplant volunteers at Nanaimo hospital on Tuesday, Dec. 2, to hand out popcorn to healthcare workers as part of th...

NANAIMO - A large pulp mill south of the city is shutting its operations for good. Mill owner Domtar Inc. announced on Tuesday, Dec. 2, citing "poor pricing for pulp and lack of access to affordable fibre in B.C." as the primary reason behind its decision. Around 350 workers, largely from the central Island, ...

NANAIMO - Mounties are looking for a suspect after a man was found severely injured in the city's south end.Police say just after 9 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 1, a 62-year-old man was found unresponsive in an alley between Shepherd Ave. and Georgia Ave., south of Fifth St. in south Nanaimo, believed to be the victim of an as...

NANAIMO - An at-times pointed debate on provincial mental health and addictions policies, as well as challenges in the city as a result, will result in little more than a meeting minute.A request from Coun. Ian Thorpe to send a letter from the City to the provincial government to "reexamine its philosophy regardin...

NANAIMO - Weather experts are saying the chances of a white Christmas for the mid-Island remain low.It's the prevailing opinion according to meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada Derek Lee, who said if November is any indication, there is little chance of snow on the ground by the end of December.&qu...

NANAIMO - Grinch-like thieves will be hard at work this holiday shopping season, warns Nanaimo RCMP. Cst. Gary O'Brien said their detachment expects complaints of stolen door-front packages to increase as the month progresses. He said a package left unattended for any length of time is an invitation to be stolen. "...

NANAIMO - A local foundation trying to save a critically endangered species is celebrating another major milestone. The Marmot Recovery Foundation (MRF) recently announced the Vancouver Island marmot population has reached a new high of 427, up from 382 recorded in the wild last year. Adam Taylor, head of the Nanaimo-b...

KITAKYUSHU, JAPAN - A Nanaimo skateboarder's first real foray into international competition has exceeded all expectations. Evie Pritchard, 13, finished 13th overall in the women's street competition at the World Skateboarding Tour World Cup event in Kitakyushu, Japan, with competition wrapping Sunday, Nov. 30. Pritcha...

NANAIMO - Pack a warm beverage and plenty of holiday cheer, NanaimoNewsNOW's map of the best lights in the city is finally here. Our elves have been out to check around and see, returning with their faces smiling in glee. For the region is decorated so wonderful and bright, so you can pick a different area to explore e...

NANAIMO - A trio of local high schools will have an increased police presence Monday.Police and School District 68 officials report anonymous threats were made against Wellington Secondary, Nanaimo District Secondary and Dover Bay Secondary schools over the weekend.Reserve Cst. Gary O'Brien told NanaimoNewsNOW parents ...

NANAIMO - Hundreds of delegates from over a dozen countries are expected in the Harbour City next fall for a major event. The North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES) will host their annual meeting and conference in Nanaimo from Oct. 24-30, 2026 at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre, drawing leading scient...

NANAIMO - An annual budget discussion tradition at Nanaimo City Council chambers returns. The City is hosting an anticipated hour-long eTown Hall event on Monday, Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. to open a regular council meeting. The town hall event takes place at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre's Shaw Auditorium, which will b...

BOWSER - A freshly arrived new fire truck represents numerous positives for an increasingly busy rural fire department.Bow Horn Bay Fire Department (BHBFD) recently received a new $745,000 fire truck courtesy of Winnipeg-based manufacturer Fort Garry Fire Trucks. Excited fire department chief Mark Taylor said the featu...

NANAIMO - Further action to slow down traffic is planned for a north Nanaimo neighbourhood well known for being notoriously unsafe for non-vehicular users. Councillors voted unanimously for additional measures along Lost Lake Rd., during the Monday, Nov. 24, governance and priorities committee meeting, envisioned to fe...

NANAIMO - For the second time this year, a firm direction forward has been given to a long-awaited update to the shores of Long Lake.Nanaimo City Council, as part of a special finance and audit committee meeting on Friday, Nov. 28, gave near-unanimous approval to a community gathering space, boat storage room and publi...

NANAIMO - A new weather alert system rolled out earlier this week by Environment and Climate Change Canada is poised to provide more information at a glance on coming storms.The federal government department has moved away from threshold-based watches and warnings and into a tiered system involving yellow, orange and r...

NANAIMO - By next summer, the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) expects a priority project to be selected to bolster active transportation options in Cedar. The RDN is formulating an active transportation plan for the rural, amenity-starved community south of Nanaimo. During a Wednesday, Nov 26 open house at Cedar Her...

PARKSVILLE - It's poised to be one of the brightest Christmas' yet throughout the Oceanside region. The annual Tigh Na Mara Toy Drive wrapped with their community breakfast on Wednesday, Nov. 26, capping a two-week campaign of collecting money, gift cards and new, unwrapped toys for those struggling this time of year. ...

NANAIMO - One person had to be extricated from their vehicle after rolling down an embankment and coming to rest on its roof. Rope rescue teams with Nanaimo Fire Rescue were called to Lost Lake Rd., midway between Tanya Dr. and Blue Jay Trail, just after 3 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 27, following reports of a vehicle leavi...

NANAIMO - The Salvation Army's Christmas Kettle Campaign is currently underway, collecting donations until Christmas Eve for those in need.Volunteers armed with seasonal bells are set up at over a dozen locations in Nanaimo and Oceanside, including Canadian Tire, Woodgrove Centre, Port Place Thrifty Foods, and Country ...