NANAIMO - Police are looking for a man who used a knife to rob a south Nanaimo liquor store. RCMP say a man with his face partially covered entered the University Liquor store at 520 Fifth St. around 9:45 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 12, and jumped over the counter with a knife in his hand demanding money from the till. The ...

NANAIMO - Forecasted strong winds are leading BC Ferries to proactively cancel some weekend crossings between the Island and Lower Mainland.A wind warning remains in effect for most of eastern Vancouver Island, with BC Ferries scrapping the 6:15 a.m. and 8:25 a.m. sailings from Departure Bay on Saturday, Dec. 14, along...

NANAIMO - A group of young volunteers are making sure nobody is left out in the cold this Christmas. Members of Youth 20/20 Can Nanaimo and Volunteer Nanaimo will be collecting winter goats and other cold-weather gear at Maffeo Sutton Park on Friday, Dec. 13 from 3-7 p.m., and again on Saturday, Dec. 14 from 11 a.m. un...

NANAIMO - Gusts upwards of 100 kilometres per hour are expected over the weekend as a storm system descends on the region. Environment Canada issued the wind warning shortly before 11 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 13, advising of southeasterly winds of 70 kilometres per hour, gusting to 100 kilometres per hour beginning Saturda...

Editors note -this article contains depictions of violence which may not be suitable for some readers. Discretion is advised NANAIMO - Unaddressed substance abuse and personal turmoil clashed in a pair of violent, chaotic incidents on behalf of a man with a limited criminal past. David Richard Patrick, 39, entered late...

NANAIMO - Those dreaming of a white Christmas might want to stay asleep. Officially defined by Environment Canada as having two centimetres of snow or more on the ground come 7 a.m. on Dec. 25, the Nanaimo and Oceanside region appears to be out of luck when it comes to flurries falling this year. Meteorologist Matt Lon...

NANAIMO - Mounties are searching for a number of suspects after a vandalism spree earlier this week caused damage to at dozens of vehicles. Nanaimo RCMP said between 11 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 10 and 4:30 a.m. the next morning, 42 incidents of vandalism were reported, including smashed windows, broken side mirrors, and f...

NANAIMO - While a formal five-year financial plan is still a few months away from adoption, urgency from concerned citizens is ratcheting up. A Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) board meeting on Tuesday, Dec 10 was dominated by projected property tax hikes by 9.2 per cent. The increase represents a drop from the 15.75...

LADYSMITH - Voters in Ladysmith will head to the polls on March 1 to elect a new Mayor. The Town's top elected position was vacated in September when Aaron Stone left the position in favour of a private-sector position in Victoria. Nomination packages for candidates will be available at Ladysmith City Hall on Esplanade...

NANAIMO - Over 200 impaired drivers were taken off B.C. roads recently, part of the BC Highway Patrol's Light Up the Province initiative.Held this past Saturday, Dec. 7, over 400 police officers around the province set up check stops looking for impaired drivers and other vehicle infractions.Cpl. Michael McLaughlin wit...

NANAIMO - Striking Canada Post workers in Nanaimo caused minor disruptions to an oversubscribed shipping company which the Crown corporation holds a majority ownership stake in. Around 30 people wearing bright yellow vests and carrying signs stood outside the exit of the Purolator depot on Boxwood Rd. around 5:30 a.m. ...

UPDATE - Wednesday's flight was forced back to Port Alberni soon after takeoff.The Mars was over Nanaimo when oil pressure issues in an engine led to crew deciding to circle back to Port Alberni and attempt the trip down the West Coast on another day.EARLIER - NANAIMO - Just over four months after the Hawaii Mars made ...

LADYSMITH - A second public workshop scheduled this week will help shape the future of refreshed skatepark in Ladysmith. The public engagement event happens on Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 6:15 p.m. at Frank Jameson Community Centre's lower level regarding plans to overhaul the skatepark located next door. Three proposed desi...

NANAIMO - Police say a 58-year-old man was stabbed in the public washrooms at Maffeo Sutton Park Wednesday morning. Nanaimo RCMP Cst. Sherri Wade said the victim, a City of Nanaimo staff member, told officers he was attacked by two men in the washrooms at the park, around 10 a.m. She added in a statement the worker was...

NANAIMO - Days before his round-the-world journey, Santa traded in his nine reindeer and sleigh for a comfy helicopter to tour B.C. hospitals. Jolly Old Saint Nicholas touched down in Nanaimo on Tuesday, Dec. 10, part of a multi-hospital tour, to visit patients in various departments, along with sick kids in the pediat...

NANAIMO - As advertised by Snuneymux First Nation's chief, a problematic downtown Nanaimo hotel primed for future redevelopment will be swiftly brought down. Demolition crews and a hazardous materials contractor are assigned to the dismantling of the decrepit Howard Johnson Hotel site, which formally received a demolit...

NANAIMO - Those looking to sneak in a last-minute wish list to Santa this holiday season can still do so, regardless of whether an ongoing mail strike continues or not. Members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers say while they're on strike from their Canada Post duties as a result of an ongoing contract dispute, t...

NANAIMO - No one was injured after malfunctioning landing gear forced a pilot to deploy an emergency landing at Nanaimo Airport. The incident occurred on Sunday, Dec. 8, around 1:00 p.m., when the single-engine private plane had issues with its landing gear while touching down. Nanaimo Airport president and CEO Dave De...

Editors note - this article contains details of a disturbing sexual assault and may not be suitable for some readers. Discretion is strongly advised NANAIMO - Resolving a highly disturbing crime of opportunity is in the hands of a B.C. Supreme Court judge who convicted a Nanaimo man on a sexual assault charge. Curtis A...

NANAIMO - Local Canada Post workers in the fourth week of a nationwide strike are hoping a quick resolution can be found. Both the Crown corporation and roughly 55,000 Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) members remain at odds, and reportedly very far apart, in negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement. Mem...

NANAIMO - More residential, compact housing appears destined for central Nanaimo after a development permit was awarded for a three-storey apartment building. Located at 2126 Meredith Rd., a block west of Bowen Rd. at the corner of Tulsa Rd., the proposed 21-unit complex will consist of nine studio units, and 12 one-be...

NANAIMO - Santa Claus will be touching down in the Harbour City a little earlier this year, part of an annual holiday tradition. Jolly Old Saint Nick will be landing in Nanaimo on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 10:30 a.m. at the Harbour Air dock at 90 Front St., before making his way to his workshop for an extended stay to hear a...

NANAIMO - It's one of our favourite annual activities and is a surefire way to get into the holiday spirit. Our elves have been busy over the last week touring through Nanaimo and the central Vancouver Island region to update our map of homes lit for the holidays. We've compiled our lists and checked them twice (just l...

GABRIOLA ISLAND - BC Ferries announced last month they are working on a new engagement model that they say would better address the "evolving needs of growing coastal communities", replacing the ferry advisory committees (FAC) in May of 2025. Multiple ferry-dependent island communities in B.C. have had FACs i...

NANAIMO - A pair of mid-Island women impacted in different ways by donating vital organs thanked front-line professionals at Nanaimo hospital. Operation Popcorn, organized by Transplant BC across the province, saw the salty snack delivered to several Nanaimo hospital units to allow organ transplant beneficiaries to giv...

NANAIMO - The holiday season means it's time for the Salvation Army's annual Christmas Kettle Campaign, spreading cheer and raising money for their local programs. The kettles have been set up around the region since late November, with volunteer bell ringers on shift until Christmas Eve, with at least 15 locations set...

QUALICUM BEACH - Well over 100,000 lights have been hung with care, Santa has arrived and organizers are ready to welcome thousands for an annual holiday spectacle. Milner Gardens & Woodland, at 2179 Island Hwy. West in Qualicum Beach, begins hosting its annual Milner Christmas Magic on Thursday, Dec. 5 from 5 p.m....

NANAIMO - The number of children living in poverty in B.C. is growing, including in Nanaimo.The child poverty report from First Call Child and Youth Advocacy Society (FCCYAS) saw 16.7 per cent, or 147,570 people in B.C. 17 years old and younger, living below the poverty line in 2022, up from 14.3 per cent in 2021.Local...