Business & Economy

Kenney sets sights on Democratic hopefuls aiming to block Keystone XL pipeline

WASHINGTON - Jason Kenney opted to join Ontario counterpart Doug Ford in the Democratic doghouse Saturday as the Alberta premier vented his spleen about progressive presidenti...

Feb 10, 2020

'It's a tradition we're committed to:' Tubbers Hockey Tournament draws 300 players to Nanaimo

NANAIMO - A longstanding annual February hockey tournament has taken over the Nanaimo Ice Centre. The 39th annual Tubbers Hockey Tournament attracted 26 teams in five divisions to play on both facilit...

Feb 07, 2020 Tubbers Hockey Tournament organizer Tim Paugh during the opening day of the 39th annual event in Nanaimo. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Cruise ship visits to Nanaimo double in 2020

NANAIMO - A bounce-back season for Nanaimo's beleaguered cruise ship industry will see more passengers visiting Nanaimo this summer. Three cruise ships will visit the harbour city six times, starting ...

Maria Doty Jan 30, 2020 Explorer of the Seas, a massive mega-cruise ship which docked in Nanaimo in 2017 and 2018. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Nanaimo police seek suspect after store employee assaulted

NANAIMO - Police are looking for a suspect accused of assaulting a north Nanaimo store employee and threatening to stab him.Nanaimo RCMP said the employee confronted the suspect for allegedly stealing...

Maria Doty Jan 29, 2020 The man in the jacket is accused of assaulting a store employee. (submitted/Nanaimo RCMP)

Construction officially underway on long-promised downtown Nanaimo hotel

NANAIMO - A major milestone finally happened in the journey of bringing a hotel to the conference centre in downtown Nanaimo. A groundbreaking ceremony was held Wednesday, Jan. 29 at the site of the $...

Maria Doty Jan 29, 2020 The groundbreaking ceremony for the $23-million Marriott hotel downtown took place on Jan. 29. (Spencer Sterritt)

Canadian oil producers prepared for temporary price slump as virus spreads

OTTAWA - Canada's energy industry is not overly alarmed as the new coronavirus coming out of China is taking a bite out of world oil prices. Brad Herald, a vice-president at the Canadian Association o...

Jan 29, 2020

Alberta landowners urge farmers to cut power to wells with unpaid debts

A group of Alberta landowners is asking farmers and ranchers to fight back against unpaid debts and unreclaimed oil and gas wells by closing valves and cutting power to energy company sites. "The...

Jan 24, 2020

Fourth province-run marijuana retailer on Vancouver Island opens in Parksville

PARKSVILLE - Residents in the Parksville-Qualicum region have a more direct, regulated access to cannabis products and accessories.A newly renovated 5,000 square foot BC Cannabis Store at Wembley Mall...

Maria Doty Jan 23, 2020 The fourth BC Cannabis Store location on Vancouver Island opened in Parksville on Thursday, Jan. 23 and will serve as a regional training hub for employees on Vancouver Island. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Alberta government promising to fix rules on aging energy wells

EDMONTON - A group tasked with cleaning up thousands of abandoned energy sites in Alberta says the province's rules for ensuring polluters reclaim their wells before selling them off are ina...

Jan 17, 2020

Supreme Court to hear B.C. case attempting to halt Trans Mountain expansion

OTTAWA - Canada's high court will hear arguments Thursday on whether British Columbia can stop Alberta from shipping heavy oil through the Trans Mountain pipeline without a permit. B.C.'s NDP governme...

Jan 15, 2020