Environment

Tent fire closes Parksville's Mark's Nature Park

PARKSIVLLE - A tent fire has closed a popular Parksville park for several days. Parksville Fire Rescue crews arrived Wednesday, Nov. 25 just before 5 a.m. to Mark's Nature Park on Finholm St. to find ...

Nov 26, 2020

Fossil fuels to decline but remain big player in Canada's energy use by 2050: report

OTTAWA - The Canada Energy Regulator says reaching net-zero emissions over the next 30 years will to require a much more aggressive transition away from oil and gas.The annual Energy Futures report re...

Nov 24, 2020

West Ballenas Island preserved, purchased from private owner for $1.7M

NANAIMO - A privately owned island off Nanoose Bay is poised to be preserved as park land thanks to a substantial fundraising campaign.The BC Parks Foundation has secured an agreement to purchase West...

Nov 16, 2020

De-icing highways tops list of regional highway maintenance crews

NANAIMO - While the mid island region braces for the first potential snowfall of the season, highway maintenance crews are taking a proactive approach.Daniel Hutchins, regional general manager of Main...

Nov 10, 2020

First Nations techniques leading conservation fight against iconic Canadian bird in Nanaimo

NANAIMO - Local conservationists are leaning on traditional First Nations techniques to stop an iconic Canadian bird from destroying local fish habitat. Non-migratory Canada geese are feeding year-rou...

Alex Rawnsley Nov 07, 2020

Construction starts for Nanaimo's delayed oil response base

NANAIMO - A long-planned oil response base in Nanaimo is at last being built following numerous setbacks.Western Canada Marine Response Corporation communications director Michael Lowry said construct...

Nov 05, 2020

Cougar spotted at Kwalikum Secondary School, no further sign of big cat

QUALIUCM BEACH - A cougar made what's believed to be a brief appearance at a Kwalikum Secondary School playing field.The report described by Qualicum School District Supt. Dr. Keven Elder as credible ...

Nov 04, 2020

Parks Canada plans first captive breeding program for Jasper National Park caribou

EDMONTON - Caribou herds in Canada's Rocky Mountains are now so precarious that Parks Canada is preparing a plan to round up females from nearly vanished herds and pen them in a captive breeding progr...

Nov 02, 2020

Thousands of fish feed local lakes, license sales surge during pandemic

NANAIMO - Nearly 7,000 trout and counting have been piped into lakes in Nanaimo by staff with the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC (FFSBC).The FFSBC stocking report showed six lakes in Nanaimo have ...

Oct 24, 2020

Brief, intense storm to create tricky driving conditions for Island motorists

NANAIMO - It won't last for long, but an earlier than expected winter-like storm will create some travel headaches for some parts of the Island.Cool air from the arctic is forecast to clash with a moi...

Oct 23, 2020