Environment

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

Pandemic sees interest drive up for car-sharing in Nanaimo and elsewhere

NANAIMO - While COVID-19 caused bumps in the road for car-sharing cooperative Modo, the transportation alternative appears to be regaining traction.Modo marketing director Selena McLachlan said their ...

Oct 22, 2020

City of Nanaimo's plastic bag ban awaits provincial approval

NANAIMO - Pending a blessing from the province, single-use plastic bags containing retail purchases will be banned in the city of Nanaimo.Council approved a new bylaw during their meeting on Monday, O...

Oct 20, 2020

'Discovery by little Nathan:' 12-year-old makes fossil find in southern Alberta

Aspiring paleontologist Nathan Hrushkin speaks with pride about his "killer resume." The Grade 7 student from Calgary discovered a rare dinosaur skeleton earlier this year at Horseshoe Canyon in the B...

Oct 15, 2020

Seismologists monitoring tremor and slip event ahead of province's largest earthquake drill

NANAIMO - It's a busy time for seismologists on the B.C. coast.The Great BC Shakeout earthquake drill is at 10:15 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 15 with participants encouraged to drop, cover and hold on. The...

Oct 14, 2020

Significant upgrades at Benson Creek Falls Regional Park underway, some trails closed

NANAIMO - Numerous safety upgrades at a popular mid island hiking destination are getting started, kickstarting a substantial overhaul of prized Benson Creek Falls Regional Park.The Regional District ...

Oct 13, 2020