Industry

Nanaimo Council approves increased density for emerging north end urban node

NANAIMO - A growing collection of multi-family housing units in Nanaimo's north end is poised for further densification, despite opposition from local residents. In a narrow 5-4 vote on Monday, May 25...

May 27, 2020

Tourism operators navigate COVID-19 restart through homegrown support program

NANAIMO - Few industries have been hammered as hard by COVID-19 than tourism, however a support program is helping navigate local businesses through the pandemic.In April, Tourism Vancouver Island lau...

May 26, 2020

$4.3 million electricity upgrade for Protection Islanders underway

NANAIMO - Dozens of BC Hydro crews recently began the initial phase of installing an underwater electricity line to Protection Island via Maffeo Sutton Park.The company's Karla Louwers told NanaimoNew...

May 26, 2020

Dine In: NanaimoNewsNOW samples new restaurant normal

NANAIMO - After weeks of take out or delivery-only options at several area restaurants, a relaxing of restrictions from the provincial government finally allowed for dine-in service.NanaimoNewsNOW's S...

May 21, 2020

Beach access in Lantzville restricted as crews start large sewer project

LANTZVILLE - Two beach access points in lower Lantzville are closed as crews begin an ambitious sewer installation project for more than 300 local households.The District of Lantzville expects the Seb...

May 20, 2020

First wave of Nanaimo businesses re-open, more to follow as week progresses

NANAIMO - Local businesses are re-opening their doors after several uncertain months. Phase two of B.C.'s Restart Plan officially kicked off on Tuesday, May 19. A wide swath of businesses, including g...

May 19, 2020

Crews resurfacing Inland Island Hwy. between Parksville and Bowser

PARKSVILLE - An extensive project is seeing a 40 kilometre stretch of Highway 19 on mid Vancouver Island smoothed.A Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) statement to NanaimoNewsNOW sai...

May 01, 2020 Crews are actively resurfacing the slow lanes of the Inland Island Highway between Parksville and Bowser. (MOTI)

Cost of restoring E&N Rail Line to full capacity in Nanaimo-area more than $200M

NANAIMO - The final numbers are in for restoring rail service on Vancouver Island. The ministry of transportation and infrastructure released their assessment of the E&N Rail Line on Tuesday, Apri...

Apr 28, 2020 The stretch of E&N Rail between Duncan and Parksville would cost around $100 million to upgrade to a bare minimum level of service. (Spencer Sterritt/NanaimoNewsNOW)

'The loss is incalculable:' Nanaimo business plummets with Night Market fate in limbo

NANAIMO - Downtown Nanaimo streets won't be packed with thousands of shoppers and hundreds of businesses this year. The third annual Night Market, presented by the Greater Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce,...

Apr 23, 2020 Kim Smythe with the Greater Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce says more than 30 per cent of shops say they likely won't recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Large grass fire quickly knocked down in Parksville, no structures impacted

PARKSVILLE - Good fortune aided crews in snuffing out an overnight grass fire on public property in Parksville.Marc Norris, Parksville Volunteer Fire Dept. chief, said a 75 by 100 foot chunk of land i...

Apr 16, 2020 Flames and smokes billow up into the sky after a fire hits the Parksville Wetlands off the north end of Hirst Ave at 12:30 a.m. on Thursday, April 16. (Parksville Volunteer Fire Dept.)